Method and apparatus for tire pressure monitoring
First Claim
1. A method for indicating a pressure loss condition in tires of a vehicle, each tire having a speed related to vehicle speed and to vehicle operating condition, the method comprising:
- storing a predetermined number of tire speed patterns, each tire speed pattern representing relative tire speed conditions corresponding to a respective normal vehicle operating condition which results in tire speed variations;
storing a predetermined tire pressure for the tires;
sensing the speed of each of the tires;
sensing the pressure of a single tire of the tires;
determining an actual tire speed pattern from the sensed speeds of the tires representing an actual relative tire speed condition; and
determining if the actual tire speed pattern corresponds to any one of the stored tire speed patterns, and (A) if not, determining whether there is a pressure loss condition in the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and the sensed tire pressure, and (B) if so, bypassing the step of determining whether there is a pressure loss condition.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The relative speed of each of the tires of a vehicle is monitored as an indication of the operating state of the vehicle, wherein if the vehicle is not operating in one of a number of predetermined states, the relative speed is monitored as an indication of relative pressure of the vehicle tires, and further wherein differences in relative speed not related to the predetermined states, and not related to differences in relative pressure, are accounted for. In addition, a single tire pressure sensor is employed to account for over or under inflation of substantially equal proportion in the tires.
37 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for indicating a pressure loss condition in tires of a vehicle, each tire having a speed related to vehicle speed and to vehicle operating condition, the method comprising:
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storing a predetermined number of tire speed patterns, each tire speed pattern representing relative tire speed conditions corresponding to a respective normal vehicle operating condition which results in tire speed variations;
storing a predetermined tire pressure for the tires;
sensing the speed of each of the tires;
sensing the pressure of a single tire of the tires;
determining an actual tire speed pattern from the sensed speeds of the tires representing an actual relative tire speed condition; and
determining if the actual tire speed pattern corresponds to any one of the stored tire speed patterns, and (A) if not, determining whether there is a pressure loss condition in the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and the sensed tire pressure, and (B) if so, bypassing the step of determining whether there is a pressure loss condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
(A) determining whether there is a pressure loss condition in the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and the sensed tire pressure, and (B) if so, bypassing the step of determining whether there is a pressure loss condition.
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6. A method for indicating a pressure loss condition in tires of a vehicle, each tire having a speed related to vehicle speed and to vehicle operating condition, the method comprising:
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storing a predetermined number of tire speed patterns, each tire speed pattern representing relative tire speed conditions corresponding to a respective normal vehicle operating condition which results in tire speed variations;
storing a predetermined tire pressure for the tires;
sensing the speed of each of the tires over a predetermined time period;
sensing the pressure of a single tire of the tires;
determining an actual tire speed pattern from the sensed speeds of the tires representing an actual relative tire speed condition, and from a predetermined offset value; and
determining if the actual tire speed pattern corresponds to any one of the stored tire speed patterns, and (A) if not, determining whether there is a pressure loss condition in the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and the sensed tire pressure, and (B) if so, bypassing the step of determining whether there is a pressure loss condition. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
(A) determining whether there is a pressure loss condition in the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and the sensed tire pressure, and (B) if so, bypassing the step of determining whether there is a pressure loss condition.
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11. An apparatus for indicating a pressure loss condition in tires of a vehicle, each tire having a speed related to vehicle speed and to vehicle operating condition comprising:
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storing means for storing a predetermined number of tire speed patterns, each tire speed pattern representing relative tire speed conditions corresponding to a respective normal vehicle operating condition which results in tire speed variations;
storing means for storing a predetermined tire pressure for the tires;
speed sensing means for sensing the speed of each of the tires;
pressure sensing means for sensing the tire pressure of a single tire;
determining means for determining an actual tire speed pattern from the sensed speeds of the tires representing an actual relative tire speed condition;
means for comparing the actual tire speed pattern to the stored tire speed patterns, and for comparing the sensed tire pressure to the stored predetermined tire pressure; and
pressure loss condition determining means for determining whether there is a pressure loss condition of the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and sensed tire pressure, the pressure loss condition determining means being operative when the actual tire speed pattern does not correspond to any one of the stored tire speed patterns. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for indicating a pressure loss condition in tires of a vehicle, each tire having a speed related to vehicle speed and to vehicle operating condition comprising:
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storing means for storing a predetermined number of tire speed patterns, each tire speed pattern representing relative tire speed conditions corresponding to a respective normal vehicle operating condition which results in tire speed variations;
storing means for storing a predetermined tire pressure for the tires;
speed sensing means for sensing the speed of each of the tires over a predetermined time period;
pressure sensing means for sensing the tire pressure of a single tire;
determining means for determining an actual tire speed pattern from the sensed speeds of the tires representing an actual relative tire speed condition, and from a predetermined offset value;
means for determining if the actual tire speed pattern corresponds to any one of the stored tire speed patterns, and for determining if the sensed tire pressure corresponds to the stored predetermined tire pressure; and
pressure loss condition determining means for determining whether there is a pressure loss condition of the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and sensed tire pressure, the pressure loss condition determining means being operative when the actual tire speed pattern does not correspond to any one of the stored tire speed patterns. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for indicating a pressure loss condition in tires of a vehicle, each tire having a speed related to vehicle speed and to vehicle operating condition comprising:
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a first memory storage configured to store a predetermined number of tire speed patterns, each tire speed pattern representing relative tire speed conditions corresponding to a respective normal vehicle operating condition which results in tire speed variations;
a second memory storage configured to store a predetermined tire pressure for the tires;
a wheel speed sensor in operable communication with each tire, each of the corresponding wheel speed sensor configured to sense the speed of each respective tire and generate a corresponding signal indicative thereof, a single tire pressure sensor in operable communication with a single tire, said tire pressure sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a tire pressure of the single tire; and
a controller configured to receive the signals indicative of wheel speed and single tire pressure, the controller being configured to determine an actual tire speed pattern from the sensed speeds of the tires representing an actual relative tire speed condition, the controller being configured to compare the actual tire speed pattern to the stored tire speed patterns, and configured to compare the sensed tire pressure to the stored predetermined tire pressure, wherein the controller determines whether there is a pressure loss condition of the tires in accord with the actual tire speed pattern and sensed tire pressure, the pressure loss condition being operative when the actual tire speed pattern does not correspond to any one of the stored tire speed patterns. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification