System and method for vehicle TPMS positioning

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for locating a vehicle TPMS sensor. An example vehicle includes a plurality of TPMS sensors, a communication module, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a positioning request including a tire position from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the communication module. The processor is also configured to transmit a wake-up request to the plurality of TPMS sensors. In addition, the processor is further configured to associate a selected TPMS sensor with the tire position in response to determining a signal strength value between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the mobile device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to vehicles having tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors, and more particularly, to systems and methods for positioning vehicle TPMS sensors. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in which a sensor monitors each tire. The TPMS sensors measure the pressure of the corresponding vehicle tires and may transmit the measured pressure to the vehicle for display to the driver. The TPMS sensors are located on the inside of the wheel rim and may transmit information at a slow rate to extend battery life. Each TPMS sensor can provide information about the tire pressure, which can be used to determine the corresponding position of the tire. When tires are rotated or changed altogether, the TPMS sensors may no longer correspond to their previous positions on the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] The appended claims define the present application. This disclosure summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the drawings and detailed description, other embodiments are contemplated based on the techniques described herein, and these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present application.

[0004] Example embodiments are shown to describe systems, devices, and methods for locating a TPMS sensor of a vehicle. An example disclosed vehicle includes a plurality of tire pressure sensors, a communication module, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a location request including a tire location from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the communication module. The processor is also configured to transmit a wake-up request to the plurality of tire pressure sensors. In addition, the processor is further configured to associate a selected tire pressure sensor with the tire location in response to determining a signal strength value between each of the plurality of tire pressure sensors and the mobile device.

[0005] An example disclosed method for locating a vehicle tire includes transmitting, by a mobile device, a location request including a tire location, wherein the location request causes a wake-up request to be transmitted to a plurality of tire pressure sensors. The method also includes determining signal strength values ​​of respective signals between the plurality of tire pressure sensors and the mobile device. Additionally, the method also includes associating a selected tire pressure sensor with the tire location based on the strongest signal strength value.

[0006] A third example may include means for transmitting a positioning request including a tire location, wherein the positioning request causes a wake-up request to be transmitted to a plurality of tire pressure sensors. The example may also include means for determining signal strength values ​​of respective signals between the plurality of tire pressure sensors and a mobile device. Additionally, the example may also include means for associating a selected tire pressure sensor with the tire location based on the strongest signal strength value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the scale may have been exaggerated in order to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. In addition, as is known in the art, the system components may be arranged differently. In addition, in the drawings, like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

[0008] Figure 1 An example vehicle is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 A rear perspective view of an example vehicle is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 Show Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 An example block diagram of the electronic components of a vehicle.

[0011] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating an example method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] While the present invention may be embodied in various forms, certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the drawings and will be described below, it being understood that this disclosure is to be considered as exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

[0013] As described above, each tire of the vehicle may include a TPMS sensor. The TPMS sensor may provide the latest tire pressure value for the corresponding tire. However, the latest tire pressure value may not reflect the minute value reached, and in some cases, several minutes or even hours may have passed. For example, the TPMS sensor may be configured to provide tire pressure once every six hours when the tire is stationary, or once every minute when the tire is rotating.

[0014] For some reasons, a driver may wish to know the current tire pressure of a given tire. In some cases, a driver may wish to know changes in tire pressure that occur at a faster rate than the TPMS sensor provides information. In the case of a small leak, a six-hour gap can cause the tire pressure to change significantly. In addition, if the driver returns to the vehicle before the six-hour window has passed, any changes in tire pressure will not be reflected. In this case, the driver may start the vehicle and begin driving without realizing that the leak has caused the tire to deflate or may deflate during the driving event.

[0015] In the case where the tires are rotated, swapped, or otherwise changed in position, additional problems may arise. In these cases, in addition to locating the tires, it may be beneficial to also provide real-time or near real-time tire pressure values. Some vehicles can locate tires by measuring the difference in wheel rotation when the vehicle is in motion. But when movement is required, the vehicle may not be able to provide the latest positioning in real time or on demand. Real-time or on-demand positioning can also be beneficial to vehicles with multiple wheels on the same side of the axle (e.g., large trucks, trailers, etc.). Here, the difference in wheel rotation may be too small to provide accurate measurements. In view of these problems, the example embodiments disclosed herein may attempt to solve or alleviate some of these problems without relatively large time delays and / or without the need to move the car.

