TIRE CONDITION SENSOR COMMUNICATION WITH TIRE LOCATION PROVIDED VIA VEHICLE-MOUNTED IDENTIFICATION UNITS
First Claim
1. A tire condition sensor unit for association with a tire of a vehicle and for communicating a tire condition to a vehicle-based unit, said tire condition sensor unit comprising:
- sensor means for sensing the tire condition;
radio frequency transmitter means, operatively connected to said sensor means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition; and
low frequency receiver means, operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means, for receiving a low frequency initiation signal and for causing said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal indicative of the sensed tire condition in response to receipt of the low frequency initiation signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tire condition communication system (10) for a vehicle (12) that has a tire (e.g., 14A). A sensor (e.g., 74), associated with the tire (e.g., 14A), senses at least one tire condition. A memory (e.g., 70), associated with the tire (e.g., 14A), holds an identification. Transmitter components (e.g., 80 and 22), associated with the tire (e.g., 14A) and operatively connected to the sensor (74) and the memory (70), transmit a condition signal (e.g., 24A) that indicates the held identification and the sensed tire condition. A vehicle-based unit (28) receives the transmitted condition signal (e.g., 24A) indicative of the held identification and the sensed tire condition. An identification provision unit (e.g., 42A), located on the vehicle (12) adjacent to the tire (e.g., 14A) and having a location identification, transmits the location identification in response to a request. A communication portion (e.g., 48A) of the tire condition sensor unit (e.g., 18A) communicates a request to the identification provision unit (e.g., 42A) to transmit the location identification. The tire condition sensor unit (e.g., 18A) receives the requested location identification and updates the held identification.
46 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A tire condition sensor unit for association with a tire of a vehicle and for communicating a tire condition to a vehicle-based unit, said tire condition sensor unit comprising:
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sensor means for sensing the tire condition;
radio frequency transmitter means, operatively connected to said sensor means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition; and
low frequency receiver means, operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means, for receiving a low frequency initiation signal and for causing said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal indicative of the sensed tire condition in response to receipt of the low frequency initiation signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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15. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle, said system comprising:
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sensor means, associated with a tire, for sensing at least one tire condition;
radio frequency transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to said sensor means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition; and
communication means, having a first portion associated with the tire and operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means and a second portion associated with the vehicle, for communicating a request from the vehicle to said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal that indicates the sensed tire condition.
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31. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle, said system comprising:
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sensor means, associated with a tire, for sensing at least one tire condition;
memory means, associated with the tire, for holding a fixed identification associated with the tire;
radio frequency transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to said sensor means and said memory means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal that indicates the fixed identification and the sensed tire condition; and
communication means, having a first portion associated with the tire and operatively connected to said radio frequency transmitter means and a second portion associated with the vehicle, for communicating a request from the vehicle to said radio frequency transmitter means to transmit the radio frequency signal that indicates the fixed identification and the sensed tire condition. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of communicating tire condition information from a tire condition sensor unit to a vehicle-based unit, said method comprising:
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outputting, in response to control from the vehicle-based unit, a low frequency initiation signal for reception by the tire condition sensor unit; and
outputting, in response to receipt of the low frequency initiation signal, a radio frequency response signal that conveys the tire condition information from the tire condition sensor unit for reception by the vehicle-based unit.
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44. A method of communicating tire condition information from a tire condition sensor unit to a vehicle-based unit, said method comprising:
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outputting, in response to control from the vehicle-based unit, a low frequency signal for reception by the tire condition sensor unit; and
outputting a radio frequency signal that conveys a fixed tire identification and the tire condition information from the tire condition sensor unit for reception by the vehicle-based unit. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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49. A method of communicating tire condition information from a plurality of tire condition sensor units to a vehicle-based unit, said method comprising:
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sequentially outputting, in response to control from the vehicle-based unit, low frequency initiation signals, each low frequency initiation signal being for reception by a different tire condition sensor unit; and
each tire condition sensor unit outputting, in response to receipt of the respective low frequency initiation signal, a radio frequency response signal that conveys the tire condition information from that tire condition sensor unit for reception by the vehicle-based unit.
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55. A method of communicating tire condition information from a plurality of tire condition sensor units to a vehicle-based unit, said method comprising:
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sequentially outputting, in response to control from the vehicle-based unit, low frequency signals, each low frequency signal being for reception by a different tire condition sensor unit; and
each tire condition sensor unit outputting a radio frequency signal that conveys a fixed tire identification and the tire condition information from that tire condition sensor unit for reception by the vehicle-based unit. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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Specification