Contactless sensor systems and methods

• US 20070279203A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Thomas, Michael A., Knittl, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0472 to manually allocate ID codes or mounting positions, e.g. by service technicians
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/066 by monitoring wheel-centre to ground distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/068 by monitoring chassis to tyre distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/20 Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only

Abstract

A tire monitoring system and associated method is disclosed. The tire monitoring system includes a plurality of tire sensor modules, employing contactless sensors, configured to transmit tire data at a predetermined time interval. The system also includes a central control unit that is configured to receive the tire data from the tire sensor modules, and is further configured with an external control unit that can communicate with the tire sensor modules, the central control units and outside sources.

Claims

1. A tire monitoring system, comprising:

one or more contactless sensors configured to acquire data from one or more locations on a surface of a tire; and

a sensor controller configured to analyze the data and determine when one or more tire parameters are not within a predetermined range.

2. The tire monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data includes one or more temperatures from the surface of the tire.

3. The tire monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the tire monitoring system includes a local memory for storing data.

4. The tire monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the one or more contactless sensors are located inside the tire.

5. The tire monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the sensor controller is located inside the tire.

6. The tire monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the sensor controller provides an indication to a vehicle operator when the one or more tire parameters are not within the predetermined range.

7. A tire monitoring system, comprising:

at least one tire sensor module including at least one contactless sensor;

wherein the at least one contactless sensor is configured to acquire one or more tire data points associated with a tire characteristic at different locations on a tire surface.

8. The tire monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the at least one tire sensor module is configured to store the one or more tire data points in a local memory.

9. The tire monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the at least one tire sensor module is configured to communicate with a central control unit;

the central control unit is configured to analyze the one or more tire data points, and interpret one or more present or future tire conditions based on the analysis.

10. The tire monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the at least one tire sensor module comprises:

a tire sensor module controller;

a transceiver configured to modulate or otherwise process the one or more tire data points in response to an instruction from the tire sensor module controller; and

an antenna coupled to the transceiver and configured to transmit the processed the one or more tire data points from the transceiver to the central control unit.

11. The tire monitoring system of claim 7, further comprising an external control unit wherein the external control unit comprises:

an external control unit controller;

a transceiver configured to receive the one or more tire data points; and

a memory configured to store the one or more multiple tire data points.

12. A tire monitoring system that facilitates communication with an external control unit;

comprising

at least one tire sensor module comprising at least one contactless sensor configured to acquire tire data;

the at least one tire sensor module configured to communicate the tire data with a central control unit resident on the vehicle or the external control unit or both; and

the central control unit configured to communicate the tire data with the at least one tire sensor module, or the external control unit, or both.

13. The tire monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the external control unit is further configured to communicate the tire data to an outside source, and the external control unit, further configured to allow query devices to extract tire data from the external control unit.

14. The tire monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the external control unit is configured to set predetermined time intervals at which the tire data is transmitted by the central control unit, the tire sensor module, or both.

15. The tire monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the external control unit is configured to determine the location of, or communicate with, or both, at least one of the following:

the central control unit, and the at least one tire sensor module, within range of the external control unit, or authorized to communicate with the external control unit, or both.

16. The tire monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the central control unit is configured to perform predictive analysis based on real time analysis of the tire data to forecast when a tire anomaly will occur in the future.

17. A tire monitoring system that facilitates communication of tire data, comprising

at least one contactless sensor, wherein the at least one contactless sensor is configured to acquire more than one tire data measurement at diverse positions on a tire surface;

and

at least one tire sensor module configured to utilize the at least one contactless sensor to obtain or transmit or both, the one or more tire data measurements, wherein the at least one tire sensor module is configured to transmit the one or more tire data measurements to a central control unit, an external control unit, or both.

18. The tire monitoring system of claim 17, wherein if the one or more tire data measurements exceeds or falls below a predefined threshold, the central control unit, or the external control unit, is configured to provide at least one of the following:

an alarm, a blinking LED, a hazard display on a vehicle dashboard, an e-mail, an action plan, a page, a phone message, a fax and a vehicle shut down within a specified time limit.

19. A method for updating a central control unit for a tire monitoring system, comprising:

storing tire data acquired for multiple tire data points associated with a tire characteristic at different locations on a tire surface;

initializing the central control unit in reduced power mode;

transmitting a wake-up command to the central control unit;

programming the central control unit time to synchronize with an external control unit time;

returning the central control unit to low power mode and timing the central control unit out until the next predetermined time interval; and

sending the tire data from the central control unit to the external control unit.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the external control unit not communicating with the central control unit when the central control unit is in communication with a tire sensor module.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising monitoring whether the central control unit, or the tire sensor monitor, or both, are authorized to communicate with the external control unit.

22. A method for measuring tire data, comprising:

contactlessly acquiring tire data at multiple locations on a tire surface utilizing a tire sensor monitor;

transmitting the tire data to a central control unit;

analyzing the tire data; and

selectively indicating a warning in response thereto.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the warning indicates whether the tire is under-inflated, or over-inflated, or both.

24. A tire monitoring system, comprising:

a means for acquiring contactless sensor tire data at multiple tire data points on a tire surface and transmitting the tire data in a wireless fashion; and

a means for receiving the transmitted tire pressure data and determining whether the tire meets a predetermined specification.

25. A method of transmitting tire data from a plurality of tire sensor modules to a central control unit, comprising:

assigning a predetermined time interval for transmission of multiple tire data points at different locations on a tire surface to each of the tire sensor modules, wherein each of the predetermined time intervals do not overlap with one another in time; and

transmitting the multiple tire data points from each tire sensor module to the central control unit during the respective predetermined time interval, thereby avoiding data collisions associated with the multiple tire data points at the central control unit.

26. A tire monitoring system, comprising:

one or more contactless sensors configured to acquire data from one or more locations on a surface of a tire; and

a sensor controller configured to analyze the data and determine when one or more tire parameters are not within a predetermined range.