Apparatus and method to adjust LF sensitivity of TPM sensor

• US 9,579,938 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McIntyre, Matthew D, Deniau, Jean-Christophe, Farrell, Brian, Gad, Yasser, Vijayan, Dhivya
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US14/727,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/445, 340447-449
• 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 23/0422 characterised by the type of signal transmission means
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/044 Near field triggers, e.g. magnets or triggers with 125 KHz
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0474 Measurement control, e.g. setting measurement rate or calibrating of sensors; Further processing of measured values, e.g. filtering, compensating or slope monitoring
• 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

Abstract

A TPM sensor measures the pressure of a tire and determines whether the measured pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold. When the measured pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold, an adjustment to the sensitivity is determined by the sensor. The adjustment to the sensitivity is applied to the sensor to yield an adjusted sensitivity. The TPM sensor is operated to make receptions according to the adjusted sensitivity.

Claims

1. A method of programming a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) sensor, the TPM sensor comprising a receiver and a transmitter, the method comprising:

at a TPM sensor disposed in a vehicle, the sensor having a sensitivity for receptions, and the vehicle having an associated vehicle type;

measuring pressure of a tire and determining whether the measured pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold;

when the measured pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold, determining an adjustment to the sensitivity of the sensor;

applying the adjustment to the sensitivity to yield an adjusted sensitivity;

operating the TPM sensor to make receptions according to the adjusted sensitivity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment is determined based upon the vehicle type.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving one of:

a low frequency (LF) command from an external triggering entity or an indication of a vehicle action, wherein the vehicle type is determined based upon the LF command from external triggering entity or the indication of a vehicle action, and wherein a magnitude of the adjustment is based upon the vehicle type.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication of vehicle action comprises an indication of acceleration of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising locking the adjusted sensitivity into the TPM sensor.

6. A tire pressure monitoring (TPM) sensor configured to being disposed at a vehicle, the sensor having a sensitivity for receptions, and the vehicle having an associated type, the sensor comprising:

a measurement device that is configured to measure the pressure of a tire;

a receiver that is configured to receive commands from an external triggering entity according to a sensitivity, the sensitivity being adjustable;

a transmitter for transmitting information, the information comprising measured tire pressure transmitted to a vehicle receiver;

a controller coupled to the measurement device, the transmitter, and the receiver, the controller configured to determine whether the measured pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold and when the measured pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold, determine an adjustment to the sensitivity of the receiver;

the controller configured to apply the adjustment to the sensitivity to yield an adjusted sensitivity, the controller configured to operate the receiver according to the adjusted sensitivity.

7. The TPM sensor of claim 6, wherein the adjustment is determined based upon the vehicle type.

8. The TPM sensor of claim 7, wherein the receiver is configured to receive one of:

a low frequency (LF) command from an external triggering entity or an indication of a vehicle action, wherein the vehicle type is determined based upon the LF command from the external triggering entity or the indication of a vehicle action, and wherein a magnitude of the adjustment is based upon the vehicle type.

9. The TPM sensor of claim 8, wherein the indication of vehicle action comprises an indication of acceleration of the vehicle.

10. The TPM sensor of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to lock the adjusted sensitivity.

11. A non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to being executed to implement a method programming a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) sensor, the TPM sensor comprising a receiver and a transmitter, the method comprising:

at a TPM sensor disposed in a vehicle, the sensor having a sensitivity for receptions, and the vehicle having an associated vehicle type;

measuring pressure of a tire and determining whether the measured pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold;

when the measured pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold, determining an adjustment to the sensitivity of the sensor;

applying the adjustment to the sensitivity to yield an adjusted sensitivity;

operating the TPM sensor to make receptions according to the adjusted sensitivity.

12. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 11, wherein the adjustment is determined based upon the vehicle type.

13. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 12, further comprising receiving one of:

a low frequency (LF) command from an external triggering entity or an indication of a vehicle action, wherein the vehicle type is determined based upon the LF command from the external triggering entity or the indication of a vehicle action, and wherein a magnitude of the adjustment is based upon the vehicle type.

14. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 13, wherein the indication of vehicle action comprises an indication of acceleration of the vehicle.

15. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 11, further comprising locking the adjusted sensitivity into the TPM sensor.