Wheel-state obtaining apparatus, and wheel-position-information obtaining method
First Claim
1. A wheel-state obtaining apparatus comprising (i) a plurality of wheel-side devices which are provided on respective wheels of a vehicle and each of which includes (a) a wheel-state sensor operable to detect a state of a corresponding one of the wheels, and (b) a wheel-side-information transmitting portion operable to transmit, by radio communication, wheel-side information including wheel-state data indicative of the state of said corresponding wheel and identification data identifying said each wheel-side device, and (ii) a body-side device provided on a body of the vehicle and including (c) at least one wheel-side-information receiving device operable to receive the wheel-side information transmitted from each of said plurality of wheel-side devices, and (d) an information processing device operable to process the wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving device, wherein an improvement comprises:
- said information processing device including a wheel-position-information obtaining portion operable to obtain wheel-position information indicative of a position of each of the wheels relative to said body, on the basis of the states of said plurality of wheels which are changed according to a predetermined rule.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wheel-state obtaining apparatus including wheel-side devices each operable to transmit wheel-side information in response to an abrupt change of a tire air pressure of a corresponding one of wheels, when the tire air pressures of the wheels are abruptly changed in a predetermined order by an operator of the apparatus, and a body-side device operable to receive the wheel-side information from the wheel-side devices in the same order, and obtain wheel-position information indicative of a position of each wheel, on the basis of the predetermined order and a state of reception of the wheel-side information, so that the wheel positions and the wheel-side devices can be automatically correlated with each other, with high accuracy and reliability, by simply changing the tire air pressures of the wheels in the predetermined order.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A wheel-state obtaining apparatus comprising (i) a plurality of wheel-side devices which are provided on respective wheels of a vehicle and each of which includes (a) a wheel-state sensor operable to detect a state of a corresponding one of the wheels, and (b) a wheel-side-information transmitting portion operable to transmit, by radio communication, wheel-side information including wheel-state data indicative of the state of said corresponding wheel and identification data identifying said each wheel-side device, and (ii) a body-side device provided on a body of the vehicle and including (c) at least one wheel-side-information receiving device operable to receive the wheel-side information transmitted from each of said plurality of wheel-side devices, and (d) an information processing device operable to process the wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving device, wherein an improvement comprises:
said information processing device including a wheel-position-information obtaining portion operable to obtain wheel-position information indicative of a position of each of the wheels relative to said body, on the basis of the states of said plurality of wheels which are changed according to a predetermined rule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A wheel-state obtaining apparatus comprising (i) a plurality of wheel-side devices which are provided on respective wheels of a vehicle and each of which includes (a) a wheel-state sensor operable to detect a state of a corresponding one of the wheels, and (b) a wheel-side-information transmitting portion operable to transmit, by radio communication, wheel-side information including wheel-state data indicative of the state of said corresponding wheel and identification data identifying said each wheel-side device, and (ii) a body-side device provided on a body of the vehicle and including (c) at least one wheel-side-information receiving device operable to receive the wheel-side information transmitted from each of said plurality of wheel-side devices, (d) an information processing device operable to process the wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving device, (e) a wheel-state indicator portion operable to indicate said wheel-state data included in said wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving portion, (f) an input portion manually operable to input wheel-position information indicative of a position of each of the wheels relative to the body, (g) a wheel-position-information memory portion for storing said wheel-position information input through said input portion, and (h) a wheel-position-information-memory control portion operable to store said wheel-position information in said wheel-position-information memory portion, wherein an improvement comprises:
said wheel-position-information-memory control portion being operable when said wheel-position information has been input through said input portion after the state of said corresponding wheel indicated by said wheel-state indicator portion is changed, said wheel-position-information-memory control portion storing, in said wheel-position-information memory portion, said identification data identifying the wheel-side device which has transmitted the wheel-side information including said wheel-state data which indicates a change of the state of said corresponding wheel, and said wheel-position information input through said input portion, such that said identification data and said wheel-position information are stored in said wheel-position-information memory portion, in relation to each other.
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22. A method of obtaining wheel-position information indicative of a position of each of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle, with a wheel-state obtaining apparatus comprising (i) a plurality of wheel-side devices which are provided on said plurality of wheels, respectively and each of which includes (a) a wheel-state sensor operable to detect a first state of a corresponding one of the wheels, and (b) a wheel-side-information transmitting portion operable to transmit, by radio communication, wheel-side information including at least one of first-wheel-state data indicative of said first state of said corresponding wheel and identification data identifying said each wheel-side device, in response to a change of a second state of said corresponding wheel to an extent exceeding a predetermined threshold, and (ii) a body-side device provided on said body of the vehicle and including (c) at least one wheel-side-information receiving device operable to receive the wheel-side information transmitted from each of said plurality of wheel-side devices, and (d) an information processing device operable to process the wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving device, said method comprising:
changing the second states of said plurality of wheels to said extent according to a predetermined rule, and obtaining said wheel-position information of each of said plurality of wheels, on the basis of said predetermined order and a state of reception by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving device of the wheel-side information transmitted from a corresponding one of said plurality of wheel-side devices. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of obtaining wheel-position information indicative of a position of each of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle, with a wheel-state obtaining apparatus comprising (i) a plurality of wheel-side devices which are provided on said plurality of wheels, respectively and each of which includes (a) a wheel-state sensor operable to detect a state of a corresponding one of the wheels, and (b) a wheel-side-information transmitting portion operable to transmit, by radio communication, wheel-side information including wheel-state data indicative of said state of said corresponding wheel and identification data identifying said each wheel-side device, and (ii) a body-side device provided on said body of the vehicle and including (c) at least one wheel-side-information receiving device operable to receive the wheel-side information transmitted from each of said plurality of wheel-side devices, (d) an information processing device operable to process the wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving device, (e) a wheel-state indicator portion operable to indicate said wheel-state data included in said wheel-side information received by said at least one wheel-side-information receiving portion, (f) an input portion manually operable to input wheel-position information indicative of a position of each of the wheels relative to the body, (g) a wheel-position-information memory portion for storing said wheel-position information input through said input portion, and (h) a wheel-position-information-memory control portion operable to store said wheel-position information in said wheel-position-information memory portion, the method comprising:
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sequentially changing the states of said plurality of wheels each of which is detected by said wheel-state sensor; inputting said wheel-position information through said input portion after confirming that the state of said each wheel indicated by said wheel-state indicator portion has been changed; and storing, in said wheel-position-information memory portion, said identification data identifying the wheel-side device which has transmitted the wheel-side information including said wheel-state data which indicates a change of the state of said corresponding wheel, and said wheel-position information input through said input portion, such that said identification data and said wheel-position information are stored in said wheel-position-information memory portion, in relation to each other.
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Specification