EP1215056A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus and method for monitoring tire condition
Assignee: Pacific Industrial Co Ltd
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Filing: 2001-09-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2021-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A transmitter device (1-4) includes a rotational direction sensor (13) that generates a specific pattern signal when a corresponding tire (T1-T4) rotates. The pattern signal of the left tires (T1, T3) is different from the pattern signal of the right tires (T2, T4). A front reception antenna (21) is near the front tires (T1, T2). A rear reception antenna (22) is near the rear tires (T3, T4). A receiver (5) includes a switch circuit (23) that selectively connects the front reception antenna (21) or the rear reception antenna (22) to a controller (20). When one transmitter device transmits a radio signal, the controller (20) determines which transmitter device is the source of the radio signal in accordance with the level of the signals from the reception antennas (21, 22) and the pattern signal, which is included in the data transmitted by the transmitter device.
Inventors
- 👤 Michiya Katou
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 07:29
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60C; B60C23/00; B60C23/02; B60C23/04; B60C23/0408; B60C23/0415; B60C23/0416; B60C23/0422; B60C23/0433; B60C23/0435; B60C23/0444; B60C23/0447; B60C23/0455; B60C23/0459; B60C23/0462; B60C23/0464; B60C23/0486; B60C23/0489
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
339 words
A tire condition monitoring apparatus for monitoring the
condition of a plurality of tires attached to a vehicle,
wherein the tires include left and right front tires (T1, T2)
and left and right rear tires (T3, T4), the apparatus being characterized by : a transmitter device (1-4), which is attached to each
tire (T1-T4), wherein the transmitter device (1-4) has a
condition sensor (11, 12) that detects the condition of the
corresponding tire and a signal generator (13) that generates
a specific pattern signal when the tire rotates, wherein the
pattern signal generated by the signal generator (13) of the
transmitter device (1, 3) attached to each left tire (T1, T3)
is different from the pattern signal generated by the signal
generator (13) of the transmitter device (2, 4) attached to
each right tire (T2, T4) when the vehicle moves in a given
direction, and each transmitter device (1-4) transmits a radio
signal that includes data that represents the tire condition
and data that represents the pattern signal; a front reception antenna (21), which is installed in a
body of the vehicle at a position that is relatively near to
the left and right front tires (T1, T2), wherein the front
reception antenna (21) receives radio signals from the
transmitter devices (1-4); a rear reception antenna (22), which is installed in the
vehicle body at a position that is relatively near to the left
and right rear tires (T3, T4), wherein the rear reception
antenna (22) receives radio signals from the transmitter
devices (1-4); and a receiver (5), which receives reception signals from the
front and rear reception antennas (21, 22), wherein the
receiver (5) includes a controller (20), and wherein, when one
of the transmitter devices (1-4) has transmitted a radio
signal, the controller (20) determines which transmitter
device has transmitted the radio signal in accordance with the
level of reception signals from the reception antennas (21,
22) and the data that represents the pattern signal, which is
included in the radio signal transmitted by the transmitter
device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized in
that the receiver (5) further includes a switch circuit (23)
that selectively connects the front reception antenna (21) or
the rear reception antenna (22) to the controller (20).
Claim 3
Independent Claim
56 words
The apparatus as set forth in claims 1 or 2 characterized
in that each signal generator (13) generates a first pattern
signal when the corresponding tire rotates in one direction,
and each signal generator (13) generates a second pattern
signal, which is different from the first pattern signal, when
the tire rotates in the other direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
104 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 characterized in
that the signal generators (13) that correspond to the left
front and rear tires (T1, T3) generate the first pattern
signals and the signal generators (13) that correspond to the
right front and rear tires (T2, T4) generate the second
pattern signals if the vehicle moves forward, and the signal
generators (13) that correspond to the left front and rear
tires (T1, T3) generate the second pattern signals and the
signal generators (13) that correspond to the right front and
rear tires (T2, T4) generate the first pattern signals if the
vehicle moves rearward.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
82 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 characterized in
that each signal generator (13) includes: a case (30), in which an annular passage (33) is formed;
and a movable body (34), which is located in the annular
passage (33), wherein the movable body (34) moves in the
annular passage (33) circumferentially in the case (30) when
the corresponding tire rotates, and the direction in which the
movable body (34) moves changes in accordance with the
direction in which the tire rotates.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 characterized in
that each signal generator (13) generates the first pattern
signal when the movable body (34) moves in one direction and
generates the second pattern signal when the movable body (34)
moves in the other direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
117 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 characterized in
that the movable body (34) is formed of a conductive material,
and each signal generator (13) further includes a pair of
annular electrode plates (31, 32), which are located in the
annular passage (33) and are electrically connected to each
other through the movable body (34), and at least one
electrode plate (32) includes a plurality of non-conductive
portions (35), each of which is circumferentially spaced from
the adjacent non-conductive portion (35), by a predetermined
interval, and the electrode plates (31, 32) are not
electrically connected to each other when the movable body
(34) is located at a position corresponding to one of the non-conductive
portions (35).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 7 characterized in
that the non-conductive portions are cut-away portions (35)
formed in one electrode plate (32), and the cut-away portions
(35) divide the electrode plate (32) into a plurality of
sections (321, 322, 323), and the sections (321, 322, 323)
have different circumferential dimensions.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
35 words
The apparatus as set forth in claims 1 or 2 characterized
in that the controller (20) determines which transmitter
device has transmitted the radio signal in accordance with the
direction of movement of the vehicle.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
78 words
The apparatus as set forth in claims 1 or 2 characterized
in that the controller (20) first determines whether the front
or the rear tires correspond to the reception antenna that
generates the highest level signal, and the controller (20)
subsequently determines which of the transmitter devices of
the determined tires has transmitted the radio signal, in
accordance with the data that represents the pattern signal,
which is included in the radio signal transmitted by the
transmitter device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
188 words
A tire condition monitoring method for monitoring the
condition of a plurality of tires attached to a vehicle,
wherein the tires include left and right front tires (T1, T2)
and left and right rear tires (T3, T4), the method being characterized by : detecting the condition of each tire (T1-T4); generating a specific pattern signal for each tire when
the tires rotate, wherein the pattern signal generated for
each left tire (T1, T3) is different from the pattern signal
generated for each right tire (T2, T4); transmitting a radio signal from one of the tires (t1-T4),
the radio signal including data that represents the tire
condition and data that represents the pattern signal; receiving the radio signal at a front location that is
relatively near to the front tires (T1, T2); receiving the radio signal at a rear location that is
relatively near to the rear tires (T3, T4); and determining which tire has transmitted the radio signal
in accordance with the level of signals received at the front
and rear locations and the data that represents the pattern
signal, which is included in the transmitted radio signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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