Tire parameter sensing system having a tire-based unit that is responsive to a trigger signal and associated method

• US 20060206247A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Societe De Technologie Michelin (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA), TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Societe De Technologie Michelin (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA), TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Lin, Xing Ping
• Application Number:
  US11/075,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206247A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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 23/0413 Wireless charging of active radio frequency circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

A tire parameter sensing system (12) for a vehicle (10) includes a vehicle-based unit (54) and a tire-based unit (34). The tire-based unit (34) is associated with a tire (16) and rotates with the tire. The tire-based unit (34) is located in a communication zone (190) for communicating with the vehicle-based unit (54) through only a portion of each rotation of the tire (16). The tire-based unit (34) senses at least one parameter of the tire (16) and transmits locator signals at predetermined intervals. The vehicle-based unit (54) receives a locator signal that is transmitted while the tire-based unit (34) is located in the communication zone (190) and, in response to receiving the locator signal, transmits a trigger signal to the tire-based unit (34). The tire-based unit (34) is responsive to receipt of the trigger signal for transmitting a parameter signal indicative of the sensed at least one parameter.

Claims

1. A tire parameter sensing system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle-based unit; and

a tire-based unit, the tire-based unit being associated with a tire of the vehicle and rotating with the tire, the tire-based unit being located in a communication zone for communicating with the vehicle-based unit through only a portion of each rotation of the tire, the tire-based unit sensing at least one parameter of the tire and transmitting locator signals at predetermined intervals,

the vehicle-based unit receiving a locator signal that is transmitted while the tire-based unit is located in the communication zone and, in response to receiving the locator signal, transmitting a trigger signal to the tire-based unit,

the tire-based unit being responsive to receipt of the trigger signal for transmitting a parameter signal indicative of the sensed at least one parameter.

2. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 1 wherein the locator signal has fewer bits than the parameter signal.

3. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-based unit includes a reader portion that is mounted to the vehicle in a location near the tire-based unit, the reader portion including an antenna for transmitting signals to the tire-based unit and receiving signals from the tire-based unit.

4. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 3 wherein the tire-based unit receives power from the vehicle-based unit.

5. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 4 wherein the antenna of the reader portion of the vehicle-based unit is inductively coupled to an antenna of the tire-based unit.

6. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 3 wherein the vehicle-based unit includes a controller, the controller associating signals received from the reader portion to a particular tire location of the vehicle.

7. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-based unit has an associated vehicle speed sensor for sensing a speed of the vehicle and providing signals indicative of the sensed vehicle speed, the vehicle-based unit transmitting vehicle speed data to the tire-based unit, the tire-based unit being responsive to the vehicle speed data for controlling a time period of the predetermined interval of locator signal transmissions.

8. A tire parameter sensing system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a tire-based unit associated with a tire of the vehicle and rotating with the tire;

a vehicle-based unit having a reader portion mounted on the vehicle at a location near the tire to which the tire-based unit is associated, the vehicle-based unit being configured to communicate with the tire-based unit when the tire-based unit is located in a communication zone with the reader portion, the tire-based unit being located in the communication zone with the reader portion through only a portion of each rotation of the tire;

the tire-based unit including a parameter sensing portion for sensing at least one parameter of the tire and a communication portion for communicating with the vehicle-based unit;

the communication portion of the tire-based unit transmitting locator signals at predetermined intervals, the vehicle-based unit being responsive to receipt of a locator signal for transmitting a trigger signal from the reader portion to the tire-based unit, the communication portion of the tire-based unit, in response to receiving the trigger signal, transmitting to the vehicle-based unit a parameter signal indicative of the at least one parameter of the tire.

9. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 8 wherein the locator signal has fewer bits than the parameter signal.

10. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 8 wherein the tire-based unit receives power from the vehicle-based unit.

11. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 10 wherein the antenna of the reader portion of the vehicle-based unit is inductively coupled to an antenna of the tire-based unit.

12. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle-based unit includes a controller, the controller associating signals received from the reader portion to a particular tire location of the vehicle.

13. The tire parameter sensing system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle-based unit has an associated vehicle speed sensor for sensing a speed of the vehicle and providing signals indicative of the sensed vehicle speed, the vehicle-based unit transmitting vehicle speed data to the tire-based unit, the tire-based unit being responsive to the vehicle speed data for controlling a time period of the predetermined interval of locator signal transmissions.

14. A method of operating a tire parameter sensing system of a vehicle in which a tire-based unit is associated with a tire of the vehicle and rotates with the tire, the tire-based unit being located in a communication zone with a vehicle-based unit through only a portion of each rotation of the tire, the method comprising the steps of

sensing, with the tire-based unit, at least one parameter of the tire;

transmitting locator signals from the tire-based unit at predetermined intervals;

transmitting a trigger signal from the vehicle-based unit to the tire-based unit in response to receipt of a locator signal at the vehicle-base unit, and

transmitting a parameter signal indicative of the at least one parameter of the tire from the tire-based unit to the vehicle-based unit in response to receipt of the trigger signal at the tire-based unit.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of transferring power from the vehicle-based unit to the tire-based unit.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transferring power from the vehicle-based unit to the tire-based unit further includes the step of inductively coupling an antenna of the vehicle-based unit to an antenna of the tire-based unit.

17. The method of claim 14 further including the steps of sensing a speed of the vehicle;

transmitting vehicle speed data to the tire-based unit, and controlling a time period of the predetermined interval of locator signal transmissions using the vehicle speed data.