Apparatus for wire-free transmission from moving parts

• US 6,378,360 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IQ-Mobil GmbH
• Original Assignee: IQ mobil Electronics GmbH
• Inventors: Bartels, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): OEN, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/199,343
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/464, 731/465, 731/468, 737/14, 340/442, 340/445, 340/440, 340/447, 364/550, 364/558, 364/565
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres

Abstract

An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measured value, from moving parts, is for measuring the tire pressure in motor vehicles, and includes: a measured value transmitter, in particular a pressure meter in the tire; a measurement system, which includes at least one antenna in the vicinity of the measured value transmitter, as well as at least one electronics assembly, in which case, at least one supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted to the measured value transmitter and is received from it. Further, the measured value transmitter includes at least one resonator coupled to at least one non-linear electronic component, and the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured. Multiples of the supply frequency or sum or difference frequencies of a plurality of supply frequencies are formed in the non-linear electronic component by mixing or forming harmonics.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measure value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter, including a value meter in one of the moving parts; and

a measurement system comprising at least one antenna in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter, a receiver and at least one electronics assembly, wherein at least one modulated supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted for reception by the measured value transmitter;

wherein the measure value transmitter has at least one ringing resonator, and one of the frequency characteristics and absorption characteristic of the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein the resonator is excited by reception of the modulated supply frequency in the measured value transmitter when the modulation frequency of the modulated supply frequency corresponds to the resonator frequency for indirect modulated excitation;

wherein, once excitation has taken place, the modulation of the frequency is one of switched off and is varied such that excitation of the resonator no longer takes place;

wherein the resonator resonates after excitation and, at the same time, this resonating is modulated by the value to be measured;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by this modulated resonating and this modulated supply frequency is entitled by the measured value transmitter;

wherein a receiver which is present in the measurement system detects the resonating and users the resonating to derive the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion; and

wherein the supply frequencies (f1, f2) are produced by modulation of a common basic supply frequency with a suitable modulation signal.

2. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measure value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter, including a value meter in one of the moving parts; and

a measurement system comprising at least one antenna in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter, a receiver and at least one electronics assembly, wherein at least one modulated supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted for reception by the measured value transmitters;

wherein the measure value transmitter has at least one ringing resonator, and one of the frequency characteristics and absorption characteristic of the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein the resonator is excited by reception of the modulated supply frequency in the measured value transmitter when the modulation frequency of the modulated supply frequency corresponds to the resonator frequency for indirect modulated excitation;

wherein, once excitation has taken place, the modulation of the frequency is one of switched off and is varied such that excitation of the resonator no longer takes place;

wherein the resonator resonates after excitation and, at the same time, this resonating is modulated by the value to be measured;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by this modulated resonating and this modulated supply frequency is emitted by the measured value transmitter;

wherein a receiver which is present in the measurement system detects the resonating and uses the resonating to derive the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion; and

wherein reception and evaluation of a plurality of measurement frequencies (f3) carried out simultaneously by analog/digital conversion and subsequent digital signal processing.

3. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measure value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter, including a value meter in one of the moving parts; and

a measurement system comprising at least one antenna in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter, a receiver and at least one electronics assembly, wherein at least one modulated supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted for reception by the measured value transmitter;

wherein the measure value transmitter has at least one ringing resonator, and one of the frequency characteristics and absorption characteristic of the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein the resonator is excited by reception of the modulated supply frequency in the measured value transmitter when the modulation frequency of the modulated supply frequency corresponds to the resonator frequency for indirect modulated excitation;

wherein, once excitation has taken place, the modulation of the frequency is one of switched off and is varied such that excitation of the resonator no longer takes place;

wherein the resonator resonates after excitation and, at the same time, this resonating is modulated by the value to be measured;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by this modulated resonating and this modulated supply frequency is emitted by the measured value transmitter;

wherein a receiver which is present in the measurement system detects the resonating and uses the resonating to device the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion; and

wherein a plurality of measurement frequencies (f3) are used for transmitting further one of measured values and reference values.

4. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measured value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter (MG1), including a value meter, in one of the moving parts, and

a measurement system whose position is fixed relative thereto and which, for its part, comprises at least one antenna (A1) in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter (MG1) as well as least one electronics assembly;

in which case the measurement system produces a supply frequency, emits this to the measured value transmitter (MG1), and said measured value transmitter (MG1) receives (A2) the supply frequency;

wherein the supply frequency is formed by modulation of at least two carrier signals (f1, f2);

wherein the measured value transmitter (MG1) comprises at least one absorber (FI1, R1) which operates as a function of frequency and is coupled to at least one non-linear electronic component (D1);

wherein one of a frequency characteristic and absorption characteristic of the absorber (FI1, R1) is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein at leas tone (f2) of the carrier signals (F1, f2) is recovered by demodulating or mixing in the non-linear electronic component (D1) of the measured value transmitter (MG1);

wherein this recovered carrier signal (f2) is supplied to the absorber (FI1, R1), which attenuates the recovered carried signal (f2) as a function of the measured value;

wherein the evaluation of this attenuation is carried out by one of measuring the electromagnetic field by means of a receiver (E1) and by monitoring one of the forward and backward and standing waves in a supply line in the measurement system; and

wherein this determined attenuation is available as measured value information (S1) for further use.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the modulation is one of amplitude modulation and amplitude modulation which is mixed with phase modulation and frequency modulation, which is I/Q modulation.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the reception and evaluation of a plurality of frequencies is carried out simultaneously in the analog signal originating from the measurement of the electromagnetic field and subsequent digital signal processing, including processing by one of Fourier analysis and by digital mixing and subsequent low-pass filtering (Digital Down Converter).