[0016] Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 100 may be a standard gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or any other type of vehicle for mobile implementation. The vehicle 100 may be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous, or autonomous. The vehicle 100 includes parts related to mobility, such as a powertrain having an engine, a transmission, a suspension system, a drive shaft, and / or wheels, etc. In the example shown, the vehicle 100 may include one or more electronic components (described below with respect to Figure 3 describe).

[0017] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 100 may include a plurality of tires 104A to 104D, each tire having a corresponding TPMS sensor 102A to 102D. The vehicle 100 may also include a processor 110 and a communication module 120. One or more other electronic components of the vehicle 100 may be related to Figure 3 Describe in more detail.

[0018] The TPMS sensors 102A to 102D may include circuits configured to determine the tire pressure of the corresponding tires 104A to 104D. The TPMS sensors 102A to 102D may also include circuits that facilitate communication with one or more devices or systems (such as, the communication module 120 of the vehicle 100 and / or the mobile device 106). Such communication can be accomplished using any wireless protocol, including low-frequency signals, Bluetooth signals, and others. Each communication signal may have a corresponding signal strength value, an angle of arrival value, a time of flight value, or other characteristics. The signal strength may also be referred to as a received signal strength indication (RSSI). The RSSI may be measured by the TPMS sensors 102A to 102D themselves, the communication module 120, the mobile device 106, and / or one or more other devices or systems of the vehicle 100.

[0019] In some examples, TPMS sensors 102A- 102D may determine one or more signal characteristics (such as RSSI values) between the respective TPMS sensors and mobile device 106 . This information may then be transmitted to communication module 120 and / or one or more other devices or systems of vehicle 100 .

[0020] The communication module 120 may be configured to communicate with one or more other devices or systems of the vehicle 100 and one or more remote devices or systems such as the mobile device 106. The communication module 120 may include circuits and / or components so that it can communicate via any wireless communication protocol including low frequency, high frequency, Bluetooth, etc.

[0021] The communication module 120 may include one or more antennas. The one or more antennas may be configured, individually and / or in combination, to, among other things, (i) transmit and receive data from a plurality of tire pressure sensors, and (ii) determine RSSI values, angle of arrival, time of flight, other data corresponding to signals from one or more devices or systems. In some examples, the communication module 120 may receive RSSI, angle of arrival, time of flight, or other signal data from the TPMS sensors 102A to 102D and / or the mobile device 106.

[0022] In some examples, signal data (RSSI, angle of arrival, time of flight, etc.) may be determined after starting or launching vehicle 100. Alternatively, signal data may be determined based on a request received from mobile device 106 or at predetermined intervals (e.g., once per hour, daily, etc.).

[0023] If the determined signal data does not match a previous value or is not within a threshold of a previous value, one or more actions may be taken. For example, the action may include providing an alert indicating that the tire value is out of specification or different than expected (e.g., via a display in the vehicle, transmitted to a mobile device, etc.). Additionally, determining that the value does not match a previous value may trigger or initiate a process to locate tires 104A-104D.

[0024] In some examples, determining that the measured values ​​do not match may include determining current signal strength values ​​between a vehicle antenna or communication module and the plurality of tire pressure sensors. It may then include determining that one or more current signal strength values ​​differ from historical signal strength values ​​by a threshold amount (e.g., a difference of 5% to 10%). The examples may then include responsively transmitting a message to the mobile device 106 requesting a location or relocation of one or more of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

[0025] The mobile device 106 may be any portable electronic device configured to transmit and / or receive data with the TPMS sensors 102A-102D and the communication module 120. The mobile device 106 may be configured to pair with one or more TPMS sensors using a Bluetooth connection. Other connection protocols or types are also possible.

[0026] In some examples, the mobile device 106 may determine or measure RSSI, angle of arrival, time of flight, or other signal metrics corresponding to signals between the TPMS sensors 102A- 102D and the mobile device 106 and / or between the mobile device 106 and the communication module 120 .

[0027] In some examples, assuming that the mobile device 106 is positioned proximate to the TPMS sensor 102A, the angle of arrival of a given signal from a TPMS sensor, such as the TPMS sensor 102A, to the communication module 120 should be similar to the angle of arrival of the signal between the mobile device 106 and the communication module 120. This similarity can be used to locate the TPMS sensor 102A in conjunction with input via the mobile device 106 indicating that it has been positioned proximate to or near the tire 104A and / or the TPMS sensor 102A. In the event that the angles of arrival are significantly different, this can be an indication that the mobile device is not positioned proximate to the TPMS sensor.

[0028] The processor 110 may be configured to perform one or more actions or steps disclosed herein. For example, the processor 110 may be configured to determine a current signal strength value, angle of arrival, time of flight, or other signal metric between each TPMS sensor 102A to 102D and the communication module 120, the mobile device 106, and / or one or more other devices or systems.

[0029] The processor 110 may also compare the determined signal metric or value to a historical value, a past value, and / or a threshold value. If the measured value differs by more than a threshold amount, the processor 110 may initiate a positioning process. This may include providing a warning via a vehicle display, transmitting a message to a mobile device indicating a request to position or reposition the TPMS sensor and tire, or some other action.

[0030] To locate the tire and / or TPMS sensor, the processor 110 may be configured to receive a location request including the tire location from the mobile device 106 via the communication module 120. This configuration may be accomplished by the low frequency antenna. The location request may be transmitted without a prompt from the processor 110 (i.e., it may be initiated by a user rather than the vehicle), or may be based on a determination that one or more tires have been rotated, swapped, or otherwise changed position. In addition, the location request may be transmitted in response to a determination that measured signal data (e.g., RSSI, angle of arrival, and time of flight) differs by a threshold amount from a historical or past value.

[0031] In some examples, the positioning request may include a tire location, such as left front, right front, left rear inside, left rear outside, etc. The mobile device 106 may provide a user interface for selecting a tire location by the user, including radio buttons, a drop-down menu, a visual display (i.e., a touch selection of a specific tire on an image of the vehicle), or more. In addition, the positioning request may include a series of tire locations rather than a single tire location (i.e., starting with the left front tire 104A and continuing clockwise to the right front tire 104B, the right rear tire 104D, and the left rear tire 104C). The user may then iterate through each sensor in order and confirm that the correct sensor is paired with the phone based on the location.

[0032] In response to receiving a positioning request from the mobile device 106, the processor may transmit a wake-up request to one or more of the TPMS sensors 102A to 102D. For example, the wake-up request may be sent via a low-power Bluetooth (BLE) antenna, a low-frequency antenna, or an intermediate-frequency antenna. In some examples, the wake-up request may be sent to all TPMS sensors. Alternatively, the wake-up request may be sent to a subset of the TPMS sensors. The subset may be based on the tire position received from the mobile device via user input (for example, receiving the left front may correspond to sending a wake-up signal only to the TPMS sensor previously stored as the left front). In some cases, the wake-up request may be sent to the two front wheels, the two left TPMS sensors, or some other subset. The wake-up signal may include an instruction to have the TPMS sensor exit a power saving mode or a low-power mode and begin attempting to pair with one or more devices.

[0033] The processor 110 may also be configured to determine RSSI values, angles of arrival, and / or times of flight between the TPMS sensor and the mobile device, between the TPMS sensor and the communication module, and between the communication module and the mobile device.

[0034] The processor 110 may also transmit a message to the mobile device indicating a request for a user of the mobile device to place the mobile device near a TPMS sensor corresponding to the received location. For example, if the processor receives a location request with an indication of a left front tire, the processor 110 may transmit a request for the user to place the mobile device near the left front TPMS sensor or tire of the vehicle.

