Compact tire pressure monitoring system via innovative mechanical pressure switch design

• US 20090134990A1
• Filed: 11/23/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huigang Tu, James Y. Yang, Jianyun Yang, Qiang Shen, Yunlong Min
• Original Assignee: Huigang Tu, James Y. Yang, Jianyun Yang, Qiang Shen, Yunlong Min
• Inventors: Shen, Qiang, Yang, James Y., Min, Yunlong, Yang, Jianyun, Tu, Huigang
• Application Number:
  US11/891,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber

Abstract

A tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) system includes a TPM device directly mounted onto an air-pumping inlet on a tire. The TPM device further includes a mechanical triggering mechanism engaged to an air pressure through the air-pumping inlet pushing from an air filled in the tire. The triggering mechanism is triggered by a low tire pressure to turn on a micro-controller unit of the TPS device to send a radio frequency (RF) signal for warning a low tire-pressure of the tire. The tire pressure monitoring (TPS) system further includes a signal receiving system near a vehicle driver for receiving and processing the RF signal.

Claims

1. A tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device directly mounted onto an air-pumping inlet on a tire comprising:

a tire-pressure engaging-plate engaged to an air pressure through said air-pumping inlet pushing from an air filled in said tire; and

a spring pressed by said air pressure through said tire-pressure engaging-plate for mechanically triggering a switch-on of a micro-controller unit (MCU) to send a low pressure warning signal when said air pressure drops below a threshold tire pressure causing said spring to push back said tire-pressure engaging-plate.

2. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 wherein:

said spring pressing onto a receiving cup comprising a conductive metal for contacting a battery as a power source for turning on said TPM device to send said low pressure warning signal when said air pressure drops below a threshold tire pressure causing said spring to push said receiving cup to contact a terminal of said battery.

3. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) signal generator for generating an RF signal for transmitting said low pressure warning signal.

4. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a micro-control unit (MCU) for encoding said low pressure signal with a TPM ID-address for identifying said TPM device on a specific tire in sending said low pressure warning signal.

5. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a micro-control unit (MCU) for periodically sending a TPM device status signal encoded with a TPM ID-address for identifying said TPM device mounted on a specific tire in sending said TPM device status signal for indicating functional status of said TPM device.

6. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a micro-control unit (MCU) for periodically sending a battery capacity signal encoded with a TPM ID-address for identifying said TPM device mounted on a specific tire in sending said battery capacity signal.

7. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a micro-control unit (MCU) having a TPM-ID encoding port for entering a TPM-ID address for identifying a TPM device mounted on a specific tire.

8. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a signal transmission system having a control unit (MCU) for operating at a low voltage at approximately three volts.

9. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a spring length adjustment mechanism for adjusting a length of said spring for adjusting said threshold tire-pressure for detecting a low pressure tire and mechanically triggering a switch-on of said MCU to send said low pressure warning signal.

10. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) device of claim 1 further comprising:

a signal transmission system having an antenna for transmitting a signal of a frequency in a range of approximately 200 to 600 MHz.

11. A tire pressure-monitoring (TPM) system comprising a TPM device directly mounted onto an air-pumping inlet on a tire wherein:

said TPM device further includes a mechanical triggering mechanism engaged to an air pressure through said air-pumping inlet pushing from an air filled in said tire; and

said triggering mechanism is triggered by a low tire pressure to turn on a micro-controller unit of said TPS device to send a radio frequency (RF) signal for warning a low tire-pressure of said tire.

12. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 wherein:

said TPM device further includes a signal transmission system having an antenna for transmitting a signal of a frequency in a range of approximately 200 to 600 MHz.

13. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 further comprising:

a signal receiving system near a vehicle driver for receiving and processing said RF signal.

14. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 further comprising:

a signal receiving system near a vehicle driver for receiving and processing RF signals sent from several TPM devices mounted on multiple tires.

15. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 further comprising:

a signal receiving system having an image display near a vehicle driver for receiving and processing RF signals sent from several TPM devices mounted on multiple fires for displaying an image for viewing by said vehicle driver.

16. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 wherein:

said TPM device further includes a micro-control unit (MCU) for encoding said low pressure signal with a TPM ID-address for identifying said TPM device mounted on a specific tire in sending said radio frequency (RF) signal for warning a low tire-pressure of said tire.

17. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 wherein:

said TPM device further includes a micro-control unit (MCU) for periodically sending a TPM device status signal encoded with a TPM ID-address for identifying said TPM device mounted on a specific tire in sending said TPM device status signal for indicating functional status of said TPM device.

18. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 wherein:

said TPM device further includes a micro-control unit (MCU) for periodically sending a battery capacity signal encoded with a TPM ID-address for identifying said TPM device mounted on a specific tire in sending said battery capacity signal.

19. The tire pressure-monitoring (TPS) system of claim 11 wherein:

said TPM device further includes a micro-control unit (MCU) having a TPM-ID encoding port for entering a TPM-ID address for identifying a TPM device mounted on a specific tire.

20. A method for monitoring a tire pressure of a tire on a car comprising:

—

monitoring (TPM) system comprising a TPM device directly mounted onto an air-pumping inlet on a tire wherein;

mounting a tire-pressure monitoring (TPM) device directly onto an air-pumping inlet on a tire; and

mechanically triggering a switch-on of a micro controller unit (MCU) of said TPM device to send an RF signal for warning a low tire-pressure of said tire when a tire-pressure of said tire is lower than a threshold tire-pressure.