Door open detection for use with TPMS and smart entry system

• US 8,344,869 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lickfelt, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/851,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340442-447, 340/438, 731462-1465
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0418 Sharing hardware components like housing, antenna, receiver or signal transmission line with other vehicle systems like keyless entry or brake control units
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0445 Means for changing operating mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/045 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes being not part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0452 Antenna structure, control or arrangement vehicle tyre mounted antennas H01Q1/2241
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0454 Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

A vehicle system that can overcome at least some of the aforementioned shortcomings includes tire sensors mounted in, on or adjacent respective tires of the vehicle, LF antennas including a door-mounted antenna on a door of the vehicle, a receiver mounted on the vehicle, a door switch associated with the door having the door-mounted antenna mounted thereto, and an ECU in communication with the antennas, the receiver and the door switch. Each tire sensor is configured to transmit a signal and to detect an LF field. Each LF antenna is configured to transmit an LF tire sensor wake up field to wake up respective tire sensors. The receiver is configured to receive signals transmitted from the tire sensors. The door switch is configured for determining whether the door is open. The ECU is configured to receive identification signals from the respective tire sensors via the RF receiver. The ECU is further configured to determine locations of the respective tire sensors based on which antenna woke up the tire sensor transmitting the respective identification signal and whether the respective identification signal matches other received identification signals. The ECU is further configured to: (1) disregard signals from the tire sensors woken up by the door-mounted antenna when the door was open or (2) inhibit the door-mounted LF antenna from transmitting the LF field to wake up the tire sensors when the door is open.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

tire sensors mounted in, on or adjacent respective tires of the vehicle, each tire sensor being configured to transmit a signal and to detect an LF field;

low frequency (“

LF”

) antennas including a door-mounted antenna mounted on a door of the vehicle, each LF antenna being configured to transmit an LF tire sensor wake up field to wake up respective tire sensors;

a receiver mounted on the vehicle configured to receive signals transmitted from the tire sensors;

a door switch associated with the door having the door-mounted antenna mounted thereto, the door switch being configured for determining whether the door is open; and

an electronic control unit (“

ECU”

) in communication with the antennas, the receiver and the door switch, wherein the ECU is configured to receive identification signals from the respective tire sensors and to determine locations of the respective tire sensors based on which antenna woke up the tire sensor transmitting the respective identification signal and whether the respective identification signal matches other received identification signals, and wherein the ECU is further configured to;

(1) disregard signals received from the tire sensors woken up by the door-mounted antenna when the door was open, or (2) inhibit the door-mounted LF antenna from transmitting the LF field to wake up the tire sensors when the door is open.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tire sensors include a left front tire sensor installed in a left front tire of a vehicle, a left rear tire sensor installed in a left rear tire of the vehicle, a right front tire sensor installed in a right front tire of the vehicle and a right rear tire sensor installed in a right rear tire of the vehicle, and wherein the door mounted antenna transmits a side LF wake up field to wake up each of the left tire sensors or each of the right tire sensors when the door is closed.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the LF antennas include a front antenna mounted towards a front of the vehicle, a rear antenna mounted towards a rear of the vehicle, a left side antenna mounted on a left door of the vehicle, and a right side antenna mounted on a right door of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each LF antenna is also configured to transmit a SMART entry LF search field to wake up a portable transmission/reception unit for keyless entry of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each tire sensor includes a receiving antenna and a received signal strength indication (“

RSSI”

) circuit for generating RSSI data that is a function of radiated power from respective LF fields being picked up by the receiving antenna, wherein each tire sensor is configured to transmit an RF signal including the RSSI data, wherein the ECU is further configured to determine locations of the respective tires based on the RSSI data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each LF field transmitted by each antenna includes a unique header format, wherein each tire sensor is configured to respond by transmitting a respective signal only after receiving a respective LF field including a first predetermined unique header format.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each tire sensor includes an antenna including two axes.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory associated with the ECU, wherein the ECU is further configured to store the identification signals in the memory upon detecting an ignition of the vehicle is OFF, wherein the identification signals are associated with the respective tires or tire sensors.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio configured to receive AM broadcast signals in communication with the ECU, wherein the ECU is configured to (1) delay start up of the radio while the antennas transmit the LF tire sensor wake up fields, or (2) inhibit the radio from emitting sound from speakers in communication with the radio while the antennas transmit the LF tire sensor wake up fields.

10. A method for operating a vehicle system comprising:

receiving a signal at an electronic control unit (“

ECU”

) to transmit from a door-mounted LF antenna an LF field to wake up tire sensors disposed within tires mounted on a vehicle;

determining whether a door, to which the door-mounted LF antenna is mounted, is open or closed;

disregarding the received signal to transmit the LF field from the door-mounted antenna when the door, to which the door-mounted LF antenna is mounted, is determined to be open; and

transmitting the LF field from the door-mounted LF antenna when the door, to which the door-mounted LF antenna is mounted, is determined to be closed.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting additional LF tire sensor wake up fields from additional door-mounted LF antennas to wake up respective tire sensors, wherein each door-mounted LF antenna is configured and positioned on the respective door with respect to the tire sensors to transmit a respective LF tire sensor wake up field to wake up two tire sensors and is also configured to transmit an LF fob wake up field to wake up a portable transmission/reception unit for keyless entry of the vehicle;

transmitting signals from the respective tire sensors to a receiver on the vehicle in response to detecting the tire sensor wake up fields by respective tire sensors, wherein the signal includes an identification signal;

