Tire positioning method and tire positioning system

• US 9,463,673 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Shih-Ching, Chang, Chin-Chia, Su, Chung-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US14/564,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/004 Tyre sensors other than for detecting tyre pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0483 Wireless routers between wheel mounted transmitters and chassis mounted receivers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/20 Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres

Abstract

A tire positioning method includes the following steps. Four wireless signals transmitted from four tires of a car are received by a wireless signal receiver. Each wireless signal includes a uniaxial acceleration. One of the tires which is located at a first location is identified according to the intensity of the wireless signals. The first location is the closest to the wireless signal receiver. When the car makes a turn, one of the tires which is located at a second location is identified according to the direction of each uniaxial acceleration. The second location and the first location are both located at one side of the car. The direction of the uniaxial acceleration of the tire which is located at the first location is identical to that of the tire which is at the second location. The side of the car is right side or left side.

Claims

1. A tire positioning method, comprising:

receiving four wireless signals transmitted by four tires of a vehicle by a wireless signal receiver, wherein each of the wireless signals comprises only a uniaxial acceleration;

identifying a tire of the tires at a first position according to the intensity of the wireless signals, wherein the tire at the first position is closest to the wireless signal receiver; and

identifying a tire of the tires at a second position according to the positive direction of the uniaxial accelerations when the vehicle make a turn, wherein the first position and the second position are both at the left side of the vehicle or both at the right side of the vehicle;

wherein the positive direction of uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the first position is identical to the positive direction of uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the second position.

2. The tire positioning method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless signal receiver is disposed at a left front seat of the vehicle, the first position is at the left front side of the vehicle, and the second position is at the left back side of the vehicle.

3. The tire positioning method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless signal receiver is disposed at a right front seat of the vehicle, the first position is at the right front side of the vehicle, and the second position is at the right back side of the vehicle.

4. The tire positioning method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a tire of the tires at a third position and a tire of tires at a fourth position according to the uniaxial accelerations, wherein the third position and the fourth position are both located at an opposite side of the vehicle to the first position and the second position;

wherein the third position is located at the front side of the vehicle, the fourth position is located at the back side of the vehicle, and the uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the third position is larger than the uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the fourth position.

5. The tire positioning method according to claim 1, wherein the directions of the uniaxial accelerations of the tires are respectively parallel to the axle of each of the tires.

6. A tire positioning system, comprising:

four peripheral devices, each of the peripheral devices comprising;

a uniaxial accelerometer disposed at one of four tires of a vehicle for measuring a uniaxial acceleration; and

a wireless signal transmitter disposed at one of the tires of the vehicle for transmitting a wireless signal, wherein the wireless signal comprises only the uniaxial acceleration; and

a central controlling device comprising;

a wireless signal receiver for receiving the wireless signals; and

a processor for identifying a tire of the tires at a first position according to the intensity of the wireless signals and a tire of the tires at a second position according to the direction of the uniaxial accelerations, wherein the tire at the first position is closest to the wireless signal receiver, wherein the first position and the second position are both located at the left or the right side of the vehicle, wherein the direction of the uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the first position is identical to the uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the second position.

7. The tire positioning system according to claim 6, wherein the central controlling device is disposed at a left front seat of the vehicle, the first position is located at the left front side of the vehicle, and the second position is located at the left back side of the vehicle.

8. The tire positioning system according to claim 6, wherein the central controlling device is disposed at a right front seat of the vehicle, the first position is located at the right front side of the vehicle, and the second position is located at the right back side of the vehicle.

9. The tire positioning system according to claim 6, wherein the processor further identifies a tire of the tires at a third position and a tire of the tires at a fourth position according to a magnitude of each of the uniaxial accelerations, the third and the fourth position are located at an opposite side of the vehicle to the first and the second position, the third position is located at the front side of the vehicle and the fourth position is located at the back side of the vehicle, and the uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the third position is larger than the uniaxial acceleration of the tire at the fourth position.

10. The tire positioning system according to claim 6, wherein the directions of the uniaxial accelerations of the tires are respectively parallel to the axle of each of the tires.

11. The tire positioning system according to claim 6, wherein each of the peripheral devices further comprises:

one of a tire pressure sensor for measuring a tire pressure of one of the tires,

a tire wear sensor for measuring a condition of tire wear of one of the tires, and

a tire run-out sensor for measuring a condition of tire run-out of one of the tires.

12. The tire positioning system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless signal receiver and the wireless signal transmitter communicate by Bluetooth, WLAN, or radio frequency.