Tire condition monitoring method and tire condition monitoring system

• US 8,781,760 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2009
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Araki, Yasuhiko, Kanenari, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, TOAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/133,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 702/50, 702 34- 36, 702/81, 702/84, 702 98-100, 702/127, 702/130, 702/138, 702/140, 702182-184, 702/189, 702/193, 340/438, 340/442, 340/445, 340/447, 340449-450, 701/29.1, 701/33.4, 701 337- 339, 701/34.1, 701/34.3, 731/46, 731463-1464, 374/100, 374/137, 374141-143
• US Class Current: 702/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/044 Near field triggers, e.g. magnets or triggers with 125 KHz
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0455 Transmission control of wireless signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0481 System diagnostic, e.g. monitoring battery voltage, detecting hardware detachments or identifying wireless transmission failures
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/08 in rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A tire condition monitoring method and a monitoring system having a simple configuration and that can process data with a high degree of reliability. The method or system determines at a sensor module whether a measured value from a sensor satisfies a preset condition. If determined that the measured value does not satisfy the preset condition, at least one flag is set in the data packet to be transmitted from the sensor module. If, at the receiver, it is determined that the measured value of the received data does not to satisfy a preset condition, whether a flag is included in the received data is determined. If it is determined that the received data includes a flag, the received data is used, and if it is determined that a flag is not included, the received data is discarded.

Claims

1. A tire condition monitoring method for measuring a physical property value in a tire by a sensor of a sensor module mounted in the tire,

transmitting data of the physical property value from the sensor module at a desired time interval, receiving the data from the sensor module by a receiver, and monitoring the physical property value based on the data received by the receiver;

the method comprising the steps of;

processing send data by first determining at the sensor module whether an amount of change with respect to a previous value of a measured value of the physical property value from the sensor exceeds a threshold, and, if determined that the amount of change with respect to the previous value of the measured value exceeds the threshold, at least one flag is set in a packet of the send data from the sensor module; and

processing received data by second determining at the receiver whether an amount of change with respect to a previous value of the measured value of the physical property value of received data from the sensor module exceeds a threshold, and, if determined that the amount of change with respect to the previous value of the received data does not exceed the threshold, determining at the receiver whether the flag is set in the received data; and

using the received data if determined that the flag is included in the received data, and discarding the received data if determined that the flag is not included.

2. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the physical property value is air pressure, and

the threshold value is 20 kPa/min or greater.

3. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of processing send data, in cases where the sensor acquires data that satisfies an additional requirement of the flag, the data is transmitted from the sensor module via a second transmission interval that has a shorter interval than a normal first transmission interval.

4. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 3, wherein the second transmission interval is an interval that is ½

of the first transmission interval or shorter.

5. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 1 for monitoring a tire condition of a tire mounted on a truck, bus, or trailer.

6. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein a number of the sensor modules wirelessly transmitting to the receiver is six or more.

7. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining that the receiver is in error when a value that exceeds the threshold in which a flag was not set at the receiver is acquired three times or more.

8. A tire condition monitoring method for measuring a physical property value in a tire by a sensor of a sensor module mounted in the tire,

transmitting data of the physical property value from the sensor module at a desired time interval, receiving the data from the sensor module by a receiver, and monitoring the physical property value based on the data received by the receiver;

the method comprising the steps of;

processing send data by first determining at the sensor module whether a measured value of the physical property value from the sensor exceeds a preset threshold, and, if determined that the measured value of the physical property value exceeds the preset threshold, at least one flag is set in a packet of the send data from the sensor module; and

processing received data by second determining at the receiver whether received data from the sensor module exceeds a preset threshold, and, if determined that the received data does not exceed the preset threshold, determining at the receiver whether the flag is set in the received data; and

using the received data if determined that the flag is included in the received data, and discarding the received data if determined that the flag is not included.

9. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 8, wherein the physical property value is a temperature, and

the threshold value is 60°

C. or higher.

10. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 8, wherein in the step of processing send data, in cases where the sensor acquires data that satisfies an additional requirement of the flag, the data is transmitted from the sensor module via a second transmission interval that has a shorter interval than a normal first transmission interval.

11. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein the second transmission interval is an interval that is ½

of the first transmission interval or shorter.

12. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 8 for monitoring a tire condition of a tire mounted on a truck, bus, or trailer.

13. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 8, wherein a number of the sensor modules wirelessly transmitting to the receiver is six or more.

