Transmitter of tire condition monitoring apparatus and tire condition monitoring apparatus

• US 6,963,274 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsujita, Yasuhisa, Saheki, Setsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US10/364,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 340/447, 340/442, 731/465, 731/463, 731/462
• US Class Current: 340/447
• 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 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0464 to avoid signal interference

Abstract

Transmitters of a tire condition monitoring apparatus that monitors condition of vehicle tires. Each transmitter has a measuring sensor, a transmission circuit, a vehicle speed sensor and a controller. The measuring sensor measures condition of the corresponding tire. The transmission circuit periodically transmits data representing the tire condition. The vehicle speed sensor detects moving of the vehicle. The controller sets a delay time, the delay time being a period from when the vehicle speed sensor detects moving of the vehicle to when the data representing the condition of the corresponding tire is transmitted. The delay time varies from one transmitter to another.

Claims

1. Transmitters of a tire condition monitoring apparatus that monitors condition of vehicle tires, wherein each transmitter is provided in one of the tires, each transmitter comprising:

at least one measuring device for measuring a condition of the corresponding tire;

a transmitting system on each measuring device for periodically transmitting data representing the measured tire condition, wherein each of said transmitting systems periodically transmits said data during a same time interval;

a detecting device for detecting moving of the vehicle; and

a delay mechanism for computing a delay time, the delay time being a period from when the detecting device detects moving of the vehicle to when the data representing the condition of the corresponding tire is transmitted, wherein the computed delay time is always different from one transmitter to each of the other transmitters, and wherein the transmitting systems of all the transmitters first transmit the data after the respective delay times, wherein said delay times are different from each other, and wherein said delay times have elapsed from when the vehicle starts moving, and then the transmitters periodically transmit the data at the same time intervals.

2. The transmitters according to claim 1, wherein the delay mechanism of each transmitter computes the delay time based on random numbers.

3. The transmitters according to claim 1, wherein each transmitter further comprises a memory that stores information unique to the transmitter in advance, wherein the delay mechanism computes the delay time based on the unique information.

4. The transmitters according to claim 3, wherein the unique information is an identification code assigned to each transmitter.

5. The transmitters according to claim 1, wherein each transmitter comprises a memory that stores a delay time unique to the transmitter in advance.

6. The transmitters according to claim 1, wherein the delay mechanism of each transmitter computes the delay time based on tire condition measured by the corresponding measuring device.

7. The transmitters according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle is not moving, the transmitting system of each transmitter stops transmitting the data representing the tire condition.

17. The transmitters according to claim 1 wherein the at least one measuring device comprises a pressure sensor.

18. The transmitters according to claim 17 further comprising a second measuring device comprising a temperature sensor.

19. The transmitters according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting system comprises a transmission controller and a transmission circuit.

8. A tire condition monitoring apparatus that monitors one or more conditions of vehicle tires, the apparatus comprising:

transmitters, each provided in one of the tires, wherein each transmitter comprises;

at least one measuring device for measuring a condition of the corresponding tire;

a transmitting system on each measuring device for periodically transmitting data representing the measured tire condition, wherein each of said transmitting systems periodically transmits said data during a same time interval;

a detecting device for detecting moving of the vehicle; and

a delay mechanism for computing a unique delay time, the unique delay time being a period from when the detecting device detects moving of the vehicle to when the data representing the condition of the corresponding tire is transmitted, wherein the delay times have elapsed from when the vehicle starts moving, and the transmitting systems of all the transmitters first transmit the data after the respective unique delay times, and then the transmitters periodically transmit the data at the same time intervals; and

a receiver, which receives data transmitted by the transmitters and processes the received data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the receiver is connected to an informing device that informs passengers of tire condition.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the delay mechanism of each transmitter computes the delay time based on random numbers.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each transmitter further comprises a memory that stores information unique to the transmitter in advance, wherein the delay mechanism computes the delay time based on the unique information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the unique information is an identification code assigned to each transmitter.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each transmitter comprises a memory that stores a delay time unique to the transmitter in advance.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the delay mechanism of each transmitter computes the delay time based on a tire condition measured by the corresponding measuring device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when the vehicle is not moving, the transmitting system of each transmitter stops transmitting the data representing the tire condition.

16. Transmitters of a tire condition monitoring apparatus that monitors condition of vehicle tires, wherein each transmitter is provided in one of the tires, each transmitter comprising:

at least one measuring sensor for measuring a condition of the corresponding tire;

a transmission circuit for periodically transmitting data representing the measured tire condition, wherein said data from each sensor is transmitted at the same time interval;

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting moving of the vehicle; and

a controller for setting a delay time unique to each transmitter, the delay time being a period from when the vehicle speed sensor detects moving of the vehicle to when the data representing the condition of the corresponding tire is transmitted, wherein the delay time varies from one transmitter to another.