METHOD FOR LOCATING THE POSITION OF THE WHEELS OF A VEHICLE

• US 20140019003A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• 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: Guinart, Nicolas, Montigny, Jrme, Delaire, Jacques, Fudulea, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 10,449,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/34.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00 Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0489 for detecting the actual angular position of the monitoring device while the wheel is turning

Abstract

Method for locating the position of the wheels of a vehicle, each equipped with an electronic module for measuring operational parameters of each wheel, includes: controlling the transmission, by the module equipping that wheel, of n signals transmitted at times t₁ to t_n for given angular positions θ₁ to θ_n of the module, to a connected central processing unit, and to speed sensors each positioned close to a wheel, capable of delivering, values convertible into angular values, data representing the orientation of the wheel. The central processing unit is programmed to calculate, for each series of angular values δ₁ to δ_n provided by a wheel measuring sensor at the times t₁ to t_n, a characteristic value V_n1-V_nr representing the dispersion of the values δ₁, (δ₂-θ₂) . . . (δ_n-θ_n), and to compare the characteristic values to allocate, to the electronic module, the position of the wheel located close to the wheel speed sensor.

Claims

1. A method for locating the position of the wheels (1-4) of a vehicle (V) comprising:

r wheels (1-4) each equipped with an electronic module (5-8) integrating means (9) for measuring the angular position of said electronic module and a transmitter (10) intended for transmitting signals comprising data representing operational parameters of each wheel and an identification code of said electronic module,

positioned on the vehicle (V) close to each of the wheels (1-4), a wheel speed sensor (13-16) capable of providing, in the form of values convertible into angular values, data representing the orientation of the wheel (1-4),

and, mounted on the vehicle (V), a central processing unit (11), on the one hand provided with a receiver (12) for receiving signals coming from the electronic modules (5-8) and, on the other hand, connected to the different wheel speed sensors (13-16).

said locating method being characterized in that it consists, for the purpose of locating the position of a wheel (1-4);

for the electronic module (5-8) equipping the wheel, in delivering, at a time t1, a signal called the first signal RF1, transmitted for a given angular position of said electronic module, and then at successive times t₂, t₃ . . . t_n, (n−

1), signals RF2 . . . RFn transmitted for angular positions of said electronic module shifted by determined angular values, •

₂ to •

_n respectively, with respect to the angular position of transmission of the first signal, where 0°

•

•

i•

360°

(i=2 to n), each of the n signals RF1 . . . RFn comprising the identification code of the electronic module (5-8) and data representing the angular position of transmission,

for the central processing unit (11);

in gathering the values convertible into angular values •

₁ to •

_n measured by each of the r wheel speed sensors (13-16), at each of the successive times t₁ to t_n,

in calculating, for each series of angular values •

¹ to •

_n corresponding to the values measured by each wheel measuring sensor (13-16), a characteristic value V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr representing the dispersion of the series of values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

_n-•

_n),

in selecting, by comparison of the r characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr, the most closely grouped series of angular values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

_n-•

_n),

and in allocating the identification code of the electronic module (5-8) to the position of the wheel (1-4) located close to the wheel speed sensor (13-16) which is the source of the most closely grouped series of angular values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

_n-•

_n).

2. The locating method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the speed of movement V_v of the vehicle (V) is measured and in that a threshold speed V_s is determined beyond which an inhibit procedure is used:

consisting, when the speed of movement V_v of the vehicle (V) becomes less than the threshold speed V_s in storing the characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr of the r dispersions of values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

_n-•

_n), and in suspending the locating procedure,

at the end of which, when the speed of movement V_v again becomes greater than the threshold value V_s, the locating procedure is restarted after receiving a first signal (RFd) coming from the electronic module (5-8) equipping the wheel (1-4) in the process of being located, on the basis of dispersions, on the one hand characterized by the stored characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr and on the other hand centered on values corresponding to the values •

_d-•

_d calculated from the values measured by each of the r wheel speed sensors (13-16) at the time td of transmission of the first signal (RFd) by the electronic module equipping the wheel.

3. The locating method as claimed in claim 2 wherein when the wheel speed sensors (13-16) consist of sensors of an active safety system, characterized in that the inhibit procedure is also used when said active safety system is deactivated.