[0035] The mobile device 106 may be configured to pair with one or more of the TPMS sensors before or after the processor has sent the wake-up request. In some examples, the mobile device 106 may pair with a subset of the TPMS sensors (e.g., the left TPMS sensors or the front TPMS sensors) to which the wake-up request is sent.

[0036] The RSSI, angle of arrival, and / or time of flight values ​​of the signal between the mobile device and the paired TPMS sensor may then be determined. The examples herein may be described with reference to RSSI values, however it should be noted that angle of arrival and time of flight may be determined instead of or in addition to RSSI values. The RSSI value between the left front TPMS sensor and the mobile device may be the strongest signal (due to the close proximity). The processor may associate the selected TPMS sensor (i.e., TPMS sensor 102A) with the strongest RSSI value with the tire position provided in the positioning request.

[0037] In some examples, once this association has been made, the processor can transmit a message to the mobile device requesting the user to move to the second tire and place the mobile device near the TPMS sensor of the second tire. One or more portions of the above process can be repeated until all tires of the vehicle are located and have associated TPMS sensors.

[0038] Figure 2 An example vehicle 200 is shown, which may be similar or identical in some aspects to the vehicle 100. For example, the vehicle 200 may include TPMS sensors 202A-202B corresponding to tires 204A-204B. The TPMS sensors may be communicatively coupled to a vehicle processor and may be configured to pair with the mobile device 106.

[0039] Figure 2A situation is shown in which two tires 204A-204B and TPMS sensors 202A-202B are disposed on the same side of the axle. The first TPMS sensor 202A and the second TPMS sensor 202B may correspond to the outer tire 204A and the inner tire 204B, respectively, disposed on the same side of the vehicle axle. Typically, it may be difficult for the communication module to distinguish the signals from the TPMS sensors, especially in the case where the tires have been rotated or replaced or the tires correspond to a trailer that was recently attached to the vehicle.

[0040] To locate the tires 204A-204B to associate a given TPMS sensor with the correct tire, the examples of separation herein may include receiving a location request including a tire location corresponding to a first tire (e.g., the inner tire 204B) from the mobile device 106. The vehicle processor may then transmit a wake-up request to both TPMS sensors 202A and 202B. It may be difficult to distinguish TPMS sensors based on location alone.

[0041] The TPMS sensors 202A-202B may then begin pairing with the mobile device 106 and may determine RSSI, angle of arrival, and / or time of flight data for signals between the mobile device 106 and the TPMS sensors 202A and 202B, respectively. When the mobile device is placed near the inner tire 204B, the signal from the TPMS sensor 202B will be stronger than the signal from the TPMS sensor 202A. The TPMS sensor 202B may then be associated with the inner tire 204B. This process may also be repeated for the other tires.

[0042] Figure 3 An example block diagram 300 showing electronic components of vehicle 100 and / or 200 according to some embodiments is shown. In the example shown, electronic components 300 include an onboard computing system 310, an infotainment head unit 320, a communication module 120, sensors 340, one or more electronic control units 350, and a vehicle data bus 360.

[0043] The onboard computing system 310 may include a microcontroller unit, controller or processor 110 and a memory 312. The processor 110 may be any suitable processing device or a group of processing devices, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 312 may be a volatile memory (e.g., RAM, including non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), a non-volatile memory (e.g., disk memory, flash memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, non-volatile solid-state memory based on memristors, etc.), an unchangeable memory (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory), a read-only memory, and / or a mass storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, etc.). In some examples, the memory 312 includes a variety of memories, particularly volatile memories and non-volatile memories.

[0044] The memory 312 may be a computer-readable medium on which one or more instruction sets, such as software for operating the methods of the present disclosure, may be embedded. The instructions may embody one or more of the methods or logic as described herein. For example, the instructions may reside completely or at least partially within any one or more of the memory 312, the computer-readable medium, and / or reside within the processor 110 during execution of the instructions.

[0045] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers that store one or more sets of instructions. In addition, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include any tangible medium that can store, encode, or carry a set of instructions that is executed by a processor or causes a system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk and excludes propagating signals.

