TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR LOCATION IDENTIFICATION

• US 20100207752A1
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Hyde, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,217,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A sensor location identification system may include a plurality of front and rear sensors, a transmitter, and a receiver module. The plurality of front sensors may be connected to a plurality of front tires and may generate first wireless signals indicative of a rotational direction of a corresponding one of said plurality of front tires. The plurality of rear sensors may be connected to a plurality of rear tires and may generate second wireless signals indicative of a rotational direction of a corresponding one of the plurality of rear tires. The transmitter may transmit a location signal received by the plurality of rear sensors. The receiver module may receive the first and second wireless signals and may determine a location of each of the plurality of front and rear tires based on the first and second wireless signals. The second wireless signals may indicate receipt of the location signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of first sensors associated with a plurality of first tires, each of said plurality of first sensors adapted to generate first wireless signals indicative of a relative rotational direction of a corresponding one of said plurality of first tires;

a plurality of second sensors associated with a plurality of second tires, each of said plurality of second sensors adapted to generate second wireless signals indicative of a relative rotational direction of a corresponding one of said plurality of second tires;

a transmitter adapted to transmit a location signal received by said plurality of second sensors; and

a receiver module receiving said first and second wireless signals and operable to determine a location of each of said first and second tires based on said first and second wireless signals,

wherein said second wireless signals indicate receipt of said location signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second sensors are tire pressure monitoring sensors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second sensors transmit said first and second wireless signals in response to a predetermined event.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said predetermined event is a change in pressure of at least one of said first and second tires.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said predetermined event is an acceleration of at least one of said first and second tires.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter transmits said location signal intermittently.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second wireless signals indicate tire pressures of said first and second tires, respectively.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said second tires are rear tires of a vehicle.

9. A sensor location identification system comprising:

a plurality of tire pressure sensors including a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor, and a fourth sensor, each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors being associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of tires and operable to transmit a data signal;

a transmitter adapted to communicate a location signal to said first sensor and said second sensor; and

a receiver module adapted to receive said data signals including a relative rotational direction of each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors and an indication of receipt of said location signal, said receiver module determining a location of each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors based on said data signals.

10. The sensor location identification system of claim 9, wherein said data signals are transmitted in response to a predetermined event.

11. The sensor location identification system of claim 10, wherein said predetermined event is a change in pressure of at least one of said plurality of tires.

12. The sensor location identification system of claim 10, wherein said predetermined event is an acceleration of at least one of said plurality of tires.

13. The sensor location identification system of claim 10, wherein said transmitter transmits said location signal intermittently.

14. The sensor location identification system of claim 9, wherein said data signals indicate tire pressures of said plurality of tires.

15. The sensor location identification system of claim 9, wherein said first and second sensors are associated with rear tires of a vehicle.

16. A method of determining sensor locations comprising:

providing a plurality of first sensors and a plurality of second sensors, each of said first and second sensors corresponding to each of a plurality of tires;

determining a relative rotational direction of each of said plurality of tires;

transmitting a location signal;

recording receipt of said location signal in said plurality of second sensors;

generating data signals associated with each of said first and second sensors indicating said relative rotational direction of each of said plurality of tires;

indicating receipt of said location signal by said plurality of second sensors;

communicating said plurality of data signals to a receiver; and

determining a location of each of said first and second sensors based on said data signals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of communicating said plurality of data signals to said receiver is performed in response to a predetermined event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said predetermined event is a change in pressure of at least one of said plurality of tires.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said predetermined event is an acceleration of at least one of said plurality of tires.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of sensing a tire pressure of each of said plurality of tires and communicating said tire pressures via said data signals.