14. The tire condition monitoring method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of determining that the receiver is in error when a value that exceeds the threshold in which a flag was not set at the receiver is acquired three times or more.

15. A tire condition monitoring system comprising:

a sensor module including a sensor that detects a physical property value in a tire, a first arithmetic processing unit that processes the physical property value data detected by the sensor, and a transmission circuit for transmitting the data processed by the first arithmetic processing unit at a desired time interval;

a receiver including a receiving circuit for receiving data from the sensor module, and a second arithmetic processing unit for processing the received data of the receiving circuit; and

a monitoring device for monitoring the physical property value based on the data processed by the second arithmetic processing unit, wherein

the first arithmetic processing unit of the sensor module first determines whether an amount of change with respect to a previous value of a measured value of the physical property value from the sensor exceeds a preset threshold, and, if determined that the amount of change with respect to the previous value of the measured value of the physical property value exceeds the preset threshold, at least one flag is set in a packet of the send data from the sensor module; and

the second arithmetic processing unit of the receiver compares the received data of the receiving circuit with the previous value of the measured value of the physical property value, and second determines whether an amount of change with respect to a previous value of the received data from the sensor module exceeds the preset threshold, and, if determined that an amount of change with respect to the previous value of the received data exceeds the threshold, determines whether the flag is set in the received data; and

if determined that the flag is included in the received data, uses the received data, and if determined that the flag is not included, discards the received data.

16. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein the physical property value is air pressure, and

the threshold value is 20 kPa/min or greater.

17. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein when the sensor acquires data that satisfies an additional requirement of the flag, the first arithmetic processing unit of the sensor module sets the flag and, simultaneously, switches an operating mode of the transmission circuit from an operating mode in which data transmitting is performed via a normal first transmission interval to an operating mode in which data transmitting is performed via a second transmission interval that has a shorter transmission interval.

18. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 17, wherein the second transmission interval is a transmission interval that is ½

of the first transmission interval or shorter.

19. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 15 for monitoring a tire condition of a tire mounted on a truck, bus, or trailer.

20. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein a number of the sensor modules wirelessly transmitting to the receiver is six or more.

21. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein when the second arithmetic processing unit of the receiver acquires a value that exceeds the threshold in which a flag was not set at the receiver three times or more, a determination result that the receiver is in error is communicated to the monitoring device.

22. A tire condition monitoring system comprising:

a sensor module including a sensor that detects a physical property value in a tire, a first arithmetic processing unit that processes the physical property value data detected by the sensor, and a transmission circuit for transmitting the data processed by the first arithmetic processing unit at a desired time interval;

a receiver including a receiving circuit for receiving data from the sensor module, and a second arithmetic processing unit for processing the received data of the receiving circuit; and

a monitoring device for monitoring the physical property value based on the data processed by the second arithmetic processing unit, wherein

the first arithmetic processing unit of the sensor module first determines whether a measured value of the physical property value from the sensor exceeds a preset threshold, and, if determined that the measured value of the physical property value exceeds the preset threshold, at least one flag is set in a packet of the send data from the sensor module; and

the second arithmetic processing unit of the receiver compares the received data of the receiving circuit with the threshold, and second determines whether the received data exceeds the threshold, and, if determined that the received data exceeds the threshold, determines whether the flag is set in the received data; and

if determined that the flag is included in the received data, uses the received data, and if determined that the flag is not included, discards the received data.

23. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 22, wherein the physical property value is a temperature, and

the threshold value is 60°

C. or higher.

24. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 22, wherein when the sensor acquires data that satisfies an additional requirement of the flag, the first arithmetic processing unit of the sensor module sets the flag and, simultaneously, switches an operating mode of the transmission circuit from an operating mode in which data transmitting is performed via a normal first transmission interval to an operating mode in which data transmitting is performed via a second transmission interval that has a shorter transmission interval.

25. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 24, wherein the second transmission interval is a transmission interval that is ½

of the first transmission interval or shorter.

26. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 22 for monitoring a tire condition of a tire mounted on a truck, bus, or trailer.

27. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 22, wherein a number of the sensor modules wirelessly transmitting to the receiver is six or more.

28. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 22, wherein when the second arithmetic processing unit of the receiver acquires a value that exceeds the threshold in which a flag was not set at the receiver three times or more, a determination result that the receiver is in error is communicated to the monitoring device.