Tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus with function of detecting tire location

• US 20050253696A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Okumura, Ryouzou, Watabe, Nobuya, Mori, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,425,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0466 with signals sent by transmitters mounted on adjacent vehicles

Abstract

A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus according to the invention includes a plurality of transmitters, each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, and a receiver provided on a body of the vehicle. Each transmitter includes a pressure sensor working to generate a pressure signal representative of an inflation pressure of a tire on a corresponding one of the wheels and a noise receiver working to receive a noise generated by a noise source in the vehicle. Each transmitter is configured to transmit the pressure signal and the received noise to the receiver. The receiver is configured to determine the inflation pressures of tires based on the pressure signals and make a determination for each of the transmitters as to whether the transmitter is provided on a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the corresponding received noise.

Claims

1. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters, being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said acceleration sensors working to generate an acceleration signal as a function of a circumferential acceleration of a corresponding one of the wheels and output the acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a first determination for a corresponding one of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers and make a second determination for the same as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on the acceleration signal outputted from a corresponding one of said acceleration sensors.

2. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

3. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

4. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

5. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

6. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

7. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said acceleration sensors working to generate an acceleration signal as a function of a circumferential acceleration of a corresponding one of the wheels and output the acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a first determination for a corresponding one of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers, and

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the acceleration signal outputted from a corresponding one of said acceleration sensors to said first receiver, and said first receiver works to make a second determination for each of the wheels as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on the acceleration signal relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters.

8. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

9. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

10. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

11. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

12. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

13. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters;

a plurality of first acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said first acceleration sensors working to generate a first acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in a sensing direction thereof and output the first acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of second acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle such that a sensing direction thereof is different from that of a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors, each of said second acceleration sensors working to generate a second acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in the sensing direction thereof and output the second acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a first determination for a corresponding one of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers and make a second determination for the same as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on a difference in phase between the first and second acceleration signals outputted from a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors and that of said second acceleration sensors.

14. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

15. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

16. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

17. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

18. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

19. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters;

a plurality of first acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said first acceleration sensors working to generate a first acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in a sensing direction thereof and output the first acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of second acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle such that a sensing direction thereof is different from that of a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors, each of said second acceleration sensors working to generate a second acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in the sensing direction thereof and output the second acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a first determination for a corresponding one of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers, and

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the first and second acceleration signals outputted from a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors and that of said second acceleration sensors to said first receiver, and said first receiver works to make a second determination for each of the wheels as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on a difference in phase between the first and second acceleration signals relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters.

20. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

21. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

22. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

23. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

24. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

25. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said acceleration sensors working to generate an acceleration signal as a function of a circumferential acceleration of a corresponding one of the wheels and output the acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers to said first receiver, and said first receiver works to make a first determination for each of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters, and

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a second determination for a corresponding one of the wheels as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on the acceleration signal outputted from a corresponding one of said acceleration sensors.

26. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

27. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

28. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

29. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

30. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

31. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said acceleration sensors working to generate an acceleration signal as a function of a circumferential acceleration of a corresponding one of the wheels and output the acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers and the acceleration signal outputted from a corresponding one of said acceleration sensors to said first receiver, and

wherein said first receiver works to make, for each of the wheels of the vehicle, a first determination as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters and a second determination as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on the acceleration signal relayed from the same.

32. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 31, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

33. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 32, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

34. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 31, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

35. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 31, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

36. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 31, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

37. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters;

a plurality of first acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said first acceleration sensors working to generate a first acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in a sensing direction thereof and output the first acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of second acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle such that a sensing direction thereof is different from that of a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors, each of said second acceleration sensors working to generate a second acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in the sensing direction thereof and output the second acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers to said first receiver, and said first receiver works to make a first determination for each of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters, and

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a second determination for a corresponding one of the wheels as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on a difference in phase between the first and second acceleration signals outputted from a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors and that of said second acceleration sensors.

38. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 37, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

39. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 38, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

40. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 37, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

41. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 37, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

42. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 37, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

43. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals;

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle and provide the received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters;

a plurality of first acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said first acceleration sensors working to generate a first acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in a sensing direction thereof and output the first acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters; and

a plurality of second acceleration sensors each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle such that a sensing direction thereof is different from that of a corresponding one of said first acceleration sensors, each of said second acceleration sensors working to generate a second acceleration signal as a function of a component of gravitational acceleration in the sensing direction thereof and output the second acceleration signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the signal provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers and the first and second acceleration signals outputted from that of said first acceleration sensors and that of said second acceleration sensors to said first receiver, and

wherein said first receiver works to make, for each of the wheels of the vehicle, a first determination as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the signal relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters and a second determination as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on a difference in phase between the first and second acceleration signals relayed from the same.

44. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 43, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

45. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 44, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

46. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 43, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

47. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 43, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

48. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 43, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

49. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals; and

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers having a first and a second antenna that are provided at different angular positions on a corresponding one of the wheels, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle through both the first and second antennas thereof and provide a first and a second received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to make a determination for a corresponding one of the wheels as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on a difference in phase between the first and second received signals provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers.

50. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 49, wherein each of said transmitters works to further make a determination for the corresponding one of the wheels as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the first and second received signals provided by the corresponding one of said second receivers.

51. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 49, wherein the first and second antennas of each of said second receivers are provided on the corresponding one of the wheels of the vehicle such that a position of the first antenna in an axial direction of the wheel is coincident with that of the second antenna.

52. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 49, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

53. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 52, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

54. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 49, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

55. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 49, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

56. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 49, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first-receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.

57. A tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors each of which is provided on one of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of said pressure sensors working to sense an inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a corresponding one of the wheels and output a pressure signal representative of the sensed inflation pressure of the tire;

a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said transmitters being configured to receive the pressure signal outputted from a corresponding one of said pressure sensors and send out a pressure transmitting signal corresponding to the received pressure signal;

a first receiver provided on a body of the vehicle, said first receiver being configured to receive the pressure transmitting signals sent out from said transmitters and determine the inflation pressures of the tires based on the respective received pressure transmitting signals; and

a plurality of second receivers each of which is provided on one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle, each of said second receivers having a first and a second antenna that are provided at different angular positions on a corresponding one of the wheels, each of said second receivers working to receive a signal generated by a signal source that is located in the vehicle through both the first and second antennas thereof and provide a first and a second received signal to a corresponding one of said transmitters,

wherein each of said transmitters works to relay the first and second received signals provided by a corresponding one of said second receivers to said first receiver, and

wherein said first receiver works to make a determination for each of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a right-wheel or a left-wheel of the vehicle based on a difference in phase between the first and second received signals relayed from a corresponding one of said transmitters.

58. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 57, wherein said first receiver works to further make a determination for each of the wheels of the vehicle as to whether the wheel is a front-wheel or a rear-wheel of the vehicle based on a level of the first and second received signals relayed from the corresponding one of said transmitters.

59. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 57, wherein the first and second antennas of each of said second receivers are provided on the corresponding one of the wheels of the vehicle such that a position of the first antenna in an axial direction of the wheel is coincident with that of the second antenna.

60. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 57, wherein the signal source is a noise source that generates a noise as the signal.

61. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 60, wherein the noise generated by the noise source has a frequency within one of a voice band, a LF band, a HF band, a VHF band, and a UHF band.

62. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 57, wherein the signal source is a specially designed one to generate the signal only for the tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus.

63. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 57, wherein the signal source is designed to generate the signal for performing a predefined operation of the vehicle.

64. The tire inflation pressure sensing apparatus as set forth in claim 57, wherein each of said transmitters is configured to send out at predetermined time intervals an ID signal representative of an identity thereof together with the pressure transmitting signal, and wherein said first receiver is configured to accumulate the number of times that said first receiver receives an ID signal and determine whether a pressure transmitting signal accompanying the ID signal has been sent out from one of said transmitters provided in the vehicle or from a transmitter provided in other vehicles based on the accumulated number of times that said first receiver receives the ID signal.