Tire condition sensor communication with tire location provided via manually inputted update

A method of communicating information within a tire condition monitoring system for a vehicle that has a tire, said method comprising the steps of:

• inputting, via an input means, update identification information for a tire condition sensor unit located within the tire by manually actuating a portion of the input means located on the exterior of the tire;
• holding the input update identification information at the tire condition sensor unit;
• sensing a tire condition via operation of the tire condition sensor unit;
• transmitting a signal from the tire condition sensor unit, the transmitted signal indicating the held update identification information and the sensed tire condition;
• and
• receiving the transmitted signal at a location on the vehicle;
• wherein said step of inputting update identification information via input means includes the step of actuating a portion of an inflation valve assembly.

A tire condition communication system for a vehicle that has a tire, said system comprising:

• a tire condition sensing unit associated with the tire, the tire condition sensing unit including a sensor for sensing at least one tire condition and a memory for storing identification information indicative of a location of the tire on the vehicle, said tire condition sensing unit, in response to sensing the at least one tire condition, outputting a first signal that includes the identification information and tire condition information indicative of the at least one tire condition sensed;
• and
• a transmitter for outputting a second signal that includes updated identification information indicative of the location of the tire on the vehicle,
• the tire condition sensing unit receiving the second signal and replacing the identification information stored in said memory with the updated identification information;
• wherein said transmitter includes a manually actuatable switch located at the tire and operatively connected to said tire condition sensing unit, said tire condition sensing unit interpreting sequential toggling of said switch to derive the updated identification information.

A method of communicating information within a tire condition monitoring system for a vehicle having a tire, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing at least one tire condition with a tire condition sensing unit;
• storing identification information in the tire condition sensing unit, the identification information being indicative of a location of the tire on the vehicle;
• outputting from the tire condition sensing unit a first signal that includes the identification information and tire condition information indicative of the at least one tire condition sensed;
• outputting from a transmitter a second signal that includes updated identification information indicative of the location of the tire on the vehicle;
• and
• receiving the second signal at the tire condition sensing unit and replacing the identification information stored with the updated identification information;
• further including the steps of sequentially toggling a switch located at the tire, the switch being operatively connected to said tire condition sensing unit;
• and
• deriving the updated identification information by interpreting said sequential toggling of the switch.