Method and system for monitoring the wheels of motor vehicle

• US 6,998,974 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bergerhoff, Nikolas, Fischer, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk, Samuel J.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/444, 731/46, 701/29, 701/70
• US Class Current: 340/444
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

The method comprises the steps of monitoring the wheels (R1, R2, R3, R4) of a motor vehicle having an antilock brake system (ABS), for fault states, in particular for incorrect tire pressures, the occurrence of a fault state and the wheel position (FL, FR, RL, RR) of the wheel (R1, R2, R3, R4) at which the fault state has occurred being indicated. Each wheel (R1, R2, R3, R4) to be monitored is assigned a wheel unit (E1, E2, E3, E4) which monitors the respective wheel (R1, R2, R3, R4) for fault states, and wherein at least the wheel position (FL, FR, RL, RR) of a wheel (R1, R2, R3, R4) at which a fault state has occurred is determined by means of output signals of sensors (S1, S2, S3, S4) of the antilock brake system (ABS).

Claims

1. A method for monitoring wheels of a motor vehicle having an antilock brake system for fault states, such that upon occurrence of a fault state, the position of the wheel at which the fault state occurred is indicated, comprising:

assigning a wheel unit to each wheel to be monitored, the wheel unit monitoring tire inflation pressures in the wheels for fault states comprising high and low tire pressures, said wheel units transmitting only fault state signals to a central evaluation unit that a fault state has occurred in at least one wheel,

evaluating signals supplied by antilock brake system sensors for determining the position of any wheel at which a fault state has occurred by means of output signals from the antilock brake system sensors corresponding to known wheel locations signaling wheel rotational speeds, wherein an under-inflated tire of reduced effective radius has a faster rotational speed comparatively, and an over-inflated tire of increased effective radius has a slower rotational speed comparatively.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fault state and/or a wheel position are indicated by generating an audible signal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fault state and/or a wheel position are indicated by generating a visual signal.

4. A system for monitoring wheels of a motor vehicle having an antilock brake system for fault states, the system indicating occurrence of a fault state and the position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred, wherein each wheel to be monitored has a corresponding wheel unit to monitor tire inflation pressures in the wheels for fault states comprising low and high tire pressures, the system evaluates the position of a wheel at which a fault state has occurred by means of output signals from antilock brake system sensors corresponding to known wheel locations signaling wheel rotational speeds, wherein an under-inflated tire of reduced effective radius has a faster rotational speed comparatively, and an over-inflated tire of increased effective radius has a slower rotational speed comparatively.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein it indicates a fault state and/or a wheel position audibly.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein it indicates a fault state and/or a wheel position visually.

7. A method for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle having an antilock brake system for fault states, comprising the steps of:

assigning a wheel unit to each wheel of a motor vehicle to monitor tire inflation pressures in the wheels for fault states comprising low and high tire pressures, said wheel unit sending only fault state signals when a fault state occurs; and

evaluating the wheel position of a wheel at which a fault state has occurred by means of output signals from antilock brake system sensors corresponding to each wheel location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wheel position of a wheel is determined by means of the rotational speed of the wheel.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a fault state and/or a wheel position are indicated by generating an audible signal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a fault state and/or a wheel position are indicated by generating a visual signal.