Tire condition information collection appartus and relay apparatus thereof

• US 7,504,934 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Naito, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk; Samuel J
• Application Number:
  US10/555,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/442, 340/445, 340/447, 731/46
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0483 Wireless routers between wheel mounted transmitters and chassis mounted receivers

Abstract

The invention provides a tire condition information collection apparatus and a relay apparatus thereof, which corrects a predetermined physical quantity within tire by use of a predetermined physical quantity outside tire in a vicinity of tire to inform of the corrected physical quantity.

An air pressure and temperature of tire are detected by a detection apparatus 10 provided in each wheel 2. The detection data is transmitted from the detection apparatus 10 to a relay apparatus 20 disposed in the vicinity of each wheel by electromagnetic wave of a first frequency. When receiving the transmitted data, the relay apparatus 20 detects an atmospheric pressure and temperature in the vicinity of the wheel 2, and transmits the data to a main apparatus 30 along with the detection data received from the detection apparatus 10. The main apparatus 30 corrects the detection data of the detection apparatus 10 by use of the detection data of the relay apparatus 20, and displays the information obtained by applying the correction on a display panel to inform the driver of the information.

Claims

1. A tire condition information collection apparatus for detecting a predetermined physical characteristics of a vehicle tire to inform a driver or an administrator of information on a tire condition, the tire condition information collection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of detection apparatuses mounted on each tire;

a plurality of relay apparatuses disposed in a predetermined vehicle side position in a vicinity of each tire; and

a main apparatus for informing the driver or administrator of a result of detection of the physical characteristics of the tire, the tire condition information collection apparatus characterized in that the detection apparatus includes;

a sensor circuit which detects a predetermined first physical characteristic within the tire to output an electrical signal corresponding to the first physical characteristic; and

wireless communication means for wirelessly transmitting the result of detection as information within the tire by use of an electromagnetic wave of a first frequency based on the electrical signal outputted from the sensor circuit,

and the relay apparatus includes;

reception means for receiving the information within the tire transmitted from the wireless communication means of the detection apparatus;

outside-tire information detection means for detecting a predetermined second physical characteristic outside the tire in a vicinity of the self apparatus as information outside the tire;

transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the information within the tire and the information outside the tire by use of an electromagnetic wave of a second frequency;

means for holding specific identification information for each relay apparatus; and

means for transmitting the identification information of the relay apparatus along with the information within the tire and the information outside the tire,

and a main apparatus includes;

reception means for receiving the information within the tire and the information outside the tire transmitted from the relay apparatus;

information correction means for correcting the first physical characteristic based on the information within the tire by use of the second physical characteristic based on the information outside the tire according to the received information within the tire and information outside the tire; and

information informing means for informing of the information corrected by the information correction means as information on the tire condition.

2. The tire condition information collection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the information within the tire transmitted by the detection apparatus contains at least information on air pressure value within the tire;

the information correction means has means for correcting the air pressure value within the tire by use of the information outside the tire; and

the information informing means has means for informing of the corrected air pressure value Within the tire.

3. The tire condition information collection apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the information outside the tire contains an outside air pressure value in the vicinity of the relay apparatus; and

the information correction means has means for correcting the air pressure value within the tire by use of the outside air pressure value.

4. The tire condition information collection apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the information outside tire contains an outside air temperature value in the vicinity of the relay apparatus; and

the information correction means has means for correcting the air pressure value within the tire by use of the outside air temperature value.

5. The tire condition information collection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection apparatus includes:

means for holding specific identification information for each detection apparatus; and

means for transmitting the identification information of detection apparatus along with the information within the tire.

6. The tire condition information collection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the relay apparatus includes:

means for receiving an information request signal transmitted from the main apparatus; and

means for transmitting the information within the tire and the information outside fire when the information request signal is received.

9. The tire condition information collection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection apparatus includes:

means for detecting a temperature within the tire; and

means for transmitting the detected information on temperature within the tire as part of the information within the tire, and the relay apparatus includes;

means for detecting a temperature outside the tire; and

means for transmitting the detected information on temperature outside the tire as part of the information outside the tire, and the main apparatus includes means for issuing a warning based on the received information on temperature within the tire and the received information on temperature outside the tire when the temperature value within the tire is larger than the temperature value outside the tire by a predetermined value or more.

7. A tire condition information collection apparatus for detecting predetermined physical characteristics of a vehicle tire to inform a driver or an administrator of information on a tire condition, the tire condition information collection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of detection apparatuses mounted on each tire;

a plurality of relay apparatuses disposed in a predetermined vehicle side position in a vicinity of each tire; and

a main apparatus for informing the driver or administrator of a result of detection of the physical characteristics of the tire, the tire condition information collection apparatus characterized in that the detection apparatus includes;

a sensor circuit which detects a predetermined first physical characteristic within the tire to output an electrical signal corresponding to the first physical characteristic; and

wireless communication means for wirelessly transmitting the result of detection as information within the tire by use of an electromagnetic wave of a first frequency based on the electrical signal outputted from the sensor circuit,

and the relay apparatus includes;

reception means for receiving the information within the tire transmitted from the wireless communication means of the detection apparatus;

outside-tire information detection means for detecting a predetermined second physical characteristic outside the tire in a vicinity of the self apparatus as information outside the tire;

transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the information within the tire and the information outside the tire by use of an electromagnetic wave of a second frequency, storage means for storing specific identification information for each relay apparatus;

means for receiving the information request signal transmitted from the main apparatus; and

means for transmitting the identification information, the information within the tire and the information outside the tire when the received information request signal contains the self identification information,

and a main apparatus includes;

reception means for receiving the information within the tire and the information outside the tire transmitted from the relay apparatus;

information correction means for correcting the first physical characteristic based on the information within the tire by use of the second physical characteristic based on the information outside the tire according to the received information within the tire and information outside the tire; and

information informing means for informing of the information corrected by the information correction means as information on the tire condition.

