TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20170166020A1
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: SHIN, Wook Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,789,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 23/0486 comprising additional sensors in the wheel or tyre mounted monitoring device, e.g. movement sensors, microphones or earth magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

A method for controlling a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in a vehicle includes: measuring an air pressure of each tire included in the vehicle; and determining whether the air pressure of at least one tire is lower than a warning threshold level. When the at least one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level, warning sign is provided regarding a tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in a vehicle, the method comprising:

measuring an air pressure of tires included in the vehicle;

determining whether the air pressure of each ire is lower than a warning threshold level;

providing a warning sign regarding at least one tire which has the air pressure lower than the warning threshold level; and

providing the warning sign regarding at least one tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level when the at one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, even if an air pressure inside a tire increases from a lower level to a higher level than the warning threshold level while the vehicle travels, the warning sign is provided regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

releasing the warning sign for the tire when an air pressure inside the tire is higher the normal pressure level.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

releasing the warning sign for the tire which has the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the normal pressure level is lower than a recommended pressure level for each tire included in the vehicle and higher than the sum of the warning threshold level and a pressure level that is increased due to hysteresis loss while the vehicle travels.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the air pressure of each tire periodically repeats from a time point at which an engine starts to a time point at which the engine is off.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the air pressure of each tire is measured by a temperature pressure sensor which is engaged with each tire.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning sign is displayed on at least one of a dashboard and a screen of multimedia system included in the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the warning sign is displayed with a number, which indicates the air pressure inside each tire, and

wherein, the warning sign includes at least one of a color, a symbol, a sound, and a text distinguishable from a normal sign provided regarding a tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level.

10. An apparatus for operating a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that is engaged with an automotive electronics system, the automotive electronics system comprising a processor that comprises at least one data processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory storing a computer program, wherein the processor causes the apparatus to:

measure an air pressure of tires included in the vehicle;

determine whether the air pressure of each tire is lower than a warning threshold level;

provide a warning sign regarding at least one tire of which the air pressure is lower than the warning threshold level; and

provide a warning sign regarding at least one tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level when the at least one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to release the warning sign regarding the tire which has the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level.

12. A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of sensors, each of which configured to measure an air pressure inside a tire engaged with the respective sensor;

a receiver configured to collect the air pressure of each tire from the plurality of sensors and to transmit collected air pressure; and

a controller configured to determine whether the air pressure inside each tire is lower than a warning threshold level based on the collected air pressure transmitted from the receiver,

wherein, when at least one tire has a lower air pressure than the warning threshold level, the controller provides a warning sign regarding the at least one tire, and

when the at least one tire has a lower air pressure than the warning threshold level, the controller provides the warning sign regarding at least one tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, even when an air pressure of a tire increases from a lower level to a higher level than the warning threshold level while the vehicle travels, the controller provides the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller releases the warning sign regarding the tire when an air pressure inside the re is higher the normal pressure level.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller releases the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the normal pressure level is lower than a recommended pressure level for each tire that is included in the vehicle and higher than the sum of the warning threshold level and a pressure level increased due to hysteresis loss while the vehicle travels.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensors measure the air pressure inside each tire periodically while an engine runs.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the plurality sensors are coupled to the receiver via a wireless local area network.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the warning sign is displayed on at least one of a dashboard and a screen of multimedia system included in the vehicle.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the warning sign is shown with a number indicating the air pressure inside the tire, and

wherein the warning sign includes at least one of a color, a symbol, a sound, and a text distinguishable from a normal sign provided for a tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level.