Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-24
2004-01-20
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C701S029000, C701S043000, C034S442000, C034S447000, C073S146200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06681164
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for fault states, in particular for incorrect tire pressures, each wheel to be monitored being assigned a wheel unit which, after the reception of a trigger signal, supplies data which is suitable for detecting a fault state and/or for determining the wheel position of at least one wheel.
The term fault state is to be understood in a wide sense in the present context and comprises all states which are considered as worthy of detection.
With respect to the systems and methods of the generic type, it is known, for example, that the wheel units transmit information, by means of radio-frequency signals, to a central evaluation device which is arranged on the chassis of the motor vehicle. Wheel unit is to be understood in the present context as any wheel unit which rotates with a respective wheel and is suitable for supplying information or data which can be used to detect fault states which possibly occur at the wheel. In addition to the actual detection of a fault state, in many systems and methods of the generic type there is provision for the wheel position (for example front left, front right, rear left, rear right) of the individual wheels to be determined so that, when a fault state occurs, the fault state can be indicated together with the respective 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 positions 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 determined 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 positions 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 necessary hardware and software.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of developing the systems and methods of the generic type in such a way that the necessary hardware and software is reduced.
This object is achieved by a system for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for fault states, wherein each wheel to be monitored being assigned a wheel unit which, after the reception of a trigger signal supplies data which is suitable for detecting a fault state and/or for determining the wheel position of at least one wheel, the system comprising a portable transmitter with which a trigger signal, in particular a radio-frequency trigger signal, can be generated for at least one wheel unit, wherein in order to determine the wheel position of a wheel, the triggered wheel unit transmits an identifier to a central evaluation device of the vehicle, which simultaneously receives the trigger signal which is emitted by the portable transmitter and is assigned to a specific wheel position.
The portable transmitter can be also provided for the remote control of a motor vehicle locking system. The trigger signal can be fed to the wheel units when the motor vehicle locking system is remote-controlled. The trigger signal can also be fed to the wheel units when a specific pushbutton key and/or a specific pushbutton key combination of pushbutton keys of the remote control means of the motor vehicle locking system is activated. Each wheel unit may have a receiver with which trigger signals which are emitted by the portable transmitter can be received. The sensitivity of the receivers and the transmitting power of the portable transmitter can be matched to one another in such a way that the portable transmitter has to be activated in the vicinity of a wheel unit in order to generate a trigger signal for this wheel unit. The wheel units may be arranged at least partially in the region of the valves of the wheels. The wheel units can have antennas which are formed at least partially by the valves of the wheels. The wheel units may transmit the data at least partially to a central evaluation device of the motor vehicle. The data which can be transmitted to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle permits the wheel position of at least one wheel to be determined. The data which is transmitted to the central evaluation device of the motor vehicle may permits a fault state to be detected. The wheel units can have devices for evaluating the data. The wheel units may have devices for indicating a fault state.
A method for monitoring the wheels of a motor vehicle for fault states, each wheel to be monitored being assigned a wheel unit which, comprises the steps of: after the reception of a trigger signal supplying data which is suitable for detecting a fault state and/or for determining the wheel position of at least one wheel, the trigger signal, in particular a radio-frequency trigger signal, being generated by a portable transmitter, wherein in order to determine the wheel position of a wheel, the triggered wheel unit transmits an identifier to a central evaluation device of the vehicle which simultaneously receives the trigger signal which is emitted by the portable transmitter and is assigned to a specific wheel position.
The portable transmitter may also provided for remote-controlling a motor vehicle locking system. The trigger signal may be fed to the wheel units when the motor vehicle locking system is remote-controlled. The trigger signal may also be fed to the wheel units if a specific pushbutton key and/or a specific pushbutton combination of pushbutton keys of the remote control means of the motor vehicle locking system is activated. Each wheel unit can have a receiver with which signals which are emitted by the portable transmitter are received. The sensitivity of the receivers and the transmitting power of the portable transmitter can be adjusted to one another in such a way that the portable transmitter has to be activated in the vicinity of a wheel unit in order to generate a trigger signal for this wheel unit. The wheel units can be arranged at least partially in the region of the valves of the wheels. The wheel units may have antennas which are formed at least partially by the valves
Bergerhoff Nikolas
Fischer Martin
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Black Thomas G.
Donnelly Arthur D.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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