Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM) System and Method of Operating the Same

• US 20100141416A1
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hsu, Hui-Pin, Kukshya, Vikas, Song, Hyok J., Wiese, Richard W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,905 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0466 with signals sent by transmitters mounted on adjacent vehicles

Abstract

There is provided an exemplary tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system that can use a half-duplex wireless link to communicate between one or more wheel-mounted sensor units and a vehicle-mounted transceiver unit. The half-duplex wireless link enables the sensor units to report sensor readings to the transceiver unit, and it enables the transceiver unit to make configuration changes to the sensor units for improved communication. Some examples of wireless settings that can be modified include modulation settings, data encoding/decoding settings, error correction settings, and transmission power settings.

Claims

1. A method of operating a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) assessing wireless communication within the TPM system;

(b) if the wireless communication is not satisfactory, then selecting a wireless setting from a plurality of choices;

(c) configuring a component of the TPM system with the wireless setting selected in step (b); and

(d) wirelessly communicating with the component of the TPM system configured in step (c).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises assessing wireless communication within the TPM system by using one or more timer(s) to keep track of wireless signals that are successfully received from the component of the TPM system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless setting includes at least one setting selected from the group consisting of:

a modulation setting, a data encoding/decoding setting, an error correction setting, or a transmission power setting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises assessing an operating condition and selecting the wireless setting based at least partially on the operating condition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the operating condition includes at least one condition selected from the group consisting of:

electromagnetic interference (EMI) from external non-vehicle sources, EMI from external vehicle sources, geographical and topographical conditions, traffic patterns and vehicle density, the location of a transceiver unit within the vehicle, the number of occupants in the vehicle, loading conditions in the vehicle, EMI from internal vehicle sources, a power level of a power source located at a sensor unit, a wireless setting, or a speed of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises configuring a sensor unit located at a vehicle wheel and a transceiver unit located at the vehicle, wherein the sensor unit and the transceiver unit are configured with the same wireless setting.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) further comprises configuring a plurality of sensor units located at a plurality of vehicle wheels with the same wireless setting.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) further comprises configuring a plurality of sensor units located at a plurality of vehicle wheels with different wireless settings.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises wirelessly communicating with the component, wherein the wireless communication is over a half-duplex wireless link established between a sensor unit located at a vehicle wheel and a transceiver unit located at the vehicle.

10. A method of operating a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a first wireless communication from a transceiver unit located at a vehicle to a sensor unit located at a vehicle wheel, and the first wireless communication causes the sensor unit to make a configuration change;

(b) sending a second wireless communication from the sensor unit to the transceiver unit, and the second wireless communication utilizes the configuration change in the sensor unit, and

(c) establishing two-way wireless communication between the wireless sensor module and the sensor unit, wherein the two-way wireless communication utilizes the configuration change.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration change involves at least one wireless setting selected from the group consisting of:

a modulation setting, a data encoding/decoding setting, an error correction setting, or a transmission power setting.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (a) further comprises assessing an operating condition and sending the first wireless communication based at least partially on the operating condition.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the operating condition includes at least one condition selected from the group consisting of:

electromagnetic interference (EMI) from external non-vehicle sources, EMI from external vehicle sources, geographical and topographical conditions, traffic patterns and vehicle density, the location of a transceiver unit within the vehicle, the number of occupants in the vehicle, loading conditions in the vehicle, EMI from internal vehicle sources, a power level of a power source located at a sensor unit, a wireless setting, or a speed of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the two-way wireless communication is established using a half-duplex wireless link.

15. A tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system for a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor unit that is mounted on a vehicle wheel and can both send and receive wireless communications;

a transceiver unit that is mounted on the vehicle and can both send and receive wireless communications; and

a half-duplexed wireless link established between the sensor unit and the transceiver unit.