8. A tire condition information collection apparatus for detecting a predetermined physical characteristics of a vehicle tire to inform a driver or an administrator of information on a tire condition, the tire condition information collection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of detection apparatuses mounted on each tire;

a plurality of relay apparatuses disposed in a predetermined vehicle side position in a vicinity of each tire; and

a main apparatus for informing the driver or administrator of a result of detection of the physical characteristics of the tire, the tire condition information collection apparatus characterized in that the detection apparatus includes;

a sensor circuit which detects a predetermined first physical characteristic within the tire to output an electrical signal corresponding to the first physical characteristic; and

wireless communication means for wirelessly transmitting the result of detection as information within the tire by use of an electromagnetic wave of a first frequency based on the electrical signal outputted from the sensor circuit,

and the relay apparatus includes;

reception means for receiving the information within the tire transmitted from the wireless communication means of the detection apparatus;

outside-tire information detection means for detecting a predetermined second physical characteristic outside the tire in a vicinity of the self apparatus as information outside the tire; and

transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the information within the tire and the information outside the tire by use of an electromagnetic wave of a second frequency,

wherein the outside-tire information detection means of the relay apparatus has means for detecting an ozone density in the vicinity of the tire as a third physical characteristic, and the transmission means of the relay apparatus has means for transmitting the third physical characteristic as part of the information outside the tire;

and the main apparatus includes;

reception means for receiving the information within the tire and the information outside the tire transmitted from the relay apparatus;

information correction means for correcting the first physical characteristic based on the information within the tire by use of the second physical characteristic based on the information outside the tire according to the received information within the tire and information outside the tire;

information informing means for informing of the information corrected by the information correction means as information on the tire condition;

means for estimating a degradation state of the tire based on the information on ozone density received from the relay apparatus; and

means for informing of the estimated degradation state of the tire.

10. A relay apparatus for use in a tire condition information collection apparatus including:

a plurality of detection apparatuses mounted on each tire of vehicle, detecting predetermined physical characteristics of the fire and wirelessly transmitting the result of detection by use of an electromagnetic wave;

a plurality of relay apparatuses disposed in a predetermined vehicle side position in a vicinity of each tire, wirelessly transmitting predetermined information containing the result of detection received from the detection apparatus by use of the electromagnetic wave of a predetermined frequency; and

a main apparatus informing a driver or an administrator of the information on the tire condition, the relay apparatus characterized by comprising;

reception means for receiving the result of detection transmitted from the detection apparatus as information within the tire;

outside-tire information detection means for detecting predetermined physical characteristics outside the tire in a vicinity of tire as information outside the tire

wherein said outside-tire information detection means has means for detecting as the physical characteristics an ozone density in the vicinity of the tire; and

transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the information within the tire and the information outside the tire to the main apparatus by use of electromagnetic wave of the predetermined frequency.

11. The relay apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the outside-tire information detection means has means for detecting as the physical characteristics of at least one of an outside air temperature and an outside air pressure in the vicinity of the tire.

12. The relay apparatus according to claim 10, characterized by comprising:

means for receiving an information request signal transmitted from The main apparatus; and

means for transmitting the information within the tire and the information outside the tire when the information request signal is received.

13. The relay apparatus according to claim 10, characterized by comprising:

storage means for storing specific identification information for each relay apparatus; and

means for transmitting the identification information along with the information within the tire and the information outside the tire.

14. The relay apparatus according to claim 10, characterized by comprising:

storage means for storing specific identification information for each relay apparatus;

means for receiving an information request signal transmitted from the main apparatus; and

means for transmitting the identification information, the information within the tire and the information outside the tire when The received information request signal contains the self identification information.

15. A relay apparatus for relaying a tire condition information, comprising:

an ID storage configured to store an ID unique to the relay apparatus, which is wirelessly transmittable;

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive first information indicative of conditions inside a tire installed in a motor vehicle;

a detector configured to detect second information indicative of conditions outside the tire; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the first information and the second information, and the ID.

16. The relay apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first information comprises a pressure and a temperature of the tire, and the second information comprises an ambient pressure and temperature in the vicinity of the tire.

17. A tire condition information collection system comprising:

at least one relay apparatus of claim 15; and

a main controller configured to wirelessly receive the first information, the second information, and the ID from the relay apparatus, to adjust the first information based on the second information, and to send the adjusted first information to a display panel.

18. The tire condition information collection system according to claim 17, wherein at least One relay apparatus comprises multiple relay apparatuses each being assigned to a different tire.