Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-06
2001-08-28
Tong, Nina (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
C340S446000, C340S539230, C340S540000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281787
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to sonic detection systems and methods, and, in particular, to vehicle tire leak detection systems and methods.
2. Related Art
The following description of the background of the invention is intended to aid in the understanding of the invention, but is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art to the invention.
A damaged or blown tire can be a dangerous hazard for the driver of a vehicle and/or other drivers on the road in the vicinity of the vehicle. For example, a blown tire from a large truck can cause the truck to swerve erratically and jackknife. Not only is this dangerous for the driver and any passengers of the truck, but it poses a real hazard to surrounding vehicles. The swerving truck may collide with other vehicles on the road or may cause vehicles to swerve, increasing the probability of one or more vehicle accidents. Further, if the blown tire remains on the road, vehicles may swerve to miss the tire or may collide with the tire, increasing the probability of additional vehicle accidents.
A blown or severely damaged tire usually results from a small hole or tear in the tire. This small hole or tear usually emits a leaking noise caused by compressed air escaping the small hole or tear in the tire or causes a characteristic noise to occur that is indicative of a flat tire or a tire going flat. If a vehicle driver and/or dispatcher, e.g., truck dispatcher, knew of a tire leak in one of the vehicle's tires, the driver could have the tire repaired, replaced, or take the necessary precautions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, an aspect of the present invention involves the recognition that a need exists for a vehicle tire leak detection system and method that is capable of detecting and reporting a vehicle tire leak as it occurs. Such a system and method would give the vehicle driver the necessary warning so that the driver could have the tire repaired, replaced, or take the necessary precautions.
A further aspect of the invention involves a method of detecting a leak of a vehicle tire. The method includes detecting a leak of a vehicle tire using one or more sonic sensors, and initiating an alarm indicating that the tire leak took place.
Implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above may include one or more of the following. Detecting the leak of a vehicle tire includes sonically detecting one or more different types of vehicle tire leaks. Detecting the leak of a vehicle tire includes sonically detecting the leak of a vehicle tire with a sensor selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric sensor, a dynamic sensor, an electret sensor, a carbon sensor, a bolometer sensor, an optical reflection sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sound sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. Detecting the leak of a vehicle tire includes detecting a sound spectrum pattern of the leak of a vehicle tire. Detecting the leak of a vehicle tire includes detecting the leak of a vehicle tire with one or more sonic sensors mounted to a vehicle. Detecting the leak of a vehicle tire includes detecting the leak of a truck tire and/or trailer tire. Detecting a leak of a vehicle tire includes filtering a signal from the one or more sensors using a technique from the group consisting of duration and time coding, digital code quantitization, digitized algorithm analysis, and Fourier Transform analysis. Initiating an alarm includes communicating to a driver of the vehicle that a vehicle tire leak has taken place. Initiating an alarm includes communicating to a vehicle dispatcher that a vehicle tire leak has taken place. Initiating an alarm includes communicating to one or more entities one or more of the following: a vehicle tire leak has been detected, the vehicle that the tire leak has been detected from, the location of the vehicle tire that the tire leak has been detected from, the type of vehicle tire leak, and the time of the vehicle tire leak. Detecting a vehicle tire leak includes detecting a vehicle tire leak using one or more sensors and a base unit powered by a battery, the method further including communicating to one or more entities that the battery is low and needs to be replaced. The one or more sensors communicate wirelessly with a base unit, and detecting a leak of a vehicle tire includes transmitting a signal representative of the leak of a vehicle tire to the base unit for processing of the signal. Detecting a tire leak includes determining whether a tire leak occurred using electronic spectral analysis. Detecting a tire leak includes amplifying a signal from the at least one sonic sensor to a distinguishable level, combining the signal with a predetermined signature signal, reducing signal noise, and determining whether the resulting signal represents one or more predetermined types of vehicle tire leaks for a predetermined time period.
A still further aspect of the invention involves a vehicle tire leak detection system for detecting a leak of a vehicle tire. The vehicle tire leak detection system includes one or more sonic sensors adapted to sense the leak of a vehicle tire and transmit a signal representative of the sound of the leak of the vehicle tire, and a base unit including electronics adapted to receive the signal and process the signal to determine if the signal represents one or more predetermined types of vehicle leaks, and a communication device coupled to the electronics and adapted to communicate to one or more entities that a vehicle tire leak has been detected.
Implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above may include one or more of the following. The electronics include a pre-amplifier adapted to amplify the signal from the at least one sensor to a distinguishable level, a mixer adapted to combine the signal with a predetermined signature signal, a low-pass filter and a precision rectifier adapted to reduce signal noise, and a time domain characterization mechanism adapted to determine whether the resulting signal represents one or more different types of vehicle tire leaks for a predetermined period of time. The time domain characterization mechanism includes a charge pump. The time domain characterization mechanism includes a quantitative characterization device, the quantitative characterization device includes a microprocessor adapted to determine whether the resulting signal represents one or more different predetermined types of vehicle tire leaks for a predetermined period of time. The communication device is adapted to communicate with a driver of a vehicle that the vehicle tire leak is from. The communication device is adapted to communicate with a vehicle dispatcher that a vehicle tire leak took place. The base unit is adapted to be powered by a battery, and the communication device is adapted to communicate to one or more entities that the battery is low and needs to be replaced. The one or more sensors are adapted to communicate wirelessly with the base unit. The one or more sensors are adapted to communicate with the base unit through wired means. The one or more sensors include one or more different types of sensors adapted to sense different types of vehicle tire leaks. The one or more sensors include one or more of the following types of sensors: a piezoelectric sensor, a dynamic sensor, an electret sensor, a carbon sensor, a bolometer sensor, an optical reflection sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sound sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. The electronics are adapted to filter the signal using a technique from the group consisting of duration and time coding of the sound, digital code quantitization, digitized algorithm analysis, and Fourier Transform analysis. The one or more sensors are integral with the base unit. The base unit includes an automatic location identification device adapted to determine the location of the vehicle. The communication device is adapted to communicate to one or more entities one or more of the following: a vehicle tire leak has been detected, th
Devine Arthur J.
Johnson Randy E.
Lerg George H.
Roberts Donald L.
Lyon & Lyon LLP
Tong Nina
Traptec Corporation
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