Vehicle monitoring system and transponder thereof

• US 7,839,270 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimura, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nwugo; Ojiako
• Application Number:
  US11/722,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20100019881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 340442-449, 340/506, 340/539.1, 34053922-53929, 455/7, 455/9, 455/13.1, 455/14, 455/15, 375/211, 375/220, 701/29, 714/18
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/007 having multiple wheels arranged side by side
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0401 characterised by the type of alarm
• 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

A vehicle monitoring system which may easily identify information transmitted from each of detecting devices without registration of identification information of the detecting devices and a transponder thereof are provided. A display is disposed in a distal end of the transponders all connected in series through a cable. Each of the detecting devices detects conditions in a predetermined portion of a vehicle and transmits vehicle information including measurement results, its own identification information and the number of transmissions. Each of the transponders determines whether the vehicle information transmitted from the detecting devices is received or not based on the identification information of the detecting devices registered in advance, and transmits the vehicle information to the transponder connected to the transmitting side or the display, when it determines that the vehicle information is to be received. Also, the each transponder receives the vehicle information transmitted from the transponder connected to the receiving side, updating the number of transmissions included in the vehicle information and transmits the vehicle information to the transponder connected to the transmitting side or the display.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system, comprising:

a plurality of transponders connected in series via one or more cables;

one or more detectors, wherein each detector corresponds to a particular transponder and is configured to detect conditions in a particular predetermined portion of a vehicle and transmit vehicle data including condition data indicative of the conditions detected by the detector and identification data indicative of an identity of the detector; and

a display connected to one of the transponders disposed at a distal end of the plurality of transponders, and the display configured to receive and display the condition data;

wherein each transponder is configured to;

determine, for each detector from which vehicle data is transmitted, based on the identification data included in the transmitted vehicle data, whether to receive the transmitted vehicle data,

receive the vehicle data determined to receive,

receive, from a proximal-side transponder, vehicle data including a number of transmissions,

modify the vehicle data from the proximal-side transponder by incrementing the number of transmissions, and

transmit, to a distal-side transponder or the display, the received vehicle data from the one or more detectors and the modified vehicle data.

2. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display which transponder in the plurality of the transponders transmits the vehicle data based on the number of transmissions.

3. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more detectors are disposed at any of a plurality of predetermined locations defined for each type of vehicle, and at least one of the transponders is configured to add location data to the vehicle data based on the identification data and attaching location of the one or more detectors corresponding to the transponder.

4. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the display is configured to display which predetermined location of the plurality of the predetermined locations the vehicle data is transmitted from, based on the location data added to the vehicle data.

5. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the detectors comprises a sensor for detecting a predetermined physical quantity, and at least one of the transponders is configured to add warning data to the vehicle data based on the detected physical quantity and at least one predetermined threshold value.

6. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the display is configured to display a particular color indicative of the detected physical quantity based on the warning data.

7. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the display is configured to output audio indicative of the detected physical quantity based on the warning data.

8. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined physical quantity comprises at least one of an air pressure, temperature, humidity, distance and acceleration.

9. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a tractor and at least one trailer;

the each transponder is provided by at least one in each of the tractor and trailer; and

the display is provided in the tractor.

10. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the detectors comprises an antenna for transmitting the vehicle data; and

at least one of the transponders is configured to convert the vehicle data received via the antenna to a digital signal.

11. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the detectors is attached to each of all wheels provided in the vehicle.

12. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage for storing at least the detected physical quantity, the identification data and the number of transmissions.

13. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the detectors comprises a transmitter for transmitting the vehicle data having at least the detected physical quantity through a dedicated communication path; and

at least one of the transponders comprises a receiver for receiving the vehicle data transmitted from the at least one detector through the dedicated communication path, and a processor for adding path data indicative of the dedicated communication path to the vehicle data based on path identification data.

14. The vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a least one of the detectors comprises at least one sensor for detecting a state of “

ON” and

“

OFF”

of a predetermined switch provided in the vehicle.

15. A transponder connected in series with one or more other transponders via one or more cables of which a display is connected to one of the transponders disposed at a distal end of the transponders connected in series, the transponders to which one or more detectors are corresponding of which each transponder configured to detect conditions in a particular predetermined portion of a vehicle and transmit vehicle data including condition data indicative of the conditions detected by the detector and identification data indicative of an identity of the detector, the transponder comprising:

a processor configured to determine, for each detector from which vehicle data is transmitted, based on the identification data included transmitted vehicle data, whether to receive the transmitted vehicle data;

a first receiver configured to receive the vehicle data determined to receive;

a second receiver configured to receive, from a proximal-side transponder, vehicle data including a number of transmissions;

wherein the processor is further configured to modify the vehicle data from the proximal-side transponder by incrementing the number of transmissions; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, to a distal-side transponder or the display, the received vehicle data from the one or more and the modified vehicle data.

16. The transponder according to claim 15, wherein:

the detectors are attached to a predetermined location defined for each type of vehicle; and

the processor is further configured to add location data to the vehicle data based on the identification data and attaching location of a corresponding detector.

17. The transponder according to claim 15, wherein:

at least one of the detectors comprises a sensor for detecting a predetermined physical quantity; and

the processor is further configured to add warning data to the vehicle data based on the detected physical quantity and at least one predetermined threshold value.

18. The transponder according to claim 15, wherein:

at least one of the detectors comprises an antenna for transmitting the vehicle data;

the processor is configured to convert the vehicle data received via the antenna to a digital signal.

19. The transponder according to claim 15, wherein:

at least one of the detectors is configured to transmit the vehicle data through a dedicated communication path; and

the processor is configured to add path data indicative of the dedicated communication path to the vehicle data.