[0046] The infotainment head unit 320 may provide an interface between the vehicle 100 and / or 200 and a user. The infotainment head unit 320 may include one or more input and / or output devices, such as a display 322 and a user interface 324. The user interface 324 may include input devices and output devices. The input devices may include, for example, control knobs, an instrument panel, a digital camera for image capture and / or visual command recognition, a touch screen, an audio input device (e.g., a cabin microphone), a button, or a touch pad. The output devices may include instrument cluster outputs (e.g., dials, lighting devices), actuators, a head-up display, a center console display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display, a solid-state display, etc.), and / or a speaker. In the example shown, the infotainment head unit 320 includes a display for an infotainment system (such as, of and MyFord of of The information entertainment head unit 320 may include hardware (e.g., processor or controller, memory, storage device, etc.) and software (e.g., operating system, etc.) of the vehicle 100. In some examples, the infotainment head unit 320 may share a processor with the vehicle computing system 310. In addition, the infotainment head unit 320 may display the infotainment system on a display 322 of the vehicle 100, for example.

[0047] The sensors 340 may be arranged in and around the vehicle 100 in any suitable manner. In the example shown, the sensors 340 include the TPMS sensors 102A to 102D. Other sensors may also be included.

[0048] ECU 350 can monitor and control the subsystems of vehicle 100. ECU 350 can transmit and exchange information via vehicle data bus 360. In addition, ECU 350 can transmit properties (such as, the status of ECU 350, sensor readings, control status, errors and diagnostic codes, etc.) to other ECU 350 and / or receive requests from other ECU 350. Some vehicles 100 may have seventy or more ECU 350s located in various locations around vehicle 100 and coupled by vehicle data bus 360. ECU 350 can be a discrete electronic device group including one or more of their own circuits (such as, integrated circuits, microprocessors, memories, storage devices, etc.) as well as firmware, sensors, actuators and / or mounting hardware. In the example shown, ECU 350 can include telematics control unit 352, body control unit (body control unit) 354, and climate control unit 356.

[0049] The telematics control unit 352 can control tracking of the vehicle 100, for example, using data received by a GPS receiver, the communication module 120, and / or one or more sensors. The body control unit 354 can control various subsystems of the vehicle 100. For example, the body control unit 354 can control the power trunk latch, windows, power locks, electric car sunroof control, immobilizer system, and / or power mirrors, etc. The climate control unit 356 can control the speed, temperature, and amount of air from one or more vents. The climate control unit 356 can also detect the fan speed (and other signals) and transmit to the onboard computing system 310 via the data bus 360. Other ECUs are also possible.

[0050] The vehicle data bus 360 may include one or more data buses that communicatively couple the onboard computing system 310, the infotainment head unit 320, the communication module 120, the sensor 340, the ECU 350, and other devices or systems connected to the vehicle bus data 360. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 360 may be implemented according to the controller area network (CAN) bus protocol as defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) 11898-1. Alternatively, in some examples, the vehicle data bus 360 may be a media-oriented systems transport (MOST) bus, or a CAN-flexible data (CAN-FD) bus (ISO 11898-7). In some examples, the CAN bus may be shared with the CAN-FD bus.

[0051] Figure 4 A flow chart of an example method 400 is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 400 may allow for positioning one or more TPMS sensors to corresponding vehicle tires. Figure 4 The flowcharts of represent machine-readable instructions stored in a memory (such as memory 312) and may include one or more programs that, when executed by a processor (such as processor 110), may cause vehicle 100 and / or one or more systems or devices to perform one or more functions described herein. Figure 4 The flowchart shown is used to describe an example program, but many other methods for performing the functions described herein may be used instead. For example, the execution order of the blocks may be rearranged or executed in succession or in parallel with each other, and the blocks may be changed, eliminated, and / or combined to perform the method 400. In addition, due to the combination Figures 1 to 3 The method 400 is disclosed in detail by the components of FIG. 4 , and therefore some functions of those components will not be described in detail below.

