Tire position determination system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016280018-A1
Application number	US-201415027367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 10, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Each of a plurality of tire air pressure detectors includes an information retention portion that retains one or more pieces of timing information indicating the time at which the tire air pressure detector has rotated to a specific detector angle in a first time band for withholding transmission of a radio wave signal, and a radio wave transmission control portion that transmits one or more of the pieces of timing information retained in the information retention portion to a receiver in a second time band enabling transmission of the radio wave signal. The receiver includes an axle rotation amount reader portion that receives axle rotation amount information generated in each of a plurality of axle rotation detection portions, and a position determination portion that calculates an axle rotation amount at the point in time at which the tire air pressure detectors have rotated to the specific detector angle.

First claim

1 . A tire position determination system comprising:
a plurality of tire air pressure detectors respectively coupled to a plurality of tires, wherein each tire pressure detector is capable of transmitting a tire air pressure signal, waits to transmit a radio signal in a first period, and is allowed to transmit a radio signal in a second period; a plurality of axle rotation detection units respectively arranged on a plurality of axles, wherein each axle rotation detection unit detects a rotation amount of the corresponding axle and generates axle rotation amount information; and a receiver included in a vehicle body, wherein the receiver receives a tire air pressure signal from each tire air pressure detector and monitors air pressure of the corresponding tire, wherein each tire air pressure detector includes
an information storage that stores one or more pieces of timing information, which indicate a timing when the tire air pressure detector is rotated to a certain detector angle, in the first period, during which the tire air pressure detector waits to transmit the radio signal, and
a radio transmission control unit that transmits one or more pieces of the timing information, which are stored in the information storage, to the receiver in the second period, during which the radio signal transmission is allowed, and the receiver includes
an axle rotation amount reader that receives axle rotation amount information generated in each axle rotation detection unit, and
a position determination unit that calculates an axle rotation amount corresponding to a point of time when each tire air pressure detector is rotated to the certain detector angle based on timing information, which is received from the radio transmission control unit of the tire air pressure detector, and axle rotation amount information, which is received from the axle rotation amount reader and corresponds to the timing information, to determine a position of the corresponding tire using the calculated axle rotation amount.

2 . The tire position determination system according to claim 1 , wherein
the radio signal includes an ID used to identify the tire air pressure detector, the timing information includes information of time from when the tire air pressure detector is rotated to the certain detector angle to when a radio signal is transmitted in the second period, during which radio signal transmission is allowed, and the timing information is associated with the ID and allows for identification of the tire air pressure detector.

3 . The tire position determination system according to claim 2 , wherein
the position determination unit determines the tire air pressure detector that corresponds to the timing information from the tire air pressure detectors based on the ID, and the position determination unit uses axle rotation amount information of the axle associated with the determined tire air pressure detector to calculate an axle rotation amount corresponding to a point of time when the tire air pressure detector is rotated to the certain detector angle in accordance with information of time from when the tire air pressure detector is rotated to the certain detector angle to when a radio signal is transmitted in the second period, during which radio signal transmission is allowed.

4 . The tire position determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the radio transmission control unit continuously transmits the one or more pieces of timing information in the second period, during which the radio signal transmission is allowed.

5 . The tire position determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the radio transmission control unit transmits together one or more pieces of the timing information, which are stored in the information storage, in the second period, during which the radio signal transmission is allowed.

Assignees

• Tokai Rika Co Ltd
• Taiheiyo Kogyo Kk

Inventors

• Kosugi Masanori
• Araya Takao
• Okumura Koji

Classifications

• B60C23/0489 Primary

  for detecting the actual angular position of the monitoring device while the wheel is turning · CPC title

• B60C23/0415 Primary

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

• B60C23/0488

  Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force · CPC title

• B60C23/0462

  Structure of transmission protocol · CPC title

• B60C23/0416 Primary

  allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right · CPC title