System for checking the pressure of the tires of a vehicle

• US 6,622,552 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Automotive Electronic (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Delaporte, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/069,828
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46--468, 340/442-447
• US Class Current: 73/146
• 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 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

The system for checking the pressure of the tires of the wheels (2-5) of a vehicle includes individual wheel-checking devices, each with a pressure sensor and a transmitter (20, 30, 40, 50), a central unit (1) with a common receiver (12) and antenna means (21-25), comprising individual receiving antennae (22-25) associated respectively with the wheel locations (2-5), working with the transmitters (20, 30, 40, 50), and the antenna circuits of the central unit (1) additionally comprise a main antenna (21) for monitoring all the pressure-checking devices (20, 30, 40, 50) and circuits (13) for switching over the common receiver (12) from the main monitoring antenna (21) onto each of the individual acquisition antennae (22-25).

Claims

1. System for checking the pressure of the tires of the wheels (2-5) of a vehicle including individual wheel-checking devices, each with a pressure sensor and a transmitter (20, 30, 40, 50), a central unit (1) with a common receiver (12) and antenna circuits (21-25), comprising individual receiving antennae (22-25) associated respectively with the wheel locations (2-5), configured to work with the transmitters (20, 30, 40, 50) of the individual checking devices, the system being characterized in that the receiving-antenna means of the central unit (1) additionally comprise a main antenna (21) for monitoring all the pressure-checking devices (20, 30, 40, 50) and means (13) for switching over the common receiver (12) of the central unit (1) from the main monitoring antenna (21) onto each of the individual acquisition antennae (22-25).

2. System according to claim 1, in which the individual receiving antennae (22-25) are electromagnetically associated, in a one-to-one way, with the respective wheel locations (2-5).

3. System according to claim 1 in which, with the wheel-checking devices (20, 30, 40, 50) being configured to periodically transmit bursts of information bits, the changeover-switching means (13) are configured to switch over from the main receiving antenna (21) onto an individual receiving antenna (22-25) in the course of the same burst period.

4. System according to claim 1, in which the antennae (22-25) are radiating cables.