Wheel information-acquiring system and wheel installation position information-setting device

• US 7,577,500 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2004
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited), Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Maruyama, Tomohiro, Kitami, Takahide, Ebinuma, Toshimitsu, Nihei, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/553,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1- 2, 701/29, 701/36
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/007 having multiple wheels arranged side by side
• 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 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0472 to manually allocate ID codes or mounting positions, e.g. by service technicians
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations

Abstract

A wheel information-acquiring system (10) sends wheel information, such as a tire inner pressure, together with preset identification information from a transmitter provided on a wheel installed on a motor vehicle and causes a receiver to receive the transmitted information.

In the wheel information-acquiring system, a setting device (60) transmits by wireless an ID, which the setting device is causing a transmitter (16a) to set, to the transmitter (16a) and causes the transmitter (16a) to set the ID. The setting device then transmits by wireless this ID and wheel installation position information, which is separately set and input, to the receiver, causing the receiver to map the ID and the wheel installation position information and then set and register the result of the mapping. The setting device also can acquire an ID unique to the transmitter (16a) and transmit the ID and wheel installation position information to the receiver. The structure makes it possible that the installation position of a wheel having wheel information received by the receiver is reliably specified. Thus the system with excellent durability and the wheel installation position information-setting device that realizes the system are provided.

Claims

1. A wheel information-acquiring system which includes:

a first communication device disposed in a wheel to transmit by radio wheel information regarding the wheel together with identification information that the first communication device holds; and

a second communication device disposed in a vehicle body in which the wheel is installed to receive the wheel information and the identification information transmitted from the first communication device,

the wheel information-acquiring system comprising a setting device that acquires the identification information held by the first communication device, transmits by radio the identification information and installation position information set and input of the wheel in the vehicle body to the second communication device, and causes the second communication device to correlate the identification information and the installation position information with each other and to set and register a result of the correlation,

wherein the second communication device refers to the result of the correlation to acquire an installation position of the wheel having the wheel information in the vehicle body, from the identification information which is transmitted from the first communication device and is received together with the wheel information.

2. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein the setting device makes an inquiry by radio about the identification information that the first communication device holds to the first communication device, and the first communication device returns by radio the identification information that the first communication device holds to the setting device to allow the setting device to acquire the identification information of the first communication device.

3. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel information is measurement data measured by a sensor connected to the first communication device.

4. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a tire inner pressure sensor fixed to the wheel and a temperature sensor installed in the wheel.

5. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device is disposed in each of front and rear wheels, and a receiver of the second communication device is disposed in the vicinity of the first communication device at least separately from each of the front and rear wheels.

6. A wheel information-acquiring system which includes:

a first communication device disposed in a wheel to transmit wheel information regarding the wheel by radio; and

a second communication device disposed in a vehicle body in which the wheel is installed to receive the wheel information transmitted from the first communication device,

the wheel information-acquiring system comprising a setting device that transmits by radio identification information to be set by the first communication device by radio to the first communication device, causes the first communication device to set the identification information, transmits by radio the set identification information and installation position information set and input of the wheel in the vehicle body to the second communication device, and causes the second communication device to correlate the identification information and the installation position information with each other and to set and register a result of the correlation,

wherein the first communication device transmits the set identification information together with the wheel information to the second communication device; and

the second communication device refers to the result of the correlation to acquire an installation position of the wheel having the wheel information in the vehicle body from the identification information received together with the wheel information.

7. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 6, wherein the wheel information is measurement data measured by a sensor connected to the first communication device.

8. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 7, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a tire inner pressure sensor fixed to the wheel and a temperature sensor installed in the wheel.

9. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 6, wherein the first communication device is disposed in each of front and rear wheels, and a receiver of the second communication device is disposed in the vicinity of the first communication device at least separately from each of the front and rear wheels.

10. A setting device of vehicle installation position information used for causing a second communication device disposed in a vehicle body in which a wheel is installed to acquire an installation position of the wheel having wheel information in the vehicle body when the wheel information regarding the wheel is transmitted by radio from a first communication device disposed in the wheel together with identification information that the first communication device holds, and the second communication device receives the transmitted wheel information and the identification information,

wherein the setting device makes an inquiry by radio about the identification information held by the first communication device to the first communication device, and transmit the identification information returned from the first communication device in response to the inquiry together with set and input installation position information of the wheel by radio to the second communication device to cause the second communication device to correlate the identification information and the installation position information with each other and to set and register a result of the correlation.

11. A setting device of vehicle installation position information used for causing a second communication device disposed in a vehicle body in which a wheel is installed to acquire an installation position of the wheel having wheel information in the vehicle body, when the wheel information regarding the wheel is transmitted by radio from a first communication device disposed in the wheel together with set identification information, and the second communication device receives the transmitted wheel information and the identification information,

wherein identification information to be set by the first communication device is transmitted by radio to the first communication device to cause the first communication device to set the identification information, and the set identification information and installation position information set and input of the wheel are transmitted by radio to the second communication device to cause the second communication device to correlate the identification information and the installation position information with each other and to set and register a result of the correlation.

12. A wheel information-acquiring system comprising:

a first communication device provided in a wheel installed on a motor vehicle for wirelessly outputting an ID unique to the wheel and wheel information including a tire inner pressure of the wheel;

a second communication device provided in a vehicle body of the motor vehicle for receiving the ID and the wheel information outputted from the first communication device; and

a setting device storing the ID of the wheel and installation position information indicating the position of the wheel in the motor vehicle, said setting device configured to wirelessly transmit to the second communication device the ID and the installation position information and to cause the second communication device to register a relationship between the ID and the installation position information,

wherein the second communication device is configured to correlate the wheel information with the installation position information based on the ID and the wheel information received from the first communication device and the registered relationship between the ID and the installation position information.

13. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein the setting device is configured to acquire the ID wirelessly from the first communication device and store the ID.

14. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein the setting device is configured to set the ID and wirelessly provide the ID to the first communication device.

15. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein the second communication device is further configured to compare values included in the wheel information and target values stored in the second communication device.

16. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 15, further comprising a display installed in the motor vehicle for showing a result of the comparison of the values.

17. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein the wheel information further includes a temperature of the wheel.

18. The wheel information-acquiring system according to claim 17, further comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor installed in the wheel which are connected to the first communication device.

19. The wheel information acquiring system according to claim 12, further comprising another first communication device provided in another wheel installed on the motor vehicle and another second communication device communicating with the other first communication device and the setting device, wherein the other first communication device and the second communication device have the same configurations as the first communication device and the second communication device.