Tire inner pressure measurement system

• US 8,910,513 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Birdgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Toyofuku, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US13/814,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20130133415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0428 using passive wheel mounted resonance circuits
• 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: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

A tire internal pressure measuring system includes a detector for detecting the internal pressure of a tire, and an acquisition device for acquiring data relating to the internal pressure of the tire detected by the detector. An antenna unit of the acquisition device generates induced electromotive force in an antenna unit of the detector by electromagnetic induction, and acquires a resonant waveform in tune with the resonance of an LC resonance circuit configured from a capacitance sensor charged with the electromotive force generated in the antenna unit and the antenna unit. The acquired resonant waveform is frequency-divided, and a capacitor (C) is charged during a period from the rising edge to the falling edge of the waveform obtained by the frequency dividing. The value of charged voltage is associated with the tire internal pressure.

Claims

1. A tire inner pressure measurement system comprising:

a detector that detects the inner pressure of a tire and an acquisition apparatus that acquires data regarding the inner pressure of the tire detected by the detector, wherein

the detector comprises;

a resonance circuit that includes;

a capacitive sensor having capacitance changed according to a change in an inter-electrode distance by the inner pressure of the tire; and

a detection-side antenna unit formed by a coil, the coil being obtained by winding a conductive wire around a coil material, the antenna unit being connected to the capacitive sensor,

the acquisition apparatus comprises;

an acquisition-side antenna unit that is formed by a coil obtained by winding a conductive wire around a coil material, that generates electromotive force in the detection-side antenna unit by electromagnetic induction, and that acquires resonant waveforms of the resonance circuit including the capacitive sensor charged by the electromotive force and the detection-side antenna unit;

a driving unit that applies electromotive force to the detection-side antenna unit;

a signal amplification unit that amplifies the resonant waveforms;

a division unit that divides a predetermined number of waveforms among the amplified resonant waveforms;

a conversion unit that converts a period from rise to fall of a waveform obtained by dividing the waveforms into a voltage value; and

a pressure calculation unit that calculates the inner pressure of the tire based on the voltage value converted by the conversion unit.

2. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

the conversion unit comprises:

a CR charging circuit having a capacitor and a resistor, and

the conversion unit charges the capacitor over the period from the rise to the fall of the waveform obtained by dividing the waveforms, and

associates a voltage value charged in the capacitor with the inner pressure of the tire.

3. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

the conversion unit comprises:

an integration circuit, and

the conversion unit associates a voltage value integrated over the period from the rise to the fall of the waveform obtained by dividing the waveforms, with the inner pressure of the tire.

4. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

a rim wheel mounted with the tire is provided with a valve for injecting air, and

the valve comprises:

a valve core including an air room-side end portion communicating with an air room formed between the tire and the rim wheel, and an inlet;

a valve stem into which the valve core is inserted; and

a valve cap mounted around the valve stem to cover the inlet of the valve core, and

the capacitive sensor and the detection-side antenna unit are arranged in the valve cap.

5. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

a rim wheel mounted with the tire is provided with a valve for injecting air, and

the valve comprises:

a valve core including an air room-side end portion communicating with an air room formed between the tire and the rim wheel, and an inlet;

a valve stem into which the valve core is inserted; and

a valve cap mounted around the valve stem to cover the inlet of the valve core, and

the capacitive sensor is arranged at the air room-side end portion of the valve core,

the detection-side antenna unit is arranged in the valve cap, and

the capacitive sensor is electrically connected to the detection-side antenna unit.

6. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 2, wherein

a rim wheel mounted with the tire is provided with a valve for injecting air, and

the valve comprises:

a valve core including an air room-side end portion communicating with an air room formed between the tire and the rim wheel, and an inlet;

a valve stem into which the valve core is inserted; and

a valve cap mounted around the valve stem to cover the inlet of the valve core, and

the capacitive sensor and the detection-side antenna unit are arranged in the valve cap.

7. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 3, wherein

a rim wheel mounted with the tire is provided with a valve for injecting air, and

the valve comprises:

a valve core including an air room-side end portion communicating with an air room formed between the tire and the rim wheel, and an inlet;

a valve stem into which the valve core is inserted; and

a valve cap mounted around the valve stem to cover the inlet of the valve core, and

the capacitive sensor and the detection-side antenna unit are arranged in the valve cap.

8. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 2, wherein

a rim wheel mounted with the tire is provided with a valve for injecting air, and

the valve comprises:

a valve core including an air room-side end portion communicating with an air room formed between the tire and the rim wheel, and an inlet;

a valve stem into which the valve core is inserted; and

a valve cap mounted around the valve stem to cover the inlet of the valve core, and

the capacitive sensor is arranged at the air room-side end portion of the valve core,

the detection-side antenna unit is arranged in the valve cap, and

the capacitive sensor is electrically connected to the detection-side antenna unit.

9. The tire inner pressure measurement system according to claim 3, wherein

a rim wheel mounted with the tire is provided with a valve for injecting air, and

the valve comprises:

a valve core including an air room-side end portion communicating with an air room formed between the tire and the rim wheel, and an inlet;

a valve stem into which the valve core is inserted; and

a valve cap mounted around the valve stem to cover the inlet of the valve core, and

the capacitive sensor is arranged at the air room-side end portion of the valve core,

the detection-side antenna unit is arranged in the valve cap, and

the capacitive sensor is electrically connected to the detection-side antenna unit.