Tire pressure monitoring and remote keyless entry system using asynchronous duty cycling

• US 20050104715A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Farrell, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.640
• 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device and method detects two different types of data, such as tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) data and remote keyless entry (RKE) data and reduces current draw by duty cycling a receiver in the device asynchronously to intersperse multiple RKE sniffing periods in between consecutive, longer TPMS/RKE sniffing periods. The asynchronous duty cycle ensures that the sniffing periods conform to the actual length of the RKE data and TPMS data periods more closely, minimizing the likelihood of false wakeups caused by noise output by the receiver.

Claims

1. A data detection device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving first data and second data;

a module that checks for the first data over a first duty cycle and checks for the second data over a second duty cycle that is asynchronous with the first duty cycle, wherein the module causes a controller to operate in a different mode when the receiver receives at least one of the first data and the second data.

2. The data detection device of claim 1, wherein the module comprises:

a pre-processor that checks for the first data and the second data, wherein the pre-processor causes the controller to operate in the different mode by awakening when the receiver receives at least one of the first data and the second data.

3. The data detection device of claim 1, wherein the first duty cycle includes at least one first sniffing period and the second duty cycle includes at least one second sniffing period.

4. The data detection device of claim 3, wherein the first duty cycle intersperses a plurality of first sniffing periods in between two consecutive second sniffing periods in the second duty cycle.

5. The data detection device of claim 3, wherein the first sniffing period is shorter than the second sniffing period.

6. The data detection device of claim 3, wherein the module checks for only the first data during the first sniffing period and checks for both the first data and the second data during the second sniffing period.

7. The data detection device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the receiver and the module turns off for a remainder of the first sniffing period if the receiver detects noise during the first sniffing period.

8. The data detection device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the receiver and the module stays on for a remainder of the second sniffing period even if the receiver detects noise during the second sniffing period.

9. The data detection device of claim 1, wherein the pre-processor module wakes the controller if the receiver receives a selected number of consecutive edge intervals of the first data.

10. The data detection device of claim 1, wherein the pre-processor wakes the controller if the receiver receives a consecutive number of bits of the second data.

11. The data detection device of claim 1, wherein the first data is remote keyless entry (RKE) data and the second data is tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) data.

12. A data detection method, comprising:

checking for receipt of first data over a first duty cycle;

checking for receipt of second data over a second duty cycle that is asynchronous with the first duty cycle; and

waking a controller when at least one of the first data and the second data are received.

13. The data detection method of claim 12, wherein the first duty cycle includes at least one first sniffing period and the second duty cycle includes at least one second sniffing period,

14. The data detection method of claim 13, wherein the first duty cycle intersperses a plurality of first sniffing periods in between two consecutive second sniffing periods in the second duty cycle.

15. The data detection method of claim 13, wherein the first sniffing period is shorter than the second sniffing period.

16. The data detection method of claim 13, wherein the step of checking for first data checks only for the first data during the first sniffing period and checks for both the first data and the second data during the second sniffing period.

17. The data detection method of claim 13, further comprising sleeping for a remainder of the first sniffing period if the step of checking for first data detects noise during the first sniffing period.

18. The data detection method of claim 12, further comprising staying awake for an entire second sniffing period even if the step of checking for second data detects noise during the second sniffing period.

19. The data detection method of claim 12, wherein the waking step occurs if a selected number of consecutive edge intervals of the first data is received.

20. The data detection method of claim 12, wherein the waking step occurs if a consecutive number of bits of the second data is received.

21. The data detection method of claim 12, wherein the first data is remote keyless entry (RKE) data and the second data is tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) data.