METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IDENTIFYING SENSORS HOUSED IN TYRES

• US 20100231370A1
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LDL Technology SAS
• Original Assignee: LDL Technology SAS
• Inventors: Lefaure, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 9,469,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/007 having multiple wheels arranged side by side
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/008 having wheels on more than two axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0444 Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of identifying sensors (C1, C2, C3, C4) of an information system for a vehicle (V1) of the type that links a plurality of sensors housed in the wheels and equipped with a subassembly for transmitting the collected data to a module (100) for transmitting and receiving said collected data, which is equipped with at least one transmission/reception antenna (110), in which each axle end is fitted with twin wheels, an inner wheel and an outer wheel, each wheel accommodating an equipped sensor (Ci or Ce) of a transmission subassembly, said method being noteworthy in that it consists in varying the power of the transmission antenna (110) in such a way that the transmission field of the antenna varies and includes or excludes the sensor(s) (Ci, Ce) located within its radius of action. The invention also relates to the device for implementing the method described above. Applications: detection and transmission of parameters from vehicle tyres.

Claims

1. Method of identifying sensors of an information system for vehicle of the type of those associating a plurality of sensors housed in the wheels and provided with a subassembly for transmitting the collected information towards a module for transmitting and receiving said collected information provided with a transmission/reception antenna, wherein each axle end is provided with twin wheels, an inner wheel and an outer wheel, each wheel accommodating a sensor provided with a subassembly for transmitting, characterised in that it comprises varying the power of the transmission antenna in such a way that the transmission field of the antenna varies and includes or excludes the sensor(s) arranged in its radius of action.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises arranging the antenna in such a way that the sensors of which it must receive the data are positioned at a different distance from the antenna.

3. Method according to claim 1 of the type of that at each axle end is provided with twin wheels, an inner wheel and an outer wheel, each wheel accommodating a sensor provided with a subassembly for transmitting, characterised in that it comprises decreasing the power of the antenna in such a way that when the power reaches a level sufficiently low, the nearest sensor is the only one to transmit and is identified as the sensor of the inner wheel.

4. Device making it possible to implement the method according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that it is comprised of an electronic circuit associating an antenna with a variable resistor of which the variation provides the variation of the Q-factor of the antenna.

5. Device making it possible to implement the method according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that said antenna is associated to the frame of the vehicle.

6. Device making it possible to implement the method according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the antenna is associated to the portable case of a module for transmitting and receiving that is not associated to the frame.

7. Device according to claim 5, characterised by the fact that it comprises a plurality of antennas arranged on the frame in the vicinity of each axle end supporting twin wheels.

8. Device according to claim 5, characterised by the fact that it comprises a single antenna for each axle supporting twin wheels.