Pressure Module, Transceiver Module, Control Module, Methods and Computer Programs for Providing Information Related to a Tire Pressure

• US 20150165835A1
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Peine, Andr
• Granted Patent: US 9,963,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0454 Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0459 self triggered by motion sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force

Abstract

Embodiments may provide a pressure module, a transceiver module, a control module, methods and computer programs for providing information related to a tire pressure. The pressure module is configured to provide information related to a pressure of a tire in a vehicle and comprises a pressure determiner configured to determine the information related to the pressure of the tire. The pressure module further comprises a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive information related to an instruction to provide the information related to the pressure of the tire and to wirelessly transmit the information related to the tire pressure. The transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit and receive in the same frequency band. The transceiver module is configured to communicate with a tire pressure module and comprises a transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit information related to an instruction to provide information related to a pressure of a tire to the tire pressure module. The transceiver is further configured to wirelessly receive the information related to the tire pressure from the tire pressure module and to wirelessly transmit and receive in the same frequency band. The control module is configured to determine information related to a pressure of a tire of a vehicle and comprises an interface configured to communicate with a transceiver module and a controller configured to determine information related to a state of movement of the vehicle and to communicate information related to an instruction to determine the information related to the pressure of the tire based on the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A pressure module configured to provide information related to a pressure of a tire in a vehicle, comprising:

a pressure determiner configured to determine the information related to the pressure of the tire; and

a transceiver configured to;

wirelessly receive information related to an instruction to provide the information related to the pressure of the tire;

wirelessly transmit the information related to the tire pressure; and

wirelessly transmit and receive in the same frequency band.

2. The pressure module of claim 1, wherein the frequency band is a radio frequency band and/or lies above a carrier frequency of 100 MHz.

3. The pressure module of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit and receive on different frequency carriers of the same frequency band.

4. The pressure module of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit and receive on the same frequency carrier.

5. The pressure module of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to:

control the pressure determiner and the transceiver, and

operate the pressure determiner and/or the transceiver in an operating mode and in a sleeping mode, wherein an energy consumption of the pressure determiner and/or the transceiver is lower in the sleeping mode than in the operating mode.

6. The pressure module of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to:

transfer the pressure determiner from sleeping mode to operating mode after the transceiver has wirelessly received the information related to the instruction to provide information related to the pressure of the tire, and

transfer the pressure determiner into the sleeping mode after the information related to the pressure of the tire has been determined, and/or transfer the transceiver into the sleeping mode after the information related to the pressure of the tire has been transmitted.

7. The pressure module of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to transfer the pressure determiner and/or the transceiver between sleeping mode and operating mode alternately based on a wake up cycle.

8. The pressure module of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to base the wake up cycle on information related to a state of movement of the tire.

9. The pressure module of claim 8, further comprising a sensor configured to determine the information related to the state of movement of the tire.

10. A transceiver module configured to communicate with a tire pressure module, comprising a transceiver configured to:

wirelessly transmit information related to an instruction to provide information related to a pressure of a tire to the tire pressure module;

wirelessly receive the information related to the tire pressure from the tire pressure module; and

wirelessly transmit and receive in the same frequency band.

11. The transceiver module of claim 10 further comprising an interface configured to:

communicate with a control module, receive the information related to the instruction to provide the information related to the tire pressure from the control module, and provide the information related to the tire pressure to the control module.

12. The transceiver module of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit a trigger signal as information related to the instruction.

13. The transceiver module of claim 12, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the trigger signal repetitively for a predefined time period, which is based on a wake up cycle of the tire pressure module.

14. A control module configured to determine information related to a pressure of a tire of a vehicle, comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a transceiver module;

a controller configured to determine information related to a state of movement of the vehicle and to communicate information related to an instruction to determine the information related to the pressure of the tire based on the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle.

15. The control module of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a standstill or a situation of low tire pressure variance of the vehicle based on the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle, and

communicate the information related to the instruction when the standstill or the situation of low tire pressure variance of the vehicle is determined.

16. The control module of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a cornering or circular movement of the vehicle based on the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle, and

communicate the information related to the instruction when the cornering or circular driving of the vehicle is determined.

17. The control module of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to locate a position of a wheel on the vehicle based on the information related to the tire pressure and the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle.

18. The control module of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to locate the position of the wheel of the vehicle based on information related to the tire pressure obtained when the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle indicates a cornering or circular driving of the vehicle.

19. The control module of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to locate the position of the wheel of the vehicle once between a beginning and an end of a ride of the vehicle.

20. The control module of claim 14, where the controller is configured to obtain the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle from a navigation system of the vehicle, based on information related to a steering angle of the vehicle, or based on information related to rotational frequencies of one or more wheels of the vehicle.

21. A computer program having a program code on a non-transitory media for performing, when the computer program is executed on a computer or on a processor, a method for providing information related to a pressure of a tire in a vehicle, comprising:

wirelessly receiving information related to an instruction to provide the information related to the pressure of the tire in a frequency band;

determining the information related to the pressure of the tire; and

wirelessly transmitting the information related to the tire pressure in the frequency band.

22. A computer program having a program code on a non-transitory media for performing, when the computer program is executed on a computer or on a processor, a method for communicating with a tire pressure module, comprising

wirelessly transmitting information related to an instruction to provide information related to a pressure of a tire to the tire pressure module in a frequency band;

and

wirelessly receiving the information related to the tire pressure from the tire pressure module in the frequency band.

23. A computer program having a program code on a non-transitory media for performing, when the computer program is executed on a computer or on a processor, a method for determining information related to a pressure of a tire of a vehicle, comprising:

determining information related to a state of movement of the vehicle; and

communicating information related to an instruction to determine the information related to the pressure of the tire to a transceiver module based on the information related to the state of movement of the vehicle.