Wheel state monitoring system and wheel state detecting apparatus

• US 7,661,299 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusunoki, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US12/020,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 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 23/044 Near field triggers, e.g. magnets or triggers with 125 KHz
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring system, that includes a plurality of the wheel state detection unit, provided at wheel of a vehicle, and that transmits detected wheel state information. A request signal transmitter transmits a request signal to request transmission of the detected wheel state information. When each wheel state detection unit receives the request signal, it transmits the detected wheel state together with the indication information indicating that the wheel state is detected in response to the transmission request signal. The ECU sets a determination threshold value for triggering an alert regarding tire pressure based on the detected wheel state information transmitted from the plurality of wheel state detection units.

Claims

1. A wheel state monitoring system, for a vehicle body that includes a plurality of wheels, the wheel state monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of wheel state detection units, wherein each wheel state detection unit is mounted to a corresponding wheel, each wheel state detection unit detects a wheel state for the corresponding wheel and each wheel state detection unit transmits wheel state information that indicates the wheel state;

a transmitter, mounted on the vehicle body, that transmits a request signal that requests the wheel state information; and

a receiver, mounted on the vehicle body, that receives the wheel state information transmitted from each wheel state detection unit,

wherein, when each wheel state detection unit receives the request signal, each wheel state detection unit transmits the wheel state information, together with instructions information which indicates that the wheel state is detected by each wheel state detection unit, at a moment when each wheel state detection unit initially receives the request signal from the transmitter mounted on the vehicle body, and

wherein each respective wheel state detection unit stores the wheel state information generated in response to the request signal in a memory until the respective wheel state detection unit receives a confirmation signal from the vehicle body that the wheel state information has been received by the receiver mounted on the vehicle body.

2. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit, provided on the vehicle body, that sets a threshold value used for triggering an alert regarding a tire pressure based on the wheel state information transmitted from the wheel state detection unit.

3. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter transmits the request signal in response to a driver input, and the setting unit sets the threshold value when the wheel state satisfies a predetermined condition.

4. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the request signal in response to a driver input made when the wheel state satisfies a predetermined condition.

5. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter transmits the request signal when the vehicle is stopped.

6. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel state detection unit periodically transmits the wheel state information.

7. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel state detection unit receives the confirmation signal from the transmitter mounted on the vehicle body.

8. A wheel state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the wheel state is a tire pressure.

9. A wheel state detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each wheel state detection unit includes an acceleration sensor,

wherein each wheel state detection unit transmits the wheel state information based on an acceleration amount detected by the acceleration sensor.

10. A wheel state detection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each wheel state detection unit transmits the wheel state for a predetermined period of time when the vehicle is stopped, each wheel state detection unit then stops transmitting the wheel state, and then each wheel state detection unit retransmits the wheel state when the acceleration sensor detects that the vehicle begins to move.

11. A wheel state detection apparatus comprising:

a detector that detects a wheel state;

a receiver that receives a transmission request signal;

a memory that stores the wheel state detected by the detector when the receiver receives the transmission request signal, with an instructions information that indicates that the wheel state is detected in response to the transmission request signal, wherein the wheel state is associated with the instructions information; and

a transmitter that transmits the wheel state stored in the memory, together with the instructions information,

wherein the detection apparatus deletes the wheel state from the memory when the receiver receives a confirmation signal that the wheel state transmitted by the transmitter has been received.

12. A wheel state detection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the transmitter periodically transmits the wheel state information.

13. A wheel state detection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the wheel state is a tire pressure.

14. A wheel state detection apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an acceleration sensor,

wherein the transmitter transmits the wheel state based on an acceleration amount detected by the acceleration sensor.

15. A wheel state detection apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the wheel state detector is mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, and wherein the transmitter transmits the wheel state for a predetermined period of time when the vehicle is stopped, the transmitter then stops transmitting the wheel state, and then the transmitter retransmits the wheel state when the acceleration sensor detects that the vehicle begins to move.

16. A wheel state monitoring method for a wheel state monitoring system, provided in a vehicle body including a plurality of wheels, that includes a plurality of wheel state detection units, each mounted on a corresponding wheel, and each transmits wheel state information;

a transmitter, mounted on a vehicle body, that transmits a request signal for the wheel state information; and

a receiver, mounted on the vehicle body, that receives the wheel state information transmitted from the wheel state detection units, the method comprising;

transmitting the wheel state, together with instructions information that indicates that the wheel state is detected by each wheel state detection unit at a moment when each wheel state detection unit receives the request signal;

storing the wheel state information generated in response to the request signal in a memory of each respective wheel state detection unit until the respective wheel state detection unit receives a confirmation signal from the vehicle body that the wheel state information has been received by the receiver mounted on the vehicle body; and

deleting the wheel state information from the memory of the respective wheel state detection unit once the confirmation signal is received by the respective wheel state detection unit.