Method and monitoring device for monitoring a wheel parameter of a wheel

• US 20050190049A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kuchler, Gregor
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,262 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 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel

Abstract

A method for monitoring a wheel parameter of a wheel, in particular a vehicle wheel, by a monitoring device. The monitoring device contains a power supply having an energy converter for converting kinetic energy from the wheel into operating power for the wheel electronics, and a transmission unit for transmitting the wheel parameter to an evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a wheel parameter of a wheel using a monitoring device, the monitoring device containing a power supply having an energy converter for converting kinetic energy from the wheel into operating power for wheel electronics, and a transmission unit for transmitting the wheel parameter to an evaluation unit, which comprises the steps of:

reading out and transmitting the wheel parameter to the evaluation unit at a transmission time, for which the power has been provided by the power supply;

calculating a predicted time of transmission in the evaluation unit with help from at least one dynamic performance parameter and a model of the power supply, the model being stored in a memory of the evaluation unit;

comparing the predicted time of transmission and an actual transmission time; and

emitting an alarm signal if a difference is detected between the predicted time of transmission and the actual transmission time or if an absence of a transmission is detected.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises logging at least one of actual transmission times, predicted transmission times, dynamic performance parameters and further parameters that are taken into consideration.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises logging a number of absent transmissions and/or the differences between the predicted time of transmission and the actual transmission time.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises emitting different alarm signals depending on a quantity of absent transmissions and/or on any deviation between the predicted time of transmission and the actual transmission time.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

adapting a calculation algorithm for calculating predicted transmission times in dependence on at least one difference between the predicted time of transmission and the actual transmission time; and

carrying out the adapting step within specified parameter limits.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

comparing the at least one dynamic performance parameter that has been received, to a corresponding, last received dynamic performance parameter, and a recalculation of at least a next predicted time of transmission takes place only if a corresponding threshold value is exceeded.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises displaying the alarm signal to a driver via an alarm signal unit and/or storing the alarm signal in memory.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises monitoring the wheel parameter of a vehicle wheel.

9. A monitoring system for monitoring a wheel parameter of a wheel, the monitoring system comprising:

an evaluation unit; and

a monitoring device, containing;

a power supply having an energy converter for converting kinetic energy from the wheel into operating power for said monitoring device; and

a transmission unit for transmitting the wheel parameter to said evaluation unit at defined transmission times;

said evaluation unit having a computing unit, a data memory and an input/output unit, said evaluation unit being programmed to;

calculate at least one predicted time of transmission of the wheel parameter on a basis of at least one dynamic performance parameter and a model of said power supply, the model being stored in said data memory;

compare the predicted time of transmission with at least one actual transmission time, such that a comparison value thus obtained allows conclusions to be drawn concerning a functional status of said monitoring device; and

emit an alarm signal in response to a comparison result.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said power supply has at least one energy storage device for intermediate storage of the power delivered by said energy converter.

11. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said evaluation unit has a time-related information unit for determining time-related information of actual transmission times and differences in time between the actual transmission times and predicted transmission times.

12. The monitoring system according to claim 9, further comprising a logging unit for logging of actual transmission times, predicted transmission times and/or captured parameters relating to driving dynamics.

13. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said evaluation unit is configured for emitting the alarm signal if one and/or more transmissions are absent and/or if a difference is detected between the actual transmission time and the predicted time of transmission and any tolerance periods.

14. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said evaluation unit is configured such that it emits different alarm signals depending on a quantity of absent transmissions and/or on an amount of deviation between the predicted time of transmission and the actual transmission time.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 13, further comprising:

an alarm signal unit for emitting the alarm signal, said alarm signal unit connected to said evaluation unit; and

a memory for storing the alarm signal, said memory connected to said evaluation unit.

16. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said evaluation unit is configured such that a calculation algorithm for calculating predicted transmission times is adapted depending on at least one difference between the predicted time of transmission and the actual transmission time.

17. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said transmission unit is a unit for wireless transmission.

18. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said evaluation unit contains:

a threshold value discriminator having an output outputting a threshold value discriminator value;

a comparison unit for forming a parameter comparison value by a comparison of at least one recently received dynamic performance parameter with at least one corresponding, previously received dynamic performance parameter and the threshold value discriminator value; and

a sequence control system connected to said output of said threshold value discriminator and precisely recalculating at least one predicted time of transmission, if the parameter comparison value exceeds a specified threshold.

19. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said monitoring device monitors the wheel parameter of a vehicle wheel.