Tire pressure monitoring system communication method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397594-B2
Application number	US-202318327696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2023
Priority date	Jun 1, 2023
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A method to facilitate secure communication between a first tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and a vehicle is disclosed. The method may include obtaining a trigger signal to auto-locate the first TPMS from a plurality of TPMSs. The method may further include obtaining learning mode advertisements from each TPMS responsive to obtaining the trigger signal. The learning mode advertisements may include a random value and a test value associated with each TPMS. The test value may be an encrypted value generated using TPMS keys. The method may further include calculating a vehicle test value using the random value and a vehicle pre-shared key, and comparing the test value with the vehicle test value. The method may further include auto-locating the first TPMS based on the comparison. The method may include receiving vehicle tire condition data from the first TPMS responsive to auto-locating the first TPMS.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a first tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) configured to monitor a vehicle tire condition; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the TPMS, wherein the ECU is configured to:
obtain a trigger signal to auto-locate the first TPMS from a plurality of TPMSs;
obtain learning mode advertisements from each TPMS of the plurality of TPMSs responsive to obtaining the trigger signal, wherein the learning mode advertisements comprises a random value and a test value associated with each TPMS, and wherein the test value is an encrypted value generated using TPMS keys;
calculate a vehicle test value using the random value and a vehicle pre-shared key;
compare the obtained test value with the calculated vehicle test value;
auto-locate the first TPMS when the obtained test value associated with the first TPMS matches with the calculated vehicle test value; and
receive vehicle tire condition data from the first TPMS responsive to auto-locating the first TPMS.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first TPMS is further configured to broadcast the vehicle tire condition to the ECU, and wherein the first TPMS is a one-way TPMS configured to perform unidirectional broadcast communication.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first TPMS enables communication with the ECU using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first TPMS is associated with a TPMS pre-shared key, and wherein the test value is generated using the TPMS pre-shared key.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the TPMS pre-shared key corresponds to the vehicle pre-shared key.

6. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the first TPMS is further configured to generate a message integrity key configured to protect vehicle tire condition information, and a Bluetooth Identity Resolution Key (IRK) configured to resolve Resolvable Private Address (RPA) transmitted by the first TPMS.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first TPMS is configured to generate the message integrity key and the Bluetooth IRK using the TPMS pre-shared key and the random value.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first TPMS is configured to generate the test value using the Bluetooth IRK and the message integrity key.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first TPMS is configured to generate the test value by hashing the message integrity key and the Bluetooth IRK, and concatenating hashed message integrity key and hashed Bluetooth IRK.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first TPMS is configured to transmit the learning mode advertisements associated with the first TPMS for a predetermined time duration.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first TPMS is further configured to:
activate a normal operating state of the TPMS after the predetermined time duration; and
transmit vehicle tire condition data responsive to activating the normal operating state, wherein the vehicle tire condition data comprises tire pressure data, changeable RPA and Message Authentication Codes (MACs).

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the ECU is further configured to:
derive the Bluetooth IRK using the vehicle pre-shared key and the random value obtained from the first TPMS;
receive the vehicle tire condition data from the TPMS; and
obtain the tire pressure data from the vehicle tire condition data based on the Bluetooth IRK, wherein the Bluetooth IRK is configured to resolve the changeable RPA.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the first TPMS is configured to generate a new random value in response to obtaining next trigger signal, and wherein the first TPMS is configured to generate a new message integrity key and a new Bluetooth IRK using the TPMS pre-shared key and the new random value.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the ECU is further configured to:
determine one or more TPMSs from the plurality of TPMSs which are likely to be attached to the vehicle, wherein the one or more TPMSs comprises the first TPMS;
calculate the vehicle test value for the determined one or more TPMSs; and
auto-locate the first TMPS based on the calculated vehicle test value.

15. A method to facilitate secure communication between a first tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and a vehicle, wherein the method comprising:
obtaining, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, a trigger signal to auto-locate the first TPMS from a plurality of TPMSs, wherein the first TPMS is configured to monitor a vehicle tire condition;
obtaining, by the ECU, learning mode advertisements from each TPMS of the plurality of TPMSs responsive to obtaining the trigger signal, wherein the learning mode advertisements comprises a random value and a test value associated with each TPMS, and wherein the test value is an encrypted value generated using TPMS keys;
calculating, by the ECU, a vehicle test value using the random value and a vehicle pre-shared key;
comparing, by the ECU, the obtained test value with the calculated vehicle test value;
auto-locating, by the ECU, the first TPMS when the obtained test value associated with the first TPMS matches with the calculated vehicle test value; and
receiving, by the ECU, vehicle tire condition data from the first TPMS responsive to auto-locating the first TPMS.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first TPMS is configured to broadcast the vehicle tire condition to the ECU, and wherein the first TPMS is a one-way TPMS configured to perform unidirectional broadcast communication.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first TPMS enables communication with the ECU using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first TPMS is associated with a TPMS pre-shared key, and wherein the test value is generated using the TPMS pre-shared key.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the TPMS pre-shared key corresponds to the vehicle pre-shared key.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a distributed computing system, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
obtain a trigger signal to auto-locate a first tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), from a plurality of TPMSs, wherein the first TPMS is configured to monitor a vehicle tire condition of a vehicle;
obtain learning mode advertisements from each TPMS of the plurality of TPMSs responsive to obtaining the trigger signal, wherein the learning mode advertisements comprises a random value and a test value associated with each TPMS, and wherein the test value is an encrypted value generated using TPMS keys;
calculate a vehicle test value using the random value and a vehicle pre-shared key;
compare the obtained test value with the calculated vehicle test value;
auto-locate the first TPMS when the test value associated with the first TPMS matches with the vehicle test value; and
receive vehicle tire condition data from the first TPMS responsive to auto-locating the first TPMS.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Schubert Jochen
• Patel Dilip B
• Rushing Arick Evan

Classifications

• H04L9/0825

  using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates · CPC title

• H04L2209/80

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L9/3239 Primary

  involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD · CPC title

• H04L2209/84

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B60C23/044

  Near field triggers, e.g. magnets or triggers with 125 KHz · CPC title