Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-22
2002-11-05
La, Anh V (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
C340S445000, C340S010600, C340S870280, C340S425500, C073S146500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06476712
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire pressure display device for a vehicle having several wheels, each of which is fitted with a pneumatic tire, whereby
each monitored tire is provided with an electronic module having at least one integrated pressure sensor with measuring and control electronics, said sensor being coupled to a high-frequency transmitter/receiver means (in short: module means);
away from the wheels, there is at least another high-frequency transmitter/receiver means coupled to a microprocessor (in short: master means), which is configured for bi-directional high-frequency signal-data communication with each module means in the interrogation-response mode;
the tire pressure status of each monitored tire is displayed on one or more display element(s) of a display device that is actuated by display signals that have been generated by the microprocessor.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle remote control locking means intended for vehicles with such a tire pressure display device. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for the operation of such a tire pressure display device.
Within the scope of these documents, the designation
“module means” refers to a part of the electronic module on or in the pneumatic tire, namely, an integrated component with a pressure sensor (and optionally a temperature sensor) with measuring and control electronics, said sensor being coupled to a high-frequency transmitter/receiver means.
“master means” refers to a high-frequency transmitter/receiver means located away from the wheels and coupled to a microprocessor, whereby said means can exchange high-frequency radiograms with each module means in the interrogation-response mode.
2. Discussion of Background Art
A tire pressure display device of the above-mentioned type is known. Thus, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,931 (Komatu et al.) discloses a system for detecting abnormalities in the internal air pressure of a tire, whereby each wheel is associated with a master means antenna that is located nearby in the wheel well. This antenna transmits at the natural frequency of a crystal resonator of the module means. Immediately after the end of the emission, the crystal resonator postoscillates and transmits a resonance frequency to the spatially associated antenna, which relays the received signal to the receiver of the master means. Depending on the configuration, an absence or presence of the resonator frequency serves as a sign of a pressure abnormality. If there are several wheels, the master means can interrogate the number of module means consecutively. In the case of twin tires, each module means can have a crystal resonator with a different natural frequency. However, in each case, the antennas of each module means and the antennas of the master means are coupled via a spatially adjacent arrangement, which ensures inductive coupling.
According to this known proposal, tire pressure monitoring can be carried out continuously in the moving vehicle. As an alternative, the air pressure can be checked only when the vehicle is started up.
This known tire pressure display device typically works at a natural frequency of the crystal resonators of 4 MHz.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,160 (Fiorletta) describes a comparable tire pressure monitoring system in which the signal between the master means and the module means is transmitted at a high-frequency (HF) in the range from 900 to 945 MHz. The carrier frequency can be modulated with a binary code that entails an identifying code for each module means. The association of a received radiogram with the “sending wheel” can be effectuated by this identifying code.
Experience has shown that the hard-wired transmission of the radiograms received at the vehicle's antennas to a central evaluation means calls for special (and expensive), shielded high-frequency cables. Retrofitting a vehicle with such high-frequency cables is complicated and expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,374 (Mendez et al.) relates to a method and a device, which work together with each other to monitor the tire pressure and to receive the control commands from a remote control locking means (“electronic key”). The pressure in each tire is determined by a module means and telemetrically transmitted to a master means in the vehicle. According to this known proposal, only one-way communication between the module means and the master means is possible. The controller in a module means is activated, for example, when the value falls below or exceeds a prescribed pressure threshold limit, or else when an acceleration sensor detects a certain wheel rotational speed and thus a certain vehicle speed. However, it is not possible to activate the module means upon demand at a specific point in time, since said means does not have a receiver for high-frequency signals. The special feature lies in using the master means not only to receive and process the high-frequency signals from the module means but also to receive the signals from an electronic key in order to subsequently actuate the locking system on the vehicle, to open the trunk and/or to switch on the interior lighting. For this purpose, the same data formats and message formats are provided for the signals from the electronic key on the one hand and from the wheel modules on the other hand. However, this document does not recognize and propose feeding the display signals that have been generated by the master means to the electronic key and displaying them by means of display devices that are situated on the electronic key.
The document DE C2-41 33 993 discloses a comparable device for measuring and displaying the pressure in a pneumatic tire of a vehicle wheel. The master means can be located on the vehicle or on a special remote control element designed in the form of a hand-held device which, for purposes of determining and displaying the air pressure, is placed in the proximity of the tire whose air pressure is to be determined. Here, a wireless signal transmission via a signal transmission segment with a path length of about 50 cm to 200 cm is provided. The known remote control element is an additional component which has no other functions associated with it.
A comparable remote control element is known from the document EP 0 791 488 A1, which relates to a method and a system for measuring and adjusting the tire pressure. Ordinarily, when the tire pressure is checked at a gas station or other service station, the momentary tire pressure and the momentary tire temperature are measured; these measured values are related to a predefined setpoint tire pressure, and this generates a control command for the compressed air dispenser. According to the embodiment described in Claims 18, 19 and 20, each tire is provided with a module means that allows two-way communication to a remote control element—usually separate from the vehicle. At each tire, the momentary tire pressure and the momentary tire temperature can be measured using the individual module means, and corresponding high-frequency signals are telemetrically transmitted to the remote control element and displayed there by means of a display device. Using the tire pressure values displayed in this manner, the operator can properly operate the compressed air dispenser in order to correct the pressure in each tire. The known remote control element has no other functions; in particular, it is not designed to generate wirelessly transmittable signals for a remote control locking system in the vehicle.
From another area of the art, remote control locking means for vehicles are known which are configured, for example, in the form of an “electronic vehicle key” (see documents DE-A1-38 36 458 or DE-A1-43 08 372) or in the form of a chip card. Using such remotely controllable locking systems, a control command in the vehicle can be generated from a distance of several meters from the vehicle, in order to effectuate an unlocking or locking of at least one vehicle door lock or else a central locking system. Moreover, i
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Hume Larry J.
La Anh V
Nolex AG
LandOfFree
Tire pressure display device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tire pressure display device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tire pressure display device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2976334