System of apparatus for monitoring a tire condition value in a pneumatic tire

• US 20020140574A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Letkomiller, Joseph Michael, Pollack, Richard Stephen, Starkey, Gene Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 6,683,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0413 Wireless charging of active radio frequency circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0452 Antenna structure, control or arrangement vehicle tyre mounted antennas H01Q1/2241
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres

Abstract

A system for monitoring at least one tire condition value in each of a plurality of pneumatic tires of a moving vehicle, wherein each of the tires has associated therewith a passive electronic tire tag for sensing the at least one tire condition value and is responsive to an interrogation signal transmitted thereto to transmit a data modulated signal representative of the at least one tire condition value. The monitoring system includes portable ramp apparatus for supporting the moving vehicle, portable vehicle sensing apparatus for sensing the presence of the moving vehicle and tire pressure sensing apparatus embedded in the ramp apparatus for detecting the presence thereon of a vehicle tire on the ramp apparatus. In addition, the monitoring system includes transmitter antenna structure and receiver antenna structure respectively embedded in the ramp apparatus. The transceiver apparatus is operable for causing the transmitter antenna structure to transmit the interrogation signal to the respective tire tags when the tire pressure sensing apparatus detects the vehicle tire. In addition, the transceiver apparatus is operable for causing the receiver antenna structure to receive the respective data modulated tire tag signals independently of one another from different tire tags. And, the transceiver apparatus is operable for demodulating the respective data modulated tire tag signals and digitizing data therefrom.

Claims

1. A system of apparatus for monitoring at least one tire condition value in each of a plurality of pneumatic tires of a moving vehicle, each of the tires having associated therewith a passive electronic tire tag for sensing the at least one tire condition value, and each of the tire tags responsive to an interrogation signal transmitted thereto to transmit a data modulated signal representative of the at least one tire condition value, the monitoring system comprising:

(a) portable ramp apparatus for supporting thereon the moving vehicle;

(b) vehicle sensing apparatus for sensing the presence of the moving vehicle;

(c) tire pressure sensing apparatus embedded in the ramp apparatus for detecting the presence thereon of a tire of the moving vehicle;

(d) transceiver apparatus including transmitter antenna structure and receiver antenna structure respectively embedded in the ramp apparatus for transmitting the interrogation signal to respective tire tags when the tire pressure sensing apparatus detects the tire of the moving vehicle; and

(e) receiving the respective data modulated tire tag signals independently of one another from different tire tags and demodulating the respective data modulated tire tag signals and digitizing data therefrom.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the ramp apparatus includes left and right ramp structures, the tire pressure sensing apparatus including at least one left tire pressure sensing structure and at least one right tire pressure sensing structure.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter antenna structure includes a left transmitter antenna structure embedded in the left ramp structure and a right transmitter antenna structure embedded in the right ramp structure.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the transceiver apparatus includes left and right transmitter antenna driver circuits, the left antenna driver circuit removably electrically connected to left transmitter antenna structure, and the right antenna driver circuit removably electrically connected to right transmitter antenna structure.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the left and right antenna structures removably are electrically connected to different micro-controller circuits.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1 including portable computer apparatus removably electrically connected to the transceiver apparatus for controlling the transceiver apparatus, the computer apparatus removably electrically connected to the vehicle sensing apparatus for receiving therefrom a vehicle sensing signal indicating the presence of the moving vehicle.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the computer apparatus is programmed for providing an enabling signal to the transceiver apparatus when the computer apparatus receives the vehicle sensing signal for causing the transceiver apparatus to enable operation thereof.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the computer apparatus is programmed for providing a disabling signal to the transceiver apparatus when the computer apparatus stops receiving the vehicle sensing signal for causing the transceiver apparatus to disable operation thereof.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 1 including portable computer apparatus removably electrically connected to tire pressure sensing apparatus for receiving therefrom a tire pressure sensing signal indicating that a vehicle tire is on the ramp apparatus.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the computer apparatus is programmed for providing a start interrogation signal to the transceiver apparatus upon receiving the tire pressure sensing signal, and the start interrogation signal causing operation of the transmitter antenna structure for causing the transmission thereby of an interrogation signal thereof to the respective tire tags.

11. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the computer apparatus is programmed for commencing a count of a predetermined time interval when the computer apparatus stops receiving the tire pressure sensing signal, and the computer apparatus is programmed for providing a stop interrogation signal to the transceiver apparatus for discontinuance thereby of the interrogation signal thereof when the count ends.

12. The monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein the receiver antenna structure receives the respective data modulated tire tag signals from the tire tags when the tire tags receive the interrogation signal from the transceiver apparatus, the transceiver apparatus demodulating the respective data modulated tire tag signals, the transceiver apparatus including at least one micro-controller circuit programmed for digitizing the respective demodulated tire tag signals and providing respective digital data signals to the computer apparatus that include the data digitized from the demodulated tire tag signals.

13. The monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the computer apparatus is programmed for processing the digital data signals for obtaining therefrom data corresponding to the at least one tire condition value transmitted thereto by each of the tire tags, each of the at least one tire condition values selected from a group comprising a tire air pressure value, a tire air temperature value and an MTMS status bit.

14. The monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein each of the tire tags includes a different serial number, and the computer apparatus is programmed for processing the digital data signals for obtaining therefrom data corresponding to the respective tire tag serial numbers.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 13, including ambient pressure and temperature measuring apparatus conventionally electrically connected to the computer apparatus, the ambient pressure measuring apparatus providing a pressure signal representative of a current ambient pressure to the computer apparatus, the ambient temperature measuring apparatus providing an ambient temperature signal representative of a current ambient temperature to the computer apparatus, the computer apparatus programmed for calculating an adjusted pressure value in consideration of the current ambient pressure value, and the computer apparatus programmed for calculating an adjusted temperature value in consideration of the current ambient temperature value.

16. The monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the computer apparatus includes a display, and the computer apparatus programmed for sorting and displaying the data corresponding to the respective digital data signals received from the at least one micro-controller circuit.

18. The ramp apparatus and structures according to claim 17, wherein the tire pressure sensing structure includes a single pole, double throw, pressure sensitive switch and a resilient potting material associated therewith for actuating the switch when the moving vehicle rolls thereon, and the resilient potting material de-actuating the associated switch when the moving vehicle rolls thereof.

19. The ramp apparatus and structures according to claim 17, wherein each of the transmitter antenna structures includes a transmitter antenna and a transmitter antenna driver circuit therefor.

20. The ramp apparatus and structures according to claim 17, wherein the at least one receiver antenna structure includes a plurality of left receiver antennas and a plurality of right receiver antennas, the moving vehicle having a path of travel, and each of the receiver antennas oriented at an angle of substantially 45 degrees relative the path of travel.

17. Portable ramp apparatus and structures embedded therein for monitoring at least one tire condition value in each of a plurality of pneumatic tires of a moving vehicle, wherein the moving vehicle has a left side thereof and a right side thereof, the ramp apparatus and embedded structures comprising:

(a) a portable left ramp structure for supporting the left side of the moving vehicle, and a portable right ramp structure for supporting the right side of the moving vehicle;

(b) at least one left tire sensing structure embedded in the left ramp structure, and at least one right tire sensing structure embedded in the right ramp structure;

(c) a left transmitter antenna structure embedded in the left ramp structure, and a right transmitter antenna structure embedded in the right ramp structure; and

(d) at least one left receiver antenna structure embedded in the left ramp structure, and at least one right receiver antenna structure embedded in the right ramp structure.