Motor vehicle having a control system for controlling tire pressure

• US 6,463,799 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental AG
• Original Assignee: Continental AG
• Inventors: Oldenettel, Holger, Behrends, Holger, Klodmann, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad
• Application Number:
  US09/546,369
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/462, 731/465, 731/468, 731/464, 340/442, 340/58
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• 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: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/325 characterised by the location of the antenna on the vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle having a tire-pressure control system wherein pressure values in the tires are measured by respective tire-pressure control devices (4a to 4d) and are transmitted from these devices via a central antenna (6) to a central unit (10). The central antenna is mounted beneath the vehicle on an electrically-insulating surface. The antenna is preferably mounted on the surface of a fuel tank made of electrically-insulating material. With an arrangement of the central antenna (6) as described above, excellent reception of the data transmitted by the tire-pressure control devices (4a to 4d) is ensured.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle having a tire-pressure control system, the motor vehicle comprising:

a part on the lower side of said vehicle and said part including a surface defined by an electrically insulating material;

a plurality of tires;

a plurality of tire-pressure control devices corresponding to respective ones of said tires for measuring the respective air pressures therein;

a central unit;

each one of said tire-pressure control devices functioning to contactlessly transmit data to said central unit and said data containing at least information as to the air pressure in the tire corresponding to said one of said tire-pressure control devices;

a central antenna for receiving the data transmitted by said tire-pressure control devices;

said central antenna being connected to said central unit and being mounted on said surface; and

,

said part being a fuel tank made of said electrically insulating material and said central antenna being mounted on said fuel tank.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulating foil;

said central antenna being defined by an electrically conductive material impressed on said foil; and

, said foil being attached to said surface.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 2, wherein said part is a fuel tank made of said electrically insulating material.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1, said central antenna being surrounded by said electrically insulating material on all sides thereof.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1, said central antenna being connected to said central unit by a high frequency cable.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5, said high frequency cable being a coaxial cable.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 5, said high frequency cable being a twisted-pair cable.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 1, each one of said tire-pressure control devices functioning to transmit said data to said central antenna as a high frequency signal;

said part being a first part and said motor vehicle further comprising a plurality of additional parts made of electrically conductive material arranged adjacent to said first part; and

, said central antenna being mounted on said first part so as to cause every point thereof to be at a distance from said additional parts which corresponds to at least a quarter wavelength of said high frequency signal.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 1, said central antenna being a dipole antenna having two arms and each of said arms being sharply bent at at least one point thereof.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 1, said central antenna being a first central antenna;

and, said motor vehicle further comprising a second central antenna mounted on said surface next to said first antenna and said second antenna likewise being connected to said central unit.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 10, said part being a fuel tank made of electrically insulating material and said first and second central antennas being mounted on said fuel tank.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 10, said each one of said tire-pressure control devices functioning to transmit said data to said central antenna as a high frequency signal;

said second central antenna being mounted on said part so as to cause every point thereof to be at a distance from said first central antenna which corresponds to at least a quarter wavelength of said high frequency signal.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12, said part being a fuel tank made of electrically insulating material and said first and second central antennas being mounted on said fuel tank.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein said part of said fuel tank is that part thereof which has the shortest spacing to the ground on which the motor vehicle stands.

15. A motor vehicle having a tire-pressure control system, the motor vehicle comprising:

a part on the lower side of said vehicle and said part including a surface defined by an electrically insulating material;

a plurality of tires;

a plurality of tire-pressure control devices on corresponding ones of said tires for measuring the respective air pressures therein;

a central unit;

each one of said tire-pressure control devices functioning to contactlessly transmit data to said central unit and said data containing at least information as to the air pressure in the tire corresponding to said one of said tire-pressure control devices;

a central antenna for receiving the data transmitted by said tire-pressure control devices;

said central antenna being mounted on said surface;

said surface being disposed at a single location on said vehicle where there is a clear uninterrupted line-of-sight path between said central antenna and each of said plurality of tires so as to permit a direct transmission along said path from each of said tire-pressure control devices to said central antenna at said single location; and

,

said central antenna being in spaced relationship to said central unit and being connected to said central unit by an electric cable.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 15, said part being a fuel tank made of said electrically insulating material and said central antenna being mounted on said fuel tank.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 15, further comprising an electrically insulating foil;

said central antenna being defined by an electrically conductive material impressed on said foil; and

, said foil being attached to said surface.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 17, wherein said part is a fuel tank made of said electrically insulating material.

19. The motor vehicle of claim 15, said central antenna being surrounded by said electrically insulating material on all sides thereof.

20. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein said electric cable is a high frequency cable.

21. The motor vehicle of claim 20, said high frequency cable being a coaxial cable.

22. The motor vehicle of claim 20, said high frequency cable being a twisted-pair cable.

23. The motor vehicle of claim 15, each one of said tire-pressure control devices functioning to transmit said data to said central antenna at a high frequency signal;

said motor vehicle further comprising a plurality of components made of electrically conductive material arranged adjacent to said part; and

, said central antenna being mounted on said part so as to cause every point thereof to be at a distance from said components which corresponds to at least a quarter wavelength of said high frequency signal.

24. The motor vehicle of claim 15, said central antenna being a dipole antenna having two arms and each of said arms being sharply bent at at least one point thereof.

25. A motor vehicle having a tire-pressure control system, the motor vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank on the lower side of said vehicle and said fuel tank including a surface defined by an electrically insulating material;

a plurality of tires;

a plurality of tire-pressure control devices corresponding to respective ones of said tires for measuring the respective air pressures therein;

a central unit;

each one of said tire-pressure control devices functioning to contactlessly transmit data to said central unit and said data containing at least information as to the air pressure in the tire corresponding to said one of said tire-pressure control devices;

a central antenna for receiving the data transmitted by said tire-pressure control devices;

said central antenna being connected to said central unit and being mounted on said surface;

said central antenna being a first central antenna; and

,

a second central antenna mounted on said surface next to said first antenna and said second antenna likewise being connected to said central unit.

26. The motor vehicle of claim 25, said fuel tank being made of electrically insulating material and said central antenna being mounted on said fuel tank;

said surface being disposed at a single location on said vehicle where there is a clear uninterrupted line-of-sight path between said central antenna and each of said plurality of tires so as to permit a direct transmission along said path from each of said tire-pressure control devices to said central antenna at said single location; and

, said central antenna being in spaced relationship to said central unit and being connected to said central unit by an electric cable.