Tire condition monitoring apparatus

• US 6,737,965 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Okubo, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 340/445, 340/442, 340/447, 340/10.1, 340/426.13, 340/426.15, 340/426.33, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 731/465, 701/2
• 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
• 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 commander transmits a command signal that includes a channel code set by a channel code setting switch. When receiving the transmission command signal from the commander, a transmitter transmits a response signal that contains the channel code contained in the command signal and a unique ID code of the transmitter. When receiving the response signal from the transmitter, a receiver stores the ID code contained in the response signal in the memory if the channel code contained in the response signal is related to a channel code set by a channel code setting switch. As a result, the ID codes of the transmitter is correctly registered in the receiver.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a tire of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a commander having a first selector and a first transmission circuit, wherein the first selector selects one of a plurality of different first channel codes, and wherein the first transmission circuit transmits a command signal that contains the selected one of the first channel codes;

a transmitter provided at the tire, wherein the transmitter includes a tire condition sensor for detecting the condition of the tire, a first memory for storing unique identification data, a first reception circuit for receiving the command signal from the commander, and a second transmission circuit for transmitting signals, wherein, in response to the reception of the command signal by the first reception circuit, the second transmission circuit transmits a response signal, the response signal containing the first channel code contained in the command signal and the identification data in the first memory; and

a receiver provided at the body of the vehicle, wherein the receiver includes a second selector, a second reception circuit, a second memory, and a controller, wherein the second selector selects one of a plurality of different second channel codes, wherein the second reception circuit receives signals from the transmitter, wherein the second memory stores the identification data of the transmitter, wherein each first channel code is related to one of the second channel codes, wherein, when the second reception circuit receives the response signal, the controller stores the identification data contained in the response signal in the second memory if the first channel code contained in the response signal is related to the selected one of the second channel codes.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter has a first transmission mode, in which the transmitter transmits the response signal in response to the command signal from the commander, and a second transmission mode, in which the transmitter transmits signals regardless of the command signal from the commander, wherein a signal transmitted according to the second transmission mode includes at least data representing the tire condition detected by the tire condition sensor and the identification data;

and

wherein the receiver has a first operation mode, in which the registration of the identification data is permitted, and a second operation mode, in which the registration of the identification data is prohibited, wherein, in the second operation mode, if the identification data contained in a signal sent from the transmitter matches the identification data in the second memory, the controller of the receiver reads out the data representing the tire condition from the received signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second selector has a function to select the operation mode of the receiver.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the commander includes a transmission switch, the transmission switch being manipulated to transmit the command signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tire is one of a plurality of tires, wherein the transmitter is one of a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided at one of the tires, wherein the transmission switch is one of a plurality of transmission switches, each transmission switch being related to the position of one of the tires relative to the vehicle, wherein the command signal further contains a position code representing the position of the tire that is related to the manipulated transmission switch, wherein the response signal further contains the position code contained in the command signal, and wherein the controller of the receiver stores the identification data and the position code contained in the response signal in the second memory while linking the identification data and the position code with each other.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tire is one of a plurality of tires, wherein the transmitter is one of a plurality of transmitters each of which is provided at one of the tires, wherein the commander includes a specifying switch for specifying the position of arbitrary one of the tires relative to the vehicle, wherein the command signal further contains a position code representing the position of the specified tire, wherein the response signal further contains the position code contained in the command signal, and wherein the controller of the receiver stores the identification data and the position code contained in the response signal in the second memory while linking the identification data and the position code with each other.

7. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a plurality of tires attached to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a portable commander having a first selector, specifying means, and a first transmission circuit, wherein the first selector selects one of a plurality of different first channel codes, wherein the specifying means specifies the position of arbitrary one of the tires relative to the vehicle, and wherein the first transmission circuit transmits a command signal that contains the selected first channel code and the position code representing the position of the specified tire;

a plurality of transmitters each being provided at one of the tires, wherein each transmitter includes a tire condition sensor for detecting the condition of the corresponding tire, a first memory for storing unique identification data, a first reception circuit for receiving the command signal from the commander, and a second transmission circuit for transmitting signals, wherein, in response to the reception of the command signal by the first reception circuit, the second transmission circuit transmits a response signal, the response signal containing the first channel code and the position code contained in the command signal and the identification data in the first memory; and

a receiver provided at the body of the vehicle, wherein the receiver includes a second selector, a second reception circuit, a second memory, and a controller, wherein the second selector selects one of a plurality of different second channel codes, wherein the second reception circuit receives signals from the transmitter, wherein the second memory stores the identification data of the transmitters, wherein each first channel code is identical with one of the second channel codes, wherein, when the second reception circuit receives the response signal, if the first channel code contained in the response signal matches the selected one of the second channel codes, the controller stores the identification data and the position code contained in the response signal in the second memory, while liking the identification data and the position code with reach other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the specifying means includes a plurality of transmission switches, the transmission switches being manipulated for transmitting the command signal, wherein each transmission switch is related to the position of one of the tires relative to the vehicle.