Method and device for locating the wheels of a vehicle

• US 8,405,495 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Heller, Jean-Marc, Rantet, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US12/601,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0437 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes not being part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0483 Wireless routers between wheel mounted transmitters and chassis mounted receivers

Abstract

A method and device for locating n wheels of a vehicle each equipped with an electronic module designed to emit, to a central unit, electromagnetic signals representative of operating parameters of each wheel and an identification code of the latter. There is, in a fixed position on the vehicle, in the vicinity of at least (n-1) wheels, a radio-tag in which is stored a location code, able to be identified by the central unit and enable the latter to locate the position of the radio-tag on the vehicle. In order to locate the wheels, an activation of each radio-tag is controlled so as to deliver to the central unit a signal incorporating the location code of this radio-tag associated with the identification code of the wheel located in the vicinity of the latter. The electromagnetic signals incorporate a final portion consisting of a pure wave, and the activation of the radio-tags is done so as to insert the location codes into the electromagnetic signals by modulating the absorption/reflection of the pure waves.

Claims

1. A method of locating wheels of a vehicle (V) on which are mounted n wheels (1-4) each equipped with an electronic module (5-8) designed to emit, to a central unit (9) mounted on said vehicle, electromagnetic signals representative of operating parameters of each wheel and an identification code of the latter, said location method comprising:

in having, in a fixed position on the vehicle (V), in the vicinity of at least (n-1) wheels (1-4), an emission means (10-13) in which is stored a code, called location code, able to be identified by the central unit (9) and to enable the latter to locate the position of said emission means on the vehicle (V),

and in implementing a location procedure comprising;

controlling an activation of each emission means (10-13) upon the emission of an electromagnetic signal by the electronic module (5-8) located in the vicinity of said emission means, and

in inserting said location code into said electromagnetic signal by modulating the absorption/reflection of said electromagnetic signals, and

in delivering to the central unit (9) a signal incorporating the location code of said emission means (10-13) associated with the identification code of the wheel (1-4) located in the vicinity of the latter,

said location method being characterized in that;

radio-tags are used as emission means,

the emission by the electronic modules (5-8) of electromagnetic signals incorporating a final portion comprising a pure wave is controlled, and

the radio-tags (10-13) are activated so as to insert the location codes into the electromagnetic signals by modulating the absorption/reflection of said pure waves.

2. The location method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a final portion comprising a pure wave is incorporated in the electromagnetic signals emitted by the electronic modules (5-8), only during the location procedure.

3. The location method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the location codes are inserted into the electromagnetic signals by using a modulation frequency located outside the rotation frequency bands of the wheels (1-4).

4. The location method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type, and in that the electromagnetic signals delivered by the electronic modules (5-8) are used to supply said radio-tags with the energy needed to emit a signal.

5. The location method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type and the central unit (9) is provided with means of emitting electromagnetic signals to the electronic modules (5-8), and in that a preliminary phase is implemented for the emission of electromagnetic signals by the central unit (9), adapted to supply the various radio-tags (10-13) with the energy needed to emit a signal.

6. The location method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that:

the radio-tags (10-13) are of the active type and are equipped with a battery able to provide them with the energy needed to emit a signal,

the electronic modules (5-8) and the radio-tags (10-13) are configured so as to implement a location procedure comprising;

in reading and storing, by each radio-tag (10-13), the identification code incorporated in the electromagnetic signals emitted by the electronic module (5-8) located in the vicinity of said radio-tag,

and, upon the activation of each radio-tag (10-13), in a transmission by the latter, to the central unit (9), of a signal incorporating the location code of this radio-tag associated with the stored identification code.

8. The location method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the location codes are inserted into the electromagnetic signals by using a modulation frequency located outside the rotation frequency bands of the wheels (1-4).

9. The location method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type, and in that the electromagnetic signals delivered by the electronic modules (5-8) are used to supply said radio-tags with the energy needed to emit a signal.

10. The location method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type and the central unit (9) is provided with means of emitting electromagnetic signals to the electronic modules (5-8), and in that a preliminary phase is implemented for the emission of electromagnetic signals by the central unit (9), adapted to supply the various radio-tags (10-13) with the energy needed to emit a signal.

11. The location method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type, and in that the electromagnetic signals delivered by the electronic modules (5-8) are used to supply said radio-tags with the energy needed to emit a signal.

12. The location method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type and the central unit (9) is provided with means of emitting electromagnetic signals to the electronic modules (5-8), and in that a preliminary phase is implemented for the emission of electromagnetic signals by the central unit (9), adapted to supply the various radio-tags (10-13) with the energy needed to emit a signal.

13. The location method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the radio-tags (10-13) are of the passive type and the central unit (9) is provided with means of emitting electromagnetic signals to the electronic modules (5-8), and in that a preliminary phase is implemented for the emission of electromagnetic signals by the central unit (9), adapted to supply the various radio-tags (10-13) with the energy needed to emit a signal.

7. A device for locating wheels of a vehicle (V) on which are mounted n wheels (1-4) each equipped with an electronic module (5-8) designed to emit, to a central unit (9) mounted on said vehicle, electromagnetic signals representative of operating parameters of each wheel (1-4) and an identification code of the latter, said location device comprising:

at least (n-1) emission means (10-13) each arranged in a fixed position on the vehicle (V), in the vicinity of a wheel (1-4), each of said emission means including means of storing a code, called location code, able to be identified by the central unit (9) and to enable the latter to locate the position of said emission means on the vehicle (V),

and means of activating each emission means (10-13) able to generate the transmission to the central unit (9) of a signal incorporating the location code of this radio-tag (10-13) associated with the identification code of the wheel (1-4) located in the vicinity of the latter,

wherein said location device comprises;

radio-tags, as emission means,

means of controlling the emission by the electronic modules (5-8) of electromagnetic signals incorporating a final portion comprising a pure wave, and

the means of activating the radio-tags (10-13) insert the location codes into the electromagnetic signals by modulating the absorption/reflection of said pure waves.