The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

Omron Corporation

Thhink Wireless Technologies Japan Ltd.

Yutaka Hattori

Yasuo Hatano

Jun Matsuda

Yoshiaki Hashimura

Tsuyoshi Kitazaki

Naoshi Miyashita

Naoki Yoshitake

Tomonori Seki

Masatoshi Oba

A power generation device converts vibrational energy into electric power using a vibrational power generation element in which an electret is provided on one substrate of substrates configured to be relatively movable while maintaining a mutually facing state, and supplies the electric power. A vibrational power generation element has the same configuration as the vibrational power generation element and converts vibrational energy into electric power. The vibrational power generation element is connected to a light-emitting diode via a bridge-type full wave rectifier circuit constituted by diodes, a smoothing circuit constituted by a capacitor, and a light-emitting diode drive circuit. A power generation state of the power generation device using the vibrational power generation element and the like is displayed by blinking of the light-emitting diode.

Power generation device

Disclosed are a motor vehicle drive control system, which easily detects accelerations, generated in the up and down, front and rear, and left and right of a motor vehicle body, in high degree of accuracy, and performs the stability control of a motor vehicle, and its sensor unit. Sensor units provided in four corners of the front and rear, and left and right of the motor vehicle body detect accelerations generated in X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions, and digital values of detection result are transmitted to a monitoring device as digital information via an electromagnetic wave. The monitoring device outputs this digital information to a stability control unit. The stability control unit performs the correction control of drive of a subthrottle actuator or a brake drive actuator on the basis of the acceleration values obtained.

Motor vehicle drive control system and sensor unit for the same

There is provided a vehicle drive control system performing the stability control of a vehicle by highly accurately and easily sensing accelerations generated in each tire and sensing a tire ground contact pattern, a sensor unit thereof and a tire. Using a sensor unitmounted in each tireof a vehicle, accelerations generated in X, Y and Z directions are sensed and at the same time, a low frequency noise component and high frequency noise component added to the Z axis direction acceleration signal are extracted. Digital values being the sensing result are transmitted as digital information to a monitor deviceby radio wave. The monitor devicecompares many pieces of tire ground contact pattern information preliminarily stored with the digital information to thereby specify a tire ground contact pattern and output the information to a stability control unit. The stability control unitperforms, based on the acceleration values and the information on tire ground contact pattern obtained, the correction control of driving of a sub-throttle actuatoror a brake drive actuator

Vehicle drive control system and sensor unit and tire

To detect a slip state in a contact region of a rotating tire on a road surface, first, the first radical direction data and the second width direction data of measurement data of acceleration at a tread portion of the rotating tire for a duration corresponding to one round of tire rotation are acquired. Second, time series data of acceleration due to tire deformation is extracted from the first radical direction data and displacement data is obtained by subjecting the time series data of acceleration due to tire deformation to a time integration of second order, thereby a deformation at the tread portion is calculated and a contact region of the rotating tire is determined from the calculated deformation. Next, from the second width direction data, a slip region within the determined contact region is specified based on vibration level of the second data.

Tire slip state detecting method and tire slip state detecting apparatus

The present invention is to provide a semiconductor acceleration sensor capable of sensing accelerations in two directions parallel to the surface of a diaphragm and orthogonal to each other with respective proper sensitivities. A semiconductor acceleration sensor is constituted of diaphragm pieces extending from the center of the diaphragm surface to a wafer outer-circumferential frame section, respectively, along an X axis direction and a Y axis direction orthogonal to each other. On the upper surface of the diaphragm pieces, there are formed piezo resistors Rxto Rx, Ryto Ry, Rzto Rz. In the diaphragm pieces disposed on a single line along the X axis direction and the diaphragm pieces disposed on a single line along the Y axis direction, the areas of cross section orthogonal to the axis are set according to a maximum value of acceleration, respectively, in the X axis direction or Y axis direction.

Semiconductor acceleration sensor

There is provided a tire ground contact pattern specifying method and an apparatus thereof for specifying a tire ground contact pattern usable to perform the stable control of a running vehicle. Using a sensor unitmounted in each tireof a vehicle, accelerations generated in X, Y and Z directions are sensed and at the same time, a low frequency noise component and high frequency noise component added to the Z axis direction acceleration signal are extracted. Digital values being the sensing result are transmitted as digital information to a monitor deviceby radio wave. The monitor devicecompares many pieces of tire ground contact pattern information preliminarily stored with the digital information to thereby specify a tire ground contact pattern. A stability control unitperforms, based on the acceleration values and the information on tire ground contact pattern obtained, the correction control of driving of a sub-throttle actuatoror a brake drive actuator

Tire ground contact pattern specifying method and apparatus thereof

A transponder which does not require a power source used in an in-wheel motor system and a wheel therewith. The transponder comprises a data transmit/receive antenna, a data transmit/receive section, a sensor circuit, and a sensor power circuit. The sensor power circuit is constituted of a rectification circuit (energy converting means), a storage device and a charging coil and the input side of the rectification circuit is connected to a charging coil and the output side of the rectification circuit is connected to the storage device. The transponder is mounted on a motor rotor provided on an internal surface of a rim section in a tire constituting the wheel, and the charging coil is fixed so as to penetrate through a magnetic field produced by a motor stator.

