Method and device for localization of the position of a wheel of a vehicle

• US 7,920,057 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Costes, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/997,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 340/444, 340/438, 340/425.5, 340/441, 340/443, 340/445, 340/447
• US Class Current: 340/444
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0444 Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for localization of the position of a wheel (2) of a vehicle (1). According to the method of the invention, the vehicle (1) is equipped with two transmitting antennas—a lateral antenna (11) and a frontal antenna (13) —placed so as to have coverage zones comprising a common zone in which is located the wheel (2) to be localized, and the transmission by the two transmitting antennas (11 and 13) of two identical, in phase identification request signals of powers suited to obtain in the area of wheel (2) to be localized a resulting signal of power greater than the detection threshold of an electronic box (6) with which said wheel is equipped is ordered simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method for localization of a position of a wheel (2) of a vehicle (1), the vehicle being equipped with a central unit (15), a transmitting frontal antenna (13, 14) connected to said central unit, and a transmitting lateral antenna (11, 12) connected to said central unit, said lateral antenna and said frontal antenna placed so as to have coverage zones comprising a common zone in which the wheel (2) to be localized is located, the wheel (2) equipped with an electronic box (6) configured for, upon receiving an identification request signal with a power greater than a predetermined detection threshold, transmitting to the central unit signals representing operational parameters of the wheel and an identification code for the wheel, said method comprising the steps of:

the central unit simultaneously ordering the transmission by the frontal antenna and the lateral antenna of two identical, in-phase, identification request signals, a power of a combination of the two said identification request signals, within the common zone in which the wheel (2) to be localized is located, being greater than the predetermined detection threshold of the wheel (2); and

the electronic box, of the wheel receiving the combination of the two said identification request signals, responsively transmitting to the central unit the signals representing the operational parameters of the wheel and the identification code for the wheel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is further equipped with a transmitting rear antenna (14) connected to said central unit, another transmitting lateral antenna (12) connected to said central unit, the another lateral antenna (12) being a right side antenna (12) located on a right side of the vehicle, the transmitting lateral antenna (11) being a left side antenna (11) located on a left side of the vehicle, said frontal antenna being a front antenna (13), said method further comprising:

said central unit selectively operating said front antenna (13), said rear antenna (14), said left side antenna, and said right side antenna as four pairs of transmitting antennas, the four pairs of transmitting antennas being

i) the front antenna (13) and the right side antenna (12) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a right front wheel (3),

ii) the front antenna (13) and the left side antenna (11) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a left front wheel (2),

iii) the rear antenna (14) and the right side antenna (12) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a right rear wheel (5), and

iv) the rear antenna (14) and the left side antenna (11) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a left rear wheel (4),

each wheel being equipped with one of said electronic box (6, 7, 8, 9);

said central unit successively selectively ordering a simultaneous and in phase transmission by a different pair of the transmitting antennas so as to identify successively each of the corresponding left front wheel, right front wheel, right rear wheel, and left rear wheel.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using an electronic remote (16), in communication with at least one of said transmitting antennas, to enable access to the vehicle and to start the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a left front wheel, a right front wheel, a left rear wheel, and a right rear wheel, each wheel being equipped with one of said electronic box (6, 7, 8, 9), the vehicle further equipped with another transmitting lateral antenna (12a) connected to said central unit, the transmitting lateral antenna (11a) being a left side antenna (11a) located on a left side of the vehicle near one of the left rear wheel and the left front wheel, the another lateral antenna (12a) being a right side antenna (12a) located on a right side of the vehicle near one of the front right wheel and the rear right wheel, said frontal antenna being one of a front antenna (13) and a rear antenna (14) and located at an end of the vehicle opposite the left side antenna and the right side antenna, said method further comprising:

said central unit selectively operating respectively one of said left side antenna (11a) and said right side antenna (12a) to transmit an identification request signal both greater than the predetermined detection threshold of the electronic box of the corresponding wheel located near said one antenna, the identification request signal being less than the predetermined detection threshold of the electronic boxes of the other wheels not near said one antenna; and

