SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE TPMS LOCALIZATION

• US 20190152277A1
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Published: 05/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hassani, Ali, Patel, Dilip B., Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,780,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0418 Sharing hardware components like housing, antenna, receiver or signal transmission line with other vehicle systems like keyless entry or brake control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0437 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes not being part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0444 Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0483 Wireless routers between wheel mounted transmitters and chassis mounted receivers

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for localizing vehicle TPMS sensors. An example vehicle includes a plurality of TPMS sensors, an antenna, and a processor. The processor is configured for determining signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the antenna, and based on the signal strength values, determining a location of each of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of TPMS sensors;

an antenna; and

a processor for;

determining signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the antenna; and

based on the signal strength values, determining a location of each of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the antenna is adjacent to a plane of symmetry between the plurality of TPMS sensors.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plane of symmetry is a first plane of symmetry that bisects the vehicle into a left side and a right side, a second plane of symmetry bisects the vehicle into a front side and a back side, and wherein the antenna is closer to the first plane of symmetry than the second plane of symmetry.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plane of symmetry bisects the plurality of TPMS sensors into first and second sensor groupings each having the same number of TPMS sensors.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plane of symmetry is a first plane of symmetry that bisects the vehicle into a left side and a right side, a second plane of symmetry bisects the vehicle into a front side and a back side, and wherein the antenna is closer to the second plane of symmetry than the first plane of symmetry.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a distance between the antenna and each of the plurality of TPMS sensors is different.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a long range antenna configured for use in a remote parking procedure.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a first antenna, the vehicle further comprising a second antenna, wherein the processor is further for:

determining a first set of signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the first antenna;

determining a second set of signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the second antenna; and

based on the first set and the second set of signal strength values, determining the location of each of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first antenna is adjacent to a first side of a plane of symmetry between the plurality of TPMS sensors, and wherein the second antenna is adjacent to a second side of the plane of symmetry.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first antenna is in a first position on a first plane of symmetry, and the second antenna is in a second position on a second plane of symmetry, wherein the first and second position are different, the first and second planes of symmetry are different, and the first and second planes of symmetry bisect the plurality of TPMS sensors respectively into two groups of TPMS sensors.

11. A method for monitoring a location of a plurality of vehicle tires comprising:

determining signal strength values between each of a plurality of TPMS sensors and an antenna coupled to a vehicle, the TPMS sensors each corresponding to a respective vehicle tire; and

based on the signal strength values, determining the location of each of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

12. The method vehicle of claim 11, wherein the antenna is adjacent to a plane of symmetry between the plurality of TPMS sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plane of symmetry is a first plane of symmetry that bisects the vehicle into a left side and a right side, a second plane of symmetry bisects the vehicle into a front side and a back side, and wherein the antenna is closer to the first plane of symmetry than the second plane of symmetry.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plane of symmetry is a first plane of symmetry that bisects the vehicle into a left side and a right side, a second plane of symmetry bisects the vehicle into a front side and a back side, and wherein the antenna is closer to the second plane of symmetry than the first plane of symmetry.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a distance between the antenna and each of the plurality of TPMS sensors is different.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna is a long range antenna configured for use in a remote parking procedure.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna is a first antenna and a second antenna is also coupled to the vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining a first set of signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the first antenna;

determining a second set of signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the second antenna; and

based on the first set and the second set of signal strength values, determining the location of each of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first antenna is adjacent to a first side of a plane of symmetry between the plurality of TPMS sensors, and wherein the second antenna is adjacent to a second side of the plane of symmetry.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second antennas are both adjacent to a first side of a plane of symmetry between the plurality of TPMS sensors.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by a vehicle communication module, data from the plurality of TPMS sensors via BLUETOOTH.