Patent Application
20170166020
This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0175757, filed on Dec. 10, 2015 in the Korean intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The disclosure relates to a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and an apparatus and a method for controlling the TPMS, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for controlling a TPMS to avoid an error on the TPMS.
A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), e.g., an electronic system designed to monitor an air pressure inside pneumatic tires on various types of vehicles, can support comfort and safety driving environment. Air pressure of each tire can be inspected for basic pre-driving inspection, and can improve tire durability, riding quality, braking power, fuel efficiency, and so on. If the air pressure of tire is dramatically beyond a recommended range, the tire may be worn fast and be damaged or destroyed finally. When the damage on the tire is severe, the air pressure inside a tire can cause a traffic accident. It is desired that a driver should check air pressure inside each tire before driving, but checking the air pressure inside each tire might not be easy. Thus, the TPMS included in a vehicle is widely used to give the driver a warning sign when at least one air pressure inside tires is beyond the recommended range.
The TPMS may include a sensor for automatically detecting an air pressure, a temperature, and the like inside each tire. Information collected by the sensor is provided to a driver via a head unit (e.g., a dashboard) so that the driver can check the air pressure inside the tires real-time. The warning sign provided by the TPMS reminds the driver, who doesn't pay attention on a status of tires, for tire checkup. Recently, it is required for vehicles being equipped with the TPMS in many countries.
The sensor included in the TPMS is capable of sensing air pressure and temperature inside the tires. Since the air pressure is proportional to the temperature according to the ideal gas law (i.e., PV=nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is amount in moles, R is ideal gas constant, and T is temperature of the gas, respectively), the air pressure can vary with the temperature. Because temperature inside the tires can vary with operating environment such as season, ambient temperature, or the like, the air pressure inside the tires can be changed. Further, the air pressure inside the tires can be altered because the temperature inside tires can rise because of friction while the vehicle operates. It is important to provide the driver with information regarding the air pressure inside each tire, which varies continuously, may be valuable, but the driver can be distracted when a warning sign is frequently turned on or off in response to the changed air pressure inside the tires.
An apparatus and a method for enhancing a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) included in a vehicle can determine whether an air pressure inside each tire is in a predetermined range to avoid making a wrong decision, e.g., determining that, while a warning sign for an tire on the vehicle is turned on, another tire having a lower air pressure than the tire is considered a normal tire.
Further, when there is a warned tire among tires which are deformed and restored periodically by touching the ground while a vehicle operates, an apparatus and a method for use in a vehicle can avoid an error in determining states of the tires when air pressures inside the tires rise because of hysteresis loss, and inform a driver of an accurate information regarding the air pressures inside the tires.
According to an embodiment in the present disclosure, a method for controlling a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in a vehicle includes: measuring an air pressure of each tire included in the vehicle; and determining whether the air pressure of at least one tire is lower than a warning threshold level. When the at least one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level, warning sign can be provided regarding a tire having hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level.
Even if an air pressure inside a tire increases from a lower level to a higher level than the warning threshold level while the vehicle operates, the warning sign s given regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure.
The method can further include releasing the warning sign regarding the tire when an air pressure inside the tire is beyond the normal pressure level.
The method can further include releasing the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level.
The normal pressure level can be lower than a recommended pressure level regarding each tire included in the vehicle as well as higher than the sum of the warning threshold level and a pressure level increased by Hysteresis loss while the vehicle travels.
In the method, the measuring the air pressure of each tire can be periodically repeated from a time point at which an engine starts to a time point at which the engine is off.
The air pressure of each tire can be measured by a temperature pressure sensor engaged with each tire.
The warning sign can be displayed on at least one of a dashboard and a screen of multimedia system included in the vehicle.
The warning sign can be shown with a number indicating the air pressure inside the tire, which includes at least one of a color, a symbol, a sound and a text distinguishable from a normal sign provided to a tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level.
According to another embodiment in the present disclosure, an apparatus controls a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) engaged with an automotive electronics system, which comprises a processor that comprises at least one data processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory storing a computer program. The processor causes the apparatus to measure an air pressure of each tire included in the vehicle, and determine whether an air pressure of at least one tire is lower than a warning threshold level. If the at least one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level, the processor causes the apparatus to provide a warning sign regarding a tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level.
The processor further causes the apparatus to release the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level.
According to another embodiment in the present disclosure, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in a vehicle include: plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to measure an air pressure inside a tire engaged with the respective sensor; a receiver configured to collect the air pressure from the plurality of sensors and transmit collected pressure values; and a controller configured to determine whether the air pressure inside each tire is lower than a warning threshold level based on the collected values delivered from the receiver. When the at least one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level, the controller provides a warning sign regarding a tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level.
Even when an air pressure of a tire increases from a lower level to a higher level than the warning threshold level while the vehicle operates, the controller can provide the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure.
The controller can release the warning sign regarding the tire when an air pressure inside the tire is beyond the normal pressure level.
The controller can release the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level.
The normal pressure level can be lower than a recommended pressure level regarding each tire included in the vehicle and higher than the sum of the warning threshold level and a pressure level increased by hysteresis loss while the vehicle operates.
The plurality of sensors can measure the air pressure inside tires periodically while an engine is on.
The plurality of sensors can be coupled to the receiver via a wireless local area network.
The warning sign can be shown via at least one of a dashboard and a screen of multimedia system included in the vehicle.
The warning sign can be shown with a number indicating the air pressure inside the tire, which includes at least one of a color, a symbol, a sound and a text distinguishable from a normal sign provided to a tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment (s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a repeated explanation thereof will not be given. The suffixes “module” and “unit” of elements herein are used for convenience of description and thus can be used interchangeably and do not have any distinguishable meanings or functions.
The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e. open transition). The term “coupled” or “operatively coupled” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
In the description of the invention, certain detailed explanations of related art are omitted when it is deemed that they may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention. The features of the invention will be more clearly understood from the accompanying drawings and should not be limited by the accompanying drawings. It is to be appreciated that all changes, equivalents, and substitutes that do not depart from the spirit and technical scope of the invention are encompassed in the invention.
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Y(psi)=X(kg/cm2)×14.22, where Y and X are positive numbers.
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Herein, a range between the warning threshold level and the normal pressure level is referred as to a hysteresis loss section. An air pressure inside a tire while a vehicle operates can increase because temperature around the tire increases. However, even if an air pressure inside a warned tire having a lower air pressure than the warning threshold level increases beyond the warning threshold level while the vehicle operates, a warning sign can be still given as long as the air pressure inside the warned tire is higher than the normal pressure level.
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A method for controlling a TPMS according to the present disclosure includes: measuring an air pressure of each tire included in a vehicle (step 12); determining whether the air pressure inside at least one tire is lower than a warning threshold level (step 14); and when the at least one tire has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level, providing a warning sign, regarding a tire having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level (step 16). Herein, the hysteresis air pressure may be within the hysteresis loss section.
Further, while the vehicle operates, even if an air pressure inside a tire increases from a lower level to a higher level than the warning threshold level, the warning sign can be shown regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure.
The method may further include releasing the warning sign regarding the tire when an air pressure inside the tire is beyond the normal pressure level (step 18).
The method may further include releasing the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold, level.
The step of measuring the air pressure of each tire may periodically repeat from a time point at which an engine starts to a time point at which the engine is off. For example, the air pressure of each tire can be measured every 30 seconds or every 1 minute. Further, the air pressure of each tire can be determined by a temperature pressure sensor engaged with each tire. When each tire is equipped with each temperature pressure sensor, each temperature pressure sensor measures and transmits a temperature and an air pressure via a wireless communication technique.
The warning sign outputted from the TPMS can be shown via at least one of a dashboard and a screen of multimedia system included in the vehicle.
A portable terminal including a receiver for receiving wireless signals that are transmitted from the temperature pressure sensor may be used to show the warning sign. If a driver has a mobile device which includes a vehicle engagement application for receiving information about temperature and air pressure inside tires, the vehicle engagement application may determine whether a warning sign is provided for each tire based on a comparison result of the measured air pressure inside each tire and the warning threshold level.
The warning sign shown to the driver (or a user) may include a number indicating an air pressure value inside the tire. Further, the warning sign may include at least one of a color, a symbol, a sound, and a text, which are distinguishable from those of a normal sign regarding another tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level.
As described above, the method for controlling the TPMS can provide the warning sign regarding all tires having a lower air pressure than the normal pressure level when at least one of the tires has lower air pressure than the warning threshold level. Further, when the warning sign is given regarding at least one tire, only a tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level can be considered normal. If there is no tire having a lower air pressure than the warning threshold level, the warning sign given regarding the tire having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level can be released. In this case, the warning sign regarding any tire having an air pressure ranged between the warning threshold level and the normal pressure level can be maintained.
In order to determine whether an air pressure inside each tire is normal or low, the above described method for controlling the TPMS included in the vehicle can avoid an issue that a tire having a higher air pressure than another tire is considered to be low when the other tire is considered normal.
As shown, there is a recommended pressure level for a tire included in a vehicle. The recommended pressure level can be determined based on a vehicle feature, a tire feature, a circumstantial element (e.g., weather, temperature), and so on. For driving safety, a vehicle manufacturer can suggest the recommended pressure level for each vehicle. If an air pressure inside a tire is far higher or lower than the recommended pressure level, the tire may not be controlled properly while the vehicle operates, and driving safety can be deter orated.
Even though a driver or a user sets an air pressure inside a tire as the recommended pressure level, the air pressure inside the tire can decrease as time elapses due to various reasons. When the air pressure inside the tire is lower than the warning threshold level which is a criterion for determining whether a tire having a lower air pressure has an effect on driving safety, the TPMS can display the warning sign.