[0052] Method 400 may begin at block 402. At block 404, method 400 may include measuring RSSI values ​​between one or more TPMS sensors and a communication module of the vehicle. Additionally, block 404 may include measuring or determining one or more other characteristics of a signal between the TPMS sensor and the communication module.

[0053] At box 406, method 400 may include determining whether the measured RSSI value is within a threshold. This may include comparing the measured value to a historical or past value or to a threshold. The threshold, historical value, or past value may be an expected RSSI value based on a previous position of one or more TPMS sensors. For example, RSSI values ​​for the TPMS sensors may be stored. When the vehicle is turned off and restarted, the stored RSSI values ​​may be compared to the current measured values. In the event that one or more TPMS sensors have been replaced or moved, the RSSI values ​​will be different. Threshold differences may be used to allow for small changes and variations.

[0054] If the RSSI value (or other signal metric) is within the threshold, then the method 400 may end at block 420. This may be the case if all TPMS sensors are properly positioned and have not changed position.

[0055] Alternatively, if the measured RSSI value is not within the threshold, then this may indicate that one or more TPMS sensors have moved. For example, the RSSI value for the left front TPMS sensor may be stored. If the left front tire moves, then when the RSSI value is measured, it will be different than the previous or expected RSSI value. In this case, the method 400 may proceed to block 408 where processor positioning begins.

[0056] At block 410, method 400 may include receiving a positioning request including a tire position. The positioning request may be transmitted by a mobile device or a low frequency antenna, and the tire position may be the position of a tire that a user wishes to match, pair, or position (e.g., left front, right front, left rear inside, left rear outside, etc.).

[0057] At block 412, method 400 may include transmitting a wake-up request to one or more TPMS sensors. This may include determining one or more TPMS sensors based on the received positioning request and / or tire position. For example, where the received tire position is a left front tire, the wake-up request may be transmitted to TPMS sensors that are expected to correspond to the two front tires, the two left tires, or another subset of the vehicle's tires.

[0058] Each TPMS sensor may have a corresponding code or ID. When a wake-up request is transmitted, it may be transmitted based on the TPMS sensor ID. Thus, when a location request indicating the left front tire is received from a mobile device, a wake-up request may be transmitted to the TPMS sensor with the ID that was previously at the left front tire location. Thus, if the left front tire has rotated to the left rear, the wake-up request may be transmitted to the rear.

[0059] Alternatively, the wake-up request may be broadcast to an area of ​​the vehicle. For example, where the location request is for the left front tire, the centralized communication module may transmit the wake-up request over a wide area including the left front tire as well as the right front tire and / or another vehicle tire. This request may be transmitted via a low frequency or low power Bluetooth antenna.

[0060] At block 414, method 400 may include determining an RSSI value between the mobile device and one or more TPMS sensors, such as the TPMS sensor to which the wake-up request was sent at block 412. The RSSI value may be determined by the TPMS sensor itself or by the mobile device. In some examples, the RSSI value may be transmitted to the vehicle and processed by a vehicle processor.

[0061] At box 416, method 400 may include associating the selected TPMS sensor with the maximum RSSI value with the received tire location. When a positioning request with a corresponding tire location is received, the user can place the mobile device near the tire location. Thus, when the user requests positioning of the left front tire, he or she can place the mobile device near the left front tire. When determining the RSSI values ​​between the vehicle TPMS sensors and the mobile device, the TPMS sensor corresponding to the left front tire will have the strongest or highest RSSI value. Moreover, based on the relative strength of the connection between the mobile device and one or more TPMS sensors, the left front TPMS sensor can be associated with the left front tire.

[0062] At block 418, method 400 may include determining whether all TPMS sensors have been located. If not all TPMS sensors have corresponding locations, method 400 may return to block 410 and repeat steps 410 to 416 for each tire and TPMS sensor. However, if all TPMS sensors have been located, method 400 may end at block 420.

