US 6,591,671 B2 · Monitoring pneumatic tire conditions

Abstract

At least one dynamic condition of a pneumatic tire of a vehicle is determined by measuring the rotational angular position of the tire and/or a wheel or wheel carrier the tire is mounted on. The position measurement is preferably combined with transponder measurements of tire pressure and/or temperature, and the measurement information is transmitted from a tire or wheel antenna to a receiver with one or more antennas on the vehicle. The measurements can be combined with a tire pressure regulating device. The rotational angular position is preferably measured by monitoring fluctuations in coupling of RF power between the transmitting and the receiving antennas. In a preferred embodiment, transponders and antennas are disposed in both the tire and the wheel or wheel carrier for the purpose of monitoring the rotational angular position of a tire relative to its wheel or wheel carrier, thereby indicating torsional effects on the tire. Preferably, the tire antenna in the preferred embodiment is mounted inside the tire near the outer circumference of the tire.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for monitoring pneumatic tire conditions for one or more tire/wheel assemblies mounted on a vehicle, each tire/wheel assembly comprising a tire mounted on a wheel or wheel carrier, the system comprising:

a wheel or wheel carrier transponder with a wheel or wheel carrier antenna mounted on the wheel or wheel carrier of the one or more tire/wheel assemblies for transmitting a signal indicating the rotational angular position of the wheel or wheel carrier;
one or more receivers each having one or more receiving antennas fixedly mounted on the vehicle, the one or more receiving antennas being positioned to receive the signal from a specific one of the tire/wheel assemblies;
circuitry means for processing the signals received by the one or more receiving antennas and for determining the rotational angular position of the wheel or wheel carrier of the one or more tire/wheel assemblies;
and
at least one of the wheel or wheel carrier antennas being substantially circular and including a plurality of reactive elements incorporated into and spaced about the circumference of the at least one wheel or wheel carrier antenna for causing blips which are indicative of the rotational angular position of the wheel or wheel carrier antenna to occur in the signal received by the receiving antenna which is positioned to receive the signal from the at least one wheel or wheel carrier antenna, wherein the reactive elements comprise at least one of inductive elements, capacitive elements, or magnetic elements.

2 more elements

a wheel or wheel carrier transponder with a wheel or wheel carrier antenna mounted on the wheel or wheel carrier of the one or more tire/wheel assemblies for transmitting a first signal indicating the rotational angular position of the wheel or wheel carrier;
a tire transponder with a tire antenna mounted on the tire of the one or more tire/wheel assemblies for transmitting a second signal indicating the rotational angular position of the tire;
one or more receivers each having one or more receiving antennas fixedly mounted on the vehicle, the one or more receiving antennas being positioned to receive the first signal and the second signal from a specific one of the tire/wheel assemblies;
circuitry means for processing the first and second signals received by the one or more receiving antennas and for determining the rotational angular position of the tire relative to the wheel or wheel carrier of the one or more tire/wheel assemblies;
and
at least one of the tire antennas being substantially circular and including a plurality of reactive elements incorporated into and spaced about the circumference of the at least one tire antenna for causing blips which are indicative of the rotational angular position of the tire antenna to occur in the second signal received by the receiving antenna which is positioned to receive the second signal from the at least one tire antenna, wherein the reactive elements comprise at least one of inductive elements, capacitive elements, or magnetic elements.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Monitoring pneumatic tire conditions

Life of this patent

Monitoring pneumatic tire conditions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18