Apparatus and method for alarming decrease in tire air-pressure

• US 6,529,807 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Sugisawa, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/790,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 340/442, 340/443, 340/444, 731/462
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

An apparatus for alarming a decrease in internal pressure of tires attached to a four-wheeled vehicle using judgement values obtained based on rotational information obtained from the tires. The apparatus comprises rotational information detecting means for detecting rotational information on each of the tires; memory means for storing the rotational information; arithmetic processing means for processing a judgement value from the rotational information; and judgement value correcting means for correcting the judgement value using a weight determined based on a rudder angle obtained by a rudder angle sensor attached to a steering wheel. The frequency of the occurrence of erroneous alarms during cornering can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to improve accuracy for detecting the pressure reduction of tires.

Claims

1. An apparatus for indicating a decrease in internal pressure of tires attached to a four-wheeled vehicle using judgment values obtained based on tire rotational information of said vehicle, comprising

rotational information detecting means for detecting rotational information based on rotation of each of the tires;

memory means for storing the rotational information on each of the tires;

arithmetic processing means for processing a judgment value based on the rotational information based on each of the tires; and

judgment value correcting means for dividing rudder values obtained by a rudder angle sensor attached on a steering wheel into predetermined ranges, assigning a weight to each of the predetermined ranges, and correcting the judgement value using a weight corresponding to cornering during driving of said vehicle.

2. A method for indicating a decrease in internal pressure of tires attached to a four-wheeled vehicle using judgment values obtained based on tire rotational information, comprising the steps of:

obtaining rotational information on each of the tires;

storing the rotational information on each of the tires;

processing a judgment value based on the rotational information on each of the tires;

dividing rudder values obtained by a rudder value sensor attached to a steering wheel into predetermined ranges and setting a weight to each of the predetermined ranges; and

correcting the judgment value using a weight corresponding to cornering during driving of said vehicle.