Battery testers with secondary functionality

• US 20060217914A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bertness, Kevin I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/113
• 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: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic vehicle tester includes a battery tester configured to measure a parameter of a battery of a vehicle. A tire tester is configured to receive a parameter of a tire of the vehicle. A wireless receiver can be configured to receive pressure information from a transmitter associated with a tire of a vehicle.

Claims

1. An electronic vehicle tester, comprising:

a battery tester configured to measure a parameter of a battery of a vehicle;

a tire tester configured to receive a parameter of a tire of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester is spaced apart from the battery tester.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a wireless communication link.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a wired communication link.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a tread depth gauge.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a tire temperature sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the pressure measurement of the tire is adjusted based upon the tire temperature.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a tire pressure sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a receiver configured to receive tire pressure data from a pressure sensor coupled to the tire of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the receiver is configured to receive tire pressure data over a wireless connection.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 including an output configured to send data to a printer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 including memory to store data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including an output configured to output data stored in the memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 including a manual input.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the manual input is configured to receive information identifying a tire undergoing testing.

16. An apparatus for testing tire pressure of a vehicle, comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to receive pressure information from a transmitter associated with a tire of a vehicle; and

an output configured to provide an output related to tire pressure.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, including a tread depth gauge.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, including a tire temperature sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 including an output configured to send data to a printer.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 including memory to store data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 including an output configured to output data stored in the memory.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 including a manual input.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the manual input is configured to receive information identifying a tire undergoing testing.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the output related to pressure is adjusted based upon the temperature.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 including a sensor configured to measure tread depth of a tire.

26. The apparatus of claim 16 including a database configured to couple to any electronic battery tester.