Vehicle-controlled tire condition sensor communication utilizing fixed tire identification
First Claim
1. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle, said system comprising:
- sensor means, associated with a tire, for sensing at least one tire condition;
radio frequency transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to said sensor means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition; and
communication means, having a first portion associated with the tire and operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means and a second portion associated with the vehicle, for communicating requests from the vehicle to said first portion of said communication means, each request causing said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition,said second portion of said communication means being operatively connected to a vehicle condition sensor that is adapted to sense a condition of the vehicle, said second portion of said communication means communicating requests from the vehicle at a rate that varies in response to the sensed condition of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tire condition sensor unit (e.g., 18A) is for use within a tire condition communication system (10). The sensor unit (e.g., 18A) is for association with a tire (e.g., 14A) of a vehicle (12) and, via a method, communicates a tire condition to a vehicle-based unit (28). A sensor (58) senses the tire condition. Radio frequency transmit circuitry and an antenna (68 and 22) transmit a radio frequency signal (e.g., 24A) that indicates the sensed tire condition. In one aspect, a low frequency antenna and a signal detector (48 and 52) receive a low frequency initiation signal that causes transmission of the radio frequency signal indicative of the sensed tire condition. In another aspect, the radio frequency signal is also indicative of a fixed identification.
66 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle, said system comprising:
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sensor means, associated with a tire, for sensing at least one tire condition; radio frequency transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to said sensor means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition; and communication means, having a first portion associated with the tire and operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means and a second portion associated with the vehicle, for communicating requests from the vehicle to said first portion of said communication means, each request causing said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition, said second portion of said communication means being operatively connected to a vehicle condition sensor that is adapted to sense a condition of the vehicle, said second portion of said communication means communicating requests from the vehicle at a rate that varies in response to the sensed condition of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of communicating tire condition information from a tire condition sensor unit to a vehicle-based unit of a tire communication system of a vehicle, said method comprising:
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sensing a condition of the vehicle; outputting from the vehicle based-unit, at a rate that varies in response to the sensed condition of the vehicle, low frequency initiation signals for reception by the tire condition sensor unit; and outputting, in response to receipt of a low frequency initiation signal, a radio frequency response signal that conveys the tire condition information from the tire condition sensor unit for reception by the vehicle-based unit. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of communicating tire condition information from a plurality of tire condition sensor units to a vehicle-based unit of a tire communication system of a vehicle, said method comprising:
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sensing a condition of the vehicle; sequentially outputting from the vehicle based-unit, at a rate that varies in response to the sensed condition of the vehicle, low frequency initiation signals, each low frequency initiation signal being for reception by one of the plurality of tire condition sensor units; and each tire condition sensor unit outputting, in response to receipt of a respective low frequency initiation signal, a radio frequency response signal that conveys the tire condition information from that tire condition sensor unit for reception by the vehicle-based unit. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a tire based unit including sensor means for sensing a tire condition, radio frequency transmitter means, operatively connected to said sensor means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition, and low frequency receiver means, operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means, for receiving a low frequency initiation signal and for causing said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal indicative of the sensed tire condition in response to receipt of the low frequency initiation signal; and a vehicle based unit including a vehicle condition sensor for sensing a condition of the vehicle, low frequency transmitter mean for transmitting low frequency initiation signals, and radio frequency receiver means for receiving the radio frequency signal indicative of the sensed tire condition from said tire based unit, said low frequency transmitter means of said vehicle based unit transmitting the low frequency initiation signals to said tire based unit at a rate that varies in response to the sensed condition of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification