TIRE INTERNAL PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM

• US 20150239307A1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Horikoshi, Shotaro, Nakazawa, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 9,561,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 23/0474 Measurement control, e.g. setting measurement rate or calibrating of sensors; Further processing of measured values, e.g. filtering, compensating or slope monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0477 Evaluating waveform of pressure readings
• 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: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

The present invention provides a tire internal pressure warning system, comprising: an internal pressure data acquisition apparatus for obtaining data of internal pressure of each tire 5 of a vehicle 6 (a TPMS sensor transmitter 1 and a TPMS receiver 2); and an information terminal device 3 for determining whether there is a puncture-based failure or a failure resulting from a natural pressure drop, based on a change in the internal pressure of each tire received from the TPMS receiver 2, and displaying a warning in accordance with the failure condition.

Claims

1. A tire internal pressure warning system, comprising:

an internal pressure data acquisition apparatus for obtaining data of internal pressure of each tire of a vehicle; and

an information terminal device for determining whether there is a puncture-based failure or a failure resulting from a natural pressure drop, based on a change in the internal pressure of each tire received from the internal pressure data acquisition apparatus, and displaying a warning in accordance with the failure condition,

wherein the information terminal device is adapted to judge, in determining whether there is a puncture-based failure or a failure resulting from a natural pressure drop based on data of differences in internal pressure between the respective tires, that puncture has occurred when a decrease in internal pressure of at least one tire is below a decrease reference value and a decrease in internal pressure of at least one tire exceeds the decrease reference value.

2. The tire internal pressure warning system of claim 1, wherein the information terminal device is adapted to judge, in determining whether there is a puncture-based failure or a failure resulting from a natural pressure drop based on data of differences in internal pressure between the respective tires, that there is a puncture-based failure when only one tire, or only left-hand side tires, or only right-hand side tires each exhibit a decrease in internal pressure beyond the decrease reference value.

3. The tire internal pressure warning system of claim 1, wherein, provided that “

D”

represents difference between the highest internal pressure value of the tires each exhibiting a decrease in internal pressure below the decrease reference value and the internal pressure value of the tire exhibiting a decrease in internal pressure beyond the decrease reference value, the information terminal device is adapted to judge that;

there is a puncture-based failure when D is equal to or larger than a prescribed threshold value thereof; and

that there is a failure resulting from a natural pressure drop when D is smaller than the prescribed threshold value thereof.

4. The tire internal pressure warning system of claim 1, wherein the information terminal device is adapted to display one of “

Puncture has occurred”

warming, “

You must inflate the tire immediately”

warning, “

Please check air pressure of tires”

instruction and “

Please inspect tires”

instruction in accordance with the failure condition.

5. The tire internal pressure warning system of claim 1, wherein the information terminal device further includes Global Positioning System (GPS) and is adapted to display a warning in accordance with the failure condition and a navigation display telling how to reach a service station from the current vehicle position.

6. The tire internal pressure warning system of claim 5, wherein the information terminal device is adapted to show the navigation display telling how to reach a service station after confirming that the vehicle has stopped by using information from the GPS and information from the internal pressure data acquisition apparatus.

7. The tire internal pressure warning system of claim 5, wherein the information terminal device is adapted to determine that puncture has occurred and display a warning of puncture when internal pressure of a tire dropped to a specific threshold value or below while the navigation display telling how to reach a service station is shown.