Method for locating sensors mounted each on a vehicle wheel

• US 7,250,851 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Lefaure, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/481,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 340/445, 340/442, 340/446, 340/447, 340448-449, 340/426.18, 340/444, 340/454, 731/462, 731/463, 731/464, 731/465, 731/468
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements

Abstract

Each sensor is provided with an emitter and the vehicle is provided with a corresponding receiver adapted to receive signals emitted by each sensor. The receiver is provided with at least one antenna disposed such that it is not located substantially equidistantly from the sensors, the antennas being located on a same side of the vehicle. The location of the sensors is carried out by analyzing the power of the field received by the receiver of each antenna for each sensor, the field power received by one antenna being the greater, the nearer to the antenna is the sensor that emitted the corresponding signal.

Claims

1. Process for location using locating sensors (100, 101, 110, 111) each mounted on a vehicle wheel (4), each sensor being provided with an emitter and the vehicle (2) being provided with a corresponding receiver (6) adapted to receive the signals emitted by each sensor (100, 101, 110, 111), characterized in that the receiver (6) is provided with two separate antennas (12, 14), separated from each other and disposed such that neither antenna is located substantially equidistantly from the sensors (100, 101, 110, 111), the two antennas (12, 14) being located on the same side of the vehicle, and in that the location of the sensors (100, 101, 110, 111) is carried out by analyzing the field power received by the receiver (6) by means of each antenna (12, 14) for each sensor, the power of the field received by one antenna being the greater, the nearer to the antenna is the sensor that emitted the corresponding signal,

for a vehicle having four wheels (4), characterized in that the process comprises the following steps:

a) analysis of the power of the signals received by the two antennas (12, 14) so as to distinguish the two sensors (100, 101) located on the side of the antennas from the other two sensors (110, 111), the signals received from these two sensors being the less attenuated,

b) one antenna being inactivated and the other being activated, analysis of the power of the signals received by the two sensors (100, 101) located on the same side as the antennas so as to determine which sensor is the nearer the antenna that is still activated,

c) one antenna being inactivated and the other being activated, analysis of the power of the signals received from the two sensors (110, 111) located on the side opposite the antennas (12, 14) so as to determine which sensor is nearer to the antenna that is still activated.

2. Process for location according to claim 1, characterized in that step a) is carried out as follows:

adjustment of the receiver (6) to a predetermined sensitivity to receive all the signals emitted by the four sensors (100, 101, 110, 111) with the two antennas (12, 14), and

adjustment of the receiver (6) to a lesser sensitivity such that, for the two antennas (12, 14), the signals emitted by the sensors (100, 101) located on the same side as the antennas will be received whilst the signals emitted by the other sensors (110, 111) are not received.

3. Process for location according to claim 1, characterized in that in step b) and/or step c), the power analysis is carried out by adjusting the sensitivity of the receiver (6) such that the signal power received by the sensor to be identified and located near the inactive antenna will be weak, whilst the power of the signal received by the sensor to be identified and located near the active antenna will be substantially stronger, and in that the analysis of the power levels received is made so as to detect the position of the two sensors whose signals are analyzed.

4. Process for location according to claim 1, characterized in that in step b) and/or step c), the power analysis is carried out by decreasing the sensitivity of the receiver (6) until a single signal emitted by the sensors to be identified will still be received by the receiver (6), and in that a determination of the position of the two sensors to be identified is thus carried out.

5. Process for location according to claim 1, characterized in that step b) and/or c) is carried out twice in succession, once with the first antenna active and the second antenna inactive and the second time with the first antenna inactive and the second antenna active, and in that a step of correlation is provided to compare the results obtained in the course of these two analyses.

6. Process for location according to claim 1, characterized in that step c) is carried out several times in a repetitive manner and in that a statistical analysis of the results is carried out.

7. Device for location to practice a process according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a receiver (6), two antennas (12, 14), a switch with two inputs insulated from each other and one output, mounted such that the receiver (6) is connected to one or the other of the antennas, as well as a computer (8) for the control and management of the device.

8. Device for location according to claim 7, characterized in that the receiver (6) is integrated into the computer (8).

9. Device for location according to claim 7, characterized in that one antenna (12) is integrated into the computer (8) and in that the other antenna (14) is an external antenna.