UWB tire monitoring sensors, systems, and related methods

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a tire monitoring sensor comprising an ultra wide band (UWB) device, wherein the UWB device is configured to be mounted on a tire and is operable in at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode; wherein the first mode is a sensing mode in which the UWB device is operable to determine a value of a physical property of the tire; wherein the second mode is a communication mode in which the UWB device is operable to transmit the value to a control unit; wherein the third mode is a ranging mode in which the UWB device is operable to position the UWB device relative to a controller node. Associated methods and systems are also disclosed herein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to UWB tire monitoring sensors and systems and associated methods. In particular, the present disclosure relates to tire pressure monitoring sensors and systems, but is not limited thereto. Background Art

[0002] Tire pressure monitoring sensors TPMS, and more generally, tire monitoring sensors TMS, are widely used to monitor the status of the tires on each wheel of a vehicle such as an automobile, and in particular, the pressure of the tires. In a vehicle, the tires are the components that come into direct contact with the road and are subjected to the full vehicle weight and driving / braking forces. Therefore, proper tire inflation can be considered essential, as proper tire inflation reduces tire wear, helps reduce fuel consumption, improves vehicle handling, and increases tire life.

[0003] Furthermore, underinflated tires, that is, tires with less air pressure than they are designed for (such underinflation can be caused by natural leaks, temperature changes, and road hazards, among other things), can lead to overheating, which can ultimately result in an accident.

[0004] For these reasons, vehicles are often equipped with tire pressure monitoring sensors or systems (TPMS). A tire pressure monitoring system is a set of electronic components that monitor the air pressure (and in some cases, temperature) of a tire and alert the driver of the vehicle when the tire's air pressure is low.

[0005] In fact, in many jurisdictions, vehicles are required to periodically monitor tire pressure and provide warnings to the driver in the event of low pressure or other malfunctions.

[0006] Generally speaking, a TPMS (system) needs to meet three basic functions: First, measurement: the air pressure can be measured directly on the valve, for example using a pressure sensor, or inside the tire, for example using a MEMS (the MEMS can be mounted on the rim). Alternatively, the air pressure can be measured indirectly via an observable physical quantity that depends on the tire pressure. For example, the system can detect the difference in rotation speed between the wheels of the vehicle because insufficient inflation will make the wheel / tire diameter smaller, thereby causing the wheel to rotate faster than a fully inflated tire. In another example, a tire-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) can be used to measure linear acceleration data and angular velocity data associated with the tire. In yet another example, a millimeter wave radar sensor sends an RF signal from the rim to the inner surface of the tire, and determines the pressure by processing the radar reflection (echo) indicating the tire pressure. Other sensors involved in the TPMS may be wheel speed sensors based on electromagnetic induction or Hall sensors.

[0007] Second, data transmission: the TPMS (sensor) needs to communicate with the rest of the TPMS (system). This can be important since the sensors are typically located in or on the wheels. Third, positioning: the TPM system needs to know which tire any particular measurement refers to. Conventionally, two or more separate components are used to perform these three separate or distinct functions. Summary of the invention

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a tire monitoring sensor TMS including an ultra-wideband UWB device, wherein the UWB device is configured to be mounted on a tire and is operable in at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode; wherein the first mode is a sensing mode, in which the UWB device is operable to determine a value of a physical characteristic of the tire; wherein the second mode is a communication mode, in which the UWB device is operable to transmit the value to a control unit; wherein the third mode is a ranging mode, in which the UWB device is operable to locate the UWB device relative to a controller node. Using a UWB device operable in three separate modes can reduce the bill of materials in the TMS, and can reduce the overall cost of the TMS or a system including the TMS.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the sensing mode is a tire property determination mode.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the physical property is the pressure of the tire. Cost-effective and reliable measurement of the pressure of tires in vehicles is becoming increasingly important. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a particularly convenient method of measuring tire pressure.

