Vehicle information processing apparatus, verification method of a vehicle information processing apparatus, and ID registration method of a vehicle information processing apparatus

• US 20070023509A1
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusunoki, Hideki, Sugiyama, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 7,482,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0415 Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A vehicle information processing apparatus provided in a vehicle is provided with a TPMS valve that includes an air pressure sensor which obtains a tire air pressure as wheel information and a wheel-side communication device that transmits the wheel information and an ID unique to that wheel-side communication device at regular intervals; an ECU which receives the wheel information from the wheel-side communication device in each TPMS valve via a vehicle body-side communication device and processes that wheel information; and an onboard battery which supplies power to the ECU. Upon receiving a command to shift into a verification mode while power is being supplied from the onboard battery, the ECU performs a predetermined verification based on a signal transmitted at regular intervals from each wheel-side communication device. After receiving the command to shift into the verification mode, the ECU remains in the verification mode until a preset condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. A vehicle information processing apparatus for processing vehicle information relating to a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle information obtaining devices that obtain vehicle information and transmitting, as a signal, the obtained vehicle information together with an ID at regular intervals, said ID being unique to each of the vehicle information obtaining devices;

a controller that receives the vehicle information from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices and processes that vehicle information; and

a power supply which supplies power to the controller, wherein the controller;

performs a predetermined verification based on the signal transmitted at regular intervals from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices upon receiving a command to shift into a verification mode while power is being supplied from the power supply; and

,

after the command to shift into the verification mode is received by the controller, remains in the verification mode until a preset condition is satisfied.

2. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, after the command to shift into the verification mode is received by the controller, the controller remains in the verification mode until the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, after the command to shift into the verification mode is received by the controller, the controller then exits the verification mode when verification of all of the vehicle information obtaining devices is complete.

4. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switch which selectively allows and prevents the supply of power from the power supply to the controller; and

a device that enables power to be supplied from the power supply to the controller for a predetermined period of time after the switch is operated to prevent power from being supplied from the power supply to the controller.

5. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information obtaining device is provided in each wheel of the vehicle and the controller is provided on a body of the vehicle;

and the vehicle information obtaining device obtains predetermined information relating to the wheel as vehicle information.

6. A vehicle information processing apparatus for processing vehicle information relating to a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle information obtaining devices that obtain vehicle information and transmitting, as a signal, the obtained vehicle information together with an ID at regular intervals, said ID being unique to each of the vehicle information obtaining devices;

a controller that receives the vehicle information from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices and processes that vehicle information; and

a power supply which supplies power to the controller,

wherein the controller;

performs ID registration for each of the vehicle information obtaining devices based on the signal transmitted at regular intervals from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices upon receiving a command to shift into an ID registration mode while power is being supplied from the power supply; and

,

after the command to shift into the ID registration mode is received by the controller, remains in the ID registration mode until a preset condition is satisfied.

7. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, after the command to shift into the ID registration mode is received by the controller, the controller remains in the ID registration mode until the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds a predetermined value.

8. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, after the command to shift into the ID registration mode is received by the controller, the controller then exits the ID registration mode when ID registration of all of the vehicle information obtaining devices is complete.

9. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a switch which selectively allows and prevents the supply of power from the power supply to the controller; and

device that enabling power to be supplied from the power supply to the controller for a predetermined period of time after the switch is operated to prevent power from being supplied from the power supply to the controller.

10. The vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle information obtaining device is provided in each wheel of the vehicle and the controller is provided on a body of the vehicle;

and the vehicle information obtaining device obtains predetermined information relating to the wheel as vehicle information.

11. A verification method of a vehicle information processing apparatus provided with a plurality of vehicle information obtaining devices that obtain vehicle information and transmitting, as a signal, the obtained vehicle information together with an ID at regular intervals, said ID being unique to each of the vehicle information obtaining devices, and a controller that receives the vehicle information from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices and processes that vehicle information, comprising the steps of:

a) shifting the controller into a verification mode for performing a predetermined verification based on the signal transmitted at regular intervals from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices;

b) determining whether the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds a predetermined value after a command to shift the controller into the verification mode is received by the controller; and

c) exiting the verification mode when it is determined in step b) that the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds the predetermined value.

12. The verification method of a vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the verification of all of the vehicle information obtaining devices is complete after the command to shift the controller into the verification mode is received by the controller,

wherein in step c) the verification mode is exited when either it is determined that the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds the predetermined value or it is determined that the verification of all of the vehicle information obtaining devices is complete.

13. An ID registration method of a vehicle information processing apparatus provided with a plurality of vehicle information obtaining devices that obtain vehicle information and transmitting, as a signal, the obtained vehicle information together with an ID at regular intervals, said ID being unique to each of the vehicle information obtaining devices, and a controller that receiving the vehicle information from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices and processes that vehicle information, comprising the steps of:

a) shifting the controller into an ID registration mode for performing ID registration of each of the vehicle information obtaining devices based on the signal transmitted at regular intervals from each of the vehicle information obtaining devices;

b) determining whether the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds a predetermined value after a command to shift the controller into the ID registration mode is received by the controller; and

c) exiting the ID registration mode when it is determined in step b) that the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds the predetermined value.

14. The ID registration method of a vehicle information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the ID registration of all of the vehicle information obtaining devices is complete after the command to shift the controller into the ID registration mode is received by the controller,

wherein in step c) the ID registration mode is exited when either it is determined that the number of times that the supply of power to the controller was stopped or started exceeds the predetermined value or it is determined that the ID registration of all of the vehicle information obtaining devices is complete.

15. A vehicle information processing apparatus for processing vehicle information relating to a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle information obtaining means for obtaining vehicle information and transmitting, as a signal, the obtained vehicle information together with an ID at regular intervals, said ID being unique to each of the vehicle information obtaining means;

processing means for receiving the vehicle information from each of the vehicle information obtaining means and processing that vehicle information; and

a power supply which supplies power to the processing means,

wherein the processing means

performs a predetermined verification based on the signal transmitted at regular intervals from each of the vehicle information obtaining means upon receiving a command to shift into a verification mode while power is being supplied from the power supply; and

,

after the command to shift into the verification mode is received by the processing means, remains in the verification mode until a preset condition is satisfied.

16. A vehicle information processing apparatus for processing vehicle information relating to a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle information obtaining means for obtaining vehicle information and transmitting, as a signal, the obtained vehicle information together with an ID at regular intervals, said ID being unique to each of the vehicle information obtaining means;

processing means for receiving the vehicle information from each of the vehicle information obtaining means and processing that vehicle information; and

a power supply which supplies power to the processing means,

wherein the processing means

performs ID registration for each of the vehicle information obtaining means based on the signal transmitted at regular intervals from each of the vehicle information obtaining means upon receiving a command to shift into an ID registration mode while power is being supplied from the power supply; and

,

after the command to shift into the ID registration mode is received by the processing means, remains in the ID registration mode until a preset condition is satisfied.