Wheel unit for providing data

• US 20060226966A1
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Jost, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/045 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes being not part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0483 Wireless routers between wheel mounted transmitters and chassis mounted receivers

Abstract

In order to determine the tire positions or wheel positions automatically while the vehicle is in operation, the attenuation along a transmission path from the tire to a fixed position on the vehicle is measured and compared with stored values. Systems of this kind are error prone when other vehicles using similar systems are located in the receiving range. In order to increase the reliability of such a system it is useful to determine the attenuation along the transmission paths between the wheel units and compare it with known values. Toward that end, the novel wheel unit enables data to be provided by way of which the attenuation of the transmission path from one wheel unit to another wheel unit can be determined.

Claims

1. A wheel unit, comprising:

an encoder, a transmitter connected to said encoder, and a receiver connected to said encoder;

a device for measuring an intensity of a signal transmitted by said transmitter of the wheel unit;

a further device for measuring an intensity of a signal transmitted by a transmitter of another wheel unit; and

said encoder encoding at least one of the intensities measured by said device and said further device in a message to be transmitted by way of said transmitter.

2. The wheel unit according to claim 1, wherein said encoder is configured to encode the measured intensity of the signal transmitted by said transmitter and the intensity of the signal transmitted by the transmitter of the other wheel unit in a message to be transmitted by way of said transmitter.

3. The wheel unit according to claim 2, wherein an identifier related to the wheel unit is contained in the message.

4. The wheel unit according to claim 1, wherein an identifier related to the wheel unit is contained in the message.

5. The wheel unit according to claim 1, which further comprises a local evaluation unit connected to said encoder, said local evaluation unit having stored therein a function determining an attenuation along a transmission path from two intensities measured at an end of the transmission path.

6. The wheel unit according to claim 2, which further comprises a local evaluation unit connected to said encoder, said local evaluation unit having stored therein a function determining an attenuation along a transmission path from two intensities measured at an end of the transmission path.

7. The wheel unit according to claim 4, which further comprises a local evaluation unit connected to said encoder, said local evaluation unit having stored therein a function determining an attenuation along a transmission path from two intensities measured at an end of the transmission path.

8. The wheel unit according to claim 1, configured to forward a message sent from another wheel unit.

9. The wheel unit according to claim 2, configured to forward a message sent from another wheel unit.

10. The wheel unit according to claim 4, configured to forward a message sent from another wheel unit.

11. The wheel unit according to claim 7, configured to forward a message sent from another wheel unit.

12. The wheel unit according to claim 1, which further comprises a clock disposed in the wheel unit.

13. The wheel unit according to claim 2, which further comprises a clock disposed in the wheel unit.

14. The wheel unit according to claim 4, which further comprises a clock disposed in the wheel unit.

15. The wheel unit according to claim 5, which further comprises a clock disposed in the wheel unit.

16. The wheel unit according to claim 8, which further comprises a clock disposed in the wheel unit.

17. The wheel unit according to claim 12, wherein said encoder is configured to add to the message a timestamp derived from said clock.

18. The wheel unit according to claim 17, configured to transmit messages in time intervals derived from said clock.

19. The wheel unit according to claim 12, configured to transmit messages in time intervals derived from said clock.

20. The wheel unit according to claim 1, configured to acknowledge a received message with an acknowledgement signal.

21. The wheel unit according to claim 2, configured to acknowledge a received message with an acknowledgement signal.

22. The wheel unit according to claim 1, which further comprises means disposed in the wheel unit for detecting signal collisions.

23. The wheel unit according to claim 2, which further comprises means disposed in the wheel unit for detecting signal collisions.

24. The wheel unit according to claim 8, which further comprises means disposed in the wheel unit for detecting signal collisions.

25. The wheel unit according to claim 1, which further comprises means for activating and deactivating the wheel unit.

26. The wheel unit according to claim 1, which further comprises means in the wheel unit for increasing or lowering a transmission power level.