Herein, the normal pressure level can be lower than the recommended pressure level at each tire included in the vehicle as well as higher than the sum of the warning threshold level and a pressure level increased by hysteresis loss while the vehicle operates. Here, the normal pressure level means that the tire may not threaten driving safety though having a lower air pressure than the recommended pressure level. It can be determined that the normal pressure level can be higher or equal to the pressure level increased by hysteresis loss from the warning threshold level. Thus, it is prevented that the warning sign for a tire having a lower air pressure than the warning threshold level can he maintained even when the air pressure inside the tire increases because of hysteresis loss while the vehicle operates.
For example, when a temperature increases, an air pressure inside a tire may increase by 4 psi when a vehicle operates for over 2 km distance under a normal driving condition. Accordingly, when the recommended pressure level is 32 psi and the warning threshold level is 25 psi, the normal pressure level can be set to be 30 psi.
As shown, the TPMS included in a vehicle 20 may include a plurality of sensors 24, a receiver 26, and a controller 28. The plurality of sensors 24 are individually configured to measure an air pressure inside each tire 22 engaged with the respective sensor. The receiver 26 is configured to collect the air pressure from the plurality of sensors 24 and to transmit collected values to the controller 28. The controller 28 is configured to determine whether the air pressure inside each tire 22 is lower than a warning threshold level based on the collected values delivered from the receiver 26. If at least one tire 22 has a lower pressure than the warning threshold level, the controller 28 provides a warning sign regarding a tire 22 having a hysteresis air pressure which is ranged between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level. In
Even if an air pressure of a tire increases from a lower level to a higher level than the warning threshold level while the vehicle operates, the controller 28 may display the warning sign regarding the tire having the hysteresis air pressure (i.e., a level between the warning threshold level and a normal pressure level) via a display 30.
Further, the controller 28 may release the warning sign regarding the tire when an air pressure inside the tire is beyond the normal pressure level.
In a case when there is no tire having an air pressure lower than the warning threshold level, the controller 28 may release the warning sign for the tire having the hysteresis air pressure.
After a vehicle starts (e.g., an engine powers on), the plurality of sensors 24 measure the air pressure inside tires periodically until the engine turns off. For example, each sensor 24 measures the air pressure inside each tire every 30 seconds or every 1 minute.
Since each tire 22 continuously rotates while the vehicle operates, it is hard connect each sensor 24 engaged with each tire 22 with the receiver 26 over wires. Thus, the plurality of sensors 24 and the receiver 26 are coupled via a wireless communication channel/link based on a wireless local area network. Wireless communication technologies for communicating each sensor 24 with the receiver 26 include a Bluetooth, a Low Power Bluetooth, a ZigBee, a RFID, a Wi-Fi, and so on.
The TPMS according to the present disclosure may further include the display 30 configured output the warning sign via at least one of a dashboard and a screen of multimedia system included in the vehicle. The display 30 may display the warning sign with a number indicating the air pressure inside the tire 22. The warning sign can include at least one of a color, a symbol, a sound, and a text, which are distinguishable from those of a normal sign provided to the tire 22 having a higher air pressure than the normal pressure level.
Herein, the air pressure inside tire uses a pound force per square inch (PSI). For example, it can be assumed that a warning threshold level of tires is 25 psi while a normal pressure level is 30 psi. Herein, the normal pressure level can be considered a reference level where a tire is released from a warning sign. Further, it can be assumed that a recommended pressure level of tire is 32 psi.
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As above described, a situation, in which a TPMS wrongly determines a tire having a lower pressure is normal while displaying a warning sign regarding another tire having a higher pressure than the tire can be avoided, and thus, air pressures inside tires are properly detected even when the air pressures are continuously changed because of hysteresis loss.
When the TPMS provides accurate information about an air pressure inside each tire, a vehicle can support driving safety and a driver can receive proper information about maintenance of his or her vehicle.
The aforementioned embodiments are achieved by combination, of structural elements and features of the invention in a predetermined manner. Each of the structural elements or features should be considered selectively unless specified separately. Each of the structural elements or features may be carried out without being combined with other structural elements or features. Further, some structural elements and/or features may be combined with one another to constitute the embodiments of the invention. The order of operations described in the embodiments of the invention may be changed. Some structural elements or features of one embodiment may be included in another embodiment, or may be replaced with corresponding structural elements features of another embodiment. Moreover, it will be apparent that some claims referring to specific claims may be combined with another claims referring to the other claims other than the specific claims to constitute the embodiment or add new claims by means of amendment after the application is filed.
Various embodiments may be implemented using a non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform various methods presented herein. Examples of possible machine-readable mediums include hard disk drive (HDD), solid state disk (SSD), silicon disk drive (SDD), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, the other types of storage mediums presented herein, and combinations thereof. If desired, the machine-readable medium may be realized in the form of a carrier wave (for example, a transmission over the Internet).
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2015-0175757 | Dec 2015 | KR | national |
