TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20150054641A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrucelli, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,802,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/006 having two wheels only
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0401 characterised by the type of alarm
• 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• 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 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring system includes a tire valve stem mounted tire pressure gauge and an externally powerable remote display unit. The pressure gauge includes a pressure sensor, a wake circuit, a processor, and a first radio frequency (RF) module. The remote display unit includes a second RF module and a display. The wake circuit is adapted to activate the processor periodically at a predetermined interval of time and causes the processor to receive an output signal from the pressure sensor. The output of the pressure sensor is indicative of a tire pressure detected by the pressure sensor. The remote display unit is adapted to display the measured tire pressure value without any user input.

Claims

1. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

at least one tire pressure gauge comprising a radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive module for sending and receiving data indicative of a tire pressure wirelessly via a two-way wireless communication; and

a remote display unit comprising;

a second RF transmit/receive module configured for two-way wireless communication with said first RF transmit/receive module;

a first processor in communication with said second RF transmit/receive module;

a first memory in communication with said processor; and

a display in communication with said processor and configured to display data indicative of a tire pressure received from said first RF transmit/receive module, said display comprising;

at least one first graphical element corresponding to a tire, said at least one graphical element configured to display data indicative of a tire pressure of said corresponding tire to a user; and

a second graphical element configured to display a plurality of pressure units for selection by a user, wherein selection of a pressure unit by a user causes said processor to instruct said at least one first graphical element to display the tire pressure of the corresponding tire in the selected pressure unit.

2. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said at least one tire pressure gauge is configured to be mounted on a valve-stem of a tire.

3. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 2 wherein said at least one tire pressure gauge comprises:

a second processor;

a second memory in communication with said second processor;

a pressure sensor configured for detecting a tire pressure of a tire and for transmitting a signal containing a value indicative of the detected tire pressure to said second processor;

wherein said second processor is configured to store the value indicative of the detected tire pressure in said second memory and to instruct said first RF transmit/receive module to transmit a wireless signal containing data indicative of the tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor.

4. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 3, wherein said at least one tire pressure gauge further comprises:

a temperature sensor in communication with said second processor, said temperature sensor configured to detect an internal temperature of a tire and transmit a signal indicative of the detected temperature to said second processor,

wherein said second processor is configured to instruct said first RF transmit/receive module to transmit a wireless signal containing data indicative of the internal tire temperature detected by said temperature sensor.

5. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 4, wherein said data relating to the tire comprises:

an identifier indicative of a position or location of the tire;

a pressure value indicative of the pressure detected by said pressure sensor; and

a temperature value indicative of the internal temperature detected by said temperature sensor.

6. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 4, wherein said first graphical element comprises a graphical representation of:

an identifier of said corresponding tire;

a tire pressure value of a detected tire pressure of said corresponding tire; and

a tire temperature value of a detected temperature of said corresponding tire.

7. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 6, wherein said display further comprises:

a third graphical element configured to display a plurality of temperature units for selection by a user, wherein selection of a temperature unit by a user causes said first processor to instruct said at least one first graphical element to display a temperature of the corresponding tire in the selected temperature unit.

8. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 3 wherein said pressure sensor comprises:

a first pressure sensing die in fluid communication with said valve-stem of said tire, said first pressures sensing die configured to detect a tire pressure; and

a second pressure sensing die in fluid communication with an atmosphere outside the tire, said second pressure sensing die configured to detect an ambient pressure outside the tire;

wherein said pressure sensor is configured to transmit a signal to said second processor indicative of the detected tire pressure and the detected ambient pressure.

9. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 3, wherein said second processor is configured to retrieve data relating to a tire from said second memory and to instruct said first RF transmit/receive module to transmit a wireless signal containing the data relating to the tire.

10. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 3, wherein said second processor is configured to instruct said first RF transmit/receive module to transmit a wireless signal only when the value of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor differs from a previous tire pressure value stored in said second memory by an amount exceeding a threshold value.

11. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 3, wherein said at least one tire pressure gauge further comprises:

a wake circuit, said wake circuit in communication with said first RF transmit/receive module, said wake circuit responsive to a wireless signal from said remote display device, generates a wake signal which activates said second processor, which responsive to said wake signal receives a signal indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor.

12. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said first graphical element further comprises a graphical representation of a strength and/or charge of a battery in said tire pressure gauge.

13. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

a valve-stem mounted tire pressure gauge, said gauge comprising;

a first processor;

a pressure sensor in communication with said first processor for detecting a tire pressure;

a wake circuit adapted to periodically activate said first processor to receive an output of said pressure sensor, said output indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor;

a memory accessible to said first processor, for storing a value indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor; and

a first radio frequency (RF) module, in communication with said first processor, for emitting and receiving wireless signals indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor;

an externally powerable remote display unit, said unit comprising;

a second processor;

a second RF module in communication with said second processor, said second RF module configured to wirelessly communicate with said first RF module via two-way wireless communication; and

a display, in communication with said second processor, for displaying at least a graphical indicator indicative of the tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor.

14. A method of monitoring tire pressure comprising the steps of:

periodically activating a processor in a valve-stem mounted tire pressure gauge to receive an output of a pressure sensor in said tire pressure gauge, said output indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor;

causing, by said processor, a first radio frequency (RF) module in said tire pressure gauge to emit a wireless signal, said wireless signal indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor;

receiving, at a second RF module in an externally powerable remote display unit, said wireless signal emitted by said first RF module; and

displaying, in said remote display unit, a graphical indicator representative of a value of the tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

storing a first value in a memory in said tire pressure gauge, said first value being indicative of a tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor; and

comparing, by said processor, a second value indicative of a second tire pressure detected by said pressure sensor with said first value;

wherein said first RF transmit/receive module is caused to emit a wireless signal if said second value differs from said first value by more than a predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of storing in a memory in said remote display unit an association between a first identifier indicative of the identity of said tire pressure gauge and a second identifier indicative of the identity of said tire.