Tire theft detection device and method of detecting tire theft

• US 7,688,184 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Saitoh, Hideki, Shimomura, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHANNON, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/889,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 340/429, 340/440, 340/426.1, 34042611-42636, 340/686.1, 340/687, 340/689, 340/686.6
• US Class Current: 340/426.33
• 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: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001

Abstract

A tilt angle sensor detects a tilt angle of a vehicle and outputs a tilt angle signal indicative of the tilt angle. A tire-side communication element is disposed on a tire of the vehicle, and sends a reply signal in response to the tilt angle signal. A chassis-side communication element communicates with the tire-side communication element. A controller starts a communication between the tire-side and the chassis-side communication elements when the tilt angle signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold. The controller determines that the tire is stolen when the chassis-side communication element disables to receive the reply signal from the tire-side communication element.

Claims

1. A tire theft detection device comprising:

a tilt angle sensor for detecting a tilt angle of a vehicle and outputting a tilt angle signal indicative of the tilt angle;

a chassis-side communication element disposed on a chassis of the vehicle, the chassis-side communication element communicating with a tire-side communication element responsive to the tilt angle signal output from the tilt angle sensor;

the tire-side communication element disposed on a tire of the vehicle, the tire-side communication element sending a reply signal in response to the communication from the chassis-side communication element; and

a controller for starting the communication between the tire-side communication element and the chassis-side communication element when the tilt angle signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, wherein

the controller determines that the tire is stolen when the chassis-side communication element is unable to receive the reply signal.

3. The tire theft detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller causes the communication between the tire-side communication element and the chassis-side communication element for a predetermined period after the tilt angle sensor outputs the tilt angle signal.

4. The tire theft detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller causes the communication between the tire-side communication element and the chassis-side communication element while the tilt angle sensor outputs the tilt angle signal.

5. The tire theft detection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for memorizing an identification code given to the tire, wherein

the tire-side communication element sends the reply signal, which includes the identification code.

6. The tire theft detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the tire is one of a plurality of tires,

the tire-side communication element is arranged on each of the plurality of tires, and

the chassis-side communication element is located such that distances between the chassis-side communication element and the tire-side communication elements are different from each other.

7. The tire theft detection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm for raising an alarm of a theft of the tire when the controller determines that the tire is stolen.

8. The tire theft detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes a tire air pressure sensor for detecting an air pressure of the tire and outputting an air pressure signal indicative of the air pressure, and

the tire-side communication element uses the air pressure signal as the reply signal.

2. A tire theft detection device comprising:

a tilt angle sensor for detecting a tilt angle of a vehicle and outputting a tilt angle signal indicative of the tilt angle;

a chassis-side communication element disposed on a chassis of the vehicle, the chassis-side communication element communicating with a tire-side communication element responsive to the tilt angle signal output from the tilt angle sensor;

the tire-side communication element disposed on a tire of the vehicle, the tire-side communication element sending a reply signal in response to the communication from the chassis-side communication element; and

a controller for determining that the tire is stolen when the tilt angle signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, wherein

the controller starts the communication between the tire-side communication element and the chassis-side communication element when the tilt angle signal is smaller than the predetermined threshold, and determines that the tire is stolen when the chassis-side communication element is unable to receive the reply signal.

9. A method of detecting a tire theft comprising:

detecting a tilt angle of a vehicle by a tilt angle sensor;

outputting a tilt angle signal indicative of the tilt angle from a chassis-side communication element disposed on a chassis of the vehicle;

sending a request signal from the chassis-side communication element to a tire-side communication element disposed on a tire of the vehicle to request a reply to the chassis-side communication element when the tilt angle signal is equal to or larger than a first predetermined threshold; and

determining that the tire is stolen when the chassis-side communication is unable disables to receive a reply signal from the tire-side communication element.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the tire is stolen when the tilt angle signal is equal to or larger than a second predetermined threshold larger than the first predetermined threshold.