said central unit simultaneously operating said frontal antenna and selectively operating one of said left side antenna (11a) and said right side antenna (12a) to transmit two identical, in-phase, identification request signals to thereby

a) respectively create one of i) coverage zones with a common zone for the one of the left side wheels near the frontal antenna, and ii) coverage zones with a common zone for the one of the right side wheels near the frontal antenna, and

b) respectively transmit an identification request signal within the common zone having a power both greater than the predetermined detection threshold of the electronic box of the corresponding wheel located within the common zone, the identification request signal being less than the predetermined detection threshold of the electronic boxes of the other wheels not within the common zone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein,

the left side antenna (11a) is located within a left turn signal repeater of the vehicle,

the right side antenna (12a) is located within a right turn signal repeater, and

the frontal antenna (14) is positioned near a rear axle of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises four wheels, each wheel having one of the electronic box (6, 7, 8, 9), and the vehicle is further equipped with a power supply for said transmitting frontal and transmitting lateral antennas, the power supply comprised of a step-up transformer configured for providing, during the transmission by each of the two transmitting antennas (11c, 14) of signals having in the area of each of the wheels located in a coverage zone of said antennas, a power greater than the detection threshold of the electronic box of the corresponding wheel, said method comprising:

performing a first localization procedure for a first one of the wheels during which first localization procedure the two antennas (11c and 14) are supplied by the step-up transformer, including transmitting by a first of the two antennas (11c) of an identification request signal, simultaneously with the transmission of the identification request signal, transmission by a second of the two antennas (14) of a parasite signal designed to jam the identification request signal;

performing a second localization procedure for a second one of the wheels during which second localization procedure the two antennas (11c and 14) are supplied by the step-up transformer, including transmitting by the second of the two antennas (11c) of an identification request signal, simultaneously with the transmission of the identification request signal, transmission by the first of the two antennas (14) of a parasite signal designed to jam the identification request signal; and

performing a third localization procedure for a third of the wheels, during which third localization procedure the two antennas (11c and 14) are not supplied by the step-up transformer, including the simultaneous transmission by the two antennas (11c and 14) of two identical, in phase identification request signals of powers sufficient for obtaining, in a common zone of the coverage zones of said antennas including the third of the wheels, a resulting signal of power greater than the detection threshold of the electronic box (8) of the third of the wheels.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identification request signals comprise Manchester coded signals.

8. A device for localization of the position of a wheel (2) of a vehicle (1), comprising:

a central unit (15),

a transmitting frontal antenna (13, 14) connected to said central unit,

a transmitting lateral antenna (11, 12) connected to said central unit,

said lateral antenna and said frontal antenna placed so as to have coverage zones comprising a common zone in which the wheel (2) to be localized is located,

the wheel (2) equipped with an electronic box (6) configured for, upon receiving an identification request signal with a power greater than a predetermined detection threshold, transmitting to the central unit signals representing operational parameters of the wheel and an identification code for the wheel,

wherein the central unit (15) implements a localization procedure comprising of simultaneously ordering the transmission by the frontal antenna and the lateral antenna of two identical, in-phase, identification request signals, a power of a combination of the two said identification request signals, within the common zone in which the wheel (2) to be localized is located, being greater than the predetermined detection threshold of the wheel (2).

9. The device of claim 8, wherein in response to the electronic box of the wheel receiving the combination of the two said identification request signals, the electronic box is configured to transmit to the central unit the signals representing the operational parameters of the wheel and the identification code for the wheel.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

one of said electronic box (6, 7, 8, 9) located on each of four wheels of the vehicle;

a transmitting rear antenna (14) connected to said central unit and located on a rear of the vehicle;

another transmitting lateral antenna (12) connected to said central unit, the another lateral antenna (12) being a right side antenna (12) located on a right side of the vehicle,

said frontal antenna being a front antenna (13) located on a front of the vehicle,

said transmitting lateral antenna (11) being a left side antenna (11) located on a left side of the vehicle,

