Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for operating a remote tire monitor system, the method comprising: at a transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors, transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data; at a RF receiver, receiving the RF signals and detecting the tire data; at a receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors each associated with a tire monitor, producing a transmission indication including modulating a signal in response to the RF signals detected at the receiving RF detector; and at a control unit, receiving the tire data and transmission indication and associating a position of the transmitting tire monitor with the tire data in response to the modulated signal of the transmission indication.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for operating a remote tire monitor system, the method comprising: at a transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors, transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data; at a RF receiver, receiving the RF signals and detecting the tire data; at a receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors each associated with a tire monitor, producing a transmission indication including modulating a signal in response to the RF signals detected at the receiving RF detector; and at a control unit, receiving the tire data and transmission indication and associating a position of the transmitting tire monitor with the tire data in response to the modulated signal of the transmission indication.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: comparing the position of the transmitting tire monitor with a stored position of the transmitting tire monitor; and updating the stored position with the position of the transmitting tire monitor when the position of the transmitting tire monitor differs from the stored position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the RF signals comprises: demodulating the RF signals; decoding the tire data; and conveying the tire data to the control unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 3 wherein decoding the tire data comprises: decoding a tire monitor identifier; and decoding tire pressure data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein producing a transmission indication comprises: detecting an envelope of the RF signals; and producing a wire line signal in response to the envelope of the RF signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 5 wherein producing a wire line signal comprises: modulating a current in a conductor coupled with the control unit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising: detecting modulation of the current at the control unit to locate the transmitting tire monitor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
115 words
A control unit for a remote tire monitor system of a vehicle, the control unit comprising: a radio frequency (RF) receiver configured to receive RF signals conveying tire data from at least one transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors associated with wheels of the vehicle and recover the tire data from the RF signals; and a RF decoder configured to receive as a transmission indication a signal modulated in response to the RF signals detected at at least one receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors associated with wheels of the vehicle and identify a position of the transmitting tire monitor on the vehicle in response to the transmission indication.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
115 words
A control unit for a remote tire monitor system of a vehicle, the control unit comprising: a radio frequency (RF) receiver configured to receive RF signals conveying tire data from at least one transmitting tire monitor of a plurality of tire monitors associated with wheels of the vehicle and recover the tire data from the RF signals; and a RF decoder configured to receive as a transmission indication a signal modulated in response to the RF signals detected at at least one receiving RF detector of a plurality of RF detectors associated with wheels of the vehicle and identify a position of the transmitting tire monitor on the vehicle in response to the transmission indication.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The control unit of claim 8 further comprising: a memory; and a controller configured to store in the memory position of the plurality of tire monitors including the position of the transmitting tire monitor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
The control unit of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured to compare the position of the transmitting tire monitor with a stored position of the transmitting tire monitor store the position of the transmitting tire monitor as the stored position when the position of the transmitting tire monitor does not match the stored position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
153 words
A remote tire monitor system comprising: a plurality of tire monitors, each tire monitor being associated with a wheel of a vehicle and configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data; a plurality of RF detectors, each RF detector being mounted on the vehicle proximate an associated tire monitor to detect the RF signals from the associated tire monitor and modulate a signal in response to the detected RF signals produce a transmission indication in response to detected RF signals; a RF receiver to receive tire data in RF signals transmitted by any tire monitor of the plurality of tire monitors; and a control unit coupled with the plurality of RF detectors to receive transmission indications by detecting the modulated signal and coupled with the RF receiver to receive the tire data, the control unit being operative to associate a position of a transmitting tire monitor with a received transmission indication.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
153 words
A remote tire monitor system comprising: a plurality of tire monitors, each tire monitor being associated with a wheel of a vehicle and configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals including tire data; a plurality of RF detectors, each RF detector being mounted on the vehicle proximate an associated tire monitor to detect the RF signals from the associated tire monitor and modulate a signal in response to the detected RF signals produce a transmission indication in response to detected RF signals; a RF receiver to receive tire data in RF signals transmitted by any tire monitor of the plurality of tire monitors; and a control unit coupled with the plurality of RF detectors to receive transmission indications by detecting the modulated signal and coupled with the RF receiver to receive the tire data, the control unit being operative to associate a position of a transmitting tire monitor with a received transmission indication.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The remote tire monitor system of claim 11 wherein each RF detector comprises: an envelope detector to detect an envelope of the RF signals from the associated tire monitor; and an output circuit to modulate an electrical signal on a conductor as the transmission indication.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The remote tire monitor system of claim 12 wherein the output circuit comprises: at least one transistor for modulating a current in the conductor.