PUMP SYSTEM AND MOTORIZED VEHICLE

• US 20120232753A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Lhuillier, Xavier, Shaw, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations

Abstract

A pump system for inflating a tyre of a motorized vehicle, comprises a pump unit. The pump unit has an outlet connectable to an inlet of the tyre, for providing a fluid to the inside of the tyre. A communication interface is communicatively connectable to a tyre pressure monitoring system, TPMS, in the vehicle, for receiving from the TPMS data representing information for controlling the providing of fluid to the tyre. A pump controller is connected to the pump unit and to the communication interface and can control the pump unit based on at least the information.

Claims

1. A pump system for inflating a tyre of a motorized vehicle, the pump system comprising:

a pump unit having an outlet configured to connect to an inlet of said tyre, wherein the pump unit is configured to provide a fluid to the inside of said tyre;

a communication interface communicatively connectable to a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in said vehicle, for receiving from said TPMS data representing information for controlling said providing of fluid to said tyre; and

a pump controller connected to the pump unit and to said communication interface, wherein the pump controller is configured to control for controlling said pump unit based on at least said information.

2. The pump system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said communication interface is communicatively connectable to a tyre pressure sensor module of said TPMS, said tyre pressure sensor module being arranged to sense at least one parameter representative of a pressure in said tyre; and

the pump controller is arranged to control said pump unit based on at least data received from said tyre pressure sensor module.

3. The pump system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said communication interface is communicatively connectable to a tyre pressure monitoring module of said TPMS,

said tyre pressure monitoring module being communicatively connected to a tyre pressure sensor module arranged to sense at least one parameter representative of a pressure in said tyre, and

said tyre pressure monitoring module being arranged to determine whether or not said pressure in said tyre is sufficient based on at least said parameter.

4. The pump system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said data comprises a start instruction and a stop instruction, and

said pump controller, when in operation, controls the pump unit to:

start providing said fluid in response to said communication interface receiving said start instruction, and

stop providing said fluid in response to said communication interface receiving said stop instruction.

5. The pump system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to detect whether or not a coupling between the outlet of said pump unit and said inlet of said tyre is established.

6. The pump system as claimed in claim 5, wherein

said pump controller is connected to said detector, and

said pump controller is arranged to output, via said communication interface, a pump available signal to said TPMS in response to said detector detecting that said coupling is established.

7. The pump system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pump controller is arranged to generate and output, via said communication interface, a request for said TPMS to provide said information.

8. A motorized vehicle configured to couple to the pump system of claim 1, the motorized vehicle comprising:

a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) configured to

monitor a pressure of at least one tyre of said motorized vehicle, and

output in a for humans perceptible form a warning when said pressure is outside a predetermine range, wherein

said TPMS comprises a communication interface configured to communicatively connect to the pump system for transmitting to said pump system data representing information for controlling said providing said fluid.

9. The motorized vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said TPMS further comprises:

a tyre pressure sensor module for sensing at least one parameter representative of a pressure in said tyre; and

wherein said communication interface is connected to said tyre pressure sensor module and arranged to output to said pump system data representing information about said sensed parameter.

10. The motorized vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said TPMS comprises:

a tyre pressure sensor module arranged to sense at least one parameter representative of a pressure in said tyre;

a tyre pressure monitoring module being communicatively connected to said tyre pressure sensor module, said tyre pressure monitoring module being arranged to determine whether or not said pressure in said tyre is sufficient based on at least said parameter; and

wherein said communication interface is communicatively connectable to said tyre pressure monitoring module, for outputting to said pump system data generated by said tyre pressure monitoring module.

11. The motorized vehicle as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:

a pump control unit, connected to said communication interface, configured to initialize and stop a provision of a fluid to the inside of said tyre by said pump system, and wherein

said communication interface is arranged to transmit a start instruction to said pump controller in response to said pump control unit initializing said provision and to transmit a stop instruction in response to said pump control unit stopping said provision.

12. The motorized vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said TPMS has at least one normal mode in which measurements of said parameter are performed at a normal rate and an inflating mode in which said measurements are performed at an inflating rate higher than said normal rate and wherein said TPMS is arranged to switch into said inflating mode in response to determining an availability of said pump system.

13. The pump system claimed in claim 1, comprising a pressure controller for determining a desired value of a pressure in said tyre.

14. The pump system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said pressure controller comprises:

a first input for receiving information about a temperature in said tyre;

a second input for receiving a predetermined theoretical target value, wherein

the pressure controller is arranged to determine said desired value based on at least said temperature and said predetermined theoretical target value.

15. A pump system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said pressure controller further comprises:

a third input for receiving information about an ambient temperature of said tyre, wherein the pressure controller is arranged to determine said desired value based on at least said temperature in said tyre, said ambient temperature and said predetermined theoretical target value.

16. The motorized vehicle claimed in 8, comprising a pressure controller for determining a desired value of a pressure in said tyre.

17. The motorized vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said pressure controller comprises:

a first input for receiving information about a temperature in said tyre;

a second input for receiving a predetermined theoretical target value,

wherein

the pressure controller is arranged to determine said desired value based on at least said temperature and said predetermined theoretical target value.

18. The motorized vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein said pressure controller further comprises:

a third input for receiving information about an ambient temperature of said tyre, wherein the pressure controller is arranged to determine said desired value based on at least said temperature in said tyre, said ambient temperature and said predetermined theoretical target value.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) configured to monitor a pressure of at least one tyre of said vehicle and comprising a vehicle communication interface, wherein

the vehicle communication interface is configured to transmit data to a pump communication interface of a pump system external to the vehicle,

a fluid inlet of a tyre of the at least one tyre of said vehicle is coupled to a fluid outlet of the pump system, and

the data comprises information for controlling providing of the fluid to the tyre by the pump system.

20. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein said TPMS further comprises:

a tyre pressure sensor module for sensing at least one parameter representative of a pressure in said tyre, wherein

said vehicle communication interface is connected to said tyre pressure sensor module, and

said data represents information about said sensed parameter.