[0063] In this application, the use of transitional conjunctions is intended to include conjunctions. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, the reference to "the" object or "one" and "a" object is intended to also represent one of a plurality of such objects. In addition, the conjunction "or" can be used to convey the feature of being present at the same time rather than mutually excluding alternatives. In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to include "and / or". The terms "comprise", "include" and "cover" are inclusive and have the same scope as "comprises", "includes" and "covers", respectively.

[0064] The above-described embodiments and in particular any "preferred" embodiments are possible examples of implementations and are set forth merely for a clear understanding of the principles of the present invention. Many changes and modifications may be made to one or more of the above-described embodiments without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure and are protected by the appended claims.

[0065] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle having: a plurality of TPMS sensors; a communication module; and a processor, the processor being configured to: receive a positioning request including a tire position from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the communication module; transmit a wake-up request to the plurality of TPMS sensors; and in response to determining a signal strength value between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the mobile device, associate a selected TPMS sensor with the tire position.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that transmitting the wake-up request includes: determining a subset of the plurality of TPMS sensors based on the tire position; and transmitting the wake-up request to the subset of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the wake-up request is transmitted via a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) antenna.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the wake-up request is transmitted via a low frequency antenna.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the processor is further configured to determine the selected TPMS sensor based on the strongest signal strength value.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the processor is further configured to determine the signal strength value after pairing the plurality of TPMS sensors with the mobile device.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the signal strength value comprises receiving, from each respective TPMS sensor, data indicating a signal strength between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the signal strength value includes receiving data indicative of the signal strength value from the mobile device.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the above invention is also characterized by: a first TPMS sensor and a second TPMS sensor, wherein the first TPMS sensor and the second TPMS sensor respectively correspond to an inner tire and an outer tire disposed on the same side of an axle of a vehicle, wherein the processor is also used to: receive the positioning request including the tire position corresponding to the inner tire; transmit a wake-up request to the first TPMS sensor and the second TPMS sensor; and determine a first signal strength value between the first TPMS sensor and the mobile device, and a second signal strength value between the second TPMS sensor and the mobile device; determine that the first signal strength value is greater than the second signal strength value; and responsively associate the first TPMS sensor with the tire position corresponding to the inner tire.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by: a vehicle antenna, which is configured to transmit and receive data from the multiple TPMS sensors, wherein the processor is also used to: determine current signal strength values ​​between the vehicle antenna and the multiple TPMS sensors; determine that one or more current signal strength values ​​differ from historical signal strength values ​​by a threshold amount; and responsively transmit a message to the mobile device requesting relocation of one or more of the multiple TPMS sensors.

[0075] According to the present invention, a method for locating a vehicle tire includes: transmitting, by a mobile device, a positioning request including a tire position, wherein the positioning request causes a wake-up request to be transmitted to a plurality of TPMS sensors; determining signal strength values ​​of corresponding signals between the plurality of TPMS sensors and the mobile device; and associating a selected TPMS sensor with the tire position based on the signal strength value.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by determining a subset of the plurality of TPMS sensors based on the tire position, wherein the transmission of the wake-up request includes transmission to the subset of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the selected TPMS sensor is determined based on the strongest signal strength value.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the signal strength value is determined after pairing the plurality of TPMS sensors with the mobile device.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the signal strength value comprises receiving, from each respective TPMS sensor, data indicating a signal strength between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by determining the strongest signal strength based on the data.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the positioning request includes the tire position corresponding to the inner tire, wherein the inner tire corresponds to the outer tire on the same side of the vehicle axle, and wherein the inner tire has a first TPMS sensor and the outer tire has a second TPMS sensor, the method also includes: determining a first signal strength value between the first TPMS sensor and the mobile device, and a second signal strength value between the second TPMS sensor and the mobile device; determining that the first signal strength value is greater than the second signal strength value; and responsively associating the first TPMS sensor with the tire position corresponding to the inner tire.

