Smart time tire monitoring system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tire monitoring system, comprising:
- a tire sensor module configured to transmit tire data in a wireless fashion at a predetermined time interval; and
a vehicle control module configured to receive the tire data from the tire sensor module, and further configured to dictate the predetermined time interval at which the tire data is transmitted by the tire sensor module by transmitting predetermined time interval information to the tire sensor module in a program mode of operation.
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Abstract
A tire monitoring system and associated method includes a plurality of tire sensor modules configured to transmit tire data in a wireless fashion at a predetermined time interval. The system also includes a vehicle control module that is configured to receive the tire data from the tire sensor modules, and is further configured to dictate the predetermined time interval at which the tire data is transmitted by the tire sensor modules.
41 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A tire monitoring system, comprising:
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a tire sensor module configured to transmit tire data in a wireless fashion at a predetermined time interval; and a vehicle control module configured to receive the tire data from the tire sensor module, and further configured to dictate the predetermined time interval at which the tire data is transmitted by the tire sensor module by transmitting predetermined time interval information to the tire sensor module in a program mode of operation.
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2. A tire monitoring system, comprising:
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a tire sensor module configured to transmit tire data in a wireless fashion at a predetermined time interval; and a vehicle control module configured to receive the tire data from the tire sensor module, and further configured to dictate the predetermined time interval at which the tire data is transmitted by the tire sensor module, wherein the tire sensor module comprises; a battery; a tire parameter sensor coupled to the battery; a tire sensor controller coupled to the battery and the tire parameter sensor; a transceiver coupled to the battery and the tire sensor controller; and a clock circuit coupled to the battery and the tire sensor controller, wherein in a low power mode, the tire parameter sensor, the tire sensor controller, and the transceiver are switched off, thereby reducing a current draw on the battery, and wherein during the low power mode the clock circuit is powered on and operable to determine when the predetermined time interval is to be initiated. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. A tire monitoring system, comprising:
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a tire sensor module configured to transmit tire data in a wireless fashion at a predetermined time interval; a vehicle control module configured to receive the tire data from the tire sensor module, and further configured to dictate the predetermined time interval at which the tire data is transmitted by the tire sensor module, and further comprising five tire sensor modules, wherein one of the tire sensor modules is associated with a spare tire, and each of the remaining four tire sensor modules are associated with one of the vehicles tires of a vehicle in which the tire monitoring system resides, namely a right front tire, a left front tire, a right rear tire and a left rear tire, respectively, and wherein the vehicle control module is located physically closer to one of the vehicle tires than the others, and wherein the vehicle control module is further configured to identify a location of at least two of the tire sensor modules associated respectively with two of the vehicle tires based on a signal transmission strength therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A multi-mode tire monitoring system associated with a vehicle, comprising:
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a plurality of tire sensor modules, each tire sensor module comprising; a battery; a tire parameter sensor coupled to the battery; a tire sensor controller coupled to the battery and having a clock circuit associated therewith; a transceiver coupled to the battery; and a vehicle control module operably associated with the plurality of tire sensor modules, wherein in a factory mode of operation each of the tire sensor modules are in a low current mode of operation, and wherein each of the tire sensor modules are further configured to exit the low current mode of operation based on a wake-up command transmitted thereto from the vehicle control module and reenter low power mode based upon a transmission between the vehicle control module and the tire sensor module. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A tire monitoring system, comprising:
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a means for acquiring tire data and transmitting the tire data in a wireless fashion associated with each tire of a vehicle, wherein the means for acquiring and transmitting tire data further comprises clock means operable to keep track of a predetermined time interval, and wherein in time periods not associated with the predetermined time interval the means for acquiring and transmitting tire data is in a low power mode; and means for receiving the transmitted tire data and dictating a unique predetermined time interval in which tire data associated with each tire is transmitted by the tire data acquisition and transmission means, wherein the predetermined time intervals do not overlap in time with one another.
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19. A tire monitoring system, comprising:
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a means for acquiring tire data and transmitting the tire data in a wireless fashion associated with each tire of a vehicle; means for receiving the transmitted tire data and dictating a unique predetermined time interval in which tire data associated with each tire is transmitted by the tire data acquisition and transmission means, wherein the predetermined time intervals do not overlap in time with one another; and means for determining an identity and location of each means for acquiring and transmitting tire data by evaluating a signal strength of a signal transmitted by the means for acquiring and transmitting tire data. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of transmitting tire data from a plurality of tire sensor modules to a vehicle control module, comprising:
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assigning a predetermined time interval for transmission of the tire data to each of the tire sensor modules, the assignment performed by the vehicle control module, wherein each of the predetermined time intervals do not overlap with one another in time, and wherein the predetermined time intervals are transmitted to the sensor modules by the vehicle control module; and transmitting tire data from each tire sensor module to the vehicle control module during the respective predetermined time interval, thereby avoiding data collisions associated with the tire data at the vehicle control module. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of configuring a tire data acquisition system, comprising:
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maintaining each of a plurality of tire sensor modules in a low power condition in a factory mode of operation; and activating the plurality of tire sensor modules in a learn mode of operation by transmission of a wake-up command from a vehicle control module, wherein during the learn mode of operation each of the tire sensor modules send periodic amplitude modulated transmissions to the vehicle control module. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method of configuring a tire data acquisition system, comprising:
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maintaining each of a plurality of tire sensor modules in a low power condition in a factory mode of operation; activating the plurality of tire sensor modules in a learn mode of operation by transmission of a wake-up command from a vehicle control module identifying a location of each of the tire sensor modules; and assigning a predetermined time interval to each of the tire sensor modules during which tire data is transmitted from the respective tire sensor module to the vehicle control module, wherein the predetermined time intervals do not overlap one another in time. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of collecting tire data at a vehicle control module from a plurality of tire sensor modules associated with tires of a vehicle, comprising:
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identifying a tire location of each of the tire sensor modules; assigning a unique, variable predetermined time interval to each of the identified tire sensor modules, wherein the respective predetermined time intervals do not overlap in time, and wherein the predetermined time intervals are transmitted to the sensor modules by the vehicle control module; and transmitting tire data from a respective tire sensor module to the vehicle control module during each respective predetermined time interval, thereby avoiding tire data collisions at the vehicle control module. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification