Apparatus and method for compensating for atmospheric pressure in a TPMS system

• US 9,517,665 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Deniau, Jean-Christophe, Fink, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/576,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 701/103, 701/33.7, 701/38, 73/40, 340/447, 340/445, 340/438, 340/441, 340/442
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0476 Temperature compensation of measured pressure values

Abstract

An altitude of the vehicle from an external electronic source and an external temperature is received from a temperature sensor are received. An external relative humidity is determined. Based upon the altitude, the temperature, and the external relative humidity, an estimated barometric pressure is determined. An air pressure of a tire is received. An adjustment is made to the received pressure to obtain a corrected pressure. The amount of adjustment is based upon the estimated barometric pressure and the adjustment is applied to the air pressure to obtain a corrected tire pressure. An evaluation is made of the corrected tire pressure to determine when an alert should be presented to a user. When the alert is determined, the alert to the user is presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising:

receiving an altitude of the vehicle from an external electronic source;

receiving an external temperature is received from a temperature sensor;

determining an external relative humidity;

based upon the altitude received from the external electronic source, the temperature, and the external relative humidity, determining an estimated barometric pressure;

receiving an air pressure of a tire;

determining an adjustment to the air pressure of the tire, the adjustment based upon the estimated barometric pressure, the adjustment applied to the air pressure of the tire to obtain a corrected tire pressure;

evaluating the corrected tire pressure to determine when an alert should be presented to a user;

when the alert is determined, presenting the alert to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the corrected tire pressure is determined according to the equation

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the air pressure of the tire is received from a message from the TPMS sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the altitude is received from a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an external relative humidity comprises receiving the external relative humidity from a external relative humidity sensor.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated barometric pressure is determined according to the equation

6. An electronic control unit (ECU), the comprising:

an electronic interface having an input and output, the input configured to receive an altitude of the vehicle from an external electronic source and an external temperature is received from a temperature sensor;

a controller coupled to the electronic interface, the controller configured to determine an external relative humidity, the controller configured to based upon the altitude received from the external electronic source, the temperature, and the external relative humidity, determine the estimated barometric pressure, the controller configured to receive a pressure of a tire at the input of the electronic interface, the controller configured to determine an adjustment to the air pressure of the tire, the adjustment based upon the estimated barometric pressure, the adjustment being applied to the air pressure of the tire to obtain a corrected tire pressure, the controller configured to evaluate the corrected tire pressure to determine when an alert should be presented to a user and when the alter is determined, presenting the alert to the user via the output of the electronic interface.

7. The ECU of claim 6 wherein the corrected tire pressure is determined according to the equation

8. The ECU of claim 6, wherein the air pressure of the tire is received from a message from the TPMS sensor.

9. The ECU of claim 6, wherein the altitude is received from a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

10. The ECU of claim 6, wherein the external relative humidity is determined from a measurement received from an external relative humidity sensor.

17. The ECU of claim 6 wherein the estimated barometric pressure is determined according to the equation

11. A computer usable non-transitory medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of determining atmospheric pressure, the method comprising:

receiving an altitude of the vehicle from an external electronic source;

receiving an external temperature is received from a temperature sensor;

determining an external relative humidity;

based upon the altitude, the temperature, and the external relative humidity, determining the estimated barometric pressure;

receiving a pressure of a tire;

determining an adjustment to the air pressure of the tire, the adjustment based upon the estimated barometric pressure, the adjustment applied to the air pressure of the tire to obtain a corrected tire pressure;

evaluating the corrected tire pressure to determine when an alert should be presented to a user;

when the alert is determined, presenting the alert to the user.

12. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the corrected tire pressure is determined according to the equation

13. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 11, wherein the air pressure of the tire is received from a message from the TPMS sensor.

14. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 11, wherein the altitude is received from a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

15. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 11, wherein determining an external relative humidity comprises receiving the external relative humidity from a external relative humidity sensor.

18. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the estimated barometric pressure is determined according to the equation