METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS MONITORING OF TIRE CONDITIONS

• US 20140111326A1
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SST Wireless Inc.
• Original Assignee: SST Wireless Inc.
• Inventors: Borisenko, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US14/122,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140111326A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/02 Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure hand-held tyre pressure gauges G01L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0454 Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A method and system to monitor tire conditions in a vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in and out of RF coverage zones provided by one or more remote monitoring stations uses one or more sensor assemblies on the vehicle to sense conditions such as pressure or temperature. When the vehicle is not within the RF coverage zone of a remote monitoring station, sensor data generated at the sensor assemblies is stored on a communication module mounted on the vehicle. The sensed data is sent to the remote monitoring station once the vehicle enters the RF coverage zone. Regardless of whether the vehicle is in an RF coverage zone, the driver of the vehicle can still monitor tire conditions via a display in the vehicle that shows tire conditions. Two-way communication between the remote monitoring station and the sensor assemblies allows remote adjustment of operation of the sensor assemblies.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method for wirelessly monitoring tire conditions on a vehicle, the method comprising:

a) sensing a tire condition using at least one sensor assembly;

b) wirelessly transmitting sensed data related to the tire condition to a communication module mounted on the vehicle;

c) sending a signal from the communication module to a display unit mounted on the vehicle so that an operator can monitor tire conditions in real time;

d) during time periods when the vehicle is not within an RF coverage zone provided by one or more remote monitoring stations, storing sensed data related to the tire condition in non-volatile memory in the communication module; and

e) when the vehicle moves into the RF coverage zone of at least one of the remote monitoring stations, wirelessly transmitting real-time sensed data related to the tire condition, and stored data from the non-volatile memory, via an RF modem to at least one of the remote monitoring stations.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the RF modem in the communication module transmits the real-time and stored sensed data to at least one repeater located within RF coverage of the vehicle, wherein the at least one repeater relays the transmitted data to at least one of the remote monitoring stations.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein there is two-way communication between the one or more remote monitoring stations and the sensor assemblies via the communication module when the vehicle is within an RF coverage zone provided by the one or more remote monitoring stations.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the tire condition is at least one of a pressure and a temperature.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises wirelessly transmitting the sensed data from the at least one sensor assembly to the communication module via at least one antenna mounted on the vehicle which is connected to at least one transceiver in the communication module.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein each of the at least one antennas is connected to a dedicated transceiver in the communication module.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the real-time sensed data continues to be transmitted by the communication module via the RF modem even when the vehicle is not within any of the RF coverage zones provided by the one or more remote monitoring stations.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising from time to time offloading the sensed data stored in the non-volatile memory via at least one of an RS-232 driver, an Ethernet driver, a CAN driver, and a Wi-Fi driver in the communication module.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising transmitting parameters to the sensor assemblies from the at least one remote monitoring station, via the communication module and a transceiver in the sensor assembly, for calibration of sensors in the at least one sensor assembly.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein each sensor assembly is first activated prior to the sensing of tire conditions by receiving a signal from the communication module, a magnetic switch or by movement of the at least one sensor assembly.

39. The method of claim 29, comprising updating parameters in each sensor assembly during operation of the vehicle, the parameters received from either the communication module or the at least one remote monitoring station.

40. A system for wirelessly monitoring tire conditions on a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensor assemblies mounted on the vehicle, each sensor assembly comprising;

at least one sensor for sensing a tire condition and generating associated sensor data; and

a transceiver for communication of the sensor data;

a communication module mounted on the vehicle for two-way communication between the sensor assemblies and at least one remote monitoring station, each communication module comprising;

at least one transceiver and at least one antenna for communication with the sensor assemblies;

a radio frequency (RF) modem for wireless communication with the at least one remote monitoring station each station providing an RF coverage zone to the vehicle; and

non-volatile memory for storing sensor data received from the sensor assemblies;

a display unit mounted on the vehicle configured to receive signals from the at least one communication module and relay the signals so that an operator can monitor tire conditions in real time;

wherein the communication module is configured to;

store sensor data received from the sensor assemblies in the non-volatile memory while the vehicle is not within any of the RF coverage zones; and

transmit real-time sensor data from the sensor assemblies and stored sensor data from the non-volatile memory via the RF modem to a remote monitoring station when the vehicle is within the RF coverage zone of that remote monitoring station, wherein the stored sensor data transmitted from the non-volatile memory is sensor data generated while the vehicle was not within any of the RF coverage zones.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the system comprises a plurality of communication modules mounted on the vehicle for two-way communication between the sensor assemblies and the at least one remote monitoring station.

42. The system of claim 40 further comprising the at least one remote monitoring station and comprising at least one repeater for relaying sensor data to the at least one remote monitoring station wherein the communication module is configured to transmit real-time sensor data from the sensor assemblies and stored sensor data from the non-volatile memory via the RF modem to the at least one remote monitoring station via the at least one repeater.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the communication module comprises one transceiver per antenna for communication with the sensor assemblies.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the communication module further comprises at least one of an RS-232 driver, an Ethernet driver, a CAN driver, and a Wi-Fi driver for offloading sensor data stored in the non-volatile memory.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein each sensor assembly further comprises a processor configured to modify sensor data based on calibration parameters stored at least one of the sensor assemblies.

46. The system of claim 40 wherein the tire condition is at least one of a pressure and a temperature.

47. The system of claim 40 wherein the communication module is configured to transmit an operating parameter from the at least one remote monitoring station to at least one of the sensor assemblies, via the transceiver in the at least one of the sensor assemblies, for adjusting operation of the at least one sensor assembly while the vehicle is in operation.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the operating parameter is one of a reporting interval, a calibration parameter and an alert threshold.