System for controlling a vehicle wheel tyre pressure

• US 20050150284A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Automotive Electronic (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Hernando, Serge, Delaporte, Francis, Pinard, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 7,313,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.400
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0477 Evaluating waveform of pressure readings
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

The system comprises a control unit (17), and, on each wheel, a pressure sensor (12) and an emitter (13) in order to transmit to the control unit (17) a pressure signal comprising data for identification of the sensor, and means (17) for determination of the speeds of rotation of the wheels, in order to associate (174,179) with each pressure signal the wheel of the corresponding sensor (12), and which comprise means (179) for comparison of data of speeds of rotation of the wheel, determined in different manners (34,50), by the periods (Ti) of the envelopes for modulation of the signals emitted by the emitters (13) and by the wheel anti-blocking device (20).

Claims

1. System for checking the pressure of the tires of the wheels of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a control unit,

on each wheel, a pressure sensor and an emitter in order to transmit to the control unit a pressure signal comprising data for identification of the sensor, and

means for determining the speeds of rotation of the wheels, in order to associate with each pressure signal the wheel of the corresponding sensor,

wherein the means for determining the speeds of rotation of the wheels comprises means for comparison of data of speeds of rotation of the wheel, determined in different manners.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the means for determining the speeds of rotation comprise means for determining the periods of the modulation envelopes of the signals emitted by the emitters connected to the pressure sensors, and for deduction by this means of the speeds of rotation of the wheels.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the said means for determining use fixed sensors for the speed of rotation of wheels with known locations.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the fixed sensors for the speed of rotation of the wheel are those of a wheel anti-blocking device.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the means for comparison are designed to carry out comparisons only during phases of non-straight trajectories of the vehicle.

6. System according to claim 2, wherein means are provided which are designed to determine the speeds of the wheels on the basis of the speed of the vehicle and of the dynamic characteristics of the trajectory of the vehicle.

7. System according to claim 5, wherein means are provided which are designed to compare the speeds of the wheels with the linear speed of the vehicle in order to locate the wheels according to the direction of the bends.

8. A method for determining with which wheel a vehicle component is associated, comprising:

receiving first data from a first sensor;

receiving second data from a second sensor associated with the vehicle component;

determining the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated by analyzing the first data and the second data;

wherein the first sensor is a different type of sensor than the second sensor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle component comprises a tire pressure sensor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sensor is associated with a particular wheel.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sensor is configured to be associated with an anti-lock braking system of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sensor is configured to be associated with a vehicle system used to determine the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated and with a vehicle system other than the vehicle system used to determine the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sensor is not associated with a particular wheel.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the first data and the second data comprises correlating the first data and the second data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein correlating the first data and the second data comprises,

determining a speed of the vehicle and dynamic characteristics of a trajectory of the vehicle;

and

correlating the first data and the second data using the speed of the vehicle and the dynamic characteristics of the trajectory of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises,

a transmitter configured to transmit data received from a tire pressure sensor;

and

a receiver configured to receive data transmitted by a transmitter, the data transmitted by the transmitter comprising periodic patterns.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor is configured to be associated with a vehicle system used to determine the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated and with a vehicle system other than the vehicle system used to determine the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated only occurs when the vehicle is turning.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising,

receiving a signal indicating that the vehicle is turning;

and

determining the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated based on the signal indicating that the vehicle is turning.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein

the first data is used to calculate a first speed of rotation of the wheel and the second data is used to calculate a second speed of rotation of the wheel;

and the first data is correlated to the second data using the first speed of rotation and the second speed of rotation.

21. The method of claim 8, further comprising not using the first data and the second data to determine the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated if a value calculated based on the first data and the second data does not meet a predetermined criteria.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

the first data is used to calculate a first speed of rotation;

the second data is used to calculate a second speed of rotation; and

the predetermined criteria is that the difference between the first speed of rotation and the second speed of rotation is below a threshold.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein

a first speed of rotation is calculated for a first wheel based on the first data and the second data;

a second speed of rotation is calculated for a second wheel; and

the predetermined criteria is that a difference between the first speed of rotation and the second speed of rotation is greater than a predetermined threshold.

24. A system for determining with which wheel a tire pressure sensor is associated, comprising:

a control unit configured to receive first data from a first sensor, receive second data from a second sensor associated with the tire pressure sensor; and

determine the wheel with which the vehicle component is associated by analyzing the first data and the second data;

wherein the first data and the second data are each associated with a speed of rotation of the wheel, and the first sensor and the second sensor provide data that relates to the speed of rotation of the wheel in different manners.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the control unit is further configured to not use the first data and the second data to determine the wheel with which the tire pressure sensor is associated if a value calculated based on the first data and the second data does not meet a predetermined criteria.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive a signal indicating that the vehicle is turning, and determine the wheel with which the tire pressure sensor is associated based on the signal indicating that the vehicle is turning.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising an anti-lock braking system, wherein the first sensor is associated with the anti-lock braking system.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of tire pressure sensors, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine with which wheels the plurality of tire pressure sensors are associated.

29. A system comprising:

a plurality of rotating members each having a first sensor and a second sensor associated with the rotating member, the first sensors being movable between the rotating members and each comprising a wireless transmitter; and

a control unit configured to receive data relating to speeds of rotation of the plurality of the rotating members from the first sensors and the second sensors, and to associate the first sensors with individual rotating members based on the data received relating to the speeds of rotation;

wherein the data relating to speeds of rotation of the plurality of the rotating members from the first sensors comprises periodic patterns in the signal transmitted by the transmitters of the first sensors.

30. A method for checking the pressure of the tires of wheels of a motor vehicle comprising a control unit and, on each wheel, a pressure sensor and an emitter in order to transmit to the control unit a pressure signal comprising data for identification of the sensor, the method comprising:

determining speeds of rotation of the wheels,

comparing data of speeds of rotation of the wheel, determined in different manners, in order to associate with each pressure signal a wheel of a corresponding tire pressure sensor.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein determining speeds of rotation of the wheels comprises determining periods of modulation envelopes of signals emitted by transmitters coupled to the pressure sensors.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein comparing data of speeds of rotation of the wheel comprises carrying out comparisons only during phases of non-straight trajectories of the vehicle.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein comparing data of speeds of rotation of the wheel comprises comparing the speeds of the wheels with a linear speed of the vehicle in order to locate the wheels according to a direction of a bend.