Tire information communication system

• US 20070144248A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Aoyama, Syuji, Tsujita, Yasuhisa, Okubo, Youichi, Kawase, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,993 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.400
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0432 using vehicle structural parts as signal path, e.g. chassis, axle or fender
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0444 Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber

Abstract

A tire information communication system mounted on a vehicle includes a tire-pressure detector mounted on a tire wheel for detecting a pressure of a tire and transmitting a result of detection, a tire monitor mounted on a vehicle body for obtaining information about tire pressure from the tire-pressure detector, a tire transmission circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for applying AC voltage containing information about tire pressure between the tire wheel and an annular conductor of the tire so that a radio wave is radiated from the annular conductor, a vehicle ground isolation provided in the tire monitor so as to receive the radio wave from the annular conductor thereby to be capable of generating AC voltage between the vehicle ground and itself, and a body-side receiving circuit provided in the tire monitor and connected to the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation respectively for obtaining the information about the tire pressure from the AC voltage generated between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation.

Claims

1. A tire information communication system provided in a vehicle on which a tire wheel with a tire having an annular conductor provided over a whole periphery thereof is mounted and which the tire wheel is electrically conductive via an axle to a vehicle ground serving as an electrical ground of a vehicle body, the system transmitting and receiving information about inner pressure of the tire, the system comprising:

a tire-pressure detector mounted on the tire wheel for detecting a pressure of the tire, thereby transmitting a result of detection;

a tire monitor mounted on the vehicle body for obtaining information about tire pressure from the tire-pressure detector;

a tire-side transmission circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for applying AC voltage containing information about tire pressure between the tire wheel and the annular conductor so that a radio wave is radiated from the annular conductor;

a vehicle ground isolation provided in the tire monitor so as to receive the radio wave from the annular conductor thereby to be capable of generating AC voltage between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation; and

a body-side receiving circuit provided in the tire monitor for obtaining the information about the tire pressure from the AC voltage generated between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the annular conductor is comprised of a metal net embedded in the tire.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a metal net terminal provided so as to be conductive to the metal net and exposed inside the tire, the tire-side transmission circuit being conductively connected to the metal net terminal.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a relay discharging member provided inside the tire so as to be conductively connected to the tire-side transmission circuit, the relay discharging member being capable of energizing the metal net in a non-contact manner.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the annular conductor is comprised of a carbon film formed by applying conductive carbon over a whole inner periphery of the tire.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis having an underside serving as the vehicle ground and the ground isolation is comprised of a plate placed opposite of the underside of the chassis.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis having an underside serving as the vehicle ground and the ground isolation is comprised of a plate placed opposite of the underside of the chassis.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis having an underside serving as the vehicle ground and the ground isolation is comprised of a plate placed opposite of the underside of the chassis.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an automobile which is provided with a car radio system or car navigation system and includes a rod antenna or rear-glass antenna for receiving electric waves for the car radio system or the car navigation system, and the vehicle ground isolation is comprised of the rod antenna or rear-glass antenna.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is an automobile which is provided with a car radio system or car navigation system and includes a rod antenna or rear-glass antenna for receiving electric waves for the car radio system or the car navigation system, and the vehicle ground isolation is comprised of the rod antenna or rear-glass antenna.

11. The system according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle is an automobile which is provided with a car radio system or car navigation system and includes a rod antenna or rear-glass antenna for receiving electric waves for the car radio system or the car navigation system, and the vehicle ground isolation is comprised of the rod antenna or rear-glass antenna.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis serving as the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation is comprised of a door defining a space together with the chassis therebetween.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis serving as the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation is comprised of a door defining a space together with the chassis therebetween.

14. The system according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle includes a chassis serving as the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation is comprised of a door defining a space together with the chassis therebetween.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a body-side transmission circuit provided in the tire monitor for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the tire-pressure detector between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation so that a radio wave is radiated from the vehicle ground isolation; and

a tire-side receiving circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for obtaining the information from the tire monitor, based on AC voltage generated between the tire wheel and the annular conductor according to the electric wave from the vehicle ground isolation.

16. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a body-side transmission circuit provided in the tire monitor for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the tire-pressure detector between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation so that a radio wave is radiated from the vehicle ground isolation; and

a tire-side receiving circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for obtaining the information from the tire monitor, based on AC voltage generated between the tire wheel and the annular conductor according to the electric wave from the vehicle ground isolation.

17. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a body-side transmission circuit provided in the tire monitor for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the tire-pressure detector between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation so that a radio wave is radiated from the vehicle ground isolation; and

a tire-side receiving circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for obtaining the information from the tire monitor, based on AC voltage generated between the tire wheel and the annular conductor according to the electric wave from the vehicle ground isolation.

18. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a body-side transmission circuit provided in the tire monitor for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the tire-pressure detector between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation so that a radio wave is radiated from the vehicle ground isolation; and

a tire-side receiving circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for obtaining the information from the tire monitor, based on AC voltage generated between the tire wheel and the annular conductor according to the electric wave from the vehicle ground isolation.

19. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a body-side transmission circuit provided in the tire monitor for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the tire-pressure detector between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation so that a radio wave is radiated from the vehicle ground isolation; and

a tire-side receiving circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for obtaining the information from the tire monitor, based on AC voltage generated between the tire wheel and the annular conductor according to the electric wave from the vehicle ground isolation.

20. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a body-side transmission circuit provided in the tire monitor for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the tire-pressure detector between the vehicle ground and the vehicle ground isolation so that a radio wave is radiated from the vehicle ground isolation; and

a tire-side receiving circuit provided in the tire-pressure detector for obtaining the information from the tire monitor, based on AC voltage generated between the tire wheel and the annular conductor according to the electric wave from the vehicle ground isolation.

21. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.

22. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.

23. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.

24. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.

25. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.

26. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.

27. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals provided on the vehicle body;

a plurality of terminal transmission circuits provided on each communication terminal for applying AC voltage containing information to be supplied to the other communication terminals between one of the vehicle ground isolations and the vehicle ground so that a radio wave is radiated from said one vehicle ground isolation, respectively; and

a plurality of terminal receiving circuits each obtaining the information from the other communication terminals, based on AC voltage generated between said one vehicle ground isolation and the vehicle ground according to the electric wave radiated from the other vehicle ground isolations.