[0082] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle having: a plurality of TPMS sensors; a communication module; and a processor, the processor being configured to: receive a positioning request including a tire position from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the communication module; transmit a wake-up request to the plurality of TPMS sensors; and in response to determining an angle of arrival value between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the mobile device, associate a selected TPMS sensor with the tire position.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by: a vehicle antenna, which is configured to transmit and receive data from the multiple TPMS sensors, wherein the processor is also used to: determine current arrival angle values ​​between the vehicle antenna and the multiple TPMS sensors; determine that one or more current arrival angle values ​​differ from historical arrival angle values ​​by a threshold amount; and responsively transmit a message to the mobile device requesting repositioning of one or more of the multiple TPMS sensors.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the arrival angle value includes: receiving data indicating the arrival angle between the corresponding TPMS sensor and the mobile device from each corresponding TPMS sensor; and determining the selected TPMS sensor based on the data indicating the arrival angle.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: Multiple TPMS sensors; Communication module; as well as A processor, the processor being configured to: receiving a location request regarding a tire location from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the communication module, wherein the mobile device is located near the tire location; transmitting a wake-up request to the TPMS sensor and pairing the TPMS sensor with the mobile device; determining a signal strength value between the TPMS sensor and the mobile device; and A determination is made as to which TPMS sensor is selected to be associated with the tire location based on the signal strength value and the selected TPMS sensor is associated with the tire location.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein transmitting the wake-up request comprises: determining a subset of the plurality of TPMS sensors based on the tire position; as well as A wake-up request is transmitted to the subset of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the selected TPMS sensor based on a strongest signal strength value. 4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the signal strength value after pairing the plurality of TPMS sensors with the mobile device. 5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein determining the signal strength value comprises receiving data from each respective TPMS sensor indicating a signal strength between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein determining the signal strength value comprises receiving data indicative of the signal strength value from the mobile device.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a first TPMS sensor and a second TPMS sensor, the first TPMS sensor and the second TPMS sensor corresponding to an inner tire and an outer tire disposed on a same side of an axle of the vehicle, respectively, wherein the processor is further configured to: receiving the positioning request including the tire position corresponding to the inner tire; transmitting a wake-up request to the first TPMS sensor and the second TPMS sensor; and determining a first signal strength value between the first TPMS sensor and the mobile device, and a second signal strength value between the second TPMS sensor and the mobile device; Determining that the first signal strength value is greater than the second signal strength value; as well as The first TPMS sensor is responsively associated with the tire location corresponding to the inside tire.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a vehicle antenna configured to transmit and receive data from the plurality of TPMS sensors, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining a current signal strength value between the vehicle antenna and the plurality of TPMS sensors; determining that one or more current signal strength values ​​differ from historical signal strength values ​​by a threshold amount; as well as A message is responsively transmitted to the mobile device requesting relocation of one or more of the plurality of TPMS sensors.

9. A method for locating a vehicle tire, the method comprising: transmitting, by a mobile device, a location request regarding a tire location, wherein the mobile device is located near the tire location; Upon receiving the positioning request, the processor transmits a wake-up request to the TPMS sensor and pairs the TPMS sensor with the mobile device; determining, via a processor, a signal strength value of a communication signal between the TPMS sensor and the mobile device; as well as Determining, via a processor, which TPMS sensor to select for association with the tire location based on the signal strength value and associating the selected TPMS sensor with the tire location.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: A subset of TPMS sensors is determined based on the tire position, wherein the transmission of the wake-up request includes transmission to the subset of TPMS sensors.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the selected TPMS sensor based on a strongest signal strength value. 12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the signal strength value after pairing the TPMS sensor with the mobile device. 13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the signal strength value comprises receiving data from each respective TPMS sensor indicating a signal strength between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: A strongest signal strength is determined based on the data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the location request includes the tire position corresponding to an inner tire, wherein the inner tire and the outer tire correspond to a same side of the vehicle axle, and wherein the inner tire has a first TPMS sensor and the outer tire has a second TPMS sensor, the method further comprising: determining a first signal strength value between the first TPMS sensor and the mobile device, and a second signal strength value between the second TPMS sensor and the mobile device; Determining that the first signal strength value is greater than the second signal strength value; as well as The first TPMS sensor is responsively associated with the tire location corresponding to the inside tire.

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