Apparatus for detecting positions of wheels of vehicle and apparatus for detecting tire inflation pressure using the same

An apparatus for detecting positions of wheels of a vehicle having a body, comprising:

• a plurality of transceivers mounted at a plurality of wheels each having a tire, wherein each transceiver comprises a reception unit comprising means for receiving a triggering signal, a first control unit comprising means for measuring a strength of the received triggering signal and containing data indicative of the measured strength of the received triggering signal into a frame of data, and a transmission unit that transmits the frame of data produced by the first control unit;
• a triggering device, arranged to the body, that outputs the triggering signal;
• a receiver, arranged to the body, comprising a reception unit that receives the frame of data and a second control unit that determines that, based on the strength expressed by the data contained in the frame of data, each transducer is disposed at which one of the plurality of wheels;
• and
• an alarm member that issues an alarm when there occurs a system malfunction in the apparatus,
• wherein
• the reception unit further comprises means for receiving a command for measuring noise strength;
• the first control unit further comprises means for calculating a strength of noise in response to reception of the command and contains data indicative of the calculated strength of the noise into a frame of data;
• and
• the second control unit comprise
• means for determining whether or not there is a reply of the flame of data containing the strength when the triggering device transmits the triggering signal,
• means for controlling the alarm member so that the alarm member is allowed to issue the alarm when it is determined that no reply of the frame of data containing the strength comes from the transceivers,
• first determining means for means for enabling the triggering device to transmit to the transceiver the command for measuring noise strength prior to detecting positions of the wheels,
• means for determining whether or not a noise strength based on the frame of data received in response to the command is less than a threshold,
• second determining means for enabling the triggering device to transmit the triggering signal for detecting positions of the wheels, when it is determined that the noise strength is less than the threshold, and
• means for stopping detection of the positions of the wheels when it is determined the noise strength is equal to or larger than the threshold.

An apparatus for detecting positions of wheels of a vehicle having a body, comprising:

• a plurality of transceivers mounted at a plurality of wheels each having a tire, wherein each transceiver comprises a reception unit comprising means for receiving a triggering signal, a first control unit comprising means for calculating a strength of the received triggering signal and measuring data indicative of the measured strength of the received triggering signal into a frame of data, and a transmission unit that transmits the frame of data produced by the first control unit;
• a triggering device, arranged to the body, that outputs the triggering signal;
• and
• a receiver, arranged to the body, comprising a reception unit that receives the frame of data and a second control unit that determines that, based on the strength expressed by the data contained in the frame of data, each transducer is disposed at which one of the plurality of wheels,
• wherein
• the reception unit further comprises means for receiving a command for measuring noise strength;
• the first control unit further comprises means for calculating a strength of noise in response to reception of the command and contains data indicative of the calculated strength of the noise into a frame of data;
• and
• the second control unit comprise means for determining whether or not a noise strength based on the frame of data received in response to the command is less than a threshold which is set to stop detection of positions of the wheels.

An apparatus for detecting inflation pressure of tires mounted to wheels of a vehicle having a body, comprising:

• a plurality of transceivers mounted at a plurality of wheels each having a tire, wherein each transceiver comprises a reception unit comprising means for receiving a triggering signal, a first control unit comprising means for measuring a strength of the received triggering signal and containing data indicative of the measured strength of the received triggering signal into a frame of data, and a transmission unit that transmits the frame of data produced by the first control unit and a signal showing inflation pressure of each tire;
• a triggering device, arranged to the body, that outputs the triggering signal;
• a receiver, arranged to the body, comprising a reception unit that receives the frame of data and a second control unit that determines that, based on the strength expressed by the data contained in the frame of data, each transducer is disposed at which one of the plurality of wheels, the determined positions of the respective transducers corresponding to positions of the wheels;
• and
• an alarm member that issues an alarm when there occurs a system malfunction in the apparatus,
• wherein
• the transceiver comprise a sensing unit that senses the signal showing inflation pressure of each tire;
• the transmission unit of the each transceiver transmits the signal sensed by the sensing unit as well as the frame of data produced by the first control unit;
• the reception unit further comprises means for receiving a command for measuring noise strength;
• the first control unit further comprises means for calculating a strength of noise in response to reception of the command and contains data indicative of the calculated strength of the noise into a frame of data;
• the second control unit comprise
• means for determining whether or not there is a reply of the flame of data containing the strength when the triggering device transmits the triggering signal,
• means for enabling the triggering device to transmit to the transceiver the command for measuring noise strength, when no replay comes from the transceiver,
• means for determining whether or not a noise strength based on the frame of data received in response to the command is less than a threshold,
• means for controlling the alarm member so that the alarm member is allowed to issue the alarm only when it is determined that the noise strength is less than the threshold, and
• means for calculating the inflation pressure of each tire based on the signal sensed by the sensing unit and transmitted to the receiver by the transmission unit.

A transceiver used for an apparatus for detecting positions of wheels of a vehicle having a body, the transceiver being mounted at each wheel, the transceiver comprising:

• a reception unit comprising means for receiving a triggering signal from a triggering device mounted to the body;
• a control unit comprising
• means for measuring a strength of the received triggering signal and containing data indicative of the calculated strength of the received triggering signal into a frame of data and
• means for measuring a strength of noise in response to a command signal issued from the trigging device and containing the data indicative of the measured strength of the noise into a frame of data;
• and
• a transmission unit that transmits the frames of data produced by the control unit.