System and method for converting and communicating operational characteristics of tires
First Claim
1. In combination, a vehicle having at least one tire, sensor means in working relation with said tire, said sensor means monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire, tire transceiver means working cooperatively with said sensor means for outputting a first signal having a first frequency representative of the operational characteristics of said tire, independent means operating separately from said sensor means for receiving said first signal, converting said first signal into a second signal having a frequency adaptable to be used by a plurality of communications devices, and outputting the converted second signal to at least one of said communications device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system integrated to each of the tires mounted to a vehicle allows each of the tires to communicate with a mobile communicator, such as for example a mobile phone. The system includes at least sensors for monitoring and measuring the pressure and temperature of the tire. The measured parameters of the tire are fed to a processor that compensates the measured pressure with the measured temperature. The temperature corrected tire pressure is then stored in a memory store. A communications module, operating under a wireless data link protocol such as for example the Bluetooth protocol, sends the stored information to a mobile phone, in response to a request thereby. The temperature corrected data of the tire is also transmitted to the other tires of the vehicle. Any one of the tires may act as the server of all of the other tires for transmitting the information of the respective tires of the vehicle to the mobile phone, which acts as the browser. Alternatively, the mobile phone could request that information of the various tires be sent to it individually by the respective tires. In place of Bluetooth signals being transmitted from the tires, the tires may be equipped with radio frequency (RF) transceiver modules that transmit RF signals to a converter system, which converts the RF signals into Bluetooth signals, which are then broadcast to telecommunication devices adpatable to receive Bluetooth signals.
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Citations
34 Claims
- 1. In combination, a vehicle having at least one tire, sensor means in working relation with said tire, said sensor means monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire, tire transceiver means working cooperatively with said sensor means for outputting a first signal having a first frequency representative of the operational characteristics of said tire, independent means operating separately from said sensor means for receiving said first signal, converting said first signal into a second signal having a frequency adaptable to be used by a plurality of communications devices, and outputting the converted second signal to at least one of said communications device.
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11. In a vehicle having at least one tire, a system for monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire comprising:
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sensor means working cooperatively with said tire for monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire;
tire transceiver means working cooperatively with said sensor means for outputting a first signal having a first frequency representative of the operational characteristics of said tire; and
converter means for receiving said first signal, converting said first signal into a second signal having a second frequency, and outputting said second signal to a remote communications device adapted to receive signals of said second frequency. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30)
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15. In a vehicle having at least one tire, a system for monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire comprising:
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sensor means in working relation with said tire for monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire;
tire transceiver means working cooperatively with said sensor means for outputting one signal representative of the operational effectiveness of said tire, said signal having a first communications protocol; and
converter means for receiving said one signal and converting said one signal into an other signal having a second communications protocol, said converter means outputting said other signal to a telecommunications device adapted to receive signals having said second communications protocol.
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19. Apparatus for converting a signal of one frequency to an other signal of a different frequency, comprising:
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first transceiver means for receiving one signal having one frequency representative of the operational characteristics of at least one tire, and for converting said one signal into corresponding data bits;
processor means for calculating quantities relating to the operational characteristics of said tire using said data bits; and
second transceiver means for receiving said quantities from said processor means, and converting said quantities into an other signal having an other frequency corresponding to the operational characteristics of said tire, said second transceiver means outputting said other signal to at least one communications means adaptable to receive said other signal.
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25. In combination with a vehicle having at least one tire, a method of broadcasting the operational characteristics of said tire comprising the steps of:
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a) monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire;
b) outputting the monitored operational characteristics of said tire as a first signal having a first communications protocol;
c) converting said first signal into corresponding data bits;
d) calculating quantities relating to the operational characteristics of said tire using said data bits;
e) converting the calculated quantities into a second signal having a second communications protocol; and
f) outputting said second signal to at least one communications device adaptable to receive signals having said second communications protocol.
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29. For monitoring the operational characteristics of a tire on a vehicle, a method of converting one signal of one communications protocol to an other signal of an other communications protocol, comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving said one signal of said one communications protocol from said tire, said one signal containing information relating to the operational characteristics of said tire;
b) converting said one signal into corresponding data bits;
c) using said data bits to calculate quantities representing the operational characteristics of said tire; and
d) converting the calculated quantities into said other signal of said other communications protocol, said other signal containing information relating to the operational characteristics of said tire.
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- 31. In combination, a vehicle having at least one tire, sensor means mounted to said tire, said sensor means monitoring the operational characteristics of said tire, tire transceiver means working cooperatively with said sensor means for outputting a first frequency signal representative of the operational characteristics of said tire, an entertainment console in said vehicle having a receiver with a display, means for receiving said first frequency signal and modifying said first frequency signal into a second signal with a frequency usable for displaying the operational characteristics of said tire on the display of said console.
Specification