Method for automatically locating a motor vehicle wheel and corresponding locating unit

• US 20040055372A1
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Lefaure, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A method for automatically locating a motor vehicle wheel comprises the following steps: transmission by the wheel unit (12a to 12d) of high-frequency signals representing, at least, the wheel pressure whereon the wheel unit is mounted, and a code identifying the wheel; reception by the central unit (11) of the high-frequency signals transmitted by the wheel unit. The method further comprises the following steps: transmission of low-frequency signals by at least a transmission device (14, 14′) mounted on the vehicle proximate to the wheels along a predetermined position, so as to activate the units arranged proximate; reception of the low-frequency signals by the wheel units and in response, transmission of high-frequency signals by the activated wheels, the signal comprising at least the code identifying the activated wheels, and reception of the high-frequency signal by the central unit (11) associated with the code identifying the activated wheels, at the position of the transmission device(s) 14, 14′).

Claims

1. A process for automatically locating the wheels (15) of a motor vehicle (13), said vehicle comprising a wheel unit (12a to 12d) integral with each of the wheels of the vehicle and a central computation unit (11) disposed in the vehicle, said process comprising the following steps:

transmission by the wheel unit (12a to 12d) of high-frequency signals representative, at least, of the pressure of the wheel on which the wheel unit is mounted, as well as of a code identifying this wheel,

reception by the central unit (11) of the high-frequency signals transmitted by the wheel unit,

said process being characterized in that it furthermore comprises the following steps;

transmission of an uncoded low-frequency signal by at least one transmission device comprising antennas (14) disposed in the doors of the vehicle and used in addition, by a device for remote control of access on board the vehicle, said transmission device being mounted on the vehicle in proximity to the wheels according to a predetermined position, in such a way as to wake up the wheel units placed in proximity,

reception of this uncoded low-frequency signal by the wheel units and, in response, transmission of a high-frequency signal by the woken-up wheels, said signal comprising at least the code identifying the woken-up wheels, and

reception of the high-frequency signal by the central unit (11) and association of the code identifying the woken-up wheel units, with the position of the transmission device or devices.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said transmission device also comprises specific antennas (14′

) disposed in proximity to the wheels of the vehicle.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said transmission device comprises specific antennas (14′

) disposed in proximity to the wheels of one and the same axle.

4. A locating unit implementing the process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, said unit being characterized in that it comprises a central computation unit (11) placed in the vehicle, a wheel unit (12a to 12d) integral with each of the wheels (15) and at least one transmission device (14, 14′

), said transmission device being suitable for transmitting an uncoded low-frequency signal to each of the wheel units to which it is close.

5. The locating unit as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the transmission device is an antenna (14) placed in the doors of a motor vehicle, said antennas also being suitable for talking to a device for remote control of access on board the vehicle.