Tire condition sensor communication with tire location provided via manually inputted update

• US 6,414,592 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Dixit, Rahul, DeZorzi, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/752,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 731/465, 340/442, 340/445, 340/447, 200/61.22
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0472 to manually allocate ID codes or mounting positions, e.g. by service technicians
• 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 tire condition communication system (10) and method for a vehicle (12) that has a tire (e.g., 14A). A sensor (70), associated with the tire (e.g., 14A), senses at least one tire condition. A memory (66), associated with the tire (e.g., 14A), holds an identification. A transmitter arrangement (22 and 74), associated with the tire (e.g., 14A), transmits a signal (e.g., 24A) that indicates the held identification and the sensed tire condition. A receiver arrangement (28 and 30), associated with the vehicle (12), receives the transmitted signal (e.g., 24A). An identification update device is associated with the tire and is operatively connected to the memory (66). The update device receives an update identification and provides the received location identification to the memory (66) to be held as the held identification. An input device is manually actuated to provide the update identification. In one example, a receiver (46) at the tire and a manually actuated transmitter (44) provided the update and input devices. In another example, a switch (116) and a manually actuatable part (e.g., a valve stem part) at the tire provide the update and input devices.

Claims

1. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle that has a tire, said system comprising:

sensor means, located within the tire, for sensing at least one tire condition;

memory means, located within the tire, for holding an identification;

transmitter means, located within the tire and operatively connected to said sensor means and said memory means, for transmitting a signal that indicates the held identification and the sensed tire condition;

receiver means, associated with the vehicle, for receiving the transmitted signal indicative of the held identification and the sensed tire condition;

manually actuatable input means, located on the exterior surface of the tire and operatively connected to said memory means, for inputting an update identification to be held by said memory means as the held identification wherein said manually actuatable input means on the tire includes a portion of an inflation valve assembly.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inflation valve assembly includes a first portion and a second portion, said second portion being movable in relation to said first portion and being said manually actuatable input means.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first portion includes an outer sleeve in an air tight sealing arrangement with the side wall of the tire and said second portion extends through the center of said first portion.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensed tire condition includes tire temperature.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensed tire condition includes rotational direction of the tire.

6. A method of communicating information within a tire condition monitoring system for a vehicle that has a tire, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting, via an input means, update identification information for a tire condition sensor unit located within the tire by manually actuating a portion of the input means located on the exterior of the tire;

holding the input update identification information at the tire condition sensor unit;

sensing a tire condition via operation of the tire condition sensor unit;

transmitting a signal from the tire condition sensor unit, the transmitted signal indicating the held update identification information and the sensed tire condition; and

receiving the transmitted signal at a location on the vehicle;

wherein said step of inputting update identification information via input means includes the step of actuating a portion of an inflation valve assembly.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said step of actuating a portion of the inflation value assembly includes the step of moving the portion relative to a remainder of the inflation valve assembly so as to actuate a switch operatively connected to said tire condition sensor unit.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the step of sensing a tire condition includes the step of sensing tire temperature.

9. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the step of sensing a tire condition includes the step of sensing rotational direction of the tire.

10. A tire condition communication system for a vehicle that has a tire, said system comprising:

a tire condition sensing unit associated with the tire, the tire condition sensing unit including a sensor for sensing at least one tire condition and a memory for storing identification information indicative of a location of the tire on the vehicle, said tire condition sensing unit, in response to sensing the at least one tire condition, outputting a first signal that includes the identification information and tire condition information indicative of the at least one tire condition sensed; and

a transmitter for outputting a second signal that includes updated identification information indicative of the location of the tire on the vehicle,

the tire condition sensing unit receiving the second signal and replacing the identification information stored in said memory with the updated identification information;

wherein said transmitter includes a manually actuatable switch located at the tire and operatively connected to said tire condition sensing unit, said tire condition sensing unit interpreting sequential toggling of said switch to derive the updated identification information.

11. The tire condition communication system of claim 10 wherein said transmitter further includes a portion of an inflation valve assembly of the tire, the portion of the inflation valve assembly engaging said switch, manual actuation of said portion of said inflation valve assembly toggling said switch.

12. A method of communicating information within a tire condition monitoring system for a vehicle having a tire, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one tire condition with a tire condition sensing unit;

storing identification information in the tire condition sensing unit, the identification information being indicative of a location of the tire on the vehicle;

outputting from the tire condition sensing unit a first signal that includes the identification information and tire condition information indicative of the at least one tire condition sensed;

outputting from a transmitter a second signal that includes updated identification information indicative of the location of the tire on the vehicle; and

receiving the second signal at the tire condition sensing unit and replacing the identification information stored with the updated identification information;

further including the steps of sequentially toggling a switch located at the tire, the switch being operatively connected to said tire condition sensing unit; and

deriving the updated identification information by interpreting said sequential toggling of the switch.

13. A tire condition communication apparatus for a vehicle that has a tire comprising:

a sensor assembly, located within the tire, including a tire condition sensor, a memory for storing identification data, a transmitter, and a manually actuated input means for inputting the identification data, which extends to the exterior surface of the tire;

A receiver, located within the vehicle, for receiving tire condition information from said sensor assembly;

wherein said input means extends to the exterior of the tire through an inflation valve.