Determination of wheel sensor position using radio frequency detectors in an automotive remote tire monitor system
First Claim
1. A method for operating a remote tire monitor system, the method comprising:
- at a transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors, transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data;
at a RF receiver, receiving the RF signals and detecting the tire data;
at a receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors each associated with a tire monitor, producing a transmission indication; and
at a control unit, receiving the tire data and transmission indication and associating a position of the transmitting tire monitor with the tire data in response to the transmission indication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a remote tire monitor system, radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data are transmitted from a plurality of tire monitors at wheels of a vehicle. At an RF receiver, the signals are received and tire data is detected. The RF signals are detected at a receiving RF detector associated with the transmitting tire monitor. The receiving RF detector produces a transmission indication in response to the received RF signals. A control unit is coupled to the RF receiver and the RF detector. The control unit receives the tire data and the transmission indication and associates a position of the transmitting tire monitor with the tire data in response to transmission indication. This permits automatic update of the position of tire monitors on the vehicle.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for operating a remote tire monitor system, the method comprising:
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at a transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors, transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data;
at a RF receiver, receiving the RF signals and detecting the tire data;
at a receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors each associated with a tire monitor, producing a transmission indication; and
at a control unit, receiving the tire data and transmission indication and associating a position of the transmitting tire monitor with the tire data in response to the transmission indication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A control unit for a remote tire monitor system of a vehicle, the control unit comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) receiver configured to receive RF signals conveying tire data from at least one transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors associated with wheels of the vehicle; and
a RF decoder configured to receive a transmission indication from at least one receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors associated with wheels of the vehicle and identify a position of the transmitting tire monitor on the vehicle in response to the transmission indication. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A radio frequency (RF) detector for use in association with a tire monitor of a remote tire monitor system of a vehicle, the RF detector comprising:
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an antenna to sense RF signals from the tire monitor;
an envelope detector coupled to the antenna; and
an output circuit coupled to the envelope detector. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. The RF detector of claim 111 wherein the envelope detector comprises:
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a circuit coupled with the antenna to detect an envelope of electrical signals produced by the antenna in response to the RF signals; and
an amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for a remote tire monitor system, the method comprising:
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receiving radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data from a transmitting tire monitor associated with a wheel of a vehicle;
receiving a wire line indication from an RF detector associated with the transmitting tire monitor; and
identifying position on vehicle of the transmitting tire monitor in response to the wire line indication. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A remote tire monitor system comprising:
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a plurality of tire monitors, each tire monitor being associated with a wheel of a vehicle and configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data;
a plurality of RF detectors, each RF detector being mounted on the vehicle proximate an associated tire monitor to detect the RF signals from the associated tire monitor and produce a transmission indication in response to detected RF signals;
a RF receiver to receive tire data in RF signals transmitted by any tire monitor of the plurality of tire monitors; and
a control unit coupled with the plurality of RF detectors to receive transmission indications and coupled with the RF receiver to receive the tire data, the control unit being operative to associate a position of a transmitting tire monitor with a received transmission indication. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for automatically identifying positions of a plurality of tire monitors on a vehicle, the method comprising:
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initiating operation of the plurality of tire monitors upon operation of the vehicle;
receiving from the plurality of tire monitors radio frequency (RF) signals containing tire information;
receiving wireline indications from a plurality of RF detectors, each RF detector being associated on the vehicle with a tire monitor to detect but not demodulate RF signals transmitted by the tire monitor; and
associating the tire information from each tire monitor with an RF detector in response to the wireline indications. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for automatically updating a remote tire monitor system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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storing identification information for each tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors of the vehicle;
receiving an identifier transmitted by a transmitting tire monitor;
receiving a transmission indication from a receiving radio frequency (RF) detector associated with the transmitting tire monitor; and
when the identifier does not produce a match with the identification information, updating the identification information using the identifier. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification