WHEEL STATE MONITERING SYSTEM AND WHEEL STATE DETECTING APPARATUS

• US 20080178667A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KUSUNOKI, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/044 Near field triggers, e.g. magnets or triggers with 125 KHz
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring system, that includes a plurality of the wheel state detection unit, provided at wheel of a vehicle, and that transmits detected wheel state information. A request signal transmitter transmits a request signal to request transmission of the detected wheel state information. When each wheel state detection unit receives the request signal, it transmits the detected wheel state together with the indication information indicating that the wheel state is detected in response to the transmission request signal. The ECU sets a determination threshold value for triggering an alert regarding tire pressure based on the detected wheel state information transmitted from the plurality of wheel state detection units.

Claims

1. A wheel state monitoring system, for a vehicle body that includes a plurality of wheels, the wheel state monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of wheel state detection units, each mounted to a corresponding wheel, and each detects a wheel state for the corresponding wheel and transmits wheel state information indicating the wheel state;

a transmitter, mounted on the vehicle body, that transmits a request signal for the wheel state information; and

a receiver, mounted on the vehicle body, that receives the wheel state information transmitted from each wheel state detection unit,

wherein, when each wheel state detection unit receives the request signal, each wheel state detection unit transmits the wheel state information which includes the detected wheel state and instructions information which indicates that the wheel state is detected in response to the request signal from the wheel state detection unit, and which is associated with the wheel state.

2. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit, provided on the vehicle body, that sets a threshold value used for triggering an alert regarding a tire pressure based on the wheel state information transmitted from the wheel state detection unit.

3. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter transmits the request signal in response to a driver input, and the setting unit sets the threshold value when the wheel state satisfies a predetermined condition.

4. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the request signal in response to a driver input made when the wheel state satisfies a predetermined condition.

5. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter transmits the request signal when the vehicle is stopped.

6. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel state detection unit periodically transmits the wheel state information.

7. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel state detection unit stores the wheel state information generated in response to the request signal in a memory, until the wheel state detection unit receives a confirmation signal from the transmitter mounted on the vehicle body that the wheel state information has been received.

8. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel state is a tire pressure.

9. A wheel state detection apparatus comprising:

a detector that detects a wheel state;

a receiver that receives a transmission request signal transmitted from a vehicle body side;

a memory that stores the wheel state detected by the detector when the receiver receives the transmission request signal, with the instructions information indicating that the wheel state is detected in response to the transmission request signal, the wheel state is associated with the instructions information; and

a transmitter that transmits the wheel state stored in the memory, together with the instructions information.

10. A wheel state monitoring method for a wheel state monitoring system, provided in a vehicle body including a plurality of wheels, that includes a plurality of wheel state detection units, each mounted on a corresponding wheel, and each transmits wheel state information;

a transmitter, mounted on a vehicle body, that transmits a request signal for the wheel state information; and

a receiver, mounted on the vehicle body, that receives the wheel state information transmitted from the wheel state detection units, the method comprising;

transmitting the wheel state, together with instructions information indicating that the wheel state is detected by each wheel state detection unit at the moment each wheel state detection unit receives the request signal, when receiving the request signal.