Tire inflation pressure monitoring device

• US 20050275517A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Taro, Matsuura, Noritaka, Matsuno, Moriyasu, Kadota, Akira, Yamazaki, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• 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 23/0466 with signals sent by transmitters mounted on adjacent vehicles

Abstract

A tire inflation pressure monitoring device includes transmitters for transmitting air pressure signals indicative of air pressures in tires, detected by respective air pressure sensors, and a receiver for generating a warning signal in accordance with the air pressure signals received from the transmitters. The air pressure signal transmitted from each of the transmitters includes an ID of the corresponding transmitter as an ID signal. When the receiver is in an ID registration mode in which the IDs of the transmitters are registered (S12), the transmitters are forced to transmit the air pressure signals, and if the number of the received air pressure signals is equal to a predetermined value, the receiver registers the IDs of the transmitters based on the ID signals included in the received air pressure signals (S20, S26).

Claims

1. A tire inflation pressure monitoring device comprising:

transmitters attached to respective tires of a motor vehicle, for transmitting air pressure signals indicative of air pressures in the tires detected by respective air pressure sensors; and

a receiver for receiving the air pressure signals from the respective transmitters, the receiver being adapted to generate a warning signal in accordance with the received air pressure signals,

wherein the air pressure signal transmitted from each of the transmitters includes an ID of the corresponding transmitter as an ID signal,

the receiver is capable of switching a mode thereof to an ID registration mode in which the IDs of the transmitters are registered, and

during the ID registration mode, the transmitters are forced to transmit the air pressure signals, and if the number of the air pressure signals received from the transmitters is equal to a predetermined value, the receiver registers the IDs of the transmitters based on the ID signals included in the received air pressure signals.

2. The tire inflation pressure monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver terminates the ID registration when the receiver is input with information from the transmitters which is different from the air pressure signals and which indicates that the air pressure signals have been forcedly transmitted from all of the transmitters whose IDs are to be registered, or when a predetermined time has elapsed from start of the ID registration mode.

3. The tire inflation pressure monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the air pressure signal includes a function code permitting a discrimination to be made between an ID registration air pressure signal corresponding to the ID registration mode and an ordinary air pressure signal other than the ID registration air pressure signal, and

the receiver registers the ID of the transmitter only when the function code of the corresponding air pressure signal is indicative of the ID registration air pressure signal.

4. The tire inflation pressure monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the air pressure signal includes a function code permitting a discrimination to be made between an ID registration air pressure signal corresponding to the ID registration mode and an ordinary air pressure signal other than the ID registration air pressure signal, and

the receiver registers the ID of the transmitter only when the function code of the corresponding air pressure signal is indicative of the ID registration air pressure signal.

5. A tire inflation pressure monitoring device comprising:

transmitters attached to respective tires of a motor vehicle, for transmitting air pressure signals indicative of air pressures in the tires detected by respective air pressure sensors; and

a receiver for receiving the air pressure signals from the respective transmitters, the receiver being adapted to generate a warning signal if the air pressure in any of the tires, indicated by the received air pressure signals, is equal to or lower than a predetermined value,

characterized in that the air pressure signal transmitted from each of the transmitters includes an ID of the corresponding transmitter as an ID signal,

the receiver is capable of switching a mode thereof to an ID registration mode in which the IDs of the transmitters are registered, and if, during the ID registration mode, the air pressures in the tires, indicated by the respective air pressure signals, become equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the receiver registers the IDs of the transmitters based on the respective ID signals included in the air pressure signals.

6. The tire inflation pressure monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein, if the air pressure in any of the tires, indicated by the corresponding received air pressure signal, is equal to or lower than the predetermined value and also the ID of the corresponding transmitter, indicated by the ID signal included in the air pressure signal, coincides with one registered in the receiver, the receiver judges that the air pressure in the tire to which the transmitter with this ID is attached has decreased and generates a warning signal, regardless of whether the mode is the ID registration mode or not, and when the air pressure in the tire becomes higher than the predetermined value thereafter, the warning signal is canceled.

7. The tire inflation pressure monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the air pressure signal includes a function code permitting a discrimination to be made between an ID registration air pressure signal corresponding to the ID registration mode and an ordinary air pressure signal other than the ID registration air pressure signal, and

the receiver registers the ID of the transmitter only when the function code of the corresponding air pressure signal is indicative of the ID registration air pressure signal.

8. The tire inflation pressure monitoring device according to claim 6, wherein the air pressure signal includes a function code permitting a discrimination to be made between an ID registration air pressure signal corresponding to the ID registration mode and an ordinary air pressure signal other than the ID registration air pressure signal, and

the receiver registers the ID of the transmitter only when the function code of the corresponding air pressure signal is indicative of the ID registration air pressure signal.