Tire internal pressure monitor system and ID code registering method in the same

• US 20040031317A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Watabe, Nobuya, Norimatsu, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,880,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A tire internal pressure monitor ECU is switched between a monitoring mode where internal pressures of tires of a vehicle are monitored, and a registering mode where ID codes assigned to sensor units provided in the tires are registered. In the registering mode, when receiving the ID code from the sensor unit, the ECU registers the ID code along with instructing an auxiliary device to operate a predetermined conduct that can be seen from an outside of the vehicle. Namely, the predetermined conduct of the auxiliary device notifies completion of registering the ID code, which results in enhancing operation efficiency in registering of the ID code.

Claims

1. A tire internal pressure monitor system provided in a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of sensor units, each of which is disposed in a tire of the vehicle, detects an internal pressure of the tire, and sends a transmission signal including a detected internal pressure value and an identification code; and

a monitor unit that receives the transmission signal to monitor a state of the internal pressure of the tire based on the received detected internal pressure value and the identification code,

wherein the monitor unit is either in a monitoring mode where the state of the internal pressure is monitored or in a registering mode where the identification code is registered,

wherein, when the monitor unit receives the identification code in the registering mode, the monitor unit stores in a memory the identification code to register the identification code, and

wherein the monitor unit includes notifying means that notifies, when the monitor unit registers the identification code, completion of registering the identification code by making an auxiliary device operate a conduct that can be recognized from an outside of the vehicle.

2. The tire internal pressure monitor system according to claim 1,

wherein, when the monitor unit registers the identification code of the sensor unit, the monitor unit stores the identification code along with correlating the identification code with a position where the tire having the sensor unit is disposed, and

wherein the notifying means changes the operated conduct of the auxiliary device based on the position with which the identification code is correlated.

3. The tire internal pressure monitor system according to claim 1,

wherein, when registering the identification codes of the sensor units disposed in all the tires that are disposed in the vehicle is completed, the notifying means makes the auxiliary device operate as showing that registering the identification codes of the sensor units disposed in all the tires that are disposed in the vehicle is completed.

4. The tire internal pressure monitor system according to claim 1,

wherein the monitor unit previously sets an order of registering the identification codes of the sensor units disposed in all the tires that are disposed in the vehicle, along with correlating the identification codes with positions where the tires having the sensor units are disposed, respectively, and

wherein, each time registering of each of the identification codes is completed, each of the positions where the tires having the sensor units are disposed is updated, according to the order of registering the identification codes.

5. The tire internal pressure monitor system according to claim 4,

wherein the notifying means notifies the position where the tire having the sensor unit is disposed by making the auxiliary device operate based on the position.

6. The tire internal pressure monitor system according to claim 1,

wherein, when a predetermined trigger is applied to the sensor unit, the sensor unit sends the identification code to the monitor unit.

7. An identification registering method in a tire internal pressure monitor system provided in a vehicle, the internal pressure monitor system that includes:

a plurality of sensor units, each of which is disposed in a tire of the vehicle, detects an internal pressure of the tire, and sends a transmission signal including a detected internal pressure value and an identification code; and

a monitor unit that receives the transmission signal to monitor a state of the internal pressure of the tire based on the received detected internal pressure value and the identification code,

the identification registering method comprising;

a step of switching the monitor unit from a monitoring mode where the state of the internal pressure is monitored to a registering mode where the identification code is registered;

a step of making the sensor unit send the identification code;

a step of registering, when the monitor unit receives the identification code, the received identification code by storing the identification code in a memory of the monitor unit; and

a step of notifying, when the identification code is registered, completion of registering the identification code by making an auxiliary device operate a conduct that can be recognized from an outside of the vehicle.

8. The identification registering method in the tire internal pressure monitor system, according to claim 7,

wherein, at the step of registering the identification code of the sensor unit, the identification code is stored along with being correlating with a position where the tire having the sensor unit is disposed, and

wherein, at the step of notifying completion of registering the identification code, the operated conduct of the auxiliary device is changed based on the position with which the identification code is correlated.

9. The identification registering method in the tire internal pressure monitor system, according to claim 7,

wherein, at the step of notifying completion of registering the identification code, when registering the identification codes of the sensor units disposed in all the tires that are disposed in the vehicle is completed, the auxiliary device is made to operate as showing that registering the identification codes of the sensor units disposed in all the tires that are disposed in the vehicle is completed.

10. The identification registering method in the tire internal pressure monitor system, according to claim 7,

wherein, at the step of registering the identification code, an order is previously set for registering the identification codes of the sensor units, which are disposed in all the tires disposed in the vehicle, along with respectively correlating the identification codes with positions where the tires having the sensor units are disposed, and

wherein, each time registering of each of the identification codes is completed, each of the positions where the tires having the sensor units are disposed is updated, according to the order of registering the identification codes.

11. The identification registering method in the tire internal pressure monitor system, according to claim 10,

wherein, at the step of notifying completion of registering the identification code, the position where the tire having the sensor unit is disposed is notified by making the auxiliary device operate based on the position.

12. The identification registering method in the tire internal pressure monitor system, according to claim 7,

wherein, at the step of making the sensor unit send the identification code, when a predetermined trigger is applied to the sensor unit, the sensor unit sends the identification code to the monitor unit.