Schrader Electronics Limited

Sensata Technologies, Inc.

John Greer

Samuel Kane Strahan

Paul McGrotty

Alan Millen

David Galbraith

Pete Tasker

Philip Catherwood

John Paul McGrotty

Peter Mackel

Peter Walker

Gary Graham

Philip Craig

David George Galbraith

Jonathan Primrose

Steven Baird

James Coalter

Krishna Raj Pradeep

Ivan Andrew David Bailie

A method establishes a vehicle area network on a vehicle having a tractor with a tractor wireless hub, the tractor being connected to a first trailer having a first trailer wireless hub. The method activates the tractor hub and the first trailer wireless hub, and shares credentials between the tractor wireless hub and the first trailer wireless hub in accordance with out of band pairing techniques. Typically, the tractor wireless hub acts as an access point for the vehicle area network but the access point can be centralized by: searching down a length of the vehicle to determine relative locations of the tractor wireless hub, the first trailer wireless hub and the second trailer wireless hub; determining a centrally located hub based on the locations; and establishing the centrally located hub as the access point.

Tractor trailer vehicle area network with trailer sub-network

Embodiments included herein are directed towards an automatic tire inflation monitoring system and method. The method may include confirming, using a battery powered electronic sensor, that there is no active tire re-inflation in progress. The method may further include monitoring, using the battery powered electronic sensor, the status of all tire pressures over a period of time and determining, using the battery powered electronic sensor, whether a rate of tire pressure reduction exceeds a first value. The method may include reporting, using the battery powered electronic sensor, a fault if the rate exceeds the first value.

Automatic tire inflation monitoring system

Auto-location systems and methods of tire pressure monitoring sensor units arranged with a wheel of a vehicle detect a predetermined time (T1) when a wheel phase angle reaches angle of interest using a rim mounted or a tire mounted sensor. The systems and methods transmit a radio frequency message associated with a wheel phase angle indication. The wheel phase angle indication triggers wheel phase and/or speed data such as ABS data at the predetermined time (T1) to be stored. A correlation algorithm is executed to identify the specific location of a wheel based on the wheel phase and/or speed data at the predetermined time (T1). TPM sensor parameters from a tire pressure monitoring sensor unit are assigned to the specific location of the wheel based on a confidence interval width analysis of the ABS data at the predetermined (T1). The confidence interval width analysis identifies the specific location of the wheel whose ABS sensor shows a lowest confidence interval width as a result of a normal distribution pattern or similar pattern. The confidence interval width analysis may calculate a weighted cumulative confidence interval width for the ABS data which experience rollback events.

System and method for performing auto-location of a tire pressure monitoring sensor arranged with a vehicle wheel using confidence interval analysis and rollback events

A TPM system wheel unit measures rotational period over a number of wheel revolutions, calculates a value of a period of the revolutions and wirelessly transmits the calculated value of the period to a tire pressure monitoring system receiver in the vehicle mounting the wheel. Alternatively, each wheel unit transmits an RF burst of a predetermined length and a received RF burst envelope modulated with a periodic modulation pattern is used to calculate the period of one wheel rotation for each wheel. A central vehicle electronic control unit monitors wheel speed signals for each wheel of the vehicle and calculates a period for the wheel speed signal for each wheel of the vehicle, bounded by a rolling window which may be of variable length. The calculated values are compared and the wheel unit and the wheel location are correlated therefrom.

Tire pressure monitoring system wheel rotation auto location

Auto-location systems and methods of tire pressure monitoring sensor units arranged with a wheel of a vehicle detect a predetermined time (T) when a wheel phase angle reaches angle of interest using a rim mounted or a tire mounted sensor. The systems and methods transmit a radio frequency message associated with a wheel phase angle indication. The wheel phase angle indication triggers wheel phase and/or speed data such as ABS data at the predetermined time (T) to be stored. A correlation algorithm is executed to identify the specific location of a wheel based on the wheel phase and/or speed data at the predetermined time (T). TPM sensor parameters from a tire pressure monitoring sensor unit are assigned to the specific location of the wheel.

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

Systems and methods for auto-location of tire pressure monitoring sensor units on a vehicle measure the angle of a wheel at two different times using a rim mounted or a tire mounted sensor and determines a difference in measured angles. The systems and methods provide for transmitting the angles and/or the difference in the measured angles along with a sensor identification to an electronic control module. Alternatively, the systems and methods provide for transmitting time differences to the electronic control module. The electronic control module correlates information transmitted from the wheel unit with antilock brake system data. A location of the wheel mounting the sensor is determined and the sensor identification is assigned.

Vehicle wheel auto-location using wheel phase angle information

Growing community of inventors

Randalstown, Ireland

John Greer