Motion sensing for tire pressure monitoring
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- operating a tire pressure monitoring system in a first operating mode, wherein the tire pressure monitoring system is implemented in a motorized vehicle;
using a piezoelectric sensor to sense vibration;
determining, using a controller, that an output signal of the piezoelectric sensor is above a predetermined threshold;
setting the tire pressure monitoring system to a second operating mode based upon the determination that an output signal of the piezoelectric sensor is above a predetermined threshold, wherein during the first operating mode, an output of a first sensor is sampled at a first sample rate and during the second operating mode the output of the first sensor is sampled at a second sample rate, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is mounted on a lead frame and the controller is implemented in an integrated circuit die, which is stacked on top of the piezoelectric sensor, such that the integrated circuit die, acting as a mass, increases sensitivity of the piezoelectric sensor to vibrations;
transmitting information to a controller system of the motorized vehicle at a first transmitting rate during the first operating mode, wherein the first transmitting rate is lower than the first sample rate; and
transmitting information to the controller system at a second transmitting rate during the second operating mode, wherein the second transmitting rate is lower than the first transmitting rate and is lower than the second sample rate.
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Abstract
A motion sensor system for a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that uses a piezoelectric sensor to sense vibration as an indication of wheel motion. The TPMS uses the detected vibration to transition between operation modes. In one embodiment, the TPMS has a motion mode and a park mode, wherein the TPMS has increased activity (e.g. sampling tire pressure at a higher rate and transmitting tire pressure at a higher rate) during the motion mode than in the park mode.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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operating a tire pressure monitoring system in a first operating mode, wherein the tire pressure monitoring system is implemented in a motorized vehicle; using a piezoelectric sensor to sense vibration; determining, using a controller, that an output signal of the piezoelectric sensor is above a predetermined threshold; setting the tire pressure monitoring system to a second operating mode based upon the determination that an output signal of the piezoelectric sensor is above a predetermined threshold, wherein during the first operating mode, an output of a first sensor is sampled at a first sample rate and during the second operating mode the output of the first sensor is sampled at a second sample rate, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is mounted on a lead frame and the controller is implemented in an integrated circuit die, which is stacked on top of the piezoelectric sensor, such that the integrated circuit die, acting as a mass, increases sensitivity of the piezoelectric sensor to vibrations; transmitting information to a controller system of the motorized vehicle at a first transmitting rate during the first operating mode, wherein the first transmitting rate is lower than the first sample rate; and transmitting information to the controller system at a second transmitting rate during the second operating mode, wherein the second transmitting rate is lower than the first transmitting rate and is lower than the second sample rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:
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a first sensor having an output for providing an indication of a sensed condition of a wheel; a motion detection system, the motion detection system provides a motion indication indicative of wheel rotation, the motion indication is utilized for placement of the tire pressure monitoring system in a first operating mode or a second operating mode, wherein the motion detection system further comprises; a piezoelectric sensor for sensing vibration of a wheel rotating over a surface, the piezoelectric sensor having an output to provide an output signal indicative of an amplitude of the sensed vibration; wherein the motion detection system utilizes the output signal in providing the motion indication; a controller, wherein the controller samples an indication of the sensed condition as sensed by the first sensor at a first sample rate during the lint operating mode, and wherein the controller samples an indication of the sensed condition as sensed by the first sensor at a second sample rate during the second operating mode, wherein the second sample rate is lower than the first sample rate, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is mounted on a lead frame and the controller is implemented in an integrated circuit die, which is stacked on top of the piezoelectric sensor, such that the integrated circuit die, acting as a mass, increases sensitivity of the piezoelectric sensor to vibrations; and a transmitter operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller initiates transmitting by the transmitter of information at a first transmitting rate during the first operating mode, wherein the first transmitting rate is lower than the first sample rate, wherein the controller initiates transmitting by the transmitter of the information at a second transmitting rate during the second operating mode, and wherein the second transmitting rate is lower than the first transmitting rate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:
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a pressure sensor having an output for providing an indication of a sensed pressure inside a tire; a controller having an input for sampling an indication of the sensed pressure at a first sample rate during a first operating mode and for sampling an indication of the sensed pressure at a second sample rate during a second operating mode, the second sample rate being lower than the first sample rate; a motion detection circuit, comprising; a piezoelectric sensor for sensing vibration of a wheel rotating over a surface, the piezoelectric sensor having an output to provide an output signal indicative of an amplitude of the sensed vibration, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is mounted on a lead frame and the controller is implemented in an integrated circuit die, which is stacked on top of the piezoelectric sensor, such that the integrated circuit die, acting as a mass, increases sensitivity or the piezoelectric sensor to vibrations; an amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the piezoelectric sensor and an output; a comparator having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier, an output of the comparator providing an indication that the output signal of the piezoelectric sensor is greater than a predetermined threshold; wherein the operating mode of the tire pressure monitoring system is based upon the comparator output; and a transmitter operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller initiates transmitting by the transmitter of information at a first transmitting rate during the first operating mode, wherein the first transmitting rate is lower than the first sample rate, wherein the controller initiates transmitting by the transmitter of the information at a second transmitting rate during the second operating mode, and wherein the second transmitting rate is lower than the first transmitting rate.
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Specification