Tire pressure monitoring system using wireless network

• US 8,098,146 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrucelli, Steven, Kuskovsky, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/842,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20110012722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/442
• 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 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring using wireless network includes a remote command device and a valve-stem mountable tire pressure gauge. The tire pressure gauge includes a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of a fluid in a tire and providing an output signal indicative of the detected fluid pressure, and a first radio-frequency module for transmitting data indicative of the detected fluid pressure based on the output signal of the pressure sensor. The remote command device includes a second radio-frequency module for wirelessly receiving the data transmitted by the data transmitted by the first radio frequency module, a wireless communication module for communicating via a wireless network, information based at least one data received by the second radio frequency module, and a display for displaying at least the fluid pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

Claims

1. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

a valve-stem mountable tire pressure gauge comprising;

a pressure sensor adapted for detecting a pressure of a fluid in a tire, said pressure sensor providing an output signal indicative of the detected fluid pressure in the tire; and

a first radio frequency module for transmitting data indicative of said detected fluid pressure based on said output signal of said pressure sensor; and

a remote command device comprising;

a second radio frequency module adapted for wirelessly receiving the data transmitted by said first radio-frequency module;

a wireless communication module adapted for communicating, via a wireless network, information based at least on the data received by said second radio frequency module;

a display for displaying at least the fluid pressure detected by said pressure sensor;

at least one of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and a Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) card.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said pressure gauge further comprises a motion sensor for detecting motion of the tire and providing an output signal indicative of the motion of the tire,

wherein said first radio frequency module is adapted to transmit data indicative of said detected tire motion based on said output signal of said motion sensor, and

wherein, responsive to the receipt of the data indicative of said detected tire motion at the second radio frequency module, said wireless communication module communicates, via the wireless network, information based on the tire motion data received by said second radio frequency module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless network communication module is adapted for communicating with a telecommunication device via at least one of a GSM network, a CDMA network, a WiMax network and a Wi-Fi network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote command device further comprises a memory for storing a plurality of values, said values comprising at least one of a target pressure value, a detected pressure value, a threshold pressure value, a threshold temperature value, and a detected temperature value, and

wherein said wireless communication module is adapted for communicating information via the wireless network, if a detected pressure value is less than the threshold pressure value or if a detected temperature value exceeds a threshold temperature value.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said display is configured to display at least one graphical symbol representative of the tire associated with the pressure gauge, said symbol comprising a plurality of segments, wherein each segment is adapted to selectively illuminate depending on a relationship between the detected tire pressure and the threshold tire pressure value stored in said memory.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said display is configured to display at least one numerical value indicative of at least one of a preset pressure value and a pressure detected by said pressure sensor.

6. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

a valve-stem mountable tire pressure gauge comprising;

a pressure sensor adapted for detecting a pressure of a fluid in a tire said pressure sensor providing an output signal indicative of the detected fluid pressure in the tire; and

a first radio frequency module for transmitting data indicative of said detected fluid pressure based on said output signal of said pressure sensor; and

a remote command device comprising;

a second radio frequency module adapted for wirelessly receiving the data transmitted by said first radio-frequency module;

a wireless communication module adapted for communicating, via a wireless network, information based at least on the data received by said second radio frequency module; and

a display for displaying at least the fluid pressure detected by said pressure sensor,

wherein said remote command device further comprises an accelerometer for sensing an acceleration and providing an output signal indicative of the sensed acceleration, and

wherein said wireless communication module is adapted for communicating information indicative of said sensed acceleration based on said output signal of said accelerometer, if the sensed acceleration exceeds a pre-set threshold.

8. A method for monitoring tire pressure comprising the steps of:

at a remote command device, wirelessly receiving a first signal from a removable valve stem mounted tire pressure gauge, said first signal being indicative of at least a detected automobile tire pressure;

responsive to said received first signal, transmitting a first alert from the remote command device to a telecommunication device via a wireless network, said first alert indicative at least of the detected automobile tire pressure;

wherein before the step of wirelessly receiving the first signal at the remote command device, the method comprising the steps of;

at the remote command device, wirelessly receiving a communication from the telecommunication device, said communication indicative of the identity of said telecommunication device; and

at the remote command device, registering the telecommunication device as a master telecommunication device, wherein said remote command device is responsive to a control signal transmitted by only said master telecommunication device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying at the remote command device data indicative of the tire pressure detected by the tire pressure gauge.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, before the step of wirelessly receiving the first signal at the remote command device, the steps of:

at the remote command device, wirelessly receiving a query from the telecommunication device;

responsive to the received query, wirelessly transmitting a second signal from the remote command device; and

receiving said second signal wirelessly at the pressure gauge, wherein responsive to the second signal received at the pressure gauge, said first signal is transmitted by the pressure gauge.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

at the remote command device, wirelessly receiving a third signal, from the pressure gauge, indicative of tire motion sensed by a motion sensor disposed in said pressure gauge; and

wirelessly transmitting a second alert from the remote command device to the telecommunication device via the wireless network, said second alert indicative at least of the sensed tire motion.