Tire diagnostic system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorMathew Alan Boesch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire diagnostic system for detecting an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle includes a sensor cooperating with each wheel to sense a distance related parameter of each wheel and a global positioning receiver for receiving position signals from a global positioning system. A distance related parameter of the vehicle based on the position signals received from the global positioning receiver is calculated so that a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a predetermined inflated pneumatic tire may be calculated. The system then compares each sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with the desired distance related parameter to determine whether each tire is properly inflated.
Claims17
A tire diagnostic system for detecting an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, with each wheel containing a pneumatic tire, with said system comprising:
- a sensor cooperating with each wheel for sensing a distance related parameter of each wheel over a predetermined time period;
- a global positioning receiver for receiving position signals from a global positioning system over said predetermined time period;
- a calculator for calculating a distance related parameter of the vehicle based on said position signals received from said global positioning receiver, with said calculator further calculating a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a pneumatic tire with a predetermined inflation;
- a comparator for comparing each said sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with said desired distance related parameter;
- an acceleration determinator for determining a longitudinal acceleration value for each wheel;
- a preventing means for preventing said sensing of said distance related parameter of each wheel when any said longitudinal acceleration value is outside upper and lower predetermined limits;
- and,
- a determinator for determining whether each tire is properly inflated based on said comparison.
A method for detecting an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, with each wheel containing a pneumatic tire, with said method comprising the steps of:
- sensing a distance related parameter of each wheel over a predetermined time period;
- receiving position signals from a global positioning system over said predetermined time period;
- calculating a distance related parameter of the vehicle based on said position signals received from said global positioning receiver;
- calculating a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a pneumatic tire with a predetermined inflation;
- comparing each said sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with said desired distance related parameter;
- determining whether each tire is properly inflated based on said comparison;
- determining whether occurrences of an improperly inflated tire exceeds a predetermined threshold number of occurrences;
- and,
- warning whether an improperly inflated tire is determined by said determining means.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for causing a processor to detect an inflation condition of a pneumatic tire on an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, with each wheel containing a pneumatic tire, with said computer storage medium comprising:
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to sense a distance related parameter of each wheel over a predetermined time period;
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive position signals from a global positioning system over said predetermined time period;
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a distance related parameter of the vehicle based on said position signals received from said global positioning receiver;
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to calculate a desired distance related parameter of a wheel having a pneumatic tire with a predetermined inflation based on said calculated distance related parameter of the vehicle;
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to compare each said sensed distance related parameter of each wheel with said desired distance related parameter;
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to determine whether each tire is properly inflated based on said comparison;
- and,
- a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to warn whether an improperly inflated tire is determined;
- wherein said computer storage medium comprises an electronically programmable chip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.