Protocol Arrangement In A Tire Pressure Monitoring System

• US 20130038441A1
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Deniau, Jean-Christophe, Farrell, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0455 Transmission control of wireless signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting tire pressure signals includes a transmission buffer and a transmitter. The transmission buffer is configured to store tire pressure monitoring data. The transmitter is configured to transmit a signal including the tire pressure monitoring data. The signal includes a burst that includes plurality of frames and each of the frames includes the tire pressure monitoring information. A plurality of pause spaces is disposed between at least some of the frames in the burst.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting tire pressure signals, the apparatus comprising:

a transmission buffer configured to store tire pressure monitoring information;

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal including the tire pressure monitoring information, the signal comprising;

a burst that includes plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring information;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between at least some of the frames in the burst;

wherein characteristics of the frames in the burst are selected based at least in part upon one or more of;

a government standard, an industry requirement, a receiver requirement, a periodicity requirement, and a power requirement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characteristics of the signal relate to at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power requirement of the frames allows a first power level for a first burst and a second power level for a second burst, the first burst shorter than the second burst, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the industry requirement relates to the amount of time required to complete a localization process.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the government standard relates to the maximum on-air time for a burst.

6. A method of transmitting tire pressure monitoring information, the method comprising;

obtaining tire pressure monitoring information;

transmitting a signal the signal comprising;

a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring information;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between the plurality of frames;

wherein the positioning and the length of the frames is selected based at least in part upon one or more of;

a government standard, an industry requirement, a periodicity requirement, a receiver requirement, and a power requirement.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the characteristics of the signal relate to at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the power requirement of the frames allows a first power level for a first burst and a second power level for a second burst, the first burst shorter than the second burst, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the industry requirement relates to the amount of time required to complete a localization process.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the government standard relates to the maximum on-air time for a burst.

11. A computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of transmitting tire pressure monitoring information, the method comprising:

obtaining tire pressure monitoring data;

transmitting a signal, the signal comprising;

a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring data;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between the plurality of frames;

wherein the positioning and the length of the frames is selected based at least in part upon one or more of;

a government standard, an industry requirement, a receiver requirement, a periodicity requirement, and a power requirement.

12. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein the characteristics of the signal relate to at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

13. A computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to form the following means when being executed on a computer:

means for storing tire pressure monitoring information;

means for transmitting a signal including the tire pressure monitoring information, the signal comprising;

a burst that includes a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring information;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between at least some of the frames in the burst; and

means for selecting characteristics of the frames in the burst based at least in part upon one or more of a government standard, an industry requirement, a receiver requirement, a periodicity requirement, and a power requirement.

14. The computer usable medium of claim 13 wherein the characteristics of the signal relate to at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.