Apparatus and method for changing frequency deviation

• US 9,357,548 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Deniau, Jean-Christophe, Farrell, Brian J
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sam K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US14/185,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 375/303
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/127 using a controlled oscillator in a feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/152 using controlled oscillators, e.g. PLL arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A protocol to be used in the transmission is determined. Based upon the protocol, the transmission frequency range of a clock is selectively altered. TPMS data is transmitted according to the altered transmission frequency range of the clock.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting frequency-shift keying (FSK)-based tire pressuring monitoring system (TPMS) data, comprising,

at a first time and at a single tire pressure monitoring (TPM) sensor, determining a first protocol to be used in the transmission of tire pressure monitoring data from a transmitter;

based upon the first protocol, selecting a first deviation between a first high frequency that is used to transmit a logic one and a first low frequency to transmit a logic zero;

wherein the first deviation is selected at least in part by comparing a first deviation threshold with a first high frequency deviation associated with the first protocol;

transmitting the FSK-based TPMS data according to the first high frequency when there is a logic one and first low frequency when there is a logic zero;

at a second time that occurs after the first time and at the same TPM sensor, subsequently determining a second protocol to be used in the transmission of tire pressure monitoring data from the transmitter;

based upon the second protocol, selecting a second deviation between a second high frequency that is used to transmit a logic one and a second low frequency to transmit a logic zero;

wherein the second deviation is selected at least in part by comparing a second deviation threshold with a second high frequency deviation associated with the second protocol;

wherein the first deviation is different than the second deviation;

transmitting FSK-based TPMS data according to the second high frequency when there is a logic one and second low frequency when there is a logic zero;

wherein the first protocol is switched to the second protocol on-the-fly at the single TPM sensor during the operation of the TPM sensor;

wherein the first protocol and the second protocol comprise one or more of a data format or baud rate;

wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are determined at least in part by a controller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the change from the first high frequency to the second high frequency, and from the first low frequency to the second low frequency is realized by selectively switching in or out selected ones of a plurality of capacitors.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first high frequency and the second high frequency are the same.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second protocols are selected from a plurality of protocols, each of the plurality of protocols associated with a different automobile manufacturer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first low frequency and the second low frequency are the same.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the steps are performed by a phase-locked loop (PLL).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the steps are performed at a wheel unit.

8. An apparatus for transmitting frequency-shift keying (FSK)-based tire pressuring monitoring system (TPMS) data, comprising,

an interface having an input and an output;

a controller coupled to the interface, the controller configured to determine at a first time a first protocol to be used in the transmission of tire pressure monitoring data from a transmitter, and based upon the first protocol, select a first deviation between a first high frequency that is used to transmit a logic one and a first low frequency to transmit a logic zero, wherein the first deviation is selected at least in part by comparing a first deviation threshold with a first high frequency deviation associated with the first protocol, the controller configured to transmit the FSK-based TPMS data according to the first high frequency when there is a logic one and first low frequency when there is a logic zero, the controller configured to at a second time that occurs after the first time subsequently determine a second protocol to be used in the transmission of tire pressure monitoring data from the transmitter, and based upon the second protocol, select a second deviation between a second high frequency that is used to transmit a logic one and a second low frequency to transmit a logic zero, wherein the second deviation is selected at least in part by comparing a second deviation threshold with a second high frequency deviation associated with the second protocol, wherein the first deviation is different than the second deviation, the controller configured to transmit TPMS data according to the second high frequency when there is a logic one and second low frequency when there is a logic zero;

wherein the first protocol is switched to the second protocol on-the-fly at the single TPM sensor during the operation of the TPM sensor;

wherein the first protocol and the second protocol comprise one or more of a data format or baud rate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the control signals are effective to change the first high frequency to the second high frequency, and the first low frequency to the second low frequency by selectively switching in or out selected ones of a plurality of capacitors.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first high frequency and the second high frequency are the same.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first and second protocols are selected from a plurality of protocols, each of the plurality of protocols associated with a different automobile manufacturer.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first low frequency and the second low frequency are the same.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the apparatus is disposed at a wheel unit.

14. A computer usable non-transitory medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of transmitting frequency-shift keying (FSK)-based tire pressure monitor information, the method comprising:

at a first time and at a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) sensor, determining a first protocol to be used in the transmission of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) data;

based upon the first protocol, selecting a first deviation between a first high frequency that is used to transmit a logic one and a first low frequency to transmit a logic zero;

wherein the first deviation is selected at least in part by comparing a first deviation threshold with a first high frequency deviation associated with the first protocol;

transmitting the FSK-based TPMS data according to the first high frequency when there is a logic one and first low frequency when there is a logic zero;

at a second time that occurs after the first time and at the same TPM sensor, subsequently determining a second protocol to be used in the transmission of tire pressure monitoring data from the transmitter;

based upon the second protocol, selecting a second deviation between a second high frequency that is used to transmit a logic one and a second low frequency to transmit a logic zero;

wherein the second deviation is selected at least in part by comparing a second deviation threshold with a second high frequency deviation associated with the second protocol;

wherein the first deviation is different than the second deviation;

transmitting the FSK-based TPMS data according to the second high frequency when there is a logic one and second low frequency when there is a logic zero;

wherein the first protocol is switched to the second protocol on-the-fly at the single TPM sensor during the operation of the TPM sensor;

wherein the first protocol and the second protocol comprise one or more of a data format or baud rate;

wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are determined at least in part by a controller.

15. The computer medium of claim 14 wherein the change from the first high frequency to the second high frequency, and from the first low frequency to the second low frequency are realized by selectively switching in or out selected ones of a plurality of capacitors.

16. The computer medium of claim 14 wherein the first high frequency and the second high frequency are the same.

17. The computer medium of claim 14 wherein the first and second protocols are selected from a plurality of protocols, each of the plurality of protocols associated with a different automobile manufacturer.

18. The computer medium of claim 14 wherein the first low frequency and the second low frequency are the same.

19. The computer medium of claim 14 wherein at least some of the steps are performed by a phase-locked loop (PLL).