Allocation method for a combined tire pressure monitoring system in a motor vehicle

• US 7,503,210 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Koukes, Vladimir, Lauer, Peter, Kobe, Andreas, Stolzl, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Application Number:
  US10/571,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 731/465, 731/46, 340/442, 340/447
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

An allocation method combines two tire pressure monitoring systems in motor vehicles being equipped with pressure measuring modules. Each pressure measuring module records a value responsive to the tire inflation pressure and sends the latter to a receiving unit connected to an evaluating device together with an individual identification code (IDx) allocated to the respective pressure measuring module. Signals about the rotational speed of each one wheel being sensed by wheel rotational speed sensors are transmitted to the evaluating device, and since the installation positions y of the wheels at the vehicle are known to the evaluating device, the wheels at the vehicle are known, and the allocation method is performed by taking into consideration established probability values W_IDx_y, with the probability values W_IDx_y describing a frequency distribution which indicates how often pressure measuring modules with the identification codes IDx are detected as pertaining to the installation positions y.

Claims

1. An allocation method for a combined tire pressure monitoring system in motor vehicles, at least partly comprising wheels with pneumatic tires being equipped with pressure measuring modules, and each pressure measuring module records a tire inflation pressure or a value responsive to the tire inflation pressure and sends the latter to a receiving unit connected to an evaluating device by using a transmitting unit connected to the respective pressure measuring module together with an individual identification code (IDx) allocated to the respective pressure measuring module, and wherein signals about the rotational speed of each one wheel being sensed by means of wheel rotational speed sensors are transmitted to the evaluating device, and the installation positions y (VL:

front left, VR;

front right, HL;

rear left, HR;

rear right) of the wheels at the vehicle are known to the evaluating device,

wherein the allocation method comprises the step of taking into consideration established probability values W_IDx_y, the probability values W_IDx_y describing a frequency distribution which indicates how often pressure measuring modules with the identification codes IDx are identified as pertaining to the installation positions y.

2. The allocation method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the allocation method including the step of allocating a pressure measuring module with an identification code IDx to an installation position y when the probability value W_IDx_y of the pressure measuring module with the identification code IDx is higher than a probability threshold W_max and is considerably higher than all other calculated probability values.

3. The allocation method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probability values W_IDx_y are calculated when an identification code counter C_IDx has reached or exceeded a predetermined maximum value C_IDmax.

4. The allocation method as claimed in claim 3, including the step of raising the identification code counter C_IDx by a fixed value when a pressure measuring module with the associated identification IDx records a tire inflation pressure which falls below a threshold, and tire inflation pressure loss is inferred from this condition.

5. The allocation method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a count of a counter C_IDx-Y describes a frequency how often a pressure measuring module with the identification code IDx is allocated to an installation position y.

6. The allocation method as claimed in claim 5, including the step of raising the count of the counter C_IDx_y by a first fixed value when exactly one pressure measuring module with the identification code IDx is allocated to exactly one installation position y.

7. The allocation method as claimed in claim 5, including the step of raising the counts of several counters C_IDx_y by a second fixed value when several pressure measuring modules with the respective identification codes IDx are allocated to several installation positions y.

8. The allocation method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the probability values W_IDx_y are obtained essentially by producing quotients from the counters C_IDx_y and identification code counters IDx.

9. The allocation method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the installation position y is identified when at least one wheel rotates faster than at least one other wheel.

10. A system for the allocation of tires of a vehicle, comprising pressure measuring modules, a receiving unit, an evaluating device, each pressure measuring module capable of recording a value corresponding to the tire inflation pressure and of sending the latter to the receiving unit connected to the evaluating device by using a transmitting unit connected to the respective pressure measuring module together with an individual identification code (IDx) allocated to the respective pressure measuring module,

the system further comprising wheel rotational speed sensors capable of providing signals about the rotational speed of each one wheel being sensed and and identification codes identifying the installation positions y (VL:

front left, VR;

front right, HL;

rear left, HR;

rear right) of the wheels to the evaluating device,

wherein the evaluating device is capable of taking into consideration established probability values W_IDx_y, the probability values W_IDx_y describing a frequency distribution which indicates how often pressure measuring modules with the identification codes IDx are identified as pertaining to the installation positions y.