The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 18, 2006
Filed:
May. 21, 2004
Thomas E. Utter, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Mark a Walters, Macomb, MI (US);
Ryan M. Frakes, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Thomas H Tu, Troy, MI (US);
M. Scott Buck, Commerce Township, MI (US);
David A. Osinski, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Thomas E. Utter, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Mark A Walters, Macomb, MI (US);
Ryan M. Frakes, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Thomas H Tu, Troy, MI (US);
M. Scott Buck, Commerce Township, MI (US);
David A. Osinski, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting when a spare wheel (SP) is used to replace a previously rolling wheel on a vehicle, where each wheel can transmit wheel ID and motion status signals. The apparatus comprises a receiver, a memory for storing information relating wheel ID and location, a processor coupled to the receiver and memory for analyzing the wheel signals to determine if the SP is rolling, and a timer coupled to the processor that measures how long the SP has been rolling. When the SP has been rolling for predetermined time T, the processor looks at the motion status signals from remaining wheels to determine which is stopped, and then modifies the information stored in the memory to associate the SP ID with the wheel location formerly occupied by the now stopped wheel and associate the stopped-wheel ID with the storage location for the spare.