Tire pressure control system for a vehicle

• US 20060130570A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Gier, Klaus-Jurgen, Anders, Peter Otto
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146
• 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 23/0481 System diagnostic, e.g. monitoring battery voltage, detecting hardware detachments or identifying wireless transmission failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force

Abstract

A tire pressure control system for determining and/or monitoring a pressure in an air-filled tire of a vehicle uses a pressure-measuring device located in the tire. The tire pressure control system includes a seat diagnosis module for checking whether the pressure-measuring device is fastened in the tire.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle having an air-filled tire, a tire pressure control system, comprising:

a pressure-measuring device disposed in the air-filled tire for one of determining and monitoring a pressure in the air-filled tire; and

a seat diagnosis module configured to check a fastening of said pressure-measuring device in the air-filled tire.

2. The tire pressure control system according to claim 1, including:

an acceleration sensor connected to said pressure-measuring device, said acceleration sensor providing an output signal; and

said seat diagnosis module checking the fastening of said pressure-measuring device in the air-filled tire in dependence of the output signal of said acceleration sensor.

3. The tire pressure control system according to claim 1, including:

an acceleration sensor connected to said pressure-measuring device, said acceleration sensor providing an output signal; and

said seat diagnosis module checking the fastening of said pressure-measuring device in the air-filled tire by monitoring a change in sign of the output signal of said acceleration sensor.

4. The tire pressure control system according to claim 2, wherein said seat diagnosis module checks the fastening of said pressure-measuring device in the air-filled tire by comparing the output signal of said acceleration sensor to a plausibility quantity.

5. The tire pressure control system according to claim 3, wherein said seat diagnosis module checks the fastening of said pressure-measuring device in the air-filled tire by comparing the output signal of said acceleration sensor to a plausibility quantity.

6. The tire pressure control system according to claim 2, including:

a housing; and

said pressure-measuring device and said acceleration sensor being embedded together in said housing.

7. The tire pressure control system according to claim 2, wherein the air-filled tire defines a rotation axis, said acceleration sensor is disposed in said air-filled tire such that said acceleration sensor measures an acceleration in a direction substantially radial with respect to the rotation axis of the air-filled tire.

8. The tire pressure control system according to claim 1, wherein said seat diagnosis module is disposed outside the air-filled tire.

9. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an air-filled tire;

a tire pressure control system including a pressure-measuring device and a seat diagnosis module;

said pressure-measuring device being disposed in said air-filled tire for one of determining and monitoring a pressure in said air-filled tire; and

said seat diagnosis module being configured to check a fastening of said pressure-measuring device in said air-filled tire.

10. A method for operating a tire pressure control system, the method which comprises:

using a pressure-measuring device disposed in an air-filled tire of a vehicle for one of determining and monitoring a pressure in the air-filled tire; and

checking whether the pressure-measuring device is fastened in the air-filled tire.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of checking whether the pressure-measuring device is fastened in the air-filled tire is performed in dependence on an output signal of an acceleration sensor connected to the pressure-measuring device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of checking whether the pressure-measuring device is fastened in the air-filled tire is performed in dependence on an output signal of an acceleration sensor embedded together with the pressure-measuring device in a housing.