Method for detecting a change in location of the wheels of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023271462-A1
Application number	US-202118024561-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 25, 2021
Priority date	Sep 4, 2020
Publication date	Aug 31, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for detecting a change in location of the wheels of a motor vehicle, the vehicle having at least one central processing unit, and two wheel units which each includes an electronic assembly of sensors and which are each mounted on one of the wheels. The method including a monitoring step, during which a first pattern representative of the location of the wheel unit is established, when the vehicle is at a standstill, and an evaluation step, during which a possible first variation in each first pattern is measured to estimate if the location of the wheel has changed.

First claim

1 . A method for detecting a change in location of the wheels of a motor vehicle, said vehicle having at least:
one central processing unit, two wheel units which each comprise an electronic assembly of sensors and which are each mounted on one of said wheels of the motor vehicle, and one bidirectional radiofrequency communications assembly designed to ensure communication between the wheel units and the central unit,
wherein method includes at least:
a monitoring step, during which each wheel unit emits series of messages to the central unit via the communications assembly depending on a determined emission rate, when the motor vehicle is at a standstill, and the central unit establishes and records, for each wheel unit, a first pattern representative of the location of the wheel unit in the motor vehicle, by measuring the power of said received messages,
an evaluation step, during which the central unit measures a possible first variation in each first pattern and the central unit compares said first variation with a first predetermined threshold value, the location of the wheel in question is estimated to have changed if said first measured variation is greater than the first predetermined threshold value, and
a locating step, which aims to determine the location of the wheels on the motor vehicle and which is implemented if the location of at least two wheels is estimated to have changed during the preceding evaluation step.

2 . The detection method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rate of emission of the series of messages from each wheel unit is adapted depending on the instantaneous variation in the first pattern of the wheel unit in question, measured during the evaluation step.

3 . The detection method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the rate of emission of the series of messages by each wheel unit is determined by the central unit and transmitted to each wheel unit via the communications assembly.

4 . The detection method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central unit, in response to the received messages, emits series of messages to each wheel unit via the communications assembly, and each wheel unit establishes and records a second pattern representative of the location of the wheel unit in the motor vehicle, by measuring the power of the received messages and, during the evaluation step, each wheel unit measures a possible second variation in the associated second pattern and compares said second variation with a second predetermined threshold value, the location of the wheel in question is estimated to have changed if said measured second variation is greater than the second predetermined threshold value.

5 . The detection method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the rate of emission of the series of messages by each wheel unit is adapted depending on the instantaneous variation in the second pattern of the wheel unit in question.

6 . The detection method as claimed in claim 1 , applied to a motor vehicle having four wheels which are each associated with one wheel unit, said wheels forming a first lateral pair and a second, opposite lateral pair, and also a first front pair and a second, opposite rear pair, the location of the wheels is estimated as unchanged if the measured variation in each pattern of two wheel units of one and the same pair of wheels is simultaneous.

7 . The detection method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said motor vehicle has a plurality of central processing units, each central unit being designed to communicate with each wheel unit via the bidirectional communications assembly.

8 . The detection method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each pattern is established by measuring the power of the received messages.

9 . A motor vehicle comprising at least one central processing unit, two wheel units which each comprise an electronic assembly of sensors and which are each mounted on one of said wheels of the motor vehicle, and one bidirectional radiofrequency communications assembly designed to ensure communication between the wheel units and the central unit, characterized in that said central unit and/or said wheel units and/or said communications assembly are suitably programmed to implement the method as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Tech Gmbh

Inventors

• Guinart Nicolas
• Boisset Jean-Phillippe
• Godet Sylvain

Classifications

• B60C23/0415 Primary

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

• B60C23/0438

  comprising signal transmission means, e.g. for a bidirectional communication with a corresponding wheel mounted receiver · CPC title

• B60C23/0461

  externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch · 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

• B60C23/045

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