Pump with tire fill assist

• US 10,576,941 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2018
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schondorf, Steven Yellin, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Kleve, Robert Bruce, Swadling, Greg, Patel, Dilip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Application Number:
  US16/108,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20180354470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 141 38, 141 94, 141 95, 152415
• 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: B60S 5/046 using electrical or electronical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

A pump system includes a pneumatic pump, a hose, a nozzle that can attach to a tire of a vehicle, and a processing device. The processing device receives a target tire pressure for the tire, receives a current tire pressure of the tire, and controls the operation of the pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure. A method includes receiving a target tire pressure for a tire of a vehicle, receiving a current tire pressure of the tire, and controlling operation of a pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure.

Claims

1. A pump system comprising:

a user interface device programmed to prompt a user to select one or more of a mobile device and a vehicle and to receive a first user input representing the mobile device or vehicle selected by the user, wherein the user interface device is further programmed to prompt the user to select a tire of the vehicle and to receive a second user input representing the tire selected by the user;

a pneumatic pump;

a hose attached to the pneumatic pump;

a nozzle disposed on the hose and configured to attach to the selected tire of the vehicle;

a placard reader configured to capture an image of a vehicle placard that shows a target tire pressure associated with the selected tire of the vehicle; and

a processing device configured to receive a target tire pressure for the tire from the placard reader, receive a current tire pressure of the tire wirelessly transmitted from a tire pressure monitor incorporated into the selected tire, and control operation of the pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure.

2. The pump system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to enable the pneumatic pump if the current tire pressure is less than the target tire pressure.

3. The pump system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to disable the pneumatic pump if the current tire pressure is substantially equal to the target tire pressure.

4. The pump system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to disable the pneumatic pump and open a pressure release valve to reduce a pressure of the tire if the current tire pressure is greater than the target tire pressure.

5. The pump system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface device configured to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle, wherein the wireless interface device is configured to receive at least one of the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure from the vehicle.

6. The pump system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to associate payment information and the target tire pressure to the vehicle.

7. The pump system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile device interface configured to receive at least one of the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure from a mobile device in communication with the vehicle.