Universal tire pressure sensor

• US 9,446,635 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huf Baolong Electronics Bretten GmbH (Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Wagner, Markus, Mueller, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/539,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20160039254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/445, 340/447, 340/426.33, 731/46, 731/462, 731/463, 731/465, 116/34, 116/34.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/02 Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure hand-held tyre pressure gauges G01L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0454 Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0471 System initialisation, e.g. upload or calibration of operating parameters

Abstract

A tire pressure sensor for motor vehicles, includes a housing, which accommodates an integrated circuit (sensor IC), having a microcontroller and a pressure sensor. The microcontroller transfers pressure measurement values to a separate receiver device by wireless communication. The sensor IC has an internal memory, in which executable instructions and data can be stored, which, when executed, result in the acquisition and transference of the pressure measurement data. A power supply is disposed in the housing, and coupled to the sensor IC which is coupled to an auxiliary memory module disposed in the housing. Numerous different data packets, with respective instructions or data, are stored in the memory module. The auxiliary memory module can be activated via the microcontroller, in order to copy a selected data packet into the internal memory. The auxiliary memory module is coupled to the microcontroller of the sensor IC by a serial data interface.

Claims

1. A tire pressure sensor for motor vehicles, comprising:

a housing, an integrated circuit (sensor IC) accommodated in the housing, wherein the sensor IC has a microcontroller and a pressure sensor, and a wireless communication device is disposed in the housing, which is coupled to the microcontroller, in order to transmit pressure measurement values acquired by the pressure sensor to a separate receiver device, wherein the sensor IC has an internal memory in which executable instructions and data can be stored, which, when executed, result in the acquisition and transmission of the pressure measurement data, wherein a power supply is disposed in the housing, and is coupled to the sensor IC, characterized in that the sensor IC is coupled to an auxiliary memory module disposed in the housing, wherein numerous different data packets, having respective instructions or data, are stored in the memory module, wherein the auxiliary memory module can be activated by the microcontroller in order to copy a selected data packet into the internal memory, wherein the auxiliary memory module is coupled to the microcontroller of the sensor IC via a serial data interface.

2. The tire pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a single single-wire data line is formed between the sensor IC and the auxiliary memory module.

3. The tire pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller controls the power supply for the auxiliary memory module such that the auxiliary memory can be switched over to an energy saving mode.

4. The tire pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein the microcontroller then switches the auxiliary memory to the energy saving mode after a selected data packet has been copied from the auxiliary memory into the internal memory.

5. The tire pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein the microcontroller is coupled to the means for wireless communication such that a selection of a data packet stored in the auxiliary memory occurs via the means for wireless communication, and the microcontroller subsequently copies the selected data packet from the auxiliary memory into the internal memory.

6. The tire pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the means for wireless communication have transmission means for high frequency signals and receiving means for low frequency signals.

7. The tire pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary memory module is disposed, together with the sensor IC, on a printed circuit board, and is placed on the printed circuit board at a spacing to the sensor IC.

8. A method for operating a tire pressure sensor for motor vehicles, comprising the steps:

wireless transmission of a selection identifier to the tire pressure sensor by means of a transmission device;

operation of an auxiliary memory disposed in the tire pressure sensor with the aid of a sensor IC disposed in the tire pressure sensor, and requesting and transmission of a memory area corresponding to the selection identifier from the auxiliary memory into a smaller memory of a sensor IC via a serial interface between the sensor IC and the auxiliary memory.

9. The method according to claim 8, furthermore exhibiting:

deactivation of the auxiliary memory after the copying procedure has occurred, wherein the auxiliary memory is separated from a power supply, or the power supply for the auxiliary memory is reduced.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the selection identifier is transmitted to an LF receiver device in the tire pressure sensor by means of an LF signal connection.