Tire pressure monitoring system

• US 20060132296A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gleeson, Jon P., Robson, Randall J., Mueller, Thomas R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,104 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 23/0466 with signals sent by transmitters mounted on adjacent vehicles

Abstract

A method for monitoring tire pressure of a system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of detecting a signal other than that of an in-use tire pressure signals and in response to the detection of the signal, maintaining the proper reception of the in-use tire pressure signals by a receiver.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring tire pressure of a system, comprising the steps of:

detecting a signal other than that of an in-use tire pressure signals; and

in response to the detection of the signal, maintaining the proper reception of the in-use tire pressure signals by a receiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of associating each in-use tire pressure signal with a tire pressure signal identifier to differentiate the signal from the in-use tire pressure signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of initializing the system with a learned signal strength envelope defined by

an upper average signal strength limit, and

a lower average signal strength limit.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of measuring the signal strength of each in-use tire pressure signal to differentiate the signal from the in-use tire pressure signals.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, if the signal strength for each in-use tire pressure signal is close to or within the signal strength envelope, the method further comprises the step of averaging the signal strength for all of the tire pressure signals.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of dynamically updating the upper and lower average signal strength limits of the signal strength envelope in view of the averaged signal strength of the tire pressure signals.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, if the averaged signal strength is lower than the lower average signal strength limit, the method further comprises the steps of

calculating a percentage difference between the averaged signal strength limit and the upper average signal strength limit and the lower average signal strength limit;

and

adding or subtracting the percentage difference from the upper average signal strength limit and the lower average signal strength limit.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maintaining step further comprises the steps of locking-out the signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the locking-out step further comprises the step of monitoring a lockout period and incrementing a lockout counter until the locking-out step is terminated.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, prior to the detecting step, further comprising the step of propagating the signal from a nearby vehicle to a vehicle including the system.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, prior to the detecting step, further comprising the step of propagating the signal from a spare tire.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of automatically updating location of in-use tires and the spare tire.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of determining the spare tire is in a stationary state.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of

flagging the spare tire with an unloaded state identifier, and

flagging the in-use tires with loaded state identifiers.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of determining the spare tire is in a rotational state.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of

flagging the spare tire with a loaded state identifier.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of

determining which in-use tire is no longer under an in-use condition, and, upon determining which tire is no longer under an in-use condition, the determined tire is flagged with an unloaded state identifier.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of swapping ID'"'"'s of the in-use tire and the determined tire.

19. A method for monitoring tire pressure of a system, comprising the steps of:

propagating an interfering signal from a nearby vehicle to a vehicle including the tire pressure monitoring system;

detecting that the interfering signal is not originating from an in-use tire associated with in-use tire pressure signals for the tire pressure monitoring system; and

in response to the detection of the interfering signal, maintaining the proper reception of the in-use tire pressure signals by a receiver.

20. A method for monitoring tire pressure of a system, comprising the steps of:

propagating an interfering signal from a spare tire stowed about a vehicle including the tire pressure monitoring system;

detecting that the interfering signal is not originating from an in-use tire associated with in-use tire pressure signals for the tire pressure monitoring system; and

in response to the detection of the interfering signal, maintaining the proper reception of the in-use tire pressure signals by a receiver.