External signal supply unit, vehicle state acquisition system and external signal supply method

• US 20050024193A1
• Filed: 07/19/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusunoki, Hideki, Kida, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0415 Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

If a trigger unit in a set range is received after a transmission, an annunciation portion is advised of a likelihood of radio interference. In this case, no trigger signal is supplied. If identifier information that has been received corresponds to the identifier information stored in a memory after the transmission of a trigger signal, a count value remains untouched (YES in S55). It is apparent that identifier information was transmitted before from one of wheel-side units that has supplied a trigger signal, and that the trigger signal has not been received by a desired one of the wheel-side units. An operator can supply a trigger signal again through a change in relative position or the like.

Claims

1. An external signal supply unit comprising:

a supplying portion that supplies an external signal to an on-vehicle unit mounted in a vehicle through radio communication; and

an operation control portion that controls an operation state thereof in accordance with at least one on-vehicle unit in a set range that is determined in advance.

2. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation control portion includes a transmission suppression portion that suppresses transmission of an external signal transmitted from an external signal supply unit other than the external signal supply unit if there is at least one on-vehicle unit receiving the external signal in the set range.

3. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation control portion includes a transmission state control portion that suppresses the transmission of an external signal in the case where at least one on-vehicle unit in the set range has received an external signal transmitted from an additional external signal supply unit other than the external signal supply unit and where the external signal supply unit is selected through a bidirectional communication between both the external signal supply units.

4. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising an external signal transmission portion that transmits the external signal, and

wherein the operation control portion includes a transmission suppression portion that suppresses the operation of the external signal transmission portion if at least one on-vehicle unit in the set range is receiving an external signal supplied from an additional external signal supply unit other than the external signal supply unit.

5. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising an annunciation portion that annunciates a state of at least one on-vehicle unit in the set range, and

wherein the operation control portion includes an annunciation control portion that controls the annunciation portion to annunciate a statement that at least one on-vehicle unit in the set range is receiving an external signal supplied from an additional external signal supply unit other than the external signal supply unit if the statement turns out to be true.

6. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation control portion includes an annunciation control portion that ensures annunciation of a statement that the on-vehicle unit to which the external signal has been supplied received the external signal previously if the statement turns out to be true.

7. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation control portion includes an annunciation control portion that ensures annunciation of a statement that an on-vehicle unit to which the external signal is to be supplied received the external signal previously if the statement turns out to be true.

8. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission command signal transmission portion that transmits a transmission command signal commanding transmission of identifier information indicating an on-vehicle unit as the external signal;

an identifier information reception portion that receives identifier information that has been transmitted from the on-vehicle unit in accordance with the transmission command signal;

an identifier information storage portion that stores identifier information that has been received by the identifier information reception portion;

an annunciation portion that annunciates the number of on-vehicle units that have transmitted the identifier information, and an annunciation control portion that increases the number of the on-vehicle units to be annunciated by the annunciation portion by 1 if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion does not correspond to the identifier information stored in the identifier information storage portion and that does not increase the number of the on-vehicle units if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion corresponds thereto.

9. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission command signal transmission portion that transmits a transmission command signal commanding the transmission of identifier information indicating an on-vehicle unit as the external signal;

an identifier information reception portion that receives identifier information that has been transmitted from the on-vehicle unit in accordance with the transmission command signal;

an identifier information storage portion that stores identifier information that has been received by the identifier information reception portion;

an annunciation portion that annunciates a reception state of an external signal in the on-vehicle unit, and an annunciation control portion that regards the on-vehicle unit as having received an external signal if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion does not correspond to the identifier information stored in the identifier information storage portion, that does not regard the on-vehicle unit as having received the external signal if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion corresponds thereto, and that thereby controls the annunciation portion.

10. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission command signal transmission portion that transmits a transmission command signal commanding the transmission of identifier information indicating an on-vehicle unit as the external signal;

an identifier information reception portion that receives identifier information that has been transmitted from the on-vehicle unit in accordance with the transmission command signal;

an identifier information storage portion that stores identifier information that has been received by the identifier information reception portion; and

a reception state determination portion that regards the on-vehicle unit as having received an external signal if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion does not correspond to the identifier information stored in the identifier information storage portion and that does not regard the on-vehicle unit as having received the external signal if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion corresponds thereto.

11. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission command signal transmission portion that transmits a transmission command signal commanding the transmission of identifier information indicating an on-vehicle unit as the external signal;

an identifier information reception portion that receives identifier information that has been transmitted from the on-vehicle unit in accordance with the transmission command signal;

an identifier information storage portion that stores identifier information that has been received by the identifier information reception portion; and

a transmission control portion that ensures transmission of the transmission command signal to a subsequent one of the on-vehicle units if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion does not correspond to the identifier information stored in the identifier information storage portion and that ensures retransmission of a transmission command signal to the same on-vehicle unit if the identifier information received by the identifier information reception portion corresponds thereto.

12. The external signal supply unit according to claim 11, wherein the external signal supply unit includes a signal reception portion that receives a response signal that has been transmitted from the on-vehicle unit in accordance with the external signal, and wherein the operation control portion includes a retransmission control portion that ensures re-supply of an external signal if it is determined on the basis of a response signal received by the signal reception portion that that one of the on-vehicle units which has supplied the external signal received the external signal previously.

13. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the external signal supply unit includes a signal reception portion that receives a response signal that has been transmitted from the on-vehicle unit in accordance with the external signal, and wherein the operation control portion includes a determination control portion that determines whether or not that one of the on-vehicle units which has supplied the external signal received the external signal previously if the signal reception portion has received a response signal.

14. The external signal supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the external signal supply unit includes a central information processing unit and a terminal information supply unit that establishes radio communication with the central information processing unit,

wherein at least one of identifier information indicating the terminal information supply unit and information indicating a state of the vehicle is supplied from the terminal information supply unit to the central information processing unit,

wherein a vehicle state acquisition system thereby acquires the state of the vehicle in the central information, and

wherein a transmission command signal transmission portion that supplies a signal commanding transmission of identifier information to the terminal information supply unit if at least one of an inspection of communication and an operation relating to the registration of identifier information on the terminal information supply unit in the central information processing unit is carried out is included.

15. An external signal supply unit that supplies an external signal to an on-vehicle unit mounted in a vehicle through radio communication, comprising:

a signal reception portion that receives a signal transmitted from a set range that is determined in advance; and

a state-in-range acquisition portion that acquires a state in the set range on the basis of a signal received by the signal reception portion.

16. The external signal supply unit according to claim 15, further comprising an operation control portion that controls an operation state thereof in accordance with a state acquired by the state-in-range acquisition portion as to the set range.

17. The external signal supply unit according to claim 15, wherein the information reception unit receives information transmitted from at least either at least one on-vehicle unit in the set range or at least one external signal supply unit in the set range, and

wherein the state-in-range acquisition portion acquires information indicating a state in the set range on the basis of the information from at least either the at least one on-vehicle unit or the at least one external signal supply unit.

18. The external signal supply unit according to claim 15, wherein the operation control portion includes a transmission suppression portion that suppresses transmission of an external signal if the state-in-range acquisition portion detects that there is an additional external signal supply unit other than the external signal supply unit in the set range.

19. The external signal supply unit according to claim 15, wherein the external signal supply unit includes a central information processing unit and a terminal information supply unit that establishes radio communication with the central information processing unit,

wherein at least one of identifier information indicating the terminal information supply unit and information indicating a state of the vehicle is supplied from the terminal information supply unit to the central information processing unit,

wherein a vehicle state acquisition system thereby acquires the state of the vehicle in the central information, and

wherein a transmission command signal transmission portion that supplies a signal commanding transmission of identifier information to the terminal information supply unit if at least one of an inspection of communication and an operation relating to the registration of identifier information on the terminal information supply unit in the central information processing unit is carried out is included.

20. A vehicle state acquisition system comprising:

a plurality of terminal information supply units;

a central information processing unit that acquires a state of a vehicle on the basis of information transmitted from the terminal information supply units; and

an external signal supply unit that supplies a transmission command signal commanding transmission of identifier information to each of the terminal information supply units,

wherein the external signal supply unit includes an operation control portion that controls an operation state in accordance with a state of transmission of identifier information from at least one of the terminal information supply units in a set range that is determined in advance.

21. A vehicle state acquisition system comprising:

a vehicle-body-side unit provided in a vehicle body of a vehicle;

a wheel-side unit that is provided in each of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle and that transmits at least one of wheel state information indicating a state of each of the wheels and identifier information indicating itself, and

an external signal supply unit that supplies a transmission command signal as a signal commanding transmission of the identifier information to the wheel-side unit if at least one of an operation relating to registration of identifier information and an inspection of communication is carried out in the vehicle-body-side unit,

wherein the vehicle-body-side unit acquires a state of each of the wheels by receiving wheel information transmitted from the wheel-side unit, characterized in that the external signal supply unit includes an operation control portion that controls an operation state thereof in accordance with at least one of a state of transmission of identifier information from the at least one wheel-side unit in the set range determined in advance and a state of reception of identifier information by the vehicle-body-side unit.

22. An external signal supply method that supplies an external signal through radio communication to an on-vehicle unit that is mounted in a vehicle, comprising the step of:

transmitting the external signal in accordance with a state in a set range that is determined in advance.

23. The external signal supply method according to claim 22, wherein transmission of an external signal is suspended if the existence of an additional external signal supply unit other than an external signal supply unit is detected in the set range.

24. The external signal supply method according to claim 22, wherein an external signal is supplied again to an on-vehicle unit if the external signal was thereby received previously and wherein an external signal is supplied to an additional on-vehicle unit if the external signal was not received by the on-vehicle unit.

25. An external signal supply method that supplies an external signal through radio communication to an on-vehicle unit that is mounted in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

transmitting the external signal after acquisition of a state in a set range that is determined in advance.

26. The external signal supply method according to claim 25, wherein transmission of an external signal is suspended if the existence of an additional external signal supply unite other than an external signal supply unit is detected in the set range.

27. The external signal supply method according to claim 25, wherein an external signal is supplied again to an on-vehicle unit if the external signal was thereby received previously and wherein an external signal is supplied to an additional on-vehicle unit if the external signal was not received by the on-vehicle unit.