4. The locating method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the comparison of the r characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr and the allocation of the identification code of the electronic module (5-8) consist, starting from the reception of at least a predetermined number n of signals:

in selecting the two characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 of lowest value, where V_n2>

V_n1,

in comparing the ratio V_n2/V_n1 with a predetermined threshold, and;

in allocating the identification code to the wheel (1-4) located close to the wheel speed sensor (13-16) which is the source of the series of angular values exhibiting the characteristic V_n1, when the ratio V_n2/V_n1 is greater than the threshold,

in continuing the procedure for locating the position of the wheel (1-4) when the ratio V_n2/V_n1 is less than the threshold.

5. The locating method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that there is determined a threshold whose value decreases as a function of the number n of signals transmitted by the electronic module (5-8).

6. The locating method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that there is determined a threshold whose value is inversely proportional to the number of signals transmitted by the electronic module (5-8).

7. The locating method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that there is determined a threshold varying between a maximum value equal to 8 for a number of signals transmitted by the electronic module (5-8) equal to ten, and a minimum value equal to 2 for a number of signals transmitted by the electronic module (5-8) equal to or greater than twenty.

8. The locating method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, when a signal of order n is received from an electronic module (5-8), the angular value (•

_n-•

_n) taken into account for the purpose of determining the new characteristic value of each dispersion is selected such that the angular distance d between the value Xn=(•

_n-•

_n) and the mean X(n−

1) of the (n−

1) values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

<sub>n−

1</sub>-•

<sub>n−

1</sub>) is equal to min(d1, d2), where d1 and d2 represent the two complementary angular sectors delimited by the values Xn=(•

_n-•

_n) and X(n−

1) established on a circular circumference.

9. The locating method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the characteristic value V_n of the dispersion of n angular values is such that:

V_n=V<sub>n−

1</sub>·

(n−

1)/n+d²·

(n−

1)/n²

where d=min(d1, d2).

10. The locating method as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that the comparison of the r characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr and the allocation of the identification code of the electronic module (5-8) consist, starting from the reception of at least a predetermined number n of signals:

in selecting the two characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 of lowest value, where V_n2>

V_n1,

in comparing the ratio V_n2/V_n1 with a predetermined threshold, and;

in allocating the identification code to the wheel (1-4) located close to the wheel speed sensor (13-16) which is the source of the series of angular values exhibiting the characteristic V_n1, when the ratio V_n2/V_n1 is greater than the threshold,

in continuing the procedure for locating the position of the wheel (1-4) when the ratio V_n2/V_n1 is less than the threshold.

11. The locating method as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the comparison of the r characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 . . . V_nr and the allocation of the identification code of the electronic module (5-8) consist, starting from the reception of at least a predetermined number n of signals:

in selecting the two characteristic values V_n1, V_n2 of lowest value, where V_n2>

V_n1,

in comparing the ratio V_n2/V_n1 with a predetermined threshold, and;

in allocating the identification code to the wheel (1-4) located close to the wheel speed sensor (13-16) which is the source of the series of angular values exhibiting the characteristic V_n1, when the ratio V_n2/V_n1 is greater than the threshold,

in continuing the procedure for locating the position of the wheel (1-4) when the ratio V_n2/V_n1 is less than the threshold.

12. The locating method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, when a signal of order n is received from an electronic module (5-8), the angular value (•

_n-•

_n) taken into account for the purpose of determining the new characteristic value of each dispersion is selected such that the angular distance d between the value Xn=(•

_n-•

_n) and the mean X(n−

1) of the (n−

1) values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

<sub>n−

1</sub>-•

<sub>n−

1</sub>) is equal to min(d1, d2), where d1 and d2 represent the two complementary angular sectors delimited by the values Xn=(•

_n-•

_n) and X(n−

1) established on a circular circumference.

13. The locating method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, when a signal of order n is received from an electronic module (5-8), the angular value (•

_n-•

_n) taken into account for the purpose of determining the new characteristic value of each dispersion is selected such that the angular distance d between the value Xn=(•

_n-•

_n) and the mean X(n−

1) of the (n−

1) values •

₁, (•

₂-•

₂) . . . (•

<sub>n−

1</sub>-•

<sub>n−

1</sub>) is equal to min(d1, d2), where d1 and d2 represent the two complementary angular sectors delimited by the values Xn=(•

_n-•

_n) and X(n−

1) established on a circular circumference.