System and method for performing auto-location of a tire pressure monitoring sensor arranged with a vehicle wheel

A method for performing auto-location of a wheel in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• arranging a wheel unit to be associated with a wheel of the vehicle, the wheel unit comprising a tire pressure monitoring (“TPM”) sensor and a wheel phase angle sensor and the wheel unit transmitting TPM sensor parameters;
• arranging an antilock brake system (“ABS”) sensor to be associated with each wheel of the vehicle, the ABS sensor producing ABS data indicative of the wheel phase angle;
• upon rotation of the wheel, detecting with the wheel phase angle sensor a first time (T1) at a predetermined wheel phase angle;
• at a second time (T2), sending from the wheel unit an radio frequency (RF) transmission;
• at a processor of an electronic control unit (“ECU”), receiving the RF transmission;
• continually maintaining a rolling window of the ABS data associated with each wheel;
• storing a current content of the rolling window of ABS data for each wheel upon receipt of the RF transmission;
• calculating, by the processor, the first time (T1) based on a predetermined time delay (T2−T1) between the first time (T1) and the second time (T2);
• determining, by the processor, the ABS data at the first time (T1) for each wheel;
• and
• identifying a location of the wheel whose historic trace of ABS data matches with a predetermined criterion so that TPM sensor parameters are assigned to the identified location of the wheel.

A wheel auto-location method, comprising:

• receiving an RF transmission indicating a predetermined one-measurement point during rotation of a wheel and TPM sensor parameters;
• calculating, by a processor, the predetermined one-measurement point based on the RF transmission;
• maintaining a rolling window of ABS data and capturing a relevant rolling window of ABS data at the predetermined one-measurement point;
• correlating, by the processor, the ABS data at the one-measurement point with a specific location of a wheel based on statistical processing of the relevant rolling window of ABS data at the predetermined one-measurement point;
• and
• determining, by the processor, the specific location of the wheel where the TPM sensor parameters are assigned.

A tire pressure monitoring system for performing auto-location of a wheel in a vehicle, comprising:

• a wheel unit to be associated with a wheel of the vehicle, the wheel unit comprising:
• a TPM sensor that measures TPM sensor parameters of the wheel;
• and
• a wheel phase angle sensor that detects an angle of interest (P 1) at a first time (T1);
• wherein the wheel unit transmits at the second time (T2) a radio frequency (RF) message comprising:
• an identification of the TPM sensor;
• and
• measured TPM sensor parameters;
• and
• an electronic control unit (“ECU”) of the vehicle in communication with the wheel unit and a wheel phase and/or speed sensor;
• and
• computer program code operable in conjunction with the ECU of the vehicle, the ECU in communication with the wheel unit and the wheel phase and/or speed sensor of the vehicle, wherein in response to the phase correlation data storage event trigger, the ECU is operable in response to the computer program code to execute instructions of:
• calculating the first time (T1) based on a predetermined time delay (T2-T1);
• storing wheel phase and/or speed data indicative of wheel phase angle based on a phase correlation data storage event trigger and determining the wheel phase and/or speed data at the first time (T1);
• correlating a location of the wheel with a location of the wheel phase and/or speed sensor based on a historic trace of the wheel phase and/or speed data at the first time (T1) based on a predetermined criteria;
• and
• determining the location of the wheel based on the correlation and associating the TPM sensor parameters with the determined location of the wheel.