Protocol arrangement in a tire pressure monitoring system

• US 8,576,060 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Deniau, Jean-Christophe, Farrell, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US13/206,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 340/444, 340/445, 340/447, 340/448, 340/426.33, 340/442, 340/443, 370/508, 370/394, 370/347, 370/230, 731/46, 731/462, 731/465, 714/776
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0455 Transmission control of wireless signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting tire pressure signals includes a transmission buffer and a transmitter. The transmission buffer is configured to store tire pressure monitoring data. The transmitter is configured to transmit a signal including the tire pressure monitoring data. The signal includes a burst that includes plurality of frames and each of the frames includes the tire pressure monitoring information. A plurality of pause spaces is disposed between at least some of the frames in the burst.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting tire pressure signals, the apparatus comprising:

a transmission buffer configured to store tire pressure monitoring information;

a transmitter configured with a control program to transmit a signal including the tire pressure monitoring information, the signal comprising;

a customizable burst that includes a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring information and wherein portions of the burst can be utilized by multiple types of receivers;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between at least some of the frames in the burst;

wherein characteristics of the frames in the burst are selected based at least in part upon one or more of;

a government standard, an industry requirement, a receiver requirement, a periodicity requirement, and a power requirement, wherein the characteristics of the frames in the burst cannot be changed without the control program being entirely re-programmed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characteristics of the frames relate to a characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power requirement of the frames allows a first power level for a first burst and a second power level for a second burst, the first burst shorter than the second burst, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the industry requirement relates to the amount of time required to complete a localization process.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the government standard relates to the maximum on-air time for a burst.

6. A method of transmitting tire pressure monitoring information, the method comprising;

obtaining tire pressure monitoring information;

transmitting a signal using a control program, the signal comprising;

a customizable burst comprising a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring information and wherein portions of the burst can be utilized by multiple types of receivers;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between the plurality of frames;

wherein the positioning and the length of the frames is selected based at least in part upon one or more of;

a government standard, an industry requirement, a periodicity requirement, a receiver requirement, and a power requirement, wherein characteristics of the frames in the burst cannot be changed without the control program being entirely re-programmed.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the characteristics of the frames relate to a characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the power requirement of the frames allows a first power level for a first burst and a second power level for a second burst, the first burst shorter than the second burst, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the industry requirement relates to the amount of time required to complete a localization process.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the government standard relates to the maximum on-air time for a burst.

11. A computer usable non-transitory medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of transmitting tire pressure monitoring information, the method comprising:

obtaining tire pressure monitoring data;

transmitting a signal, the signal comprising;

a customizable burst comprising a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring data and wherein portions of the burst can be utilized by multiple types of receivers;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between the plurality of frames;

wherein the positioning and the length of the frames is selected based at least in part upon one or more of;

a government standard, an industry requirement, a receiver requirement, a periodicity requirement, and a power requirement, wherein characteristics of the frames in the burst cannot be changed without the program being entirely re-programmed.

12. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the characteristics of the frames relate to a characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

13. A computer usable non-transitory medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to form the following means when being executed on a computer:

means for storing tire pressure monitoring information;

means for transmitting a signal including the tire pressure monitoring information, the signal comprising;

a customizable burst that includes a plurality of frames, each of the frames including tire pressure monitoring information and wherein portions of the burst can be utilized by multiple types of receivers;

a plurality of pause spaces disposed between at least some of the frames in the burst; and

means for selecting characteristics of the frames in the burst based at least in part upon one or more of a government standard, an industry requirement, a receiver requirement, a periodicity requirement, and a power requirement, wherein the characteristics of the frames in the burst cannot be changed without the program being entirely re-programmed.

14. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 13 wherein the characteristics of the frames relate to a characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of frames in the burst, a relative positioning of the frames within the burst, a number of frames in the burst from each of plurality of manufacturers, and a relative positioning of the frames within the burst wherein at least some of the frames are from different manufacturers.

15. An apparatus for transmitting tire pressure signals, the apparatus comprising:

a transmission buffer configured to store tire pressure monitoring information;

a transmitter configured with a control program to transmit a signal including the tire pressure monitoring information, the signal comprising;

a customizable burst that includes a first frame and a second frame, the first frame having a first size, a first content, and conforming to a first automobile industry requirement, and the second frame having a second size, a second content, and conforming to a second automobile industry requirement, wherein the first size is different than the second size, the first content is different than the second content, and the first automobile industry requirement is different from the second automobile industry requirement, wherein each of the first frame and the second frame include tire pressure monitoring information, and wherein the first frame can be utilized by a first type of receiver and the second frame can be utilized by a second type of receiver;

wherein characteristics of the first frame and the second frame in the burst cannot be changed without the control program being entirely re-programmed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the burst is transmitted from a first wheel unit and at a staggered time so as not to interfere with bursts from other wheel units.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the burst is transmitted from a first wheel unit and at a staggered time so as not to interfere with bursts from other wheel units.

17. An apparatus for transmitting tire pressure signals, the apparatus comprising:

a transmission buffer configured to store tire pressure monitoring information;

a transmitter configured with a control program to transmit a signal including the tire pressure monitoring information, the signal comprising;

a customizable burst that includes a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame is formatted according to the first protocol of a first automobile manufacturer and the second frame is formatted according to the protocol of a second automobile manufacturer, wherein each of the first frame and the second frame include tire pressure monitoring information, and wherein the first frame can be utilized by a first type of receiver and the second frame can be utilized by a second type of receiver;

wherein characteristics of the first frame and the second frame in the burst cannot be changed without the control program being entirely re-programmed.