Method of differentiating tires in a vehicle

• US 20020196137A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Poirier, James Anthony, OʼConnor, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 6,822,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A tire differentiating system (21, 121) is employed to differentiate tires (22, 24, 26, 28, 122, 124, 126, 128) in a vehicle (20, 120). Each tire includes a sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 120, 132, 134, 136) which communicates with a receiver (38, 138). In a first example, when a tire (22, 24, 26, 28) is inflated above a high pressure threshold, a flag bit is stored in the sensor (30, 32, 34, 36) identifying the tire as a rear tire (26, 28). If a rear tire (26, 28) drops below a low pressure threshold, a warning algorithm is initiated to warn the driver. In a second example, the sensor (130, 132, 134, 136) is a transceiver with an RF detector circuit having an identification code. A RF transmitter (144, 146, 148, 150) is located proximate to each of the respective transceivers (130, 132, 134, 136). The receiver (138) sends a signal to each RF transmitter (144, 146, 148, 150) which generates a RF signal that is sent to the transceivers (130, 132, 134, 136). The transceivers (130, 132, 134, 136) then send a return signal including the identification code back to the receiver (138), identifying the tire (122, 124, 126, 128) at the location.

Claims

1. A tire differentiating system comprising:

a plurality of tires;

a sensor in each of said plurality of tires including an identifier; and

a receiver which communicates with each of said sensors to receive said identifier and determine a location of said tires.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said receiver is powered by an external energy source.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said identifier is a flag which is triggered when said sensor detects a measured pressure in said tire greater than a high pressure threshold.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said high pressure threshold is between 40 and 50 psi.

5. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said tire with a flag is identified as a rear tire.

6. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein a warning algorithm is generated when said measured pressure in said tire with a flag drops below a low threshold value.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein said low pressure threshold is 25 psi.

8. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said flag is reset by reducing said measured pressure in said tire to zero.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 further including a transmitter for each of said sensors, and said receiver sends a first signal to each of said transmitters, each of said transmitters send a second signal to said respective sensor, and said sensor sends said identifier to said receiver.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein each of said transmitters are located in a wheel well in one of said locations.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein each of said identifier is associated with one of said locations.

12. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein said transmitter is a RF transmitter, said sensor includes a RF circuit, and said second signal is a RF signal.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 further including the step of powering said receiver with an external energy source.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 further including the steps of triggering a flag in said sensor when said sensor detects a measured pressure in said tire greater than a high pressure threshold, said flag being said identifier, and identifying said tire with said flag as a rear tire.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 further including the step of generating a warning algorithm when said measured pressure in said tire with said flag drops below a low pressure threshold.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 further including the step of resetting said flag by reducing said measured pressure in said tire to zero.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 further including the steps of providing a transmitter for each of said sensors, sending a first signal to each of said transmitters, sending a second signal from said transmitters to said respective sensor, and the step of communicating said identifier includes sending said identifier from said sensor to said receiver after said sensor receives said second signal, and the step of determining said location includes associating said identifier with one of said locations.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said transmitter is a RF transmitter, said sensor includes a RF circuit, and said second signal is a RF signal.

13. A method of differentiating a plurality of tires comprising the steps of:

providing said plurality of tires each including a sensor having an identifier and a receiver which communicates with said sensors;

communicating said identifier to said receiver; and

determining a location of each of said tires.