Determination of wheel sensor position using a wireless solution

A remote tire monitoring system for a vehicle, the remote tire monitoring system comprising:

• a plurality of tire monitors associated with respective tires of the vehicle,
• each tire monitor including
• an accelerometer,
• a monitor position information determining circuit responsive to an acceleration signal from the accelerometer, and
• a position information radio transmitting circuit;
• and
• a control circuit including
• a position information radio receiving circuit, and
• a respective tire monitor position determining circuit.

A tire monitor for use in a remote tire monitor system for tires of a vehicle, the tire monitor comprising:

• means for determining a direction of rotation of an associated wheel;
• means for determining right/left position information based on the direction of rotation;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting data related to the right/left position information for the tire monitor.

A tire monitor method for a tire monitor positioned at a wheel of a vehicle, the tire monitor method comprising:

• receiving a tire motion indication;
• sampling an accelerometer signal produced by a multiple-axis accelerometer;
• determining rotation direction for the wheel based on the accelerometer signal;
• determining position information for the wheel based on the rotation direction;
• and
• transmitting data to a remote receiver based on the position information.

A tire monitor method for a tire monitor positioned at a wheel of a vehicle, the tire monitor method comprising:

• sampling an accelerometer signal produced by a multiple-axis accelerometer;
• if an acceleration indication of the accelerometer signal exceeds a threshold,
• determining rotation direction for the wheel based on the accelerometer signal;
• determining position information for the wheel based on the rotation direction;
• and
• transmitting data to a remote receiver based on the position information.

A tire monitor method comprising:

• at a tire monitor associated with a tire of a vehicle, determining right/left position data based on acceleration detected at a dual axis accelerometer;
• at the tire monitor, determining a vehicle acceleration condition from the dual axis accelerometer;
• at the tire monitor, determining tire pressure data associated with the acceleration condition;
• and
• transmitting from the tire monitor tire pressure information, acceleration information related to the acceleration condition and right/left position information for determination of position of the tire monitor on the vehicle.

A tire monitor method for a tire monitor system of a vehicle, the tire monitor method comprising:

• receiving tire monitor transmissions from tire monitors positioned at all wheels of the vehicle,
• determining left/right position information for each of the tire monitors to identify right side tire monitors and left side tire monitors;
• and
• subsequently, determining which right side tire monitor is a right-front tire monitor and which right side tire monitor is a right-rear tire monitor, and determining which left side tire monitor is a left-front tire monitor and which left side tire monitor is a left-rear tire monitor.