Arrangement for the wireless transmission of measuring signals

• US 4,749,993 A
• Filed: 02/03/1986
• Issued: 06/07/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Szabo, Zsolt, Poelsler, Wolf-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queen, Tyrone
• Application Number:
  US06/825,351
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 340/58, 340/870.31, 73/146.5, 73/146.4
• US Class Current: 340/870.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/043 using transformer type signal transducers, e.g. rotary transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/04 using magnetically coupled devices

Abstract

An arrangement provides for the wireless transmission of a measuring signal from a sensor to an evaluating unit by a pair of first electrical coils that are temporarily inductively coupled with one another. The sensor is supplied with energy by a second pair of electrical coils that are also temporarily inductively coupled with one another. The sensor includes a power supply circuit means for receiving a low-frequency energy signal from the second pair of electrical coils and supplies an energy signal to a transmitting oscillator means. The transmitting oscillator means responds to at least one measured physical quantity and provides a medium-frequency measurement signal to be transmitted over the first pair of electrical coils. When used in a tire pressure control system, this arrangement provides for a reliable transmission of signals over a relatively large transmission path without strict mounting tolerances, while complying with governmental regulations.

Claims

1. An arrangement including a sensor and an evaluating unit for the wireless transmission of at least one measuring signal from said sensor and to said evaluating unit by a pair of first electrical coils that are at least temporarily inductively coupled with one another, said sensor being supplied with energy by said evaluating unit via a second pair of electrical coils including primary and secondary coils and connected to said evaluating unit that are temporarily inductively coupled with one another, wherein said sensor includes a power supply circuit means connected to said second pair of electrical coils for receiving a low-frequency energy signal from said second pair of electrical coils for supplying an energy signal to a transmitting oscillator mean, and transmitting oscillator means responding to at least one measured physical quantity and providing a medium frequency measurement signal to be transmitted over said first pair of electrical coils to said evaluating unit, wherein:

the frequency of said energy supply signal transmitted between said second pair of electrical coils is below 10 kc/s;

said power supply means has at least one secondary oscillating circuit with means for adjusting said secondary oscillating circuit to the frequency of an energy supply signal supplied by said second pair of electrical coils;

said secondary oscillating circuit includes a capacitor connected in parallel to said secondary coil which is connected in parallel to a rectifier bridge that has a filter capacitor as its diagonal bridge;

wherein said sensor is arranged on a machine part which rotates relative to a coupling part which is arranged on a stationary part of the machine; and

wherein said high-frequency receiver is comprised of a variable capacitor connected in parallel with said receiver coil and with said receiver coil forms a receiver oscillating circuit;

a high-frequency filter connected to said variable capacitor;

a high-frequency amplifier connected to said high-frequency filter, and a rectifier connected to said high frequency amplifier, said rectifier having a filter capacitor, and a comparator means connected to said filter capacitor for comparing the voltage at said filter capacitor with a reference voltage.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 further including an axle pulse generator means for sending an electrical signal pulse to said evaluating unit and an indicating unit which receives control signals from said evaluating unit, said evaluating unit sending said control signals in response to said electrical signal pulse and electrical signals received from said comparator.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein said evaluating unit is comprised of a counter connected in series with a logical unit, said counter counting said electrical signal pulses from said axle pulse generator and being set back by pulses from said high-frequency receiver.

8. The arrangement of claim 7, further including logic means for blocking pulses from said axle pulse generator means and activating said indicating unit when said pulses from said high-frequency receiver do not occur and a predetermined count of said counter is reached.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, futher including a low-frequency oscillator means for generating an energy signal;

a low-frequency amplifier means connected to said low-frequency oscillator means for amplifying said energy signal, and supplying said amplified energy signal to said primary coil of said second pair of electrical coils.

15. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor is arranged in a rim base of a vehicle wheel.

16. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor is arranged in a spoke-type hollow-chamber-shaped element of a vehicle wheel that is open in the direction of the tire and connects a rim base with a wheel hub.

17. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the frequency of said transmitting oscillator is approximately 700 kc/s and the frequency of an energy signal supplied by said second set of electrical coils is approximately 9.8 kc/s.

18. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmitting oscillator is an L-C Hartley circuit.

24. The arrangement of claim 1, including means for modulating said transmitting oscillator as a function of a measuring-signal and said high-frequency receiver comprises a demodulator that outputs a measuring-signal proportional value for further processing by said arrangement.

25. The arrangement of claim 24, including means modulating said transmitting oscillator as a function of the pressure and temperature.

26. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor includes a pneumatically operable pressure switch means for the monitoring of said tire pressure.

27. The arrangement of claim 26, wherein said pressure switch mean is comprised of an electrically conducting membrane fastened to a sensor housing and closes a reference pressure chamber in said housing from the interior of the tire, and a switching contact which rests against a surface of said membrane when the air pressure in said tire is equal to or above an indicated value, and lifts off the switching contact causing an electrical circuit to open between said power supply circuit means and said transmitting oscillator when the air pressure in said tire falls below said indicated value.

2. An arrangement including a sensor and an evaluating unit for the wireless transmission of at least one measuring signal from said sensor and to said evaluating unit by a pair of first electrical coils that are at least temporarily inductively coupled with one another, said sensor being supplied with energy by said evaluating unit via a second pair of electrical coils connected to said evaluating unit that are temporarily inductively coupled with one another;

wherein said sensor includes a power supply circuit means connected to said signal pair of electrical coils for receiving a high power, low-frequency energy signal from said second pair of electrical coils for supplying an energy signal to a transmitting oscillator means, said transmitting oscillator means responding to at least one measured physical quantity and providing a low power, medium frequency measurement signal to be transmitted over said first pair of electrical coils to said evaluating unit;

wherein said sensor and evaluation unit each include a double shell core having a cylindrical core and two concentric pot-shaped shells that form concentric exterior and interior winding spaces, one of said winding spaces receiving one of said coils from said first pair of electrical coils and the other of said winding spaces receiving one of said coils from said second pair of electrical coils.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein the frequency of said energy supply signal transmitted between said second pair of electrical coils is below 10 kc/s.

4. The arrangement of claim 2 further including a coupling part which includes a primary coil of said second pair of electrical coils and a receiver coil of said first pair of electrical coils, and a high-frequency receiver connected to said receiver coil.

9. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said sensor includes one of said double shell cores, said double shell core having received a secondary coil of said second pair of electrical coils and a transmitting coil of said first pair of electrical coils.

10. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said interior winding space receives one of said second pair of electrical coils and said exterior winding space receives one of said pair of electrical coils.

11. The arrangement of claim 2, including means for casting said electrical coils together with said double shell cores, said casting means being a temperature resistant mass of synthetic resin.

13. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said power supply circuit means has at least one secondary oscillating circuit with means for adjusting said secondary oscillating circuit to the frequency of an energy supply signal supplied by said second pair of electrical coils.

14. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said secondary oscillating circuit includes a capacitor connected in parallel to a secondary coil which is connected in parallel to a rectifier bridge that has a filter capacitor as its diagonal bridge.

19. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said sensor is arranged on a machine part which rotates relative to a coupling part which is arranged on a stationary part of the machine.

20. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein said coupling part comprises several receiver coils of said first set of electrical coils and several high-frequency receivers selectively adjusted to various frequencies.

21. The arrangement of claim 20, wherein a plurality of sensors are arranged at said rotating part for monitoring varying limit values of said measuring signals.

22. The arrangement of claim 21, wherein said transmitting oscillators of said plurality of said sensors are adjusted to the same frequency and said evaluating unit monitors the non-occurrence of individual pulses from said transmitting oscillators.

23. The arrangement of claim 21, wherein said transmitting oscillators of said sensors operate at different frequencies.

5. An arrangement including a sensor and an evaluating unit for the wireless transmission of at least one measuring signal from said sensor and to said evalutaing unit by a pair of first electrical coils that are at least temporarily inductively coupled with one another, said sensor being supplied with energy said evaluating unit via a second pair of electrical coils connected to said evaluating unit that are temporarily inductively coupled with one another;

wherein said sensor includes a power supply circuit means connected to said second pair of electrical coils for receiving a high power, low-frequency energy signal from said second pair of electrical coils for supplying an energy signal to a transmitting oscillator means, said transmitting oscillator means responding to at least one measured physical quantity and providing a low power, medium frequency measurement signal to be transmitted over said first pair of electrical coils to said evaluating unit;

a pulse generator means for sending an electrical signal pulse to said evaluating unit for each revolution of said sensor relative to said evaluating unit;

detector means for sending a detection signal to said evaluating unit upon detecting a measurement signal on said first pair of electrical coils;

said evaluating unit generating an output signal when a preset number of pulses have been received from said ppulse generator means after a detection signal from said detector means.