US 10,239,366 B2 · Wheel position detecting device and tire air pressure detecting apparatus having the same

Abstract

A wheel position detecting device can suppress an erroneous detection of a wheel position even if a moving direction of a vehicle cannot be determined by wheel speed sensors whether in a forward direction or in a rearward direction. When an edge number (or a tooth number) is incremented based on detection signals of the wheel speed sensors of one, two or three wheels while the vehicle is at a halt, the edge number (or the tooth number) is not used as learning data. Thus, it is less likely that the wheel position is erroneously detected based on erroneous learning data. Therefore, even if the moving direction of the vehicle cannot be determined whether in the forward direction or the rearward direction by the wheel speed sensors, the wheel position detecting device can suppress the erroneous wheel position detection.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims5

Dependent claims

A wheel position detecting device for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a plurality of wheels with tires, the wheel position detecting device comprising:

a transmitter being integrated to each of the plurality of wheels, the transmitter including a first control unit, the first control unit generating and transmitting a frame including identification information specific to the transmitter;
and
a receiver being integrated to the vehicle body, the receiver including an antenna and a second control unit, the second control unit receiving the frame transmitted from the transmitter through the antenna, the second control unit performing a wheel position detection to specify which of the plurality of wheels the transmitter transmitting the frame is integrated to and to store a relationship between the identification information of the transmitter and the wheel to which the transmitter is integrated, wherein
the transmitter includes an acceleration sensor that outputs a detection signal according to an acceleration containing a gravitational acceleration component varying with rotation of the wheel to which the transmitter is integrated,
the first control unit detects an angle of the transmitter relative to a zero degree position based on the gravitational acceleration component provided by the detection signal of the acceleration sensor, the zero degree position being set at any position in a circumferential direction of the wheel to which the transmitter is integrated with respect to a center axis of the wheel as a center,
the first control unit repeatedly transmits the frame when the angle of the transmitter is a predetermined transmission angle,
the second control unit acquires an edge number or a tooth number of each of a plurality of gears based on a plurality of wheel speed sensors that detect passages of teeth of the gears, the gears being provided to rotate in association with the wheels, each of the gears including the teeth having conductivity and intermediate portions between the teeth, the teeth and the intermediate portions being alternately arranged so that the gear has outer surfaces having different magnetic resistances, and
the second control unit includes:
a wheel position learning section that, when receiving the frame, repeatedly acquires the edge numbers or the tooth numbers at a reception timing of the frame, stores, as learning data, the edge numbers or the tooth numbers of the respective wheels at the reception timing of the frame for every identification information, and performs a wheel position detection based on the learning data stored,
a change detecting section that detects a change in the edge number or the tooth number of only a part of the wheels when the vehicle is at halt;
and
a resetting section that resets the learning data when the change in the edge number or the tooth number is detected by the change detecting section.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description9,565 words

Summary1,615 words

#This application is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/JP2015/003733 filed on Jul. 24, 2015 and published in Japanese as WO 2016/017134 A1 on Feb. 4, 2016. This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-155340 filed on Jul. 30, 2014. The entire disclosures of all of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.

#The present disclosure relates to a wheel position detecting device that automatically detects a position of a subject wheel in a vehicle, and a direct-type tire air pressure detecting apparatus having the wheel position detecting device.

#As an example of the tire air pressure detecting apparatus, a direct-type tire air pressure detecting apparatus has been conventionally known. In the direct-type tire air pressure detecting apparatus, a transmitter is directly fixed to each of wheels with a tire. The transmitter is provided with a sensor, such as a pressure sensor. A vehicle body is equipped with an antenna and a receiver. When the transmitter transmits a detection signal of the sensor, the receiver receives the detection signal through the antenna, and the tire air pressure of the wheel is detected based on the detection signal.

Brief description of the drawings13 figures

#The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for illustrating an overall structure of a tire air pressure detecting apparatus employing a wheel position detecting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2A is a schematic block diagram of a transmitter;

Detailed description7,742 words

#Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Like or equivalent parts will be designated with like reference numerals throughout the embodiments described hereinafter.

#A first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Firstly, an overall structure of a tire air pressure detecting apparatus employing a wheel position detecting device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, an upward direction corresponds to a frontward direction of the vehicle 1, and a downward direction corresponds to a rearward direction of the vehicle 1.

#As shown in FIG. 1, the tire air pressure detecting apparatus is equipped to the vehicle 1. The tire air pressure detecting apparatus includes transmitters 2, a tire air pressure detecting electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as the TPMS-ECU (Tire Pressure Monitoring System-ECU) 3, and a meter 4. The TPMS-ECU 3 serves as a receiver. The wheel position detecting device uses the transmitters 2 and the TPMS-ECU 3, which are included in the tire air pressure detecting apparatus. The wheel position detecting device specifies a position of each wheel 5 (5a-5d) by acquiring gear information from a brake electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as the brake ECU) 10. The gear information is provided based on a detection signal of each of wheel speed sensors 11a-11d, which are provided for the wheels 5a-5d, respectively.

Facts

Application

15/328,533Filed 24 Jul 2015

Priority

JP 2014-15534030 Jul 2014

Published

US 2017/0210185 A127 Jul 2017

Granted

26 Mar 2019

Term ends

10 Mar 2036

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 230 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification10 codes

B60C 23/0416
Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels: allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle,…
B60C 23/0488
Comprising additional sensors in the wheel or tyre mounted monitoring device, e.g. movement sensors, microphones or earth magnetic field sensors:…
B60C 23/0489
Comprising additional sensors in the wheel or tyre mounted monitoring device, e.g. movement sensors, microphones or earth magnetic field sensors:…
G01D 5/16
Influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage: by varying resistance

Timeline

30 Jul 2014Priority claimedJP 2014-155340
24 Jul 2015Application filedUS 15/328,533
24 Jan 2017Assigned to Denso Corporationassignment of assignor's interest
27 Jul 2017PublishedUS 2017/0210185 A1
26 Mar 2019GrantedUS 10,239,366 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
10 Mar 2036Term endsEstimated, includes 230 days of adjustment

Wheel position detecting device and tire air pressure detecting apparatus having the same

Life of this patent

Wheel position detecting device and tire air pressure detecting apparatus having the same

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims5

Description9,565 words

Drawings

Classification10 codes

Life of this patent

Description9,565 words