TIRE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20100033316A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Oda, Keiji
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• 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 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

In a tire information management system 10 of the present invention, a vehicle side module 5 includes a receiving electromagnetic wave strength measuring means 12 for measuring, for each sensor module 3, receiving electromagnetic wave strength of data signals transmitted from the sensor module 3 and is adapted to generate a transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value to be employed in the next data transmission by the sensor module in accordance with the receiving electromagnetic wave strength of the data signals transmitted from the sensor module and add the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value to a command to the sensor module at the next request of data transmission thereto. The sensor module 3 includes a transmitting electromagnetic wave strength control means 16 for controlling transmitting electromagnetic wave strength in data transmission. The transmitting electromagnetic wave strength control means 16 is adapted to control transmitting electromagnetic wave strength during next data transmission on the basis of a transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value received from the vehicle side module. As a result, the present invention provides a tire information management system that allows electricity consumption at the sensor module to be significantly reduced, whereby the product life of the sensor module is significantly improved.

Claims

1. A tire information management system having:

a sensor module provided inside each tire mounted in a vehicle, for measuring tire condition variables including tire inner pressure and transmitting data obtained by the analysis;

an antenna for receiving the data from the sensor module; and

a vehicle side module for transmitting a command, requesting transmission of the data, to each sensor module by way of the antenna and obtaining the data transmitted from each sensor module, characterized in that;

the sensor module includes a transmitting electromagnetic wave strength control means for controlling transmitting electromagnetic wave strength in data transmission, the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength control means being adapted to control transmitting electromagnetic wave strength for next data transmission on the basis of a transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value received from the vehicle side module;

the vehicle side module includes a receiving electromagnetic wave strength measuring means for measuring, for each sensor module, receiving electromagnetic wave strength of data signals transmitted from the sensor module and is adapted to generate a transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value in accordance with the receiving electromagnetic wave strength of the data signals transmitted from the sensor module and add the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value to the command to the sensor module at the next request of data transmission thereto.

2. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle side module includes a communication time lapse measuring means for measuring, for each sensor module, communication time lapse from transmission of the command to each sensor module to reception of the data from the sensor module and is adapted to respond, in addition to the receiving electromagnetic wave strength, to the communication time lapse observed at a previous data reception in generating the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value.

3. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle side module is adapted to, in generating the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value, categorize at least one of the receiving electromagnetic wave strength and the communication time lapse to a plurality of groups, respectively, in accordance with levels thereof and add or subtract a difference predetermined for each group to/from the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value previously transmitted to the sensor module, to obtain the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value for the next command to the sensor module.

4. The tire information management system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle side module is adapted to, in generating the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value, categorize at least one of the receiving electromagnetic wave strength and the communication time lapse to a plurality of groups, respectively, in accordance with levels thereof and add or subtract a difference predetermined for each group to/from the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value previously transmitted to the sensor module, to obtain the transmitting electromagnetic wave strength set value for the next command to the sensor module.