Tire condition monitoring apparatus

• US 6,804,999 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Okubo, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/327,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46--468, 340/442-444
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations

Abstract

A specific ID code of a transmitter 3 is registered in a receiver 4 in the following procedure. A commander 5, which is connected to the receiver 4 with a cable 6, is located close to the corresponding transmitter 3. An operation switch 7 of the commander 5 is then depressed. The commander 5 transmits an instruction signal to the transmitter 3 and the turned-on state of the operation switch 7 is conveyed to the receiver 4 via the cable 6. The transmitter 3 wirelessly transmits a response signal including the ID code in response to the instruction signal. On the other hand, upon receiving the response signal from the transmitter while the commander 5 is conveying the turned-on state of the operation switch 7, the receiver 4 stores the ID code in the received response signal. Therefore, the ID code of each transmitter is easily registered in the receiver 4.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a tire mounted to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a commander, wherein the commander includes an operation switch, and wherein the commander transmits an operation switch, and wherein the commander transmits an instruction signal when the operation switch is turned-on;

a transmitter attached to the tire, wherein the transmitter includes a tire condition sensor, which detects the condition of the tire, a receiving portion, which receives the instruction signal, and a transmitting portion, which transmits a response signal upon receiving the instruction signal, the response signal including a specific identification data given to the transmitter in advance; and

a receiver located in the body of the vehicle, wherein the receiver includes a receiving portion, which receives a signal transmitted from the transmitter, and a rewritable ID memory, which stores the identification data of the transmitter,

wherein, when the operation switch is turned-on, the commander conveys the turned-on state of the operation switch to the receiver, and wherein, when receiving the response signal while the commander is conveying the turned-on state of the operation switch to the receiver, the receiver stores the identification data in the response signal in the ID memory,

wherein the transmitter has a first transmission mode, in which the response signal is transmitted in response to the instruction signal from the commander, and a second transmission mode, in which a signal is transmitted regardless of the instruction signal from the commander, and wherein the signal transmitted according to the second transmission mode includes at least data indicating the condition of the tire detected by the tire condition sensor and the identification data,

wherein the receiver has a first operation mode, which permits registration of the identification data, and a second operation mode, which does not permit registration of the identification data, wherein, when the commander is conveying the turned-on state of the operation switch to the receiver, the receiver is operated in the first operation mode, and wherein, when the identification data in a received signal from the transmitter matches with the identification data in the ID memory while the receiver is in the second operation mode, the receiver continues processing the received signal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is selectively connected to the commander with a cable, and wherein the commander sends an ON signal indicating the turned-on state of the operation switch to the receiver via the cable.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the commander is portable.

4. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a tire mounted to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a commander, wherein the commander includes an operation switch, and wherein the commander transmits an instruction signal when the operation switch is turned-on;

a transmitter attached to the tire, wherein the transmitter includes a tire condition sensor, which detects the condition of the tire, a receiving portion, which receives the instruction signal, and a transmitting portion, which transmits a response signal upon receiving the instruction signal, the response signal including a specific identification data given to the transmitter in advance; and

a receiver located in the body of the vehicle, wherein the receiver includes a receiving portion, which receives a signal transmitted from the transmitter, and a rewritable ID memory, which stores the identification data of the transmitter,

wherein the commander includes a receiving portion, which receives the response signal from the transmitter, wherein, when receiving the response signal, the commander sends the identification data in the response signal to the receiver, and wherein, when receiving the identification data sent from the commander, the receiver stores the identification data in the ID memory,

wherein the transmitter has a first transmission mode, in which the response signal is transmitted in response to the instruction signal from the commander, and a second transmission mode, in which a signal is transmitted regardless of the instruction signal from the commander, and wherein the signal transmitted according to the second transmission mode includes at least data indicating the condition of the tire detected by the tire condition sensor and the identification data,

wherein the receiver has a monitoring mode for monitoring the tire condition, wherein, when receiving a signal from the transmitter while the receiver is in the monitoring mode, the receiver continues processing the received signal if the identification data in the received signal matches with the identification data in the ID memory, and wherein, when receiving the identification data sent from the commander while the receiver is in the monitoring mode, the receiver stores the identification data in the ID memory.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the receiver is selectively connected to the commander with a cable, and wherein, when receiving the response signal from the transmitter, the commander transfers the identification data in the response signal to the receiver via the cable.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the commander is portable.