Tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly equipped with a device for counting the number or rotations

• US 7,617,722 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Beranger, Marc, Villard, Marie-Jose, Vial, Franck, Daumas, Franck, Penot, Thierry, Liberge, Franck
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US11/700,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 73146-1468, 340442-447
• US Class Current: 73/146
• 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/045 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes being not part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking

Abstract

In an electronic device for counting the number of rotations for a tire and wheel assembly, a storage means holds counting information (NbRot) intended to represent the number of rotations counted at each moment. The counting information (NbRot) represents the number of rotations counted from a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly configured to count a number of rotations, the tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly comprising:

a storage means for containing counting information (NbRot) representing a number of rotations counted at each moment, and

means for ensuring absence of zeroing of the storage means from a predetermined time so that the counting information (NbRot) represents the number of rotations counted from the predetermined time.

2. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 1, in which the means for ensuring the absence of zeroing comprise means of conditional zeroing of the storage means.

3. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 2, further comprising means of receiving a request to send data transmitted by an external device able to communicate with the tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly, a request intended to produce a zeroing of the tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly is encrypted, and an encrypting key is placed in the external device.

4. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 2, in which said conditional zeroing means are able to zero the storage means if and only if at least two distinct conditions are fulfilled.

5. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 4, further comprising means for receiving a request to send data, wherein a first one of the conditions consists of reception of the request.

6. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a microcircuit, wherein a second one of the conditions consists of a predetermined voltage on a pin of the microcircuit.

7. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 2, in which the means for ensuring the absence of zeroing comprise means of counting a number of zeroings (NbRAZ) of the storage means.

8. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 7, in which the counting means are able to store the number of zeroings (NbRAZ) in a non-volatile memory.

9. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 7, in which the counting means comprise at least one fusible component operable to be blown at a time of a zeroing.

10. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 9, in which the tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly is disabled when a last fusible component is blown.

11. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 7, further comprising data transmission means, wherein the transmission means are able to transmit information (NbRAZ) relating to the number of zeroings.

12. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 2, further comprising means for initializing the tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly to zero the storage means at the predetermined time.

13. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 12, in which the initialization means are able to store a predetermined code (CODE) in a first part of a random access memory.

14. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 13, in which a second part of the random access memory forms the storage means.

15. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 14, in which the means for ensuring the absence of zeroing comprise means for verifying a presence of the predetermined code in the first part of the random access memory.

16. The tire, wheel or assembly according to claim 15, further comprising means for transmitting the counting information, said transmitting means are able to send the counting information only in case of positive verification by the verification means.

17. A method for equipping and characterizing a tire, wheel or tire and wheel assembly to count a number of rotations of an object in a reference frame, in which a storage means holds counting information (NbRot) representing a number of rotations counted at each moment, and means for ensuring absence of zeroing of the storage means from a predetermined time so that the counting information (NbRot) represents the number of rotations counted since the predetermined time.