Barometric pressure compensation for tire pressure monitoring system tool

• US 9,610,809 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Deniau, Jean-Christophe, Gad, Yasser, Farrell, Brian J
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US14/564,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 340442, 340447, 731464, 731465
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0471 System initialisation, e.g. upload or calibration of operating parameters
• 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: B60C 23/0486 comprising additional sensors in the wheel or tyre mounted monitoring device, e.g. movement sensors, microphones or earth magnetic field sensors

Abstract

At a portable low frequency (LF) tool, a sensor reading of a tire pressure is received. A determination is made of a barometric pressure adjustment based upon received inputs. The adjustment is applied to the reading of the tire pressure to form an adjusted pressure. The adjusted pressure is presented to a user at the portable LF tool.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising:

at a portable low frequency (LF) tool;

receiving a sensor reading of a tire pressure;

receiving inputs regarding barometric pressure from a source external from the portable LF tool;

determining a barometric pressure adjustment based upon the received inputs;

applying the adjustment to the reading of the tire pressure to form an adjusted pressure;

presenting the adjusted pressure to a user at the portable LF tool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received inputs are RF signals received from a portable device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received inputs are signals from an external network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the external network comprises the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a cellular network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusted pressure is presented on a graphical user interface at the LF tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusted pressure is transmitted to a third party.

7. A portable low frequency (LF) tire pressure programming tool, the tool comprising:

a first transmitter/receiver for receiving a sensor reading of a tire pressure;

a second transmitter/receiver for receiving inputs regarding barometric pressure from a source external from the portable LF tire pressure programming tool;

a user interface;

a controller, the controller being coupled to the first transmitter/receiver, the second transmitter/receiver, and the interface, the controller being configured to determine a barometric pressure adjustment based upon the received inputs, apply the adjustment to the sensor reading of the tire pressure to form an adjusted pressure, and present the adjusted pressure via the interface.

8. The tool of claim 7, wherein the received inputs are received from an external portable device that is separate from the tool.

9. The tool of claim 7, wherein the received inputs are from an external network.

10. The tool of claim 9, wherein the external network comprises the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a cellular network.

11. The tool of claim 7, wherein the interface is a graphical user interface.

12. The tool of claim 7, wherein the adjusted pressure is transmitted to a third party via the transmitter/receiver.

13. 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 barometric pressure, the method comprising:

at a portable low frequency (LF) tool;

receiving a sensor reading of a tire pressure;

receiving inputs regarding barometric pressure from a source external from the portable LF tool;

determining a barometric pressure adjustment based upon the received inputs;

applying the adjustment to the reading of the tire pressure to form an adjusted pressure;

presenting the adjusted pressure to a user at the portable LF tool.

14. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 13, wherein the received inputs are RF signals received from a portable device.

15. The computer usable non-transitory medium of claim 13, wherein the received inputs are signals from an external network.