Tire diagnostic system

Claim 2

A tire diagnostic system for detecting an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, with each wheel containing a pneumatic tire, with said system comprising: a sensor cooperating with each wheel for sensing a distance related parameter of each wheel over a predetermined time period; a global positioning receiver for receiving position signals from a global positioning system over said predetermined time period; a calculator for calculating a distance related parameter of the vehicle based on said position signals received from said global positioning receiver, with said calculator further calculating a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a pneumatic tire with a predetermined inflation; a comparator for comparing each said sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with said desired distance related parameter; an acceleration determinator for determining a longitudinal acceleration value for each wheel; a preventing means for preventing said sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when any said longitudinal acceleration value is outside upper and lower predetermined limits; and, a determinator for determining whether each tire is properly inflated based on said comparison.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 further comprising an indicator for indicating whether an improperly inflated tire is determined by said determinator.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2 wherein said indicator is activated only when said determinator determines that occurrences of an improperly inflated tire exceeds a predetermined threshold number of occurrences.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3, further comprising: an accumulator for positively accumulating each occurrence of an improperly inflated tire and negatively accumulating each occurrence of a properly inflated tire; and, wherein said indicator is activated when a sum of said positively and negatively accumulated occurrences exceeds a predetermined threshold number of occurrences.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1 further comprising: a vehicle speed determinator for determining the speed of the vehicle; and, a preventing means for preventing said sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when said vehicle speed is outside upper and lower predetermined limits.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, with said system further comprising: an acceleration determinator for determining a lateral acceleration value for the front pair of wheels and a lateral acceleration value for the rear pair of wheels; and, a preventing means for preventing said sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when any said acceleration value is outside upper and lower predetermined limits.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 1 further comprising a preventing means for preventing said sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when the distance traveled by the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 1 further comprising an input device for inputting a resetting command to reset said system after an improperly inflated tire has been serviced.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 8 further comprising an adjusting means for adjusting said desired distance related parameter after said improperly inflated tire has been serviced, thereby defining a new desired distance related parameter, with said system thereafter determining an improperly inflated tire based on said new desired distance related parameter.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of: determining the speed of the vehicle; and, preventing sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when said vehicle speed is outside upper and lower predetermined limits.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of: determining a longitudinal acceleration value for each wheel; determining a lateral acceleration value for each wheel; preventing said sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when any said acceleration value is outside upper and lower predetermined limits.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of: inputting a resetting command to reset said system after an improperly inflated tire has been serviced.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of: adjusting said desired distance related parameter after said improperly inflated tire has been serviced, thereby defining a new desired distance related parameter; and, thereafter determining an improperly inflated tire based on said new desired distance related parameter.

Claim 17

An article of manufacture comprising: a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for causing a processor to detect an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, with each wheel containing a pneumatic tire, with said computer storage medium comprising: a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to sense a distance related parameter of each wheel over a predetermined time period; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive position signals from a global positioning system over said predetermined time period; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a distance related parameter of the vehicle based on said position signals received from said global positioning receiver; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a pneumatic tire with a predetermined inflation based on said calculated distance related parameter of the vehicle; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to compare each said sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with said desired distance related parameter; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to determine whether each tire is properly inflated based on said comparison; and, a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to warn whether an improperly inflated tire is determined; wherein said computer storage medium comprises an electronically programmable chip.

Claim 18

An article of manufacture comprising: a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for causing a processor to detect an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, with each wheel containing a pneumatic tire, with said computer storage medium comprising: a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to sense a distance related parameter of each wheel over a predetermined time period; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive position signals from a global positioning system over said predetermined time period; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a distance related parameter of the vehicle based on said position signals received from said global positioning receiver; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a pneumatic tire with a predetermined inflation based on said calculated distance related parameter of the vehicle; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to compare each said sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with said desired distance related parameter; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to determine whether each tire is properly inflated based on said comparison; and, a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to warn whether an improperly inflated tire is determined; wherein said computer storage medium comprises an electronically programmable chip.

Claim 19

An article of manufacture according to claim 15 wherein said computer storage medium further comprises: a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to determine whether occurrences of an improperly inflated tire exceeds a predetermined threshold number of occurrences.

Claim 20

An article of manufacture according to claim 15 wherein said computer storage medium further comprises: a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to accept a resetting command to reset said system after an improperly inflated tire has been serviced; a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to adjust said desired distance related parameter after said improperly inflated tire has been serviced, thereby defining a new desired distance related parameter; and, a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to thereafter determine an improperly inflated tire based on said new desired distance related parameter.