TIRE DATA COLLECTION AND COMMUNICATION DEVICE, MULTI-PURPOSE HANDHELD DATA COLLECTION AND COMMUNICATION TOOL, AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING TIRE DATA BETWEEN A VEHICLE TIRE AND A REMOTE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20150029016A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iTire, LLC
• Original Assignee: iTire, LLC
• Inventors: Lesesky, Alan C., Waites, George B. Jr., Drinkard, Samuel Duke
• Application Number:
  US14/390,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/045 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes being not part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch
• 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: B60C 23/0486 comprising additional sensors in the wheel or tyre mounted monitoring device, e.g. movement sensors, microphones or earth magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04985 using straps surrounding the rims

Abstract

A direct tire data collection and communication device is adapted for use in a pneumatic vehicle tire. The device incorporates a tire-mounted electronics module comprising a microcontroller, and at least one tire property sensor in electronic communication with the microcontroller and capable of measuring at least one operational property of the vehicle tire. The threshold operational property value defines a positive tire safety condition and a negative tire safety condition. The electronics module calculates accumulated travel data of the vehicle tire while in the negative tire safety condition. A transmitter transmits the travel data to an electronic remote terminal.

Claims

1. A direct tire data collection and communication device adapted for use in combination with a pneumatic vehicle tire, said device comprising:

a tire-mounted electronics module comprising a microcontroller, and at least one tire property sensor in electronic communication with said microcontroller and capable of measuring at least one operational property of the vehicle tire;

means for comparing the measured operational tire property to a predetermined threshold value, said threshold value defining a positive tire safety condition and a negative tire safety condition;

means for calculating accumulated travel data of the vehicle tire while in the negative tire safety condition; and

means for transmitting said travel data to an electronic remote terminal.

2. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one operational tire property is selected from a group consisting of tire temperature, tire pressure, and rotational movement.

3. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, wherein said tire-mounted electronics module comprises non-volatile memory for electronically storing the operational tire property.

4. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and comprising means for attaching said tire-mounted electronics module to an inside of the vehicle tire.

5. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 4, wherein said means for attaching comprises an assembly bolt designed to mount said electronics module to a proximal end of a tire valve stem, and defining a longitudinal through-bore enabling fluid communication of the valve stem and an interior chamber of the vehicle tire.

6. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and comprising a battery for supplying an operational voltage to said tire-mounted electronics module.

7. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 6, and comprising means for receiving a wireless wake-up signal to selectively activate said battery, and thereby supply the operational voltage to said tire-mounted electronics module.

8. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, wherein said electronics module comprises a plurality of integrated sensors selected from a group consisting of pressure sensor, temperature sensor, acceleration sensor, and battery voltage sensor.

9. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and comprising a module identifier transmitted at each transmission of said travel data to the remote terminal.

10. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, wherein said electronics module comprises means for periodically measuring temperature and pressure within an interior chamber of the vehicle tire during rotational movement of the vehicle tire.

11. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and comprising means for determining a minimum pressure value in the vehicle tire occurring from a previous static measurement to a present static measurement.

12. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and comprising means for determining a maximum temperature value in the vehicle tire occurring from a previous static measurement to a present static measurement.

13. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and further comprising:

means for periodically measuring tire pressure within an interior chamber of the vehicle tire at predetermined intervals during rotational movement of the vehicle tire;

non-volatile memory for electronically storing the measured tire pressure;

means for comparing the stored tire pressure to subsequent tire pressure measurements to determine a lowest measured tire pressure value; and

means for wirelessly transmitting the lowest measured tire pressure value to the remote terminal.

14. A direct tire data collection and communication device according to claim 1, and further comprising:

means for periodically measuring temperature within an interior chamber of the vehicle tire at predetermined intervals during rotational movement of the vehicle tire;

non-volatile memory for electronically storing the measured tire temperature;

means for comparing the stored tire temperature to subsequent tire temperature measurements to determine a highest measured tire temperature value; and

means for wirelessly transmitting the highest measured tire temperature value to the remote terminal.

15. A multi-purpose handheld data collection and communication tool, comprising:

a tool housing;

a receiver located within said housing, and adapted for receiving tire data transmitted wirelessly by a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) of a pneumatic vehicle tire;

an air chuck designed for operatively engaging and opening a self-contained valve in fluid communication with an interior chamber of the vehicle tire; and

means for measuring an operational tire property upon application of said air chuck to the self-contained valve of the vehicle tire, said operational tire property being selected from a group consisting of tire pressure and temperature.

16. A multi-purpose handheld tool according to claim 15, and comprising a transmitter located within said tool housing and capable of wirelessly transmitting the tire data to a remote terminal.

17. A multi-purpose handheld tool according to claim 15, and comprising an RFID transceiver located within said tool housing.

18. A multi-purpose handheld tool according to claim 17, wherein said RFID transceiver comprises two-way near field communication (NFC) technology.

19. A multi-purpose handheld tool according to claim 15, and comprising non-volatile memory for electronically storing the tire data.

20. A multi-purpose handheld tool according to claim 15, and comprising an integrated USB connector.