Tyre pressure monitoring apparatus
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsPeter Mathias, Kevin Rushgrove, Anthony Rutter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tyre pressure monitoring system comprises an initiator which is arranged to transmit an initiation signal, and at least one corresponding transducer associated with a tyre of the vehicle which responds to exposure of the initiation signal from the initiator and is adapted to respond by transmitting a return signal indicating that it has been woken by the initiator, in which the strength of the initiation signal emitted by the initiator is varied across a number of values within a range.
Claims16
A tyre pressure monitoring system for a vehicle comprising:
- an initiator which is arranged to transmit an initiation signal having a strength;
- and
- at least one corresponding transducer associated with a tyre of the vehicle, said transducer responding to exposure from said initiation signal from said initiator, and said transducer being adapted to respond by transmitting a return signal indicating that it has been woken by said initiator, said initiator further adapted to vary the strength of said initiation signal emitted by said initiator across a number of values within a range.
A control system for a tyre pressure monitoring apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
- a carrier signal generator which is adapted to generate at least one carrier signal;
- an output through which said carrier signal from said carrier signal generator can be applied to at least one initiator fitted to said vehicle, said initiator transmitting a signal whose strength varies in dependence with properties of said carrier signal;
- an input for receiving tyre pressure signals from at least one tyre pressure transducer in response to said signal transmitted by said initiator;
- and
- a processor which is adapted to process said received signals and to vary at least one parameter of said carrier signal according to said signals received at said input.
A method of controlling a tyre pressure monitoring apparatus comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of initiators and associated transducers;
- (b) causing one of the initiators to transmit an initiating signal;
- (c) monitoring for signals transmitted by the transducers in response to said transmitted signal;
- and
- (d) reducing the strength of the signal transmitted by the initiator if signals are received from more than one transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.