Wheel unit and method for activating a wheel unit

• US 6,870,471 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Fischer, Martin, Bergerhoff, Nikolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Jr., Thomas J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk, Samuel J.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/447, 731/46, 731/462, 200/61.22
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A wheel unit (E1, E2, E3, E4) for a system for monitoring the wheels (R1, R2, R3, R4) of a motor vehicle (10) for error states, in particular for incorrect tire inflation pressures comprises that it can be activated by touching a wheel component, in particular with a hand.

Claims

1. A wheel unit for a system for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for error states which transmits data to a central evaluation device of the motor vehicle, wherein the wheel unit can be activated by a trigger signal resulting from touching a wheel component, the wheel unit transmitting data to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle as a response to the touching of the wheel component.

2. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transmitted to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle permit the determination of the wheel position of the wheel of which the wheel component was touched.

3. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transmitted to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle permit the determination of the tire inflation pressure of the wheel of which the wheel component was touched.

4. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel unit has a detector device which, for the activation of the wheel unit, generates a trigger signal when the wheel component is touched.

5. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the detector device detects the touching of the wheel component by means of impedance measurement.

6. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the detector device detects the touching of the wheel component by means of a measurement of the capacitance and/or the inductance between the wheel component and ground.

7. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the detector device detects the touching of the wheel component by means of an amplitude and/or frequency measurement.

8. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel component is the valve of the wheel.

9. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel unit is intended to be arranged at least partly in the region of the valve of the wheel.

10. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel unit has an antenna for sending and/or receiving radio signals.

11. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the antenna is formed at least partly by the valve of the wheel.

12. The wheel unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error state represents a state for incorrect tire inflation pressures.

13. A method for activating a wheel unit which is assigned to a wheel of a motor vehicle and is a component part of a system for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for error states, wherein the activation of the wheel unit takes place in response to a trigger signal resulting from touching a wheel component, the wheel unit transmitting data to a central evaluation device of the motor vehicle as a response to the touching of the wheel component.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the data transmitted to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle permit the determination of the wheel position of the wheel of which the wheel component was touched.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the data transmitted to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle permit the determination of the tire inflation pressure of the wheel of which the wheel component was touched.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the wheel unit has a detector device which, for the activation of the wheel unit, generates a trigger signal when the wheel component is touched.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the detector device detects the touching of the wheel component by means of impedance measurement.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the detector device detects the touching of the wheel component by means of a measurement of the capacitance and/or the inductance between the wheel component and ground.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the detector device detects the touching of the wheel component by means of an amplitude and/or frequency measurement.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the wheel component is the valve of the wheel.

21. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the wheel unit is provided at least partly in the region of the valve of the wheel.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the wheel unit has an antenna for sending and/or receiving radio signals.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the antenna is formed at least partly by the valve of the wheel.

24. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the error state represents a state for incorrect tire inflation pressures.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the touching is performed manually by hand.