Tire mounting state detection system, tire mounting state detection method, and tire mounting state detection program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12005747-B2
Application number	US-201917270896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2019
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A tire mounting state detection system ( 100 ) is provided with a vehicle configuration holding unit ( 230 ) holding a vehicle configuration including the number of wheels of a vehicle ( 10 ); a transmitter number detection unit ( 250 ) detecting the number of transmitters based on a radio signal received by a receiving unit; a state detection unit ( 260 ) detecting whether or not the number of transmitters exceeds or is short the number of wheels based on the number of wheels based on the vehicle configuration and the number of transmitters detected; and an output unit ( 270 ) outputting that the state of the transmitter is abnormal when it is determined that the number of transmitters exceeds or is short the number of wheels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire mounting state detection system for detecting the state of a plurality of transmitters respectively equipped on a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle, including a receiving unit disposed in the vehicle for receiving a radio signal transmitted from the plurality of transmitters; and the tire mounting state detection system comprising:
a memory configured to hold a vehicle configuration including a number of wheels of the vehicle; and
at least one processor configured to
detect a number of transmitters based on the radio signal received by the receiving unit;
detect whether or not the number of transmitters exceeds or is short of the number of wheels, based on the number of wheels based on the vehicle configuration held by the memory and the detected number of transmitters;
output that a state of the transmitter is abnormal when it is determined that the number of the transmitters exceeds or is short for the number of the wheels; wherein
wherein the receiving unit includes a first receiver and a second receiver, the first receiver is disposed on one side of a widthwise center line between a left wheel and a right wheel, and the second receiver is disposed on the other side with respect to the widthwise center line,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to
measure a first signal strength, which is the strength of the radio signal received by the first receiver, for each transmitter;
measure a second signal strength, which is the strength of the radio signal received by the second receiver, for each transmitter;
calculate a strength ratio, which is a ratio using the first signal strength and the second signal strength, for each transmitter; and
detect, based on a magnitude relationship of the strength ratio, that the number of transmitters exceeds the number of wheels or that a tire having one of the plurality of transmitters not activated is mounted at a wheel position on either a left side of the vehicle or a right side of the vehicle.

2. The tire mounting state detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to output a detection result of the detected wheel position.

3. A tire mounting state detection method for detecting the state of a plurality of transmitters respectively equipped on a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle, using a receiving unit disposed in the vehicle and receiving a radio signal transmitted from the plurality of transmitters; the tire mounting state detection method comprising:
detecting a number of transmitters based on the radio signal received by the receiving unit;
detecting whether or not the number of transmitters exceeds or is short of the number of wheels, based on the number of wheels based on a vehicle configuration including the number of wheels of the vehicle and a number of transmitters detected; and
outputting that a state of the transmitter is abnormal when it is determined that the number of the transmitters exceeds or is short for the number of the wheels;
wherein the receiving unit includes a first receiver and a second receiver, the first receiver is disposed on one side of a widthwise center line between a left wheel and a right wheel, and the second receiver is disposed on the other side with respect to the widthwise center line,
measure a first signal strength, which is the strength of the radio signal received by the first receiver, for each transmitter;
measure a second signal strength, which is the strength of the radio signal received by the second receiver, for each transmitter;
calculate a strength ratio, which is a ratio using the first signal strength and the second signal strength, for each transmitter; and
detect, based on a magnitude relationship of the strength ratio, that the number of transmitters exceeds the number of wheels or that a tire having one of the plurality of transmitters not activated is mounted at a wheel position on either a left side of the vehicle or a right side of the vehicle.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a tire mounting state detection program for detecting the state of a plurality of transmitters respectively mounted on plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle, using a receiving unit disposed in the vehicle and receiving a radio signal transmitted from the plurality of transmitters; the tire mounting state detection program causing a computer to execute:
a process of holding a vehicle configuration including a number of wheels of the vehicle;
a process of detecting a number of the transmitters based on the radio signal received by the receiving unit;
a process of detecting whether or not the number of transmitters exceeds or is short of the number of wheels, based on the number of wheels based on the vehicle configuration and the number of transmitters detected; and
a process of outputting that a state of the transmitter is abnormal when it is determined that the number of the transmitters exceeds or is short for the number of the wheels;
wherein the receiving unit includes a first receiver and a second receiver, the first receiver is disposed on one side of a widthwise center line between a left wheel and a right wheel, and the second receiver is disposed on the other side with respect to the widthwise center line,
a process of measuring a first signal strength, which is the strength of the radio signal received by the first receiver, for each transmitter;
a process of measuring a second signal strength, which is the strength of the radio signal received by the second receiver, for each transmitter;
a process of calculating a strength ratio, which is a ratio using the first signal strength and the second signal strength, for each transmitter; and
a process of detecting, based on a magnitude relationship of the strength ratio, that the number of transmitters exceeds the number of wheels or that a tire having one of the plurality of transmitters not activated is mounted at a wheel position on either a left side of the vehicle or a right side of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Honda Kyohei

Classifications

• B60C23/20

  Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature {only} · CPC title

• B60C23/0444 Primary

  Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders · CPC title

• B60C23/0437

  Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes not being part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking · CPC title

• B60C23/0415

  Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels · CPC title

• B60C23/007

  having multiple wheels arranged side by side · CPC title