Tire sensor localization utilizing speed corrected frequency

• US 7,111,508 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Desai, Tejas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US11/153,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20050229693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/462, 731/463, 731/464, 731/465, 340/438, 340/442, 340/443, 340/444, 340/445, 340/447
• US Class Current: 73/146.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

A method of localizing the location of a received signal from a tire pressure sensor includes sending an AM identification signal. The AM signal is adjusted for speed such that the frequency of the signal equals a constant multiplied by the speed of the vehicle. Each of the tire locations on a vehicle have an expected sequence of black-out points in the signal received by a receiver at any point on the vehicle. That is, given a particular vehicle design, the AM signal described above would be received at a receiver with an expected sequence of received peaks and black-out points. Since the frequency of the signal is adjusted for speed, the received signal will accurately allow the location of black-out points to be utilized to identify the tire location for a particular signal.

Claims

1. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of tire pressure sensor/transmitters;

a receiver and control for receiving signals transmitted by each of said tire pressure sensor/transmitters;

said tire pressure sensor/transmitters including the ability to send an identification signal; and

a control associated with said sensor/transmitters monitoring vehicle speed, and a frequency of transmission of said identification signal being adjusted at said tire pressure sensors/transmitters to be dependent upon said monitored vehicle speed.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identification signal is an AM signal which has a frequency equal to some constant multiplied by said monitored vehicle speed.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identification signal is only sent when the vehicle has been stopped for a predetermined period of time.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identification signal is only transmitted for a predetermined number of revolutions of each tire after beginning transmission.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identification signal includes an identifying code, and said tire pressure sensor/transmitters further periodically sending tire pressure signals also including said identifying code.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control has the ability to learn a location of each of said sensors/transmitters based upon an expected change in a signal sent from said tire pressure sensors/transmitters, and a speed adjusted identification signal being sent periodically by said tire pressure sensors/transmitters to said control such that said control can relearn an expected change for each of the tire pressure sensors/transmitters locations.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said expected feature of said signal is blank spots in the signals.