Method for temperature compensation of pressure values in a tire pressure control system

• US 20070073503A1
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huf Baolong Electronics Bretten GmbH (Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Hafele, Ulrich, Dennig, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/98
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver

Abstract

The invention describes a method for temperature compensation of measured pressure values in a tire pressure control system of a vehicle, which is equipped with wheels with pneumatic tires in which a pressure sensor arranged below the tire obtains the pressure values and a temperature sensor arranged below the tire obtains temperature values and the measured pressure values are referred to a predefined reference temperature, giving due consideration to the known proportionality between the pressure and the temperature at a volume of air in the tire which is assumed to be constant. The invention provides that an offset of the temperature supplied by the temperature sensor from the mean air temperature prevailing in the tire is estimated for the temperatures measured at any time in the tire, and the currently measured temperature values are corrected using the estimated temperature offset as a correction value.

Claims

1. Method for temperature compensation of measured pressure values in a tire pressure control system of a vehicle, which is equipped with wheels with pneumatic tires in which a pressure sensor arranged below the tire obtains the pressure values and a temperature sensor arranged below the tire obtains temperature values and the measured pressure values are referred to a predefined reference temperature, giving due consideration to the known proportionality between the pressure and the temperature at a volume of air in the tire which is assumed to be constant, characterized in that an offset of the temperature supplied by the temperature sensor from the mean air temperature prevailing in the tire is estimated for the temperatures measured at any time in the tire, and the currently measured temperature values are corrected using the estimated temperature offset as a correction value.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the correction value of the temperature is derived from the development of the measured pressure values and the measured temperature values which is observed when the wheels of the vehicle are transferred from a state of rest and of thermal balance to a running condition and the measured pressure values and the measured temperature values are compared with a predefined reference isochore for the tire pressure of the respective wheel.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the correction values of the measured temperature are derived from the offset of the measured pressure values relative to the reference isochore, especially from the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference isochore in upward direction.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a nominal isochore, indicating the nominal pressure at the reference temperature, is determined when a nominal pressure prevails in the tire at the reference temperature.

5. The method as defined in claim 2, characterized in that a nominal isochore, indicating, the nominal pressure at the reference temperature, is determined when a nominal pressure prevails in the tire at the reference temperature, and once the nominal pressure has been adjusted in the tire, the nominal isochore is selected as the reference isochore.

6. The method as defined in claims 2, characterized in that the offset of the measured temperature value from the temperature which is derived from the reference isochore for the measured pressure value associated to the measured temperature value is used as a correction value of the temperature.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, characterized in that while observing the measured pressure values and the measured temperature values, starting out from a wheel in a state of thermal balance, new correction values of the measured temperature are formed so long as the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference isochore continues to increase.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, characterized in that once the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference isochore no longer increases, the last correction value of the temperature is maintained for further measurements.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, characterized in that when the offset of the measured temperature values from the reference isochore starts to rise again, a new correction value of the temperature is formed only when the increase of the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference isochore continues over a predetermined number of successive measurements and/or when the increase of the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference isochore exceeds a predetermined value.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, characterized in that a new correction value of the temperature is formed only when at least three successive measurements show that the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference is rising again and/or when the renewed increase of the offset of the measured pressure values from the reference isochore exceeds 150 mbar.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the correction value of the measured temperature is limited to a predetermined value range.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, characterized in that the range for the correction value of the temperature is limited to 15°

Celsius in upward direction.

13. The method as defined in claim 11, characterized in that the range for the correction value of the temperature is limited to 2°

Celsius to 3°

Celsius in downward direction.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that it is assumed that a wheel is in a state of thermal balance when the ignition system of the vehicle has been switched off longer than for a given period of time and/or when the measured temperature value has dropped below a predetermined threshold value.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, characterized in that the threshold value of the temperature is selected to be 35°

Celsius.

16. The method as defined of claim 1, characterized in that the air temperature outside the tire is additionally measured and that it is assumed that a wheel is in a state of thermal balance when the ignition system of the vehicle has been switched off longer than for a given period of time and/or when the offset of the temperature measured in the tire from the temperature measured outside the tire has dropped below a predetermined threshold value.

17. The method as defined in claim 14, characterized in that the time interval is 30 minutes.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, characterized in that the temperature threshold value is 10°

Celsius.

19. The method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that when the wheels of the vehicle have returned to a state of thermal balance after the end of a trip, an auxiliary isochore is formed at the time of the next start of the vehicle if one or more of the pressure values, measured during the state of thermal balance, are found to lie below the reference isochore used before, in which case the auxiliary isochore is selected to ensure that the one or more pressure values measured during the state of thermal balance come to lie on the auxiliary isochore, and that the auxiliary isochore is used as a new reference isochore.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, characterized in that the auxiliary isochore replaces the previous reference isochore, with the exception of the nominal isochore which is preserved as the nominal isochore.

21. The method as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the temperaturecompensated measured pressure values are compared with the nominal isochore in order to determine if the offset of the measured pressure values from the nominal isochore exceeds a threshold value, and that a warning is issued when the threshold value is exceeded.

22. The method as defined in claim 21, characterized in that if one or more measured pressure values, whose offset from the nominal isochore exceeds a predetermined threshold value in upward direction, are obtained for a wheel in stationary condition, the nominal isochore is replaced by a new nominal isochore which passes through the one or more measured pressure values whose offset from the previous nominal isochore has exceeded the predetermined threshold value.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, characterized in that the nominal isochore is replaced by a new nominal isochore only upon initiation by a person, especially by the driver.

24. The method as defined in claim 21, characterized in that the threshold value is approximately 700 mbar.

25. The method as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the temperature of the ambient air is selected as the reference temperature.