TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM WITHOUT DIRECT TIRE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
First Claim
1. A pressure monitoring system for a plurality of tires installed on wheels of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle being potentially assembled from component sections including tractor and trailers, the pressure management system comprising:
- a plurality of tire pressure sensors mounted in communication with tires mounted to the wheels of the motor vehicle to provide tire pressure measurements;
an ambient temperature sensor providing temperature measurements;
a vehicle velocity sensor providing vehicle velocity measurements;
a real time source; and
a body computer installed on the vehicle coupled to receive the tire pressure, ambient temperature and vehicle velocity measurements and having access to the real time source, the body computer including cold leak detection programming providing norms in terms of a target tire pressure at a defined temperature and responsive upon execution to the target tire pressure, an initial tire pressure measurement and an initial ambient temperature measurement for adjusting the initial tire pressure based on initial temperature before comparing the tire pressure to targets.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tire pressure management system for a tractor/trailer system establishes allowable bounds for tire pressure compensated for temperature and determines leaks after determining that internal tire temperature measurements are not available. The system is based on valve-mounted external tire pressure sensors, wireless connections to uplink tire pressure data, keyed by location, an ambient temperature sensor and an onboard computer. Tires are assumed pressurized to a target pressure at a given temperature with minimum and maximum pressure bounds set around the target pressure. Ambient temperature sensing, and determination that tires are likely to be at ambient temperature, allows adjustment of the minimum and maximum bounds, as well as the target pressure, compensated for temperature and thus a judgement made as to whether the cold pressure reading indicates deviation from acceptable limits. Determination of whether the vehicle is, or has recently been in movement, is made allowing internal temperature of the tires to be estimated based on changes in pressure. Inter-comparison of pressure readings from among the tires is used to determine the occurrence of leaks during vehicle operation.
44 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A pressure monitoring system for a plurality of tires installed on wheels of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle being potentially assembled from component sections including tractor and trailers, the pressure management system comprising:
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a plurality of tire pressure sensors mounted in communication with tires mounted to the wheels of the motor vehicle to provide tire pressure measurements; an ambient temperature sensor providing temperature measurements; a vehicle velocity sensor providing vehicle velocity measurements; a real time source; and a body computer installed on the vehicle coupled to receive the tire pressure, ambient temperature and vehicle velocity measurements and having access to the real time source, the body computer including cold leak detection programming providing norms in terms of a target tire pressure at a defined temperature and responsive upon execution to the target tire pressure, an initial tire pressure measurement and an initial ambient temperature measurement for adjusting the initial tire pressure based on initial temperature before comparing the tire pressure to targets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A tire pressure management system for a tractor or tractor/trailer vehicle which provides temperature compensation when direct measurement of internal tire temperature is not available, the system comprising:
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valve-mounted tire pressure sensors; an on-board computer; data uplink connections for tire pressure data, indicating tire location, from the valve-mounted tire pressure sensors to the on-board computer; an ambient temperature sensor coupled to report ambient temperature to the on-board computer; program means for execution by the on-board computer for determining availability of direct temperature readings for tires installed on the vehicle and responsive to absence of such readings for initiating indirect temperature compensation of the pressure data; and indirect temperature compensation program means for execution by the on-board computer operating in response to indication that direct temperature readings are absent, the indirect compensation means adjusting the reported pressures based on the difference between the ambient temperature and the given temperature and comparing the adjusted pressure and to the last adjusted pressure to determine leaks. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of monitoring tires on a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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setting a target pressure level and pressure level limits for the tires at a predetermined temperature; measuring tire pressure; reporting tire pressure to an on-board computer; reporting ambient temperature to the on-board computer; determining whether direct temperature readings for tires installed on the vehicle are absent; responsive to the absence of such direct temperature readings and upon indication based on absence of movement of the vehicle that the tires are at ambient temperature, adjusting reported tire pressures for differences in the ambient temperature and the predetermined temperature; and Indicating violations of the pressure limits by the adjusted tire pressure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification