Sensor ID registration method of tire air pressure monitoring apparatus

• US 7,373,228 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Itou, Shintarou, Taguchi, Akihiro, Okumura, Ryozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/751,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/29, 701/32, 701/36, 701/35, 340/445, 340/446, 340/447, 340/448, 731/462
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0415 Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

In a method for providing identification registration of a tire air pressure monitoring apparatus, an external equipment receives transmission data including the sensor identification from transmitters. The external equipment identifies the transmitter that transmitted the transmission data based upon the transmission data and registers the identified transmitter at the receiver.

Claims

1. A method for providing registration of a sensor identification associated with a tire air pressure monitoring apparatus, the tire air pressure monitoring apparatus comprising a transmitter for measuring tire air pressure and for transmitting transmission data including measured air pressure and the sensor identification in a communication to a receiver and an external unit, the method comprising:

receiving at the external unit the transmission data including the sensor identification from the transmitter;

identifying the transmitter that transmitted the transmission data based upon the transmission data, wherein the identifying includes;

comparing the sensor identification with a previously set sensor identification;

registering the sensor identification in the receiver through a communication between the external unit and the receiver if the sensor identification matches the previously set sensor identification;

determining if the transmitter has initially been registered at the receiver; and

registering the sensor identification for the transmitter when the transmitter has been determined not to have been initially registered;

wherein when it is determined that the transmitter has been initially registered at the receiver, registering a new transmitter identification for the transmitter if the transmitter has been selected to be rewritten.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initially prohibiting the receiver from registering the transmitter by wireless communication.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a relationship between the transmitter to be registered and a tire position and subsequently registering the relationship of the tire position together with the identified transmitter at the receiver.

4. A method according to any one of claim 1, wherein communication between the transmitter and the external unit is performed by wireless communication, and communication between the receiver and the external unit is performed by a wired connection.

5. A method for providing identification registration for a tire air pressure monitoring apparatus, the tire air pressure monitoring apparatus comprised of a plurality of transmitters and a receiver, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of sensor identification data from the plurality of transmitters, respectively, wherein each of the sensor identification data identifies a sensor at a respective one of the plurality of transmitters;

identifying each of the plurality of transmitters from the plurality of sensor identification data, wherein the identifying comprises determining if each of the plurality of sensor identification data matches with each of a plurality of set identification data stored in a receiver memory and repeating the identifying if no match is determined;

registering the identified plurality of transmitters at the receiver;

determining if each of the plurality of transmitters has initially been registered at the receiver;

registering the sensor identification for the each of the plurality of transmitters when the each has been determined not to have been initially registered; and

wherein when it is determined that the each of the plurality of transmitters has been initially registered at the receiver, registering a new transmitter identification for the each of the plurality of transmitters if the each of the plurality of transmitters has been selected to be rewritten.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising setting a relationship between the plurality of transmitters and respective tire positions, wherein the registering of the identified plurality of transmitters further includes registering the relationship of the tire position together with the identified transmitters.

7. A method for registering a sensor associated with a tire air pressure monitoring apparatus, the tire air pressure monitoring apparatus comprising a transmitter for measuring tire air pressure and for transmitting data including measured air pressure and sensor identification data to a receiver, the method comprising:

entering sensor identification information that identifies the sensor into an external unit, which is separate from the receiver and communicates with the receiver;

transmitting data including the sensor identification data from the transmitter to the external unit;

receiving the sensor identification data with the external unit and storing the sensor identification data in the external unit;

with the external unit, determining whether the sensor identification data received by the external unit from the transmitter and the previously entered sensor identification information identify the same transmitter;

registering the sensor in the receiver through a communication between the external unit and the receiver if it is determined that the sensor identification data and the sensor identification information identify the same transmitter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes, prior to entering the sensor identification information in the external unit, prohibiting the receiver from registering the transmitter by wireless communication between the transmitter and the receiver.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising, prior to registering the transmitter, setting a relationship between the transmitter and a tire position and subsequently registering the relationship together with the transmitter in the receiver.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein communication between the transmitter and the external unit is performed wirelessly.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein communication between the receiver and the external unit is performed by a wired connection.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, prior to registering the transmitter, connecting the external unit to the receiver to form the wired connection.