Transponder for in-wheel motor system and wheel therewith

An anti-lock brake system and a sensor unit for the system, where acceleration occurring in a wheel is easily detected with high accuracy to perform braking control of a motor vehicle. Sensor units () having acceleration sensors that detect acceleration occurring, with the rotation of tires (), in X, Y, and Z directions including the tire rotating direction are provided on rotating bodies of rotation mechanism portions including each tire (). The sensor units () transmit digital values of the detected result as digital information by an electromagnetic wave. The digital information is received by a monitor device () provided on each tire house, and an acceleration value obtained by calculation is outputted to a brake control unit (). The brake control unit () estimates a strain amount of each tire () based on the obtained acceleration value and previously memorized strain characteristic information, controls a pressure regulating valve () based on the estimated tire strain amount and a detected result of a rotating speed of each tire (), and drives a brake driving actuator ().

Anti-lock brake system and sensor unit for the same

An object of the present invention is to provide a power generating device which makes it possible to easily generate electric power in a rotating system, such as a wheel including a tire, without impairing the performance and reliability of the rotating system. In the case where the power generating device is mounted to a rotating body such as a tire, the direction of gravity applied to a weight is changed with the rotation of the rotating body to cause beams to be deflected, so that the positions of the deflected beams and the weight are fluctuated in synchronization with the period of the rotation to cause the position of a coil to be displaced. Thereby, the weight is vibrated in the vertical direction in synchronization with the period of the rotation of the rotating body to change the magnetic flux density crossing the coil. As a result, AC electromotive forces are generated in the coil to enable electric power to be generated.

Power generating device and tire provided therewith

A tire distortion detecting method for detecting a detection of the tire during the running of a vehicle, a distortion detector, a sensor unit thereof, and a tire having the same whereby the occurrence of a deterioration can be reduced and applicability is widened to a control system such as a stability control system. Sensor unitsare embedded at some intervals in the circumferential direction of the tire. In the sensor unit, a conductor pattern is changed in shape according to a distortion of a tireso as to change the resonance frequency of a radiated electromagnetic wave. An electromagnetic wave is radiated from a monitoring deviceAn electromagnetic wave radiated from the sensor unitis compared with a detection result stored when no distortion occurs on the tire, so that a distortion of the tireis detected.

Tire distortion detecting method, distortion detector, sensor unit thereof, and tire having the same

The present invention provides a tire distortion detecting method, a distortion detector, and a tire which can reduce the occurrence of a deterioration and can be used for a control system such as a stability control system. That is, series of conductors composed of a plurality of conductor piecesandare provided in two different layers. The conductor piecesandare embedded in lines at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of a tire. A pulsed electromagnetic wave is radiated to the surfaces of metal foilsandin the layers from a monitoring deviceprovided in a tire houseof a vehicle. The monitoring devicereceives a pulsed electromagnetic wave reflected from the metal foilsandin the layers or a member other than the metal foils. Time from the radiation of a pulsed electromagnetic wave to the reception of a reflected pulsed magnetic wave is measured repeatedly, time at which no distortion occurs on the tireis stored as a reference value, and the measured time and the stored reference value are compared with each other to detect a distortion of the tire

Method for detecting strain state of tire, device for detecting strain state, and the tire

To provide an electronic device starter that does not waste electric power while it is not being used and a vehicle tire monitoring system in which the starter is used for eliminating waste of electric power of batteries for its detectors. In a vehicle tire monitoring system according to the present invention, a monitor unit sends a start signal at time intervals Tby using an electromagnetic wave, a rectifier circuitin a detectorwhich received the start signal converts a high-frequency electromotive force caused by the start signal at an antennainto electric energy, this electric energy operates a central processing sectiona detector sectionand a transmitting sectionthe central processing sectionwhich started operating places a Field Effect Transistorin the on state to supply electric power from a batteryto a sensor sectionto operate the sensor section

Electronic device starter and vehicle tire monitoring system

The present invention relates to a fender, which is used as cushioning material mainly at the time of a ship being moored, and a management system thereof. A transponder is mounted in a fenderthat is an object to be managed, and an ID code is read by the transponder in the fenderbeing accessed by terminalsA throughD provided in areas where are areas to be managed and each have one or more terminals. Historical information showing an installed place and an installed period of the fenderand individual update information including the ID code is transferred to a control systemthrough communication networksA throughD. The control systemnot only stores manufacturing information and historical information of all the fendersthat are objects to be managed, but also updates the historical information on the basis of the individual update information received from the terminalFurthermore, the control systemdisplays the manufacturing information and historical information of a specific fenderdesignated by an operator. Thereby, it is possible to perform management of fenders, installed in being dispersed, in real time.

Fender and management system thereof

To provide an electronic device starter that does not waste electric power while it is not being used and a vehicle tire monitoring system in which the starter is used for eliminating waste of electric power of batteries for its detectors. In a vehicle tire monitoring system according to the present invention, a monitor unit sends a start signal at time intervals Tby using an electromagnetic wave, a rectifier circuitin a detectorwhich received the start signal converts a high-frequency electromotive force caused by the start signal at an antennainto electric energy, this electric energy operates a central processing sectiona detector sectionand a transmitting sectionthe central processing sectionwhich started operating places an FETin the on state to supply electric power from a batteryto a sensor sectionto operate the sensor section

An intra-vehicle LAN system combining electric power supply includes a main controller having control signal generation device for generating a control signal used to control each of on-vehicle electric equipments and outputting the control signal to an electric power supply line through which electric power is supplied to the electric equipments and an electric equipment control unit being provided between the electric power supply line and each of the electric equipments to detect the control signal transmitted through the electric power supply line and to control each of the electric equipments. In this system, the generated control signal contains an ID for specifying each of the electric equipments.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Yutaka Hattori