TIRE CONDITION MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20100328058A1
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Araki, Yasuhiko, Kanenari, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• 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 23/0401 characterised by the type of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10 Tires, resilient

Abstract

The tire condition of each tire of a vehicle is detected, which information is transmitted by means of electromagnetic waves from the tire condition acquisition devices to a monitoring device that receives the electromagnetic waves transmitted from tire condition acquisition devices via a receiving antenna, which monitoring device contains means for displaying the electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the tire condition acquisition devices. Thus, the electric field intensity at a mounting position can easily be determined when mounting the receiving antenna, enabling easy discovery of the optimal location for mounting the receiving antenna.

Claims

1. A tire condition monitoring system, comprising:

condition detecting means for detecting a predetermined tire condition, provided on each tire of a vehicle;

a plurality of tire condition acquisition devices having transmission means for transmitting the detected tire condition information by electromagnetic waves;

a receiving antenna for receiving the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the tire condition acquisition devices; and

a monitoring device, which is connected by a cable to the receiving antenna, for receiving the tire condition information transmitted from each of the tire condition acquisition devices and displaying the tire condition information for each tire;

wherein electric field intensity display means is provided for displaying an electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from each of the tire condition acquisition devices.

2. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the electric field intensity display means has means for displaying the electric field intensity using either numbers that express a value of the electric field intensity or a diagram that changes in relation to the value of the electric field intensity.

3. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the electric field intensity display means has means for simultaneously displaying on a single screen the electric field intensities of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the plurality of tire condition acquisition devices.

4. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the electric field intensity display means has means for simultaneously displaying the electric field intensities of electromagnetic waves transmitted from the plurality of tire condition acquisition devices on a screen that schematically displays positions of a plurality of tires mounted on the vehicle.

5. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising diversity receiving means provided with a plurality of receiving antennas, wherein

the electric field intensity display means has means for displaying a maximum electric field intensity from among the electromagnetic waves received by the diversity receiving means when displaying the electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves received from each of the tire condition acquisition devices.

6. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

7. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the electric field intensity display means has means for simultaneously displaying on a single screen the electric field intensities of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the plurality of tire condition acquisition devices.

8. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the electric field intensity display means has means for simultaneously displaying the electric field intensities of electromagnetic waves transmitted from the plurality of tire condition acquisition devices on a screen that schematically displays positions of a plurality of tires mounted on the vehicle.

9. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 2, further comprising diversity receiving means provided with a plurality of receiving antennas, wherein

the electric field intensity display means has means for displaying a maximum electric field intensity from among the electromagnetic waves received by the diversity receiving means when displaying the electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves received from each of the tire condition acquisition devices.

10. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

11. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

12. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

13. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

14. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

15. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

16. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the electric field intensity display means can operate under a condition of being connected by a cable to either the receiving antenna or the diversity receiving means, and is constructed so as to be portable while still in operating mode.

17. A method for monitoring a tire condition, comprising:

detecting tire condition information from at least one tire of a vehicle;

transmitting detected tire condition information by electromagnetic waves using a tire condition acquisition device;

receiving by antenna the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the tire condition acquisition device;

monitoring the tire condition information received by the antenna; and

displaying the tire condition information for the at least one tire on a display, including displaying an electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the tire condition acquisition device.

18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising displaying the electric field intensity using either numbers that express a value of the electric field intensity or a diagram that changes in relation to the value of the electric field intensity.

19. A method as in claim 17, further comprising simultaneously displaying the electric field intensities of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from a plurality of tire condition acquisition devices on a single screen.

20. A tire condition monitoring system, comprising:

condition detecting means for detecting a tire condition, provided on each tire of a vehicle;

a plurality of tire condition acquisition devices on each tire having transmission means for transmitting the detected tire condition information by electromagnetic waves;

a receiving antenna for receiving the electromagnetic waves transmitted from each of the tire condition acquisition devices; and

a monitoring device, which is connected by a cable to the receiving antenna, for receiving the tire condition information transmitted from each of the tire condition acquisition devices and simultaneously displaying the tire condition information for each tire;

diversity receiving means provided with a plurality of receiving antennas;

wherein electric field intensity display means is provided for displaying an electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from each of the tire condition acquisition devices and the electric field intensity display means has means for displaying a maximum electric field intensity from among the electromagnetic waves received by the diversity receiving means when displaying the electric field intensity of the electromagnetic waves received from each of the tire condition acquisition devices.