Tire pressure monitoring system with reliable wireless communication between wheel-based transceivers and vehicle body-based transceiver

• US 20060290485A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Watabe, Nobuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,791,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• 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 23/0464 to avoid signal interference

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a tire pressure monitoring system that includes a first transceiver provided on a body of a vehicle and a second transceiver provided on a wheel of the vehicle. The first transceiver transmits a request signal conveying first information. The second transceiver receives the request signal and transmits, in response to receipt of the request signal, a response signal that conveys a tire pressure information indicating the inflation pressure of a tire fitted on the wheel and second information having a predefined relationship with the first information. The first transceiver receives the response signal, identifies the received response signal as being transmitted by the second transceiver based on the fact that the second information is conveyed by the received response signal, and determines the inflation pressure of the tire based on the tire pressure information contained in the identified response signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle body-based transceiver, which is provided on a body of a vehicle to perform wireless communication with a wheel-based transceiver that is provided on a wheel of the vehicle and configured to receive a request signal and transmit a response signal conveying tire pressure information on inflation pressure of a tire fitted on the wheel in response to receipt of the request signal, comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a controller operatively connected to the transmitter and the receiver, the controller being configured to;

control the transmitter to transmit the request signal,

control the receiver to receive the response signal that conveys the tire pressure information within a predetermined time period from completion of the request signal transmission by the transmitter,

identify the response signal received by the receiver as being transmitted by the wheel-based transceiver based on the fact that the response signal is received within the predetermined time period from completion of the request signal transmission by the transmitter, and

determine the inflation pressure of the tire based on the tire pressure information conveyed by the identified response signal.

2. The vehicle body-based transceiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the transmitter to repeatedly transmit the request signal a plurality of times,

determine a response signal set consisting of all response signals each of which is received by the receiver within the predetermined time period from completion of one of the request signal transmissions by the transmitter,

determine, among the response signals in the response signal set, a response signal subset consisting of all the response signals that convey the same tire pressure information, and

determine the inflation pressure of the tire based on the tire pressure information conveyed by the response signals in the response signal subset.

3. The vehicle body-based transceiver as set forth in claim 2, wherein the response signal subset is determined such that a ratio of the number of response signals in the response signal subset to that in the response signal set is greater than or equal to a reference ratio.

4. The vehicle body-based transceiver as set forth in claim 2, wherein the repetitive request signal transmissions by the transmitter are made at varying time intervals.

5. The vehicle body-based transceiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein the repetitive request signal transmissions by the transmitter are made at random time intervals.

6. The vehicle body-based transceiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein the request signal transmitted by the transmitter conveys first information, and the response signal transmitted by the wheel-based transceiver conveys, in addition to the tire pressure information on the inflation pressure of the tire, second information that has a predefined relationship with the first information, and

wherein the controller is further configured to identify the response signal received by the receiver as being transmitted by the wheel-based transceiver based on the fact that the response signal is received within the predetermined time period from completion of the request signal transmission by the transmitter and the second information is conveyed by the response signal.

7. A vehicle body-based transceiver, which is provided on a body of a vehicle to perform wireless communication with a wheel-based transceiver that is provided on a wheel of the vehicle and configured to receive a request signal conveying first information and transmit, in response to receipt of the request signal, a response signal that conveys tire pressure information on inflation pressure of a tire fitted on the wheel and second information having a predefined relationship with the first information, comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a controller operatively connected to the transmitter and the receiver, the controller being configured to;

control the transmitter to transmit the request signal conveying the first information,

control the receiver to receive the response signal that conveys the tire pressure information and the second information,

identify the response signal received by the receiver as being transmitted by the wheel-based transceiver based on the fact that the second information is conveyed by the response signal, and

determine the inflation pressure of the tire based on the tire pressure information conveyed by the identified response signal.

8. The vehicle body-based transceiver as set forth in claim 7, wherein both the first information and the second information are represented by data with a size of less than or equal to 32 bits.

9. A wheel-based transceiver, which is provided on a wheel of a vehicle to perform wireless communication with an external transceiver, comprising:

a pressure sensor working to sense inflation pressure of a tire fitted on the wheel;

a receiver working to receive a request signal that is transmitted by the external transceiver and conveys first information;

a transmitter working to transmit a response signal that conveys tire pressure information on the inflation pressure of the tire sensed by the pressure sensor and second information having a predefined relationship with the first information; and

a controller operatively connected to the pressure sensor, the receiver, and the transmitter, the controller being configured to control the transmitter to transmit the response signal in response to receipt of the request signal by the receiver, thereby allowing the external transceiver to receive the response signal, identify the response signal as being transmitted by the wheel-based transceiver based on the fact that the second information is conveyed by the response signal, and determine the inflation pressure of the tire based on the tire pressure information conveyed by the response signal.

10. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

a wheel-based transceiver provided on a wheel of a vehicle; and

a vehicle body-based transceiver provided on a body of the vehicle to perform wireless communication with the wheel-based transceiver,

wherein the wheel-based transceiver includes;

a pressure sensor working to sense inflation pressure of a tire fitted on the wheel;

a receiver working to receive a request signal that conveys first information;

a transmitter working to transmit a response signal that conveys tire pressure information on the inflation pressure of the tire sensed by the pressure signal and a second information having a predefined relationship with the first information; and

a controller operatively connected to the pressure sensor, the receiver, and the transmitter, the controller being configured to control the transmitter to transmit the response signal in response to receipt of the request signal by the receiver, and

wherein the vehicle body-based transceiver includes;

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a controller operatively connected to the transmitter and receiver of the vehicle body-based transceiver, the controller of the vehicle body-based transceiver being configured to;

control the transmitter of the vehicle body-based transceiver to transmit the request signal that conveys the first information,

control the receiver of the vehicle body-based transceiver to receive the response signal that conveys the tire pressure information and the second information,

identify the response signal received by the receiver of the vehicle body-based transceiver as being transmitted by the wheel-based transceiver based on the fact that the second information is conveyed by the response signal, and

determine the inflation pressure of the tire based on the tire pressure information conveyed by the identified response signal.

11. The tire pressure monitoring system as set forth in claim 10, wherein both the first information and the second information are represented by data with a size of less than or equal to 32 bits.

12. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first transceiver; and

a second transceiver performing wireless communication with the first transceiver to provide specific information to the first transceiver upon request of the first transceiver,

wherein the first and second transceivers are configured such that;

the first transceiver transmits a request signal,

the second transceiver receives the request signal,

the second transceiver transmits a response signal that conveys the specific information in response to receipt of the request signal,

the first transceiver receives the response signal within a predetermined time period from completion of the request signal transmission thereby,

the first transceiver identifies the received response signal as being transmitted by the second transceiver based on the fact that the response signal is received within the predetermined time period from completion of the request signal transmission by the first transceiver, and

the first transceiver processes the specific information conveyed by the identified response signal as the specific information provided by the second transceiver.

13. The wireless communication system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first and second transceivers are further configured such that:

the first transceiver repeatedly transmits the request signal a plurality of times,

the second transceiver repeatedly receives the request signal the plurality of times,

the second transceiver repeatedly transmits the response signal the plurality of times in response to each receipt of the request signal,

the first transceiver determines a response signal set consisting of all response signals each of which is received by the first transceiver within the predetermined time period from completion of one of the request signal transmissions by the first transceiver,

the first transceiver determines, among the response signals in the response signal set, a response signal subset consisting of all the response signals that convey the same specific information, and

the first transceiver processes the specific information conveyed by the response signals in the response signal subset as the specific information provided by the second transceiver.

14. The wireless communication system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the response signal subset is determined such that a ratio of the number of response signals in the response signal subset to that in the response signal set is greater than or equal to a reference ratio.

15. The wireless communication system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the repetitive request signal transmissions by the first transceiver are made at varying time intervals.

16. The wireless communication system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the repetitive request signal transmissions by the first transceiver are made at random time intervals.

17. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first transceiver; and

a second transceiver performing wireless communication with the first transceiver to provide specific information to the first transceiver upon request of the first transceiver,

wherein the first and second transceivers are configured such that;

the first transceiver transmits a request signal that conveys first information,

the second transceiver receives the request signal,

the second transceiver transmits, in response to receipt of the request signal, a response signal that conveys the specific information and second information that has a predefined relationship with the first information,

the first transceiver receives the response signal,

the first transceiver identifies the received response signal as being transmitted by the second transceiver bases on the fact that the second information is conveyed by the received response signal, and

the first transceiver processes the specific information conveyed by the identified response signal as the specific information provided by the second transceiver.

18. The wireless communication system as set forth in claim 17, wherein both the first information and the second information are represented by data with a size of less than or equal to 32 bits.