Tire information monitoring system and setting method for a tire information monitoring system

• US 8,736,435 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Kanenari, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MA, KAM WAN
• Application Number:
  US13/173,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 340442-448, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 73146-1468
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0401 characterised by the type of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0471 System initialisation, e.g. upload or calibration of operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0472 to manually allocate ID codes or mounting positions, e.g. by service technicians
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations

Abstract

A tire information monitoring system includes a transmitting device, provided in a tire cavity region, for transmitting tire information, a receiving device, provided in a vehicle body, that receives the tire information from the transmitting device and determines a tire condition based on the tire information, and a setting device that transmits identification information and a criterion to the receiving device so as to set the identification information of the transmitting device and the criterion of the tire information used for determining the tire condition by the receiving device. The setting device can be a mobile telecommunication terminal device for setting the identification information and the criterion in the receiving device using a program downloaded via an external network.

Claims

1. A tire information monitoring system for monitoring tire information regarding a tire condition, the tire information monitoring system comprising:

a transmitting device provided in a tire cavity region and configured to transmit the tire information;

a receiving device provided in a vehicle body on which a tire is mounted, the receiving device being configured to receive the tire information from the transmitting device and determine a tire condition based on the tire information; and

a setting device configured to transmit identification information and a criterion so that the identification information of the transmitting device that transmits the tire information and the criterion of the tire information used for the determination of the tire condition that is performed by the receiving device are set, the setting device including a mobile telecommunication terminal device configured to designate and transmit the identification information and the criterion to the receiving device using a program downloaded via an external network;

the receiving device including a housing surface configured to have address information of a download site of the program displayed thereon; and

the mobile telecommunication terminal device being configured to download the program using the address information.

2. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitting device includes a housing surface configured to have the identification information displayed thereon;

and

the mobile telecommunication terminal device comprises a photographing unit configured to photograph an image and an analysis unit configured to acquire information from the photographed image;

the analysis unit being configured to acquire the identification information by analyzing the image of the identification information photographed by the photographing unit using the analysis unit, and the mobile telecommunication terminal device being configured to transmit the acquired identification information to the receiving device.

3. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

the identification information is displayed as a two-dimensional matrix code.

4. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein

the mobile telecommunication terminal device is configured to transmit to the receiving device position information indicating a wheel location of the vehicle where the tire is mounted;

and

the position information is designated based on an order in which the image is photographed, an order in which the identification information is acquired, or an order in which the identification information is transmitted.

5. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

the mobile telecommunication terminal device is configured to transmit to the receiving device position information indicating a wheel location of the vehicle where the tire is mounted;

and

the position information is designated based on an order in which the image is photographed, an order in which the identification information is acquired, or an order in which the identification information is transmitted.

6. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile telecommunication terminal device comprises a photographing unit configured to photograph an image of the address information and an analysis unit configured to acquire information from the photographed image;

the analysis unit being configured to acquire the address information by analyzing the image of the address information photographed by the photographing unit using the analysis unit, and the mobile telecommunication terminal device is configured to use the acquired address information to download the program.

7. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein

the address information is displayed as a two-dimensional matrix code.

8. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein

the two-dimensional matrix code further comprises identification information of the receiving device and manufacturing information of the receiving device;

and

the mobile telecommunication terminal device is configured to perform a user registration of the tire information monitoring system by transmitting the identification information and the manufacturing information of the receiving device and terminal information of the mobile telecommunication terminal device to an administrative server of the tire information monitoring system via at least the external network.

9. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein

the receiving device is further configured to issue an alert via audio information of a nature of the determination results depending on the determination results of the tire condition.

10. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the address information is displayed as a two-dimensional matrix code.

11. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein

the two-dimensional matrix code further comprises identification information of the receiving device and manufacturing information of the receiving device;

and

the mobile telecommunication terminal device is configured to perform a user registration of the tire information monitoring system by transmitting the identification information and the manufacturing information of the receiving device and terminal information of the mobile telecommunication terminal device to an administrative server of the tire information monitoring system via at least the external network.

12. The tire information monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving device is further configured to issue an alert via audio information of a nature of the determination results depending on the determination results of the tire condition.

13. A method for setting information and a criterion in a receiving device of a tire information monitoring system that is configured to monitor tire information regarding a tire condition, the method comprising:

operating a mobile telecommunication terminal to download a program via an external network; and

operating the mobile telecommunication terminal to acquire identification information pertaining to a transmitting device that is provided in a tire cavity region, the identification information including tire information and a criterion of the tire information that are used by a receiving device to determine the tire condition, the receiving device including a housing surface configured to have address information of a download site of the program displayed thereon; and

operating the mobile telecommunication terminal to download the program using the address information and to designate and transmit the acquired identification information to the receiving device using the program.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising

displaying an image of the identification information on a housing surface of the transmitting device;

operating a photographing unit included in the mobile telecommunication terminal device to photograph the image;

operating an analysis unit included in the mobile telecommunication terminal device to acquire identification information from the image by analyzing the image photographed by the photographing unit; and

operating the mobile telecommunication terminal device to transmit the acquired identification information to the receiving device.