Tire information detecting device capable of detecting correct tire information

• US 7,227,456 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iijima, Kouta
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US11/135,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver

Abstract

An interrogator is disposed in a main body of a vehicle for transmitting interrogating signals. A responder is mounted to each tire of the vehicle for returning tire information such as air pressure to the interrogator in response to the interrogating signals. The responder is provided with at least one sensor for detecting tire information and a sensor specifying means for specifying properties of the sensor. The interrogator is provided with a control means for processing tire information, and correction tables for correcting properties of a sensor specified by the sensor specifying means. The control means corrects the tire information by the correction tables and then outputs data related to the tire information.

Claims

1. A tire information detecting device comprising:

an interrogator disposed in a main body of a vehicle for transmitting interrogating signals; and

a responder mounted to each tire of the vehicle for returning tire information including tire air pressure to the interrogator in response to the interrogating signals,

wherein the responder is provided with at least one sensor for detecting the tire information and a sensor specifying means for specifying properties of the sensor,

the interrogator is provided with a control means for processing the tire information and correction tables for correcting the properties of the sensor specified by the sensor specifying means, and

the control means corrects the tire information by the correction tables and outputs data related to the tire information.

2. The tire information detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has at least a first resonator whose first self-resonant frequency changes in response to changes in the air pressure of the tire.

3. The tire information detecting device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor has at least a second resonator whose second self-resonant frequency changes in response to changes in a temperature of the tire.

4. The tire information detecting device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor specifying means is constructed by a third resonator whose third self-resonant frequency is different from the first and second self-resonant frequencies.

5. The tire information detecting device according to claim 4, wherein the interrogator sequentially transmits the interrogating signals whose carriers are respectively modulated by signals near the first to third self-resonant frequencies to the responder, and excites the first to third resonators, and the responder sequentially transmits the response signals whose carriers are respectively modulated by the signals of the first to third self-resonant frequencies to the interrogator.

6. The tire information detecting device according to claim 5, wherein the interrogating signals are comprised of modulated signals in a first half period and non-modulated signals in a second half period, and the responder respectively modulates the carriers with the signals of the first to third self-resonant frequencies in the second half period, and emits the modulated carriers.