System and method for identifying a component for a tire pressure monitoring system

• US 8,768,955 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Titrimetric LLC
• Original Assignee: Titrimetric LLC
• Inventors: Donehue, Joseph William
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khong, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/438,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/02 Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure hand-held tyre pressure gauges G01L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0471 System initialisation, e.g. upload or calibration of operating parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a component, such as a sensor, for a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) to be replaced for a vehicle of interest by performing a Quick Search or an Advanced Search of a TPMS Manager database. In the Quick Search, the user inputs year/make/model (Y/M/M) or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). In the Advanced Search, the user inputs various physical attributes of the component to be replaced. All related superseded, alias or interchange parts with like communication or physical structure and relevant service components are determined and the results displayed to the user. A relearn procedure for the replacement TPMS component for the vehicle of interest identifies and validates scan tool compatibility. A report to the user of a cause/failure analysis of the component to be replaced can be displayed.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a component of a Tire Pressure Monitoring System to be replaced for a vehicle of interest comprising:

identifying an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) component or an equivalent component of a Tire Pressure Monitoring system (TPMS) by performing a Quick Search or an Advanced Search for the vehicle of interest by inputting a group of subsets into a graphical user interface (GUI) of a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Manager software program;

executing an algorithm to determine a service requirement for a specific part of the OEM component for the vehicle of interest, a compatibility of a scan tool with the vehicle of interest, a relearn procedure of the vehicle of interest, a superceding part for the OEM component for the vehicle of interest, an alias component or an interchange component of the OEM component for the vehicle of interest, and any alerts available for the vehicle of interest; and

storing results from the algorithm into a lookup table within the TPMS Manager software program for retrieval by a user at any point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Advanced Search is performed by using a dominance filtering technique based on “

AND”

matching for the vehicle of interest by entering information pertaining to one or more subsets into a graphical user interface (GUI) of a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Manager software program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Quick Search for the vehicle of interest is performed by inputting one of a year, make and model (Y/M/M) and a vehicle identification number (VIN) for the vehicle of interest into the graphical user interface (GUI) of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Manager software program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a relearn procedure of the vehicle of interest by selecting an activation method and a TPMS learning process to enable the OEM component or the equivalent component to communicate with the TPMS of the vehicle of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a report to a user of a cause/failure analysis of the component to be replaced.

6. A computer software program tangibly embodied in a computer readable non-transitory medium that is capable of performing the method recited in claim 1.

7. A computer software program tangibly embodied in a computer readable non-transitory medium that is capable of performing the method recited in claim 2.

8. A computer software program tangibly embodied in a computer readable non-transitory medium that is capable of performing the method recited in claim 3.

9. A computer software program tangibly embodied in a computer readable non-transitory medium that is capable of performing the method recited in claim 4.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a service requirement for a specific part of the OEM component for the vehicle of interest.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a superceding part for the OEM component for the vehicle of interest.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an alias component or an interchange component of the OEM component for the vehicle of interest.