Method for the measurement and analysis of tyre air pressure with allocation of wheel positions and system for tyre air pressure measurement

• US 9,132,705 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultes, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US13/501,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/045 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes being not part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking

Abstract

In a method for the measurement and analysis of tire air pressure with an allocation of wheel positions (I, II, III, IV) of a vehicle (1) for analysis in a tire air pressure measurement system each wheel (2) of the vehicle (1) is allocated an air pressure checking device (10), an LF receiver (11), in particular a magnetic field strength receiver, an analysis unit (13), an RF-transmission device (12) and an individual wheel code. The LF receiver (11) receives electrical LF signals from an LF transmission device (4) of a central unit (3) arranged in the vehicle (1), the analysis unit (13) analyzes the received signal amplitudes and from these determines a wheel rotation rate and the RF transmission device (12) of the wheel (2) sends RF signals with information about the wheel rotation rate and the individual wheel code to the central unit (3) of the vehicle (1). The central unit (3) determines the wheel position (I, II, III oder IV) of the wheel (2) using another measurement system (7) and allocates the air pressure checking device (10) and its individual wheel code to the known wheel position (I, II, III or IV) on the vehicle (1). A tire air pressure measurement system has a central unit (3) arranged in a vehicle (1) with an LF transmission device (4), an RF receiver device (5) and a central analysis device (6). An air pressure checking device (10) arranged on each wheel (2) of the vehicle (1), an LF receiver device (11), RF transmission device (12) and analysis unit (13) for determining a rotation rate using a periodically varying amplitude of the received LF signal, and a measurement system (7) for measuring the wheel rotation rate at each wheel (2) and/or for determining the type of bend are additionally provided.

Claims

1. A method of measuring and analyzing tire air pressure according to a wheel position of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

coupling each of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle to an air pressure checking device, an LF receiver, an analysis unit, and an RF-transmission device;

allocating an individual wheel code to each of the plurality of wheels;

providing an LF signal to the LF receiver by an LF transmission device of a central unit;

analyzing the amplitude of the LF signal to determine a wheel rotation rate for each of the plurality of wheels;

sending an RF signal to the central unit, the RF signal being coupled with information about the wheel rotation rate and the individual wheel code;

determining the wheel position for each of the plurality of wheels using a measurement device according to the wheel rotation rate; and

enabling the air pressure checking device according to the individual wheel code to sense the tire air pressure associated with the wheel position.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of determining the wheel position, the central unit compares the transmitted wheel rotation rate with a plurality of known wheel rotation rates that are associated with a plurality of known wheel positions according to the measurement device, and if the wheel rotation rate is matched to one of the plurality of known wheel rotation rates, the central unit associates the individual wheel code to a known wheel position of the plurality of known wheel positions in the measurement device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the wheel position, the central unit compares the wheel rotation rate of each of the plurality of wheels with each other, and depending on a type of bend selected between a right-hand and left-hand bend, the central unit associates the individual wheel code a known wheel position the type of bend being determined by means of the measurement device that is selected from a group consisting of a steering angle sensor, a gyroscope and a indicator control.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the air pressure checking device and the determination of the position are associated with the LF signals from the central unit.

5. The method claim 1, wherein the air pressure checking device is synchronized by means of the LF signals from the central unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wheel rotation rate of each of the plurality of wheel is determined from a periodically varying signal amplitude of the LF signal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wheel position is assigned to all subsequent signals from the air pressure checking device associated with the individual wheel code in the central unit.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wheel position is determined while the vehicle is travelling round a bend.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein recurring association of the wheel position to the individual wheel code takes place after predetermined events that include switching on the engine ignition, time since the last assignment, tire changes, and vehicle mileage attained.

10. A tire air pressure measurement system in a vehicle, comprising:

a central unit that further comprises an LF transmission device, an RF receiver device and a central analysis device;

a plurality of wheels, each wheel of the plurality of wheels being coupled with an air pressure checking device, an LF receiver device, an RF transmission device and an analysis unit for determining a wheel rotation rate using a periodically varying amplitude of an LF signal that is provided by the LF transmission device in the central unit; and

a measurement device for measuring the wheel rotation rate on each wheel and determining a type of bend.

11. The tire air pressure measurement system according to claim 10, wherein the measurement device is arranged in a stationary position at a wheel position.

12. The tire air pressure measurement system according to claim 10, wherein the LF receiver device is a magnetic field strength receiver.

13. The tire air pressure measurement system according to claim 10, wherein the LF receiver device, the RF transmission device, the analysis unit and the air pressure checking device are integrated in a first module, and the LF transmission device, the RF receiver device and the central analysis device are integrated in a second module.