said transmitting antennas position on the vehicle to form four antenna pairs, the four pairs of transmitting antennas being

i) the front antenna (13) and the right side antenna (12) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a right front wheel (3),

ii) the front antenna (13) and the left side antenna (11) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a left front wheel (2),

iii) the rear antenna (14) and the right side antenna (12) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a right rear wheel (5), and

iv) the rear antenna (14) and the left side antenna (11) pair having a coverage zone comprising a common zone covering a left rear wheel (4),

wherein said central unit implements a successive selectively ordering of a simultaneous and in phase transmission by a different two of the transmitting antennas so as to identify successively each of the corresponding left front wheel, right front wheel, right rear wheel, and left rear wheel.

11. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

an electronic remote (16), in communication with at least one of said transmitting antennas, enabling access to the vehicle and starting of the vehicle.

12. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a left front wheel, a right front wheel, a left rear wheel, and a right rear wheel, each wheel being equipped with one of said electronic box (6, 7, 8, 9);

with another transmitting lateral antenna (12a) connected to said central unit, said another lateral antenna (12a) being a right side antenna (12a) located on a right side of the vehicle near one of the front right wheel and rear right wheel,

said transmitting lateral antenna (11a) being a left side antenna (11a) located on a left side of the vehicle near one of the left rear wheel and the left front wheel,

said frontal antenna being one of a front antenna (13) and a rear antenna (13) and located at an end of the vehicle opposite the left side antenna and the right side antenna, wherein,

the central unit (15) implements a first localization procedure comprising successively ordering the transmission, by each of the left side antenna and right side antenna, of an identification request signal having a power both greater than the detection threshold of the electronic box of the wheel located near said lateral antenna and also less than the detection threshold of the other electronic boxes so as to successively localize each of the left wheel (2) and the right wheel (3) located near said lateral antennas, and

the central unit (15) implements a second localization procedure comprising ordering the simultaneous transmission, by one lateral antenna (11a) and the frontal antenna (14), of two identical, in phase identification request signals of powers for obtaining in the area of the wheel (4) located in a common zone of the coverage zones of said one lateral and frontal antennas, a resulting signal of power greater than the detection threshold of the electronic box (8) of said wheel.

13. The device of claim 12,

the left side antenna (11a) is located within a left turn signal repeater of the vehicle,

the right side antenna (12a) is located within a right turn signal repeater, and

the frontal antenna (14) is positioned near a rear axle of the vehicle.

14. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

one of the electronic box (6, 7, 8, 9) on each of four wheels of the vehicle;

a power supply for said transmitting frontal and transmitting lateral antennas, the power supply comprised of a step-up transformer configured for providing, during the transmission by each of the two transmitting antennas (11c, 14) of signals having in the area of each of the wheels located in a coverage zone of said antennas, a power greater than the detection threshold of the electronic box of the corresponding wheel, wherein,

the central unit (15) implements a first localization procedure for a first one of the wheels, during which first localization procedure the two antennas (11c and 14) are supplied by the step-up transformer, including transmitting by a first of the two antennas (11c) of an identification request signal, simultaneously with the transmission of the identification request signal, transmission by a second of the two antennas (14) of a parasite signal designed to jam the identification request signal,

the central unit (15) implements a second localization procedure for a second one of the wheels, during which second localization procedure the two antennas (11c and 14) are supplied by the step-up transformer, including transmitting by the second of the two antennas (11c) of an identification request signal, simultaneously with the transmission of the identification request signal, transmission by the first of the two antennas (14) of a parasite signal designed to jam the identification request signal, and

the central unit (15) implements a third localization procedure for a third of the wheels, during which third localization procedure the two antennas (11c and 14) are not supplied by the step-up transformer, including the simultaneous transmission by the two antennas (11c and 14) of two identical, in phase identification request signals of powers sufficient for obtaining, in a common zone of the coverage zones of said antennas including the third of the wheels, a resulting signal of power greater than the detection threshold of the electronic box (8) of the third of the wheels.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the identification request signals comprise Manchester coded signals.