Tire pressure measure system and method using ultra wideband technology

• US 20060015286A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bcom Electronics, Inc. (Action Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Bcom Electronics, Inc. (Action Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lee, Yang-Han, Ye, Fun, Lu, Shih-Nan
• Application Number:
  US10/890,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015286A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/140
• 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 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations

Abstract

A tire pressure measure system and method make use of the UWB wireless transmission technique in a local environment of a vehicle to measure the tire pressure of a vehicle. The tire pressure measure system has at least a data fetch terminal and a host control terminal. The data fetch terminals are disposed on at least a tire aircock of a vehicle. A user can operate the host control terminal to get the tire pressure values of a vehicle via the data fetch terminals by means of the UWB wireless transmission technique.

Claims

1. A tire pressure measure system making use of UWB technology and used in a local environment of a vehicle, said tire pressure measure system comprising:

at least a data fetch terminal disposed on at least a tire aircock, said data fetch terminal comprising;

a pressure message fetch unit connected to said tire aircock and used to get a tire pressure signal;

an analog/digital conversion unit connected to said pressure message fetch unit and used to receive and convert said tire pressure signal into a digital tire pressure signal;

a data processing unit connected to said analog/digital conversion unit and used to process digital signals; and

a first UWB communications module connected to said data processing unit and a first antenna and used to receive a remote inquire signal and emit a reply signal via said first antenna; and

a host control terminal comprising;

a micro control unit for processing digital signals;

a second UWB communications module connected to said micro control unit and a second antenna and used to emit said inquiry signal and receive said remote reply signal via said second antenna; and

an operational unit connected to said micro control unit and operated by a user to send a control signal to said micro control unit.

2. The tire pressure measure system making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory unit connected to said micro control unit for storage of digital data.

3. The tire pressure measure system making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display unit connected to said micro control unit.

4. The tire pressure measure system making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data processing unit gets said inquiry signal from said host control terminal via said first UWB communications module.

5. The tire pressure measure system making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 1, wherein after said data processing unit receives and processes said digital tire pressure signal, said first UWB communications module emits said reply signal to said host control terminal.

6. The tire pressure measure system making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 1, wherein after said micro control unit receives and processes said control signal, said second UWB communications module emits said inquiry signals to said data fetch terminals.

7. The tire pressure measure system making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 1, wherein said micro control unit gets said reply signal from said data fetch terminals via said second UWB communications module.

8. A tire pressure measure method making use of UWB technology, comprising the steps of:

performing inflation of at least a tire of a vehicle;

using a tire pressure meter to measure a tire pressure signal of each of said tires;

installing at least a data fetch terminal on aircocks of said tires;

using a host control terminal to set a serial number of each of said data fetch terminals and said tire pressure signal of each of said tires to be a set tire pressure value;

storing said serial numbers and said set tire pressure values in a memory unit;

using said host control terminal to send an inquiry signal to said data fetch terminals;

receiving in turn said tire pressure signals obtained by said data fetch terminals;

using said host control terminal to process said tire pressure signals to become said set tire pressure values; and

displaying said set tire pressure values on a display unit.

9. The tire pressure measure method making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 8, wherein before sending an inquiry signal to said data fetch terminals, said data fetch terminals will enter into a sleep mode, i.e., a power-saving mode.

10. The tire pressure measure method making use of the UWB technology as claimed in claim 8, wherein after sending an inquiry signal to said data fetch terminals, said data fetch terminals in the sleep mode are activated for fetching of said tire pressure signals.