receiving the signals including the identification signal via the receiver into the ECU;

comparing the received identification signals; and

determining locations of the respective tire sensors based on which antenna woke up the tire sensor transmitting the respective identification signal and whether the respective identification signal matches other received identification signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the LF field with the door closed and transmitting the additional LF tire sensor wake up fields occurs in response to receiving a signal from the portable transmission/reception unit for keyless entry.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining locations of the respective tires includes deducing a tire location when one tire sensor fails to wake up or when the receiver receives only one identification signal from a respective tire sensor in response to a respective LF tire sensor wake up field.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the LF tire sensor wake up fields each include a unique header format, and wherein transmitting signals from the tire sensors only occurs after receiving a respective LF wake up field including the unique header format.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

memorizing the identification signals by storing each identification signal and a corresponding tire sensor in a memory that is in communication with the ECU.

16. A method for operating a vehicle system comprising:

transmitting a low frequency (“

LF”

) tire sensor wake up field from four antennas to wake up tire sensors located in tires on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of vehicle doors and each antenna is a door-mounted LF antenna mounted on a respective vehicle door of the plurality of vehicle doors, each antenna is configured and positioned on the vehicle with respect to the tire sensors to transmit a respective LF tire sensor wake up field to wake up two tire sensors, wherein two of the antennas are also configured to transmit an LF fob wake up field to wake up a portable transmission/reception unit for keyless entry of the vehicle;

determining whether a first vehicle door of the plurality of vehicle doors is open or closed based on a state of a door switch associated with the first vehicle door;

transmitting signals including an identification signal from the tire sensors to a receiver on the vehicle in response to detecting the tire sensor wake up fields by respective tire sensors;

disregarding the received signal from the respective tire sensors awakened by the door-mounted antenna mounted to the first vehicle door when the first vehicle door is determined to be open; and

receiving the respective signal including the respective identification signal from the respective tire sensors awakened by the door mounted-mounted antenna mounted to the first vehicle door when the first vehicle door is determined to be closed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing the received identification signals; and

determining locations of the respective tire sensors based on which antenna woke up the tire sensor transmitting the respective identification signal and whether the respective identification signal matches other received identification signals.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising retransmitting a respective LF tire sensor wake up field from the door-mounted antenna when the first vehicle door is determined to be open.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the LF tire sensor wake up fields each include a unique header format, and wherein transmitting signals from the tire sensors only occurs after receiving the wake up signal including the unique header format.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

memorizing the identification signals by storing each identification signal and a corresponding tire sensor in a memory that is in communication with the ECU.

21. A vehicle system comprising:

tire sensors mounted in, on or adjacent respective tires of the vehicle, each tire sensor being configured to transmit a signal and to detect an LF field;

low frequency (“

LF”

) antennas including a door-mounted antenna mounted on a door on a first side of the vehicle and a side antenna mounted on a second side of the vehicle opposite the first side, each LF antenna being configured to transmit an LF tire sensor wake up field to wake up respective tire sensors, wherein the door-mounted LF antenna is configured such that when the door is closed the LF tire sensor wake up field from the door-mounted antenna is configured to wake up two tire sensors located in respective tires on the first side of the vehicle;

a receiver mounted on the vehicle configured to receive signals transmitted from the tire sensors;

a door switch associated with the door having the door-mounted antenna mounted thereto, the door switch being configured for determining whether the door is open; and

an electronic control unit (“

ECU”

) in communication with the antennas, the receiver and the door switch, wherein the ECU is configured to receive identification signals from the respective tire sensors and to determine locations of the respective tire sensors based on which antenna woke up the tire sensor transmitting the respective identification signal and whether the respective identification signal matches other received identification signals, and wherein the ECU is further configured to localize a respective tire sensor mounted in a respective tire on the second side of the vehicle based on matching identification signals being transmitted to the receiver from a respective tire sensor in response to the LF tire sensor wake up field from the door-mounted antenna and the side antenna when the ECU has determined that the door having the door-mounted antenna mounted thereto is open based on a state of the door switch.

22. A method for operating a vehicle system comprising:

transmitting low frequency (“

LF”

) tire sensor wake up fields to wake up tire sensors located in tires on the vehicle, wherein the LF tire sensor wake up fields include a first LF tire sensor wake up field transmitted from a first door-mounted LF antenna mounted to a first door on a first side of the vehicle and a second LF tire sensor wake up field transmitted from a second antenna mounted to a second door on a second, opposite, side of the vehicle, wherein the first door-mounted LF antenna is configured such that when the first door is closed the first LF tire sensor wake up field is configured to wake up two tire sensors located in respective tires on the first side of the vehicle, wherein the second door-mounted LF antenna is configured such that when the second door is closed the second LF tire sensor wake up field is configured to wake up two tire sensors located in respective tires on the second side of the vehicle;

determining at an electronic control unit (“

ECU”

) in communication with the first door-mounted LF antenna and the second door-mounted LF antenna whether the first door is open or closed based on a state of a door switch associated with the first door and in communication with the ECU;

transmitting signals including an identification signal from the tire sensors to a receiver on the vehicle in response to detecting the tire sensor wake up fields by respective tire sensors;

localizing a respective tire sensor on the second side of the vehicle based on the respective identification signals received by the receiver in response to the first LF tire sensor wake up field and the second tire sensor wake up field when the first door is determined to be open.