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

wherein production and emission of one or more modulation frequencies simultaneously is carried out by digital/analog conversion of a digital data stream, which is formed by one of direct digital synthesis by means of a phase accumulator and by reverse Fourier transformation.

8. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measured value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter (MG1), including a value meter, in one of the moving parts; and

a measurement system whose position is fixed relative thereto and which, for its part, comprises at least one antenna (A1) in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter (MG1) as well as at least one electronic assembly;

in which case the measurement system produces at least one supply frequency, emits this to the measured value transmitter (MG1), and said measured value transmitter (MG1) receives the supply frequency;

in which case the measured value transmitter (MG1) has at least one ringing resonator (Q1) whose one of frequency characteristic and absorption characteristic is influenced by the value to be measured; and

in which case a receiver (E1) which is present in the measurement system detects the ringing of the resonator (Q1) and uses this to derive the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by means of at least one modulation frequency (f2);

wherein the resonator (Q1) is excited by reception of the supply frequency if the modulation frequency (f2) of the supply frequency corresponds (indirect modulated excitation) to the resonator frequency;

wherein, once excitation of the resonator (Q1) has taken place, the measurement system one of regularly switches the modulation of the supply frequency off and varies the modulation such that excitation no longer takes place; and

wherein the resonator (Q1) rings after this and, at the same time, this ringing is emitted again one of directly and indirectly by modulation with the measured value (P).

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the supply signal is amplitude-modulated for indirect modulated excitation, and this modulation is demodulated by a non-linear component (D1), in particular a detector diode, in the measured value transmitter (MG1), and is used for excitation of the resonator (Q1).

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8,

wherein a non-linear component (D2) in the measured value transmitter (MG1), in particular a varactor diode with parametric gain, mixes the ringing of the resonator (Q1) with a supply frequency which remains after the excitation has been switched off and emits a supply frequency, which is modulated with the measured value, as a measurement frequency by the measured value transmitter (MGl).

11. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measure value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter, including a value meter in one of the moving parts; and

a measurement system comprising at least one antenna in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter, a receiver and at least one electronics assembly, wherein at least one modulated supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted for reception by the measured value transmitter;

wherein the measure value transmitter has at least one ringing resonator, and one of the frequency characteristics and absorption characteristic of the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein the resonator is excited by reception of the modulated supply frequency in the measured value transmitter when the modulation frequency of the modulated supply frequency corresponds to the resonator frequency for indirect modulated excitation;

wherein, once excitation has taken place, the modulation of the frequency is one of switched off and is varied such that excitation of the resonator no longer takes place;

wherein the resonator resonates after excitation and, at the same time, this resonating is modulated by the value to be measured;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by this modulated resonating and this modulated supply frequency is emitted by the measured value transmitter;

wherein a receiver which is present in the measurement system detects the resonating and uses the resonating to derive the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion; and

wherein the function of the electronic assemblies in the respective measurement system, are not provided by electronic components but at least partially by means of a computer program (software).

12. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measure value from moving parts, including measuring tire pressure in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter, including a pressure meter in the tire; and

a measurement system comprising at least one antenna in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter, a receiver and at least one electronics assembly, wherein at least one modulated supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted for reception by the measured value transmitter;

wherein the measure value transmitter has at least one ringing resonator, and one of the frequency characteristics and absorption characteristic of the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein the resonator is excited by reception of the modulated supply frequency in the measured value transmitter when the modulation frequency of the modulated supply frequency corresponds to the resonator frequency for indirect modulated excitation;

wherein, once excitation has taken place, the modulation of the frequency is one of periodically switched off and is varied such that excitation of the resonator no longer takes place;

wherein the resonator resonates after excitation and, at the same time, this resonating is modulated by the value to be measured;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by this modulated resonating and this modulated supply frequency is emitted by the measured value transmitter;

wherein a receiver which is present in the measurement system detects the resonating and uses the resonating to derive the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion.

13. An apparatus for wire-free transmission of at least one measure value from moving parts, including measuring tire present in motor vehicles, comprising:

a measured value transmitter, including a value meter in one of the moving parts; and

a measurement system comprising at least one antenna in a vicinity of the measured value transmitter, a receiver and at least one electronics assembly, wherein at least one modulated supply frequency is produced in the measurement system and is emitted for reception by the measured value transmitter;

wherein the measure value transmitter has at least one ringing resonator, and one of the frequency characteristics and adsorption characteristic of the resonator is influenced by the value to be measured;

wherein the resonator is excited by reception of the modulated supply frequency in the measured value transmitter when the modulation frequency of the modulated supply frequency corresponds to the resonator frequency for indirect modulated excitation;

wherein, once excitation has taken place, the modulation of the frequency is one of switched off and is varied such that excitation of the resonator no longer takes place;

wherein the resonator resonates after excitation and, at the same time, this resonating is modulated by the value to be measured;

wherein the supply frequency is modulated by this modulated resonating and this modulated supply frequency is emitted by the measured value transmitter; and

wherein a receiver which is present in the measurement system detects the resonating and uses the resonating to derive the measured value by frequency analysis and conversion.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the value meter is a pressure meter and the moving part is a tire.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the modulation of the frequency is periodically switched off.