INTEGRATED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING AND REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY

• US 20110254660A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: SUN, Chun-Yi
• Application Number:
  US12/763,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20110254660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0418 Sharing hardware components like housing, antenna, receiver or signal transmission line with other vehicle systems like keyless entry or brake control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0457 self triggered by timer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

An integrated system and method for tire pressure monitoring and remote keyless entry are applied to a vehicle and an RKE (remote keyless entry) fob (30). The RKE fob (30) transmits a wireless signal with a predetermined carrier frequency. An in-vehicle integrated controller (10) detects an unlocked request signal from the RKE fob (30) when the vehicle is locked. When the unlocked request is authenticated and the vehicle door is unlocked, a tire information request signal is immediately sent to tire pressure monitoring modules (20) and the tire pressure monitoring modules (20) send tire information signals containing at least a tire pressure data within a predetermined time threshold. The tire information signals are also sent at the predetermined carrier frequency. Therefore, the advantages of hardware sharing and better safety can be achieved.

Claims

1. An integrated system for tire pressure monitoring and remote keyless entry applied to a vehicle and a key fob (30) sending a wireless signal at a predetermined carrier frequency, the system comprising:

an in-vehicle integrated controller (10) located within the vehicle and comprising a central controller unit (100) and a central wireless transceiver (110) electrically connected to the central controller unit (100); and

at least one tire pressure monitoring module (20) located at a vehicle tire and comprising a tire pressure processing unit (200), a tire pressure wireless transceiver (210) and a tire pressure sensor (220), wherein the pressure processing unit (200) is electrically connected to the tire pressure wireless transceiver (210) and the tire pressure sensor (220), and the tire pressure wireless transceiver (210) is operated at the predetermined carrier frequency;

wherein the in-vehicle integrated controller (10) is configured to send a tire information request signal to the tire pressure monitoring module (20) when the in-vehicle integrated controller (10) receives and authenticates an unlocked request from the key fob (30);

wherein the tire pressure monitoring module (20) is configured to send a tire information signal containing at least a tire pressure data within a predetermined time threshold after the tire pressure monitoring module (20) receives the tire information request signal.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time threshold is 6 seconds.

3. The system in claim 1, wherein the tire pressure monitoring module (20) is configured to send the tire information signal at a standby period before the vehicle is ignited, and the tire pressure monitoring module (20) is configured to send the tire information signal at an operation period after the vehicle is ignited, wherein the standby period is longer than the operation period.

4. The system in claim 1, wherein the predetermined carrier frequency is 433.92 MHz or 315 MHz.

5. The system in claim 1, wherein the tire pressure monitoring module (20) further comprises a battery (230).

6. An integrated method for tire pressure monitoring and remote keyless entry applied to a vehicle and a key fob (30) sending a wireless signal at a predetermined carrier frequency, the method comprising:

(a) detecting an unlocked request from the key fob (30) when the vehicle is locked;

(b) sending a tire information request signal to a tire pressure monitoring module (20) when the unlocked request is authenticated; and

(c) the tire pressure monitoring module (20) sending a tire information signal containing at least a tire pressure data within a predetermined time threshold after the tire pressure monitoring module (20) receives the tire information request signal, wherein the tire information signal is sent at the predetermined carrier frequency.

7. The method in claim 6, wherein the predetermined carrier frequency is 433.92 MHz or 315 MHz.

8. The method in claim 6, wherein the predetermined time threshold is 6 seconds.

9. The method in claim 6, wherein the tire pressure monitoring module (20) is configured to send the tire information signal at a standby period before the vehicle is ignited, and the tire pressure monitoring module (20) is configured to send the tire information signal at an operation period after the vehicle is ignited, wherein the standby period is longer than the operation period.

10. The method in claim 6, wherein the tire pressure monitoring module (20) is a battery-powered tire pressure monitoring module with a battery.