Tire pressure monitoring system

• US 7,076,999 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lewis Lee Knox
• Original Assignee: Lewis Lee Knox
• Inventors: Knox, Lewis Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US11/010,162
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 731/465, 731/463, 702/138, 340/442
• US Class Current: 73/146.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0425 Means comprising permanent magnets, e.g. Hall-effect or Reed-switches

Abstract

A System of monitoring the air pressure in the tires of a moving vehicle continuously in real time for measuring the pressure in a rotating tire and transmitting the information via magnetic pulses to a sensor pickup located near the tire, but on a non-rotating part of the vehicle, for transmittal via wire to a micro controller for conversion to air pressure units and display. It comprises a sensor module for each wheel, and an electronics module in the passenger compartment. It computes the air pressure by measuring the phase angle between a fixed magnet and a magnet placed on a piston in an air cylinder within the tire.

Claims

1. A continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a transport vehicle comprising:

a) a piston mounted magnet in a cylinder mounted on the inside wall of each tire of said transport vehicle;

b) a permanent magnet mounted perpendicular to said piston mounted magnet and mounted inside each said tire of said transport vehicle;

c) a sensor and transducer means mounted on each rim of each said tire of said transport vehicle;

d) a central processing electronics module mounted in said transport vehicle and connected to each said transducer by at least one electrical conductor;

e) high continuous real time sampling rate means connected to and originating from said central processing electronics module;

f) means for a broad range of continuous real time monitoring over the entire length of the piston in said piston mounted magnet where in said means for broad range of continuous real time monitoring is connected to and originates from said central processing electronics module;

g) means for calibrating the distance between said sensor and transducer means and the center of each tire of said transport vehicle where in said means calibrating is connected to and originates from said central processing electronics module; and

h) means for aligning noise sensitivity parallel to the direction of travel of said transport vehicle and wherein said means for aligning is connected to and originates from said central processing electronics module.

2. The continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a transport vehicle of claim 1 wherein said electronics module comprises a micro-controller and a display.

3. The continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a transport vehicle of claim 1 wherein staid transport vehicle is an automobile and said electronics module in mounted in the passenger compartment.

4. The continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a transport vehicle of claim 1 wherein staid transport vehicle is an aircraft and said electronics module is mounted in the cockpit.

5. A continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a) a sensor means mounted on each tire of said motor vehicle for measuring the pressure in a rotating tire and representing said information as a series of magnetic pulses;

b) a means of capturing the magnetic pulses by a transducer into a stream of digital pulses;

c) a centralized means of processing for converting said digital pulses into an air pressure value;

d) a means of displaying said air pressure value;

e) a high continuous real time sampling rate means connected to said centralized means of processing;

f) a means for a broad range of continuous real time monitoring over the entire length of the piston in said piston mounted magnet where in said means for broad range of continuous real time monitoring is connected to said centralized means of processing;

g) a means for calibrating the distance between said sensor means and the center of each tire of said transport vehicle where in said means for calibrating is connected to said centralized means of processing; and

h) a means for aligning noise sensitivity parallel to the direction of travel of said transport vehicle and wherein said means for aligning is connected to said centralized means of processing.

6. The continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a motor vehicle of claim 5 wherein said sensor means comprises:

a) a piston mounted magnet in a cylinder mounted on the inside wall of each tire of said motor vehicle; and

b) a permanent magnet mounted perpendicular to said piston mounted magnet and mounted inside each said tire of said transport vehicle.

7. The continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a motor vehicle of claim 5 wherein said transducer is mounted on each rim of each said tire of said transport vehicle.

8. The continuous real time tire pressure monitoring and display system for a motor vehicle of claim 5 wherein said means of converting said digital pulses into an air pressure value comprises an electronics module mounted in said motor vehicle and is connected to each said transducer by at least one electrical conductor.

9. A process for making the tires of a transport vehicle safer comprising the steps of:

a) mounting at least one piston cylinder mounted magnet perpendicular to another permanent magnet for reference on the inside wall of each tire of said transport vehicle;

b) mounting a sensor on the rim of each said tire of said transport vehicle;

c) sampling at a high continuous real time rate;

d) monitoring in real time over a broad range encompassing the entire length of said piston cylinder;

e) calibrating the distance between said sensor and the center of each tire of said transport vehicle;

f) aligning noise sensitivity parallel to the direction of travel of said transport vehicle;

g) transducing the output of said sensor into electrical pulses;

h) communicating said pulses to an electronics module through at least one electrical conductor;

i) computing tire pressure value as a function of said pulses; and

j) displaying said tire pressure value for each said tire.

10. The process for making the tires of a transport vehicle safer of claim 9 wherein said electronics module comprises a micro-controller programmed to calculate said tire pressure value as a function of said pulses.