MAGNETIC FORCE TRANSMISSION TYPE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR DEVICE AND RELATED SETTING TOOL AND SETTING METHOD

• US 20140368325A1
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cub Elecparts Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cub Elecparts Inc.
• Inventors: YU, San-Chuan, WANG, Tsan-Nung, CHEN, Ying-Pi
• Granted Patent: US 9,421,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch
• 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

Abstract

A magnetic force transmission type tire pressure sensor device and related setting tool and setting method is disclosed. The invention uses a magnetic force sensor unit in the tire pressure sensor device, to receive lines of magnetic flux being transmitted by a magnetic force transmitter unit in the setting tool, and then the received waveform is converted into a communication protocol and stored in the tire pressure sensor device. Therefore, the invention not only can achieve the purpose of wireless transmission but also can enhance the stability of signal transmission, eliminate wireless regulatory constraints and improve product quality.

Claims

1. A tire pressure sensor device, comprising:

a microcontroller unit;

a memory unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit;

a power supply device electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to provide the tire pressure sensor device with the necessary working electricity;

a pressure sensor unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to measure the internal air pressure of the tire in which the tire pressure sensor device is installed;

a temperature sensor unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to measure the internal temperature of said tire;

an acceleration sensor unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to measure the acceleration of said tire;

a low-frequency transmission interface electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to transmit a low-frequency signal; and

a magnetic force sensor unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to sense and receive the variation of a magnetic field and to convert the variation of waveform of said magnetic into a corresponding signal and to output the signal to said microcontroller unit.

2. The tire pressure sensor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic force sensor unit is a Hall sensor.

3. The tire pressure sensor device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a radio-frequency transmission interface electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to transmit a radio-frequency signal.

4. A tire pressure sensor device setting tool, comprising:

a microcontroller unit;

a memory unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to store the ID of a tire pressure sensor device and related communication protocol data;

a display unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to display the operating data of the setting tool;

a magnetic force transmitter unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and controllable by said microcontroller unit to transmit lines of magnetic flux; and

a low-frequency transmission interface electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to receive a low-frequency feedback signal transmitted by said tire pressure sensor device.

5. The tire pressure sensor device setting tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein said magnetic force transmitter unit is an electromagnet.

6. The tire pressure sensor device setting tool as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a radio-frequency transmission interface electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and adapted to receive a radio feedback signal transmitted by said tire pressure sensor device.

7. The tire pressure sensor device setting tool as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a warning unit electrically connected to said microcontroller unit and controllable by said microcontroller unit to provide a warning signal.

8. A tire pressure sensor device setting method, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a tire pressure sensor device comprising a microcontroller unit, a memory unit and a magnetic force sensor unit;

(b) providing a tire pressure sensor device setting tool comprising a microcontroller unit and a magnetic force transmitter unit;

(c) operating said tire pressure sensor device setting tool to select a control program to be unloaded onto said tire pressure sensor device, enabling the selected control program to be encoded by the microcontroller unit of said tire pressure sensor device setting tool and then transmitted by said magnetic force transmitter unit to said magnetic force sensor unit of said tire pressure sensor device; and

(d) enabling the microcontroller unit of said tire pressure sensor device to decode the encoded control program been sensed by said magnetic force sensor unit and then to store the decoded control program in said memory unit.

9. The tire pressure sensor device setting method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control program comprises a tire pressure sensor device communication protocol.

10. The tire pressure sensor device setting method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control program comprises the ID code of said tire pressure sensor device.