Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-24
2004-03-02
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S090000, C701S074000, C303S122000, C303S122060, C073S146400, C340S426110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701230
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for fault states, in particular for incorrect tire pressures, in which each wheel to be monitored is assigned a wheel unit which transmits data to a central evaluation device of the vehicle at least in response to a trigger signal, the occurrence of a fault state and the wheel position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred being indicated. In addition, the invention relates to a system for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for fault states, in particular for incorrect tire pressures, having a plurality of wheel units and having a central evaluation device, each wheel to be monitored being assigned a wheel unit which transmits data to a central evaluation device of the vehicle at least in response to a trigger signal, and the occurrence of a fault state and the wheel position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred being indicated.
The term fault state is to be interpreted loosely in the present context and comprises all states which are considered to be worthy of detection.
With respect to the methods of the generic type and the systems of the generic type it is known, for example, that the wheel units transmit information to a central evaluation device, arranged on the chassis of the motor vehicle, by means of radio frequency signals. In the present context, wheel units are to be understood as any unit which rotates with a respective wheel and is suitable for supplying information or data by means of which fault states which possibly occur at the wheel can be detected. In addition to the actual detection of a fault state, it is necessary to determine at least the wheel position (for example front left, front right, rear left, rear right) of a wheel at which a fault state has occurred. For this purpose, in the known methods and systems the wheel position of all the wheels is detected and stored so that, for example, a central evaluation device already knows which data transmitted for detecting a fault state is assigned to which wheel position. For example, EP 0 806 307 B1 has already disclosed a method for carrying out the assignment of the wheel position to air pressure monitoring devices in an air pressure monitoring system of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having, inter alia, the following components: a number of wheels, each wheel being assigned an air pressure monitoring device which is capable of transmitting an individual identifier to a central processor unit, and a central processor unit in which the assignment of the identifier to an air pressure monitoring device relating to the wheel position for each wheel is stored. In the method known from EP 0 806 307 B1, the assignment of the air pressure monitoring device to the wheel position is performed as follows: an assignment mode is switched on; the individual identifiers of the air pressure monitoring device are output; the central processor unit evaluates which individual identifier has been transmitted from which wheel position; the assignment which is detected in the central processor unit is stored; and the assignment mode is switched off and the air pressure monitoring system is operated in a pressure monitoring mode. In order to evaluate the individual identifiers, there is, in particular, provision here for a specific variable, for example the wheel speed, for each wheel of the motor vehicle to be measured both with a wheel unit of the air pressure monitoring device and with a fixed sensor with a known wheel position. Then, the wheel position of the individual wheels is determined by comparing the output signals of the fixed sensors and the output signals of the wheel units. DE 197 20 123 C2 also discloses that a separate antenna is to be provided in the region of each wheel to be monitored, which antenna can be used to receive signals emitted by the wheel units. Although each of the antennas can, under certain circumstances, also receive signals from wheel units which are not arranged directly adjacent to the respective antenna, according to the teaching of DE 197 20 123 C2 it is sufficient, for determining the wheel position of the individual wheels, to assume that a signal which is emitted and received by a directly adjacent wheel unit has a higher signal level than a signal which is received by a more remotely arranged wheel unit. The known systems and methods have in common the fact that they are very complex and therefore expensive in terms of the hardware and software necessary to determine the wheel positions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of developing the methods of the generic type and the systems of the generic type in such a way that at least the wheel position of a wheel at which a fault state has occurred can be determined with a relatively small amount of expenditure on hardware and software.
This object is achieved by a method for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for fault states, in which each wheel to be monitored is assigned a wheel unit which transmits data to a central evaluation device of the vehicle at least in response to a trigger signal, the occurrence of a fault state and the wheel position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred being indicated, the detection and the indication of the wheel position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred being triggered after the fault state has been indicated, wherein the wheel position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred is detected without all the wheel positions being stored, and said detection comprises a further trigger signal being supplied to at least one wheel unit at a known wheel position.
The detection of the wheel position of the wheel at which the fault state has occurred can be triggered manually. The further trigger signal can be supplied to the at least one wheel unit at the known wheel position by the valve of the corresponding wheel being touched. The further trigger signal can be supplied to the at least one wheel unit at the known wheel position by a portable transmitter being activated in the vicinity of the corresponding wheel. The portable transmitter may be formed by the remote control of a vehicle locking system. The further trigger signal may further be supplied to the at least one wheel unit at the known wheel position by a magnet being moved into the vicinity of the corresponding wheel. The further trigger signal may be supplied to the at least one wheel unit at the known wheel position by an inductive field being generated in the vicinity of the corresponding wheel. The wheel unit can transmit further data to the central evaluation device in response to the further trigger signal, in that the central evaluation device compares the further data with stored data in order to determine whether the further data originates from the wheel unit which is assigned to the wheel at which the fault state has occurred, and in that the wheel position is indicated if it is determined that the further data originates from the wheel unit which is assigned to the wheel at which the fault state has occurred. Each wheel unit may store when it transmits to the central evaluation device data which allows a fault state to be determined, and in that the at least one wheel unit triggers, at a known wheel position, the indication of the wheel position in response to the further trigger signal if it has transmitted to the central evaluation device data which allows a fault state to be determined. The wheel position can be indicated by generating an audible and/or a visual signal. The wheel position can also be indicated by actuating one or more indicator lights and/or one or more headlights and/or one or more tail lights and/or the horn of the motor vehicle. The data, and if appropriate the further data, can be transmitted to the central evaluation device from the wheel units via a radio link. The fault state can be a state for incorrect tire pressures.
An embodiment of the present invention ca be a system for monitoring the wheel
Bergerhoff Nikolas
Fischer Martin
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Donnelly Arthur D.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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