METHODS, SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR RECORDING AND TRANSMITTING IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION OF TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SENSORS TO A VEHICLE

• US 20150015389A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McIntyre, Matthew D., Deniau, Jean-Chrstophe, Farrell, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,296,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0471 System initialisation, e.g. upload or calibration of operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0472 to manually allocate ID codes or mounting positions, e.g. by service technicians
• 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: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

The present invention relates to recording and storing identification information of tire pressure monitoring sensors and transmission of the stored identification information to a tire pressure monitoring system. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of integrating one or more tire pressure monitoring sensors with a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle. The method includes programming and/or configuring a tire pressure monitoring sensor with a suitable program software for a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle. The method also includes utilizing a configuration tool to cause the tire pressure monitoring sensor to generate a signal including an identifier. The method further includes recording the identifier on a memory device of the configuration tool. The method further includes transmitting the recorded identifier from the configuration tool to a memory device of a vehicle when the vehicle enters a learning mode.

Claims

1. A method of integrating one or more tire pressure monitoring sensors with a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

programming or configuring a tire pressure monitoring sensor with a suitable program software for a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle;

utilizing a configuration tool to cause the tire pressure monitoring sensor to generate a signal including an identifier;

recording the identifier on a memory device of the configuration tool; and

transmitting the recorded identifier from the configuration tool to a memory device of the vehicle when the vehicle enters a learning mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting the suitable program software for the tire pressure monitoring sensors based upon identification information of a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the suitable program software is selected from a database of program software for tire pressure monitoring sensors.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of forming a communication link with the database of program software for tire pressure monitoring sensors.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration tool includes the database of program software for tire pressure monitoring sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitable program software is selected through a user interface of the configuration tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link between the tire pressure monitoring sensor and configuration tool is established prior to mounting of the tire pressure monitoring sensor to a wheel unit of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal further includes tire pressure data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the tire pressure monitoring sensor is transmitted to the memory device of the vehicle through a wireless communication link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the tire pressure monitoring sensor is transmitted to the memory device of the vehicle through an on-board diagnostic connector.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of placing a tire pressure monitoring system of the vehicle in a learning mode prior to transmitting the recorded identifier to the memory device of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning the identifier to a wheel unit of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration tool includes a wireless receiver configured to receive the signal transmitted by the tire pressure monitoring sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of communication links between a plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors and the configuration tool;

programming or configuring the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors with suitable program software for the tire pressure monitoring system of the vehicle;

utilizing the configuration tool to cause each of the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors to transmit a signal including an identifier;

recording each identifier on the memory device of the configuration tool; and

transmitting each of the recorded identifiers to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of selecting the suitable program software for the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors based upon identification information of a vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the suitable program software is selected from a database of program software for tire pressure monitoring sensors.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of communication links formed between the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors and configuration tool is established prior to mounting of an associated tire pressure monitoring sensor to a wheel unit of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication links formed between the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors and configuration tool are established prior to mounting of the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensor to wheel units of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of associating the recorded identifiers to wheel units of the vehicle.

20. A configuration tool for integrating one or more tire pressure monitoring sensors with a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle, comprising:

a low frequency wireless transmitter;

a high frequency wireless receiver;

a high frequency wireless transmitter; and

a central processing unit and a memory device including software instructions for;

programming or configuring a tire pressure monitoring sensor with suitable program software for a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle,

causing the low frequency wireless transmitter to transmit a signal suitable for generating a response signal from a tire pressure monitoring sensor,

storing an identifier of the response signal onto a memory device, and

causing the high frequency wireless transmitter to transmit the recorded identifier.

21. The tool of claim 20, further comprising a database of program software for tire pressure monitoring sensors.

22. The tool of claim 20, further comprising a connector for forming a communication link with a database of program software for tire pressure monitoring sensors.

23. The tool of claim 20, further comprising a user interface for interacting with the software instructions and causing the low frequency wireless transmitter to program or configure the tire pressure monitoring sensor with suitable software.

24. The tool of claim 23, wherein the user interface is configured for interacting with the software instructions and causing the low frequency wireless transmitter to transmit the signal suitable for generating a response signal from the tire pressure monitoring sensor.

25. The tool of claim 23, wherein the user interface is configured for interacting with the software instructions and causing the high frequency wireless transmitter to transmit the recorded identifier.

26. The tool of claim 23, wherein the user interface is configured for assigning wheel unit positions of a vehicle for each of the identifiers received by the high frequency receiver.

27. The tool of claim 23, wherein the user interface is configured for transmitting the recorded identifiers to an electronic control unit of a vehicle through an on-board diagnostic connector.

28. A computer-readable memory device storing computer program instructions which when executed by a computer comprising at least one processor results in:

programming or configuring of a tire pressure monitoring sensor with suitable program software for a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle;

transmission of a signal suitable for causing the tire pressure monitoring sensor to transmit a response signal;

storing of an identifier included with the response signal into a memory device; and

transmitting the stored identifier to the vehicle.

29. The computer-readable memory device of claim 28, further resulting in display of the identifier on a user interface.

30. The computer-readable memory device of claim 28, further resulting in assigning the identifier to a wheel unit of the vehicle.

31. The computer-readable memory device of claim 28, further resulting in:

programming or configuring a plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors with suitable software for the tire pressure monitoring system of the vehicle;

transmission of a plurality of signals suitable for causing a plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors to transmit response signals;

storing of an identifier included with each of the plurality of response signals into the memory device; and

transmitting the stored identifiers to the vehicle.

32. A tire pressure monitoring sensor, comprising:

a pressure sensor configured for monitoring air pressure and generating signals indicative thereof;

a receiver configured for receiving wireless signals from a configuration tool;

a processing unit and memory device including software for;

storing configuration or program software received by the receiver onto the memory device,

causing transmission of an identifier of the tire pressure monitoring sensor to a configuration tool in response to a request by the configuration tool; and

a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the identifier to a configuration tool for storage onto the configuration tool and eventual transmission to a memory storage unit of a vehicle.

33. The tire pressure monitoring sensor of claim 32, wherein the receiver comprises a low frequency receiver configured to receive wireless signals in the range of about 30 to 300 kHz.

34. The tire pressure monitoring sensor of claim 32, wherein the wireless transmitter comprises a low frequency transmitter configured to transmit wireless signals in the range of about 30 to 300 kHz.

35. The tire pressure monitoring sensor of claim 32, wherein the wireless transmitter comprises a high frequency transmitter configured to transmit wireless signals in the range of about 300 MHz to 3 GHz.

36. The tire pressure monitoring sensor of claim 32, wherein processing unit and memory device including suitable software further transmits recorded data from the pressure sensor.

37. The tire pressure monitoring sensor of claim 32, wherein processing unit and memory device including suitable software transmits only the identifier to a configuration tool.