System and method for identifying source of RF transmission

• US 20040036591A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Desai, Tejas B., Ostrander, Gerald L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,173,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

To eliminate any mis-learning of a sensor code in a factory environment due to adjacent vehicles, a vehicle ID is sent to a sensor transmitter by an initiation signal. When the sensor transmitter transmits its sensor identification signal to the vehicle control in a “learn” mode, the vehicle ID received in the initiation signal is carried with a combined signal. The vehicle control receives the combined signal, and if the received vehicle identification code in the signal matches an expected vehicle identification code, then the control learns the sensor identification. If the expected vehicle identification code does not match the received vehicle identification code, then the control may ignore the particular sensor identification code. This invention thus eliminates any tendency to have an adjacent vehicle inadvertently “teach” its sensor IDs to the control associated with the adjacent vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for learning sensor codes at a vehicle control comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a vehicle with a control and a plurality of tire pressure sensors each having an individual sensor ID, said control also having an expected vehicle ID;

(2) initiating the transmission of a signal from each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors by sending a signal to each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors, said signal being sent to each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors including said expected vehicle ID; and

(3) transmitting a combined signal from each of said plurality of vehicle sensors to said control, said combined signal including both said vehicle ID, and said sensor ID, and capturing said combined signal at said vehicle control, and comparing said expected vehicle ID to a received vehicle ID incorporated into said combined signal, and learning said sensor ID if said expected vehicle ID and said received vehicle ID match.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a handheld initiator is utilized to initiate transmission of said signal from said plurality of vehicle sensors.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said handheld initiator sends an LF signal.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said plurality of tire pressure sensors send an RF signal to be captured by said control.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of tire pressure sensors are tire pressure monitoring sensors each associated with individual tires on said vehicle.

6. A tire pressure monitoring sensor comprising:

a tire pressure sensor, said tire pressure sensor including an LF receiver and an RF transmitter, said tire pressure sensor incorporating a sensor identification code which can be transmitted by said RF transmitter; and

said LF receiver receiving a signal from a handheld initiator to generate transmission of a signal by said RF transmitter to a vehicle control, said signal transmitted by said RF transmitter when initiated by said LF receiver incorporating a vehicle identification code received by said LF transmitter, such that the signal sent by said RF transmitter includes a vehicle identification code and said sensor identification code.

7. A system for monitoring tire pressure on a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of tire pressure sensors, said tire pressure sensors including an LF receiver and an RF transmitter, said tire pressure sensors incorporating a sensor identification code which can be transmitted by said RF transmitter;

a handheld initiator for sending an initiation signal including a vehicle identification code associated with a particular vehicle to each of said plurality of tire pressure sensors;

a vehicle control for receiving RF transmissions from said plurality of tire pressure sensors; and

said RF transmitters on said plurality of tire pressure sensors receiving said initiation signal and generating a combined RF transmission signal including said sensor identification code and said vehicle identification code, said vehicle control being capable of comparing an expected vehicle identification code to a vehicle identification code received from said RF transmitter, and learning said sensor identification code should said expected vehicle identification code match said received vehicle identification code, but ignoring the sensor identification code should said expected vehicle identification code not match said received vehicle identification code.