Mobile phone enabled data processing system

• US 9,418,492 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Sinner, Yves Henri, Engel, Marc, Manfreda, Anze, Ganguly, Abhijit
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US14/534,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20160133067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/00 Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/00 Tyres specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• 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: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system monitors and controls pressure of vehicle parts. The system consists of: a fleet of vehicles, each vehicle of the fleet having a cab and a trailer; a controller maintaining a wireless server and database for the fleet of vehicles; a first cellular device transmitting data to and from an electronic control unit of the cab of each vehicle and the controller; and a second cellular device transmitting data to and from an electronic control unit of the trailer of each vehicle and the controller. The first cellular device and the second cellular device each utilize a publicly accessible cellular network for communication with the controller.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and controlling pressure of vehicle parts, the system consisting of:

a fleet of vehicles, each vehicle of the fleet having a cab and a trailer;

a controller maintaining a wireless server and database for the fleet of vehicles;

a first cellular device transmitting data to and from an electronic control unit of the cab of each vehicle and the controller; and

a second cellular device transmitting data to and from an electronic control unit of the trailer of each vehicle and the controller,

the first cellular device and the second cellular device each utilizing a publicly accessible cellular network for communication with the controller.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the controller is a tire provider for the fleet of vehicles.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit of each trailer of each vehicle only transmits data to and from the controller.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the controller receives GPS data from each cab and each trailer.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the controller receives tire pressure and GPS data from each cab and trailer and sends control instructions to the electronic control unit of each cab and trailer.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each cab and each corresponding first cellular device are located at a single location.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit of each trailer sends only tire pressure data to the controller.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first cellular device is a smartphone.

9. A method for monitoring and controlling pressure of vehicle parts, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a fleet of vehicles, each vehicle of the fleet having a cab and a trailer;

maintaining a wireless server and database for the fleet of vehicles;

transmitting data to and from a first electronic control unit of the cab of each vehicle and a controller; and

transmitting data to/from a second electronic control unit of the trailer of each vehicle and the controller.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of utilizing a cellular device and a publicly accessible cellular network for transmitting data to and from the first and second electronic control units of each vehicle and the controller.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the controller is a tire provider for the fleet of vehicles.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of receiving GPS data from each cab and each trailer by the controller.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of receiving tire pressure and GPS data from each cab and each trailer and sending control instructions to the first and second electronic control units of each vehicle.

14. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of receiving GPS data from the first and second electronic control units of each vehicle.

15. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of locating each cab and each first electronic control unit at a single location.

16. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of sending only tire pressure data by the second electronic control unit to the controller.

17. The method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of utilizing a cell phone for control of the controller and the first and second electronic control units.