Automatic sensor detection

• US 8,878,663 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Katiba, Mohsen, Patel, Dilip B., Swadling, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/752,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20140210606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/447, 340/626, 340/686.1, 340/449, 340/539.1, 701/29.1, 701/1, 709/208, 731/46, 731/463
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0415 Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol

Abstract

Frames of data are received. Each frame includes at least a sensor identifier and a changeable data field and is sent from one of a plurality of sensors. Each of the plurality of sensors is associated with a respective one of a plurality of sensor identifiers. The changeable data field includes, in some of the frames, data representing a sensed condition and, in others of the frames, counter data. The counter data is analyzed to determine whether any of the sensor identifiers can be associated with one of a plurality of sensor locations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving frames of data, wherein each frame includes at least a sensor identifier and a changeable data field and is sent from one of a plurality of sensors, whereby each of the plurality of sensors is associated with a respective one of a plurality of sensor identifiers, and wherein the changeable data field includes, in some of the frames, data representing a sensed condition and, in others of the frames, counter data;

wherein the changeable data field includes the counter data only during an auto-learn operation, and includes only data representing a sensed condition after the auto-learn operation is terminated; and

analyzing the counter data to determine whether any of the sensor identifiers can be associated with one of a plurality of sensor locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data representing the sensed condition is temperature data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an assignment of one of the sensor identifiers to one of the sensor locations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising raising a fault condition on determining that no sensor identifiers can be associated with one of a plurality of sensor locations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the counter data includes generating a pareto of the counter data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors are included in a vehicle tire pressure monitoring system.

7. A computing device, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor for:

receiving frames of data, wherein each frame includes at least a sensor identifier and a changeable data field and is sent from one of a plurality of sensors, whereby each of the plurality of sensors is associated with a respective one of a plurality of sensor identifiers, and wherein the changeable data field includes, in some of the frames, data representing a sensed condition and, in others of the frames, counter data;

wherein the changeable data field includes the counter data only during an auto-learn operation, and includes only data representing a sensed condition after the auto-learn operation is terminated; and

analyzing the counter data to determine whether any of the sensor identifiers can be associated with one of a plurality of sensor locations.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the data representing the sensed condition is temperature data.

9. The device of claim 7, the instructions further comprising instructions for storing an assignment of one of the sensor identifiers to one of the sensor locations.

10. The device of claim 7, the instructions further comprising instructions for raising a fault condition on determining that no sensor identifiers can be associated with one of a plurality of sensor locations.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein analyzing the counter data includes generating a pareto of the counter data.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the sensors are included in a vehicle tire pressure monitoring system.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is a controller in a vehicle.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including thereon instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving frames of data, wherein each frame includes at least a sensor identifier and a changeable data field and is sent from one of a plurality of sensors, whereby each of the plurality of sensors is associated with a respective one of a plurality of sensor identifiers, and wherein the changeable data field includes, in some of the frames, data representing a sensed condition and, in others of the frames, counter data;

wherein the changeable data field includes the counter data only during an auto-learn operation, and includes only data representing a sensed condition after the auto-learn operation is terminated; and

analyzing the counter data to determine whether any of the sensor identifiers can be associated with one of a plurality of sensor locations.

15. The medium of claim 14, the instructions further comprising instructions for storing an assignment of one of the sensor identifiers to one of the sensor locations.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein analyzing the counter data includes generating a pareto of the counter data.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the sensors are included in a vehicle tire pressure monitoring system.