METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING THE DYSFUNCTION OF A GAS PRESSURE SENSOR IN A VEHICLE TIRE

• US 20120310469A1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Vassilieff, Youri
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0476 Temperature compensation of measured pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0481 System diagnostic, e.g. monitoring battery voltage, detecting hardware detachments or identifying wireless transmission failures

Abstract

A method (2) for detecting the malfunctioning of a sensor (11) of the pressure of a gas inside a tire of a vehicle includes at least a step (20) of determining whether a predefined gas temperature variation detection criterion is verified. If a temperature variation is detected, the method (2) includes a step (21) of determining whether a predefined criterion for detection of the variation of the pressure, measured by the pressure sensor (11), is verified. If a pressure variation is not detected, the method (2) includes a step (22) of notifying that a malfunction of the pressure sensor (11) has been detected. A device for detecting the malfunctioning of a sensor (11) of the pressure of a gas inside a tire of a vehicle is also described.

Claims

1. A method (2) for detecting the malfunctioning of a sensor (11) of the pressure of a gas inside a tire of a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least:

a step (20) of determining whether a predefined gas temperature variation detection criterion is verified,

if a temperature variation is detected, a step (21) of determining whether a predefined criterion for detection of the variation of the pressure, measured by the pressure sensor, is verified,

if a pressure variation is not detected, a step (22) of notifying that a malfunction of the pressure sensor has been detected.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the temperature variation detection criterion is a vehicle speed decrease criterion, and the pressure variation detection criterion is a pressure increase detection criterion.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising a preliminary learning step (24) during which the speed decrease detection criterion and the pressure increase detection criterion are defined by comparing vehicle speed measurements and pressure measurements associated with said speed measurements.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, in which the vehicle speed measurements and the pressure measurements, according to which the speed decrease detection criterion and the pressure increase detection criterion are defined, are performed at the start of the commissioning of the pressure sensor (11).

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, in which the vehicle speed decrease detection criterion is verified when the deceleration is greater as an absolute value than a predefined threshold, preferably a threshold of 0.3 g, in which g is the gravitational acceleration.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, in which the pressure increase detection criterion is verified when the pressure increase is greater than a predefined threshold, preferably a threshold of 10 kilopascals.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the step (22) of notifying that a malfunction of the pressure sensor (11) has been detected is executed if the pressure variation detection criterion has not been verified a number of times consecutively.

11. The method as claimed in claim 3, in which the vehicle speed decrease detection criterion is verified when the deceleration is greater as an absolute value than a predefined threshold, preferably a threshold of 0.3 g, in which g is the gravitational acceleration.

12. The method as claimed in claim 4, in which the vehicle speed decrease detection criterion is verified when the deceleration is greater as an absolute value than a predefined threshold, preferably a threshold of 0.3 g, in which g is the gravitational acceleration.

13. The method as claimed in claim 3, in which the pressure increase detection criterion is verified when the pressure increase is greater than a predefined threshold, preferably a threshold of 10 kilopascals.

14. The method as claimed in claim 4, in which the pressure increase detection criterion is verified when the pressure increase is greater than a predefined threshold, preferably a threshold of 10 kilopascals.

15. The method as claimed in claim 2, in which the step (22) of notifying that a malfunction of the pressure sensor (11) has been detected is executed if the pressure variation detection criterion has not been verified a number of times consecutively.

8. A device (1) for detecting the malfunctioning of a sensor (11) of the pressure of a gas inside a tire of a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least:

means for determining whether a predefined gas temperature variation detection criterion is verified,

means for determining whether a predefined criterion for detection of the variation of the pressure, measured by the pressure sensor, is verified, implemented when a temperature variation has been detected,

means for notifying that a malfunction of the pressure sensor (11) has been detected, implemented when a pressure variation has not been detected.

9. The device (1) as claimed in claim 8, comprising means (15) for measuring the variation of the speed of the vehicle, and in which:

the gas temperature variation detection criterion is a vehicle speed decrease detection criterion,

the pressure variation detection criterion is a pressure increase detection criterion.

10. The device (1) as claimed in claim 9, comprising means for defining the speed decrease detection criterion and the pressure increase detection criterion by comparing vehicle speed measurements and pressure measurements associated with said speed measurements.