Transmitter for tire condition monitoring apparatus and the tire condition monitoring apparatus

• US 6,937,145 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Katou, Michiya, Okubo, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/383,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 340/447, 340/446, 340/438, 340/442, 340/448, 340/449, 340/426.33, 340/501
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals

Abstract

A transmitter for a tire condition monitoring apparatus is located in a tire of a vehicle and transmits data indicating the tire condition using a carrier wave. The transmitter includes an oscillating circuit and a controller. The oscillating circuit generates a carrier wave frequency and has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency. The controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency.

Claims

1. A transmitter for a tire condition monitoring apparatus, wherein the transmitter is located in a tire of a vehicle and transmits data indicating the tire condition using a carrier wave, the transmitter comprising:

an oscillating circuit, which generates a carrier wave frequency, wherein said oscillating circuit has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency, which corresponds to a carrier wave frequency actually generated by the oscillating circuit when an ambient temperature of the oscillating circuit is at a predetermined reference temperature; and

a controller, wherein the controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency.

2. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the controller stores in advance, as a correction value, the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and the reference carrier wave frequency.

3. The transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the tire, wherein the controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the internal temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

4. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the controller stores in advance data indicating a relationship between the generated carrier wave frequency and the temperature of the oscillating circuit.

5. A tire condition monitoring apparatus comprising:

a transmitter located in a tire of a vehicle;

a tire condition sensor for detecting the condition of the tire of the vehicle;

a transmission circuit for transmitting data indicating the tire condition detected by the tire condition sensor using a carrier wave;

an oscillating circuit, which generates a carrier wave frequency, wherein said oscillating circuit has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency, which corresponds to a carrier wave frequency actually generated by the oscillating circuit when an ambient temperature of the oscillating circuit is at a predetermined reference temperature;

a controller, which corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency; and

a receiver located in a vehicle body of the vehicle, wherein the receiver receives data indicating the tire condition transmitted from the transmitter.

6. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller stores in advance, as a correction value, the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and the reference carrier wave frequency.

7. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tire condition sensor detects an internal temperature of the tire, and wherein the controller corrects the generated carrier wave frequency in accordance with the internal temperature detected by the tire condition sensor.

8. The tire condition monitoring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller stores in advance data indicating a relationship between the generated carrier wave frequency and the temperature of the oscillating circuit.

9. A transmitter for a tire condition monitoring apparatus, wherein the transmitter is located in a tire of a vehicle and transmits data indicating the tire condition using a carrier wave, the transmitter comprising:

an oscillating circuit, which generates a carrier wave frequency, wherein said oscillating circuit has a predetermined characteristic carrier wave frequency, which corresponds to a carrier wave frequency actually generated by the oscillating circuit when an ambient temperature of the oscillating circuit is at a predetermined reference temperature;

a temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the tire; and

a controller, wherein the controller performs a primary correction on the generated carrier wave frequency based on a frequency deviation caused by manufacturing tolerance of the oscillating circuit in accordance with a correction data, the correction data being the difference between the characteristic carrier wave frequency and a predetermined reference carrier wave frequency, and wherein the controller further performs a secondary correction on the generated carrier wave frequency that has been through the primary correction in accordance with the internal temperature detected by the temperature sensor.