Tyre monitoring device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11654729-B2
Application number	US-202017067576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

A tyre monitoring device configured to be mounted on a wheel is described. The device includes a pressure sensor for sensing an inflation pressure of a tyre on the wheel; a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tyre pressure; a storage storing a predetermined pressure value; an indicator configured to provide a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication is different from the second indication; and a processing system configured to operate the indicator to provide the first indication or the second indication responsive to receipt of the command to indicate tyre pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire monitoring device configured to be mounted on a wheel and comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to sense an inflation pressure of a tire on the wheel;
a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tire pressure;
a non-transitory storage configured to store a predetermined pressure value;
an indicator configured to provide a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication is different from the second indication; and
a processing system configured to operate the indicator to provide the first indication or the second indication responsive to receipt of the command to indicate tire pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value,
wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to communicate with at least one other tire monitoring device, and
wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to communicate with:
the at least one other tire monitoring device over a first network; and
a control device over a second network;
wherein the first network and the second network are separate.

2. A tire monitoring device configured to be mounted on a wheel and comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to sense an inflation pressure of a tire on the wheel;
a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tire pressure;
a non-transitory storage configured to store a predetermined pressure value;
an indicator configured to provide a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication is different from the second indication; and
a processing system configured to operate the indicator to provide the first indication or the second indication responsive to receipt of the command to indicate tire pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value,
wherein the wireless communication interface comprises a first transceiver and a second transceiver, the first transceiver having a longer transmission range that the second transceiver.

3. The tire monitoring device according to claim 2 , wherein the second transceiver is configured for communication with a configuration device.

4. The tire monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises a visual indicator.

5. The tire monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises an audible indicator.

6. The tire monitoring device according to claim 1 , comprising a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the wheel or a temperature of gas inside the tire.

7. The tire monitoring device according to claim 1 , configured for use on an aircraft tire.

8. A tire pressure measurement system including a plurality of tire monitoring devices in communication with each other, wherein each tire pressure monitoring device comprises:
a pressure sensor configured to sense an inflation pressure of a tire on the wheel;
a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tire pressure, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to communicate with at least one other of the pressure monitoring devices over a first network;
a non-transitory storage configured to store a predetermined pressure value;
an indicator configured to provide a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication is different from the second indication; and
a processing system configured to operate the indicator to provide the first indication or the second indication responsive to receipt of the command to indicate tire pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value,
wherein the wireless communication interface for at least one of the tire pressure monitoring devices is configured to communicate with a control device over a second network, separate from the first network.

9. The tire pressure measurement system according to claim 8 , comprising:
a control device comprising a wireless communication interface configured to transmit data indicative of a command to at least one of the plurality of tire monitoring devices.

10. The tire pressure measurement system according to claim 8 , comprising:
a configuration device comprising a wireless communication interface configured to transmit data indicative of a configuration command to at least one of the plurality of tire monitoring devices.

11. The tire pressure measurement system according to claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication interface of the configuration device has a transmit range of less than 1 m.

12. A method of checking tire pressures using a first monitoring device associated with a first tire on a vehicle, the first monitoring device comprising an indicator, a pressure sensor and a wireless communication interface, the method comprising:
receiving by the monitoring device and via the wireless communication interface data indicative of a request to check tire pressures;
in response to the received data indicative of the request to check tire pressures, determining a first inflation status of the first tire associated with the first monitoring device using the pressure sensor;
using the indicator to provide an indication based at least in part on the first inflation status,
receiving wirelessly data indicating a first fault in a second tire on the vehicle via the wireless communication device of the first monitoring device, wherein the data is transmitted wirelessly from a second monitoring device associated with a second tire on the vehicle, and
the indicator of the first monitoring device displaying a first fault indication in response to the reception of the data received from the second monitoring device.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising transmitting data of the inflation pressure to the control device using the wireless communication interface of the first monitoring device.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the indicator of the first monitoring device displays the fault indication in response to a determination by the first monitoring device of a fault in the first tire and based on the first inflation status.

15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
the first monitoring device determining whether a fault exists in the first tire based at least in part on the first inflation status,
generating by the first monitoring device data indicating a fault in the first tire based on the determination that a fault exists in the first tire, and
the first monitoring device transmitting wirelessly the data indicating the fault in the first tire to the second monitoring device.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the fault is a low pressure in the first tire.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of tires including the first tire and the second tire, and each of the plurality of tires has a corresponding monitoring device, the method further comprising:
the first monitoring device receiving via the wireless communication interface from each of the monitoring devices data indicating whether or not a fault exits in the tire corresponding to the monitoring device;
the first monitoring device determining whether any of the plurality of tires has a fault condition based on the data received from each of the monitoring devices, and
the first monitoring device displaying a no-fault condition in response to a determination that n

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd
• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Bill Andrew
• Warns Timo

Classifications

• B60C23/0479

  Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations · CPC title

• B60C23/0454

  Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode · CPC title

• B60C23/0447 Primary

  Wheel or tyre mounted circuits · CPC title

• B60C2200/02

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• B60C23/0422 Primary

  characterised by the type of signal transmission means · CPC title