Transmitter for tire condition monitoring apparatus and the tire condition monitoring apparatus

• US 20030193392A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Katou, Michiya, Okubo, Youichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals

Abstract

A transmitter for a tire condition monitoring apparatus is located in a tire of a vehicle and transmits data indicating the tire condition using a carrier wave. The transmitter includes an oscillating circuit and a controller. The oscillating circuit generates a carrier wave frequency and has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency. The controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency.

Claims

1. A transmitter for a tire condition monitoring apparatus, wherein the transmitter is located in a tire of a vehicle and transmits data indicating the tire condition using a carrier wave, the transmitter comprising:

an oscillating circuit, which generates a carrier wave frequency, wherein said oscillating circuit has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency; and

a controller, wherein the controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency.

2. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the controller stores in advance, as a correction value, the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and the reference carrier wave frequency.

3. The transmitter according to claim 2, wherein the correction value is the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency, generated by the oscillating circuit when the ambient temperature of the oscillating circuit is at a predetermined temperature, and the reference carrier wave frequency.

4. The transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the tire, wherein the controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the internal temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

5. The transmitter according to claim 4, wherein the controller stores in advance data indicating the relationship between the generated carrier wave frequency and the temperature of the oscillating circuit.

6. A tire condition monitoring apparatus comprising:

a transmitter located in a tire of a vehicle;

a tire condition sensor for detecting the condition of the tire of the vehicle;

a transmission circuit for transmitting data indicating the tire condition detected by the tire condition sensor using a carrier wave;

an oscillating circuit, which generates a carrier wave frequency, wherein said oscillating circuit has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency;

a controller, which corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency; and

a receiver located in a vehicle body of the vehicle, wherein the receiver receives the data indicating the tire condition transmitted from the transmitter.

7. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller stores in advance, as a correction value, the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and the reference carrier wave frequency.

8. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the correction value is the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency, generated by the oscillating circuit when the ambient temperature of the oscillating circuit is at a predetermined temperature, and the reference carrier wave frequency.

9. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the tire condition sensor detects the internal temperature of the tire, and wherein the controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the internal temperature detected by the tire condition sensor.

10. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controller stores in advance data indicating the relationship between the generated carrier wave frequency and the temperature of the oscillating circuit.

11. A transmitter for a tire condition monitoring apparatus, wherein the transmitter is located in a tire of a vehicle and transmits data indicating the tire condition using a carrier wave, the transmitter comprising:

an oscillating circuit, which generates a carrier wave frequency, wherein said oscillating circuit has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency;

a temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the tire; and

a controller, wherein the controller performs a primary correction on the generated carrier wave frequency based on a frequency deviation caused by manufacturing tolerance of the oscillating circuit in accordance with a correction data, and wherein the controller further performs a secondary correction on the generated carrier wave frequency that has been through the primary correction in accordance with the internal temperature detected by the temperature sensor.