[0011] In one or more other embodiments, the physical property is tire tread thickness of the tire.Alternatively or in addition to tire pressure it may be desirable to monitor tire tread thickness.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the TMS is further configured to associate the UWB device with a wheel of the vehicle and a tire mounted on the wheel in response to determining the distance between the UWB device and the controller node. Associating the UWB device with a particular wheel has the effect of locating the UWB device relative to the vehicle, which can assist in determining which tire or wheel a fault is associated with.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the UWB device is configured to operate in the third mode only in response to user input after the UWB device is associated with the wheel. Specifically, once the UWB device has been associated with a particular tire or positioned relative to the vehicle, the third mode of operation need not be deployed again until an event occurs whereby the UWB device is repositioned relative to the vehicle.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the UWB device is configured to operate in a first mode at a repetition rate of at least one hertz. In one or more embodiments, the UWB device is configured to operate in a second mode at a repetition rate of at least one hertz. It is convenient to use the UWB protocol for operation at relatively high frequencies because the UWB protocol generally provides higher communication data rates than other communication modes currently deployed in TMS systems, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the UWB device is configured to operate in a frequency range between 3.1 GHz and 10.6 GHz and occupy a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the UWB device may operate in a first mode in a first frequency range, and may operate in a second mode in a second frequency range, wherein the second frequency range is lower than the first frequency range. In one or more embodiments, the first frequency range is in a range between 57 GHz and 64 GHz, and the second frequency range is in a range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. Operating the UWB at a relatively high frequency for sensing may contribute to greater measurement accuracy.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a tire monitoring system comprising a plurality of TMSs each as described above, and further comprising a control unit.

[0018] The tire monitoring system may additionally include a UWB transceiver proximal to each TMS and in electrical communication with a control unit remote from each TMS. The control unit may include a controller UWB transceiver that is at an unequal distance from each TMS when in use. Positioning the controller UWB transceiver at an offset position so that the distance of the controller UWB transceiver from each UWB device is different can achieve the unique location of each UWB device by means of direct ranging measurements. In one or more other embodiments, the control unit may include more than one UWB transceiver. In such embodiments, triangulation can be used to locate each UWB device.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a tire monitoring system, the tire monitoring system comprising a UWB device mounted on a tire, the method comprising: operating the UWB device in a first sensing mode to determine a value of a physical characteristic of the tire; operating the UWB device in a second communication mode to transmit the value to a control unit; and operating the UWB device in a third ranging mode to determine a distance between the UWB device and a controller node.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the physical property is the pressure of the tire. In one or more other embodiments, the physical property is the tire tread thickness of the tire.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the method additionally includes associating the UWB device with a wheel of a vehicle on which the tire is mounted in response to determining the distance between the UWB device and the controller node.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the tire is mounted on a wheel.

[0023] In one or more such embodiments, the method may additionally include operating the UWB device in the third mode only in response to user input after associating the UWB device with the wheel.

[0024] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 A tire monitoring sensor according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A vehicle such as a car is schematically shown, with a UWB device positioned on a wheel of the vehicle;

[0028] Figure 3 A vehicle having a controller node as an ECU having a UWB transceiver therein is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 A flowchart showing one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating one or more other embodiments according to the present disclosure; and

[0031] Figure 6 A flowchart is shown according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] It should be noted that the figures are diagrammatic and not drawn to scale. For clarity and convenience in the figures, the relative sizes and proportions of the parts of these figures have been shown by being enlarged or reduced in size. The same reference numerals are generally used to refer to corresponding or similar features in modified and different embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1A tire monitoring sensor TMS 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. TMS 100 includes a UWB device 110. UWB device 110 includes a UWB transceiver portion 120 and one or more antennas 130. UWB transceiver portion 120 is configured to send and receive radio signals, which generally comply with one or more ultra-wideband standards, such as IEEE 802.15.4a or FiRa Alliance standards. UWB device 110 further includes a processing unit 140. Processing unit 140 may be integrated with transceiver portion 120, or may be separate from transceiver portion 120 as shown. Generally speaking, the processing unit is part of the same integrated circuit as transceiver portion 120.

[0034] The UWB device 110 is configured to be operable in three modes that are generally separate and distinct, but that generally utilize the same circuitry and components, such as the UWB transceiver portion 120 and one or more antennas 130. The first mode is a sensing mode in which the UWB device is operable to determine a value of a physical characteristic of the tire, the second mode is a communication mode in which the UWB device is operable to communicate the value to a control unit, and the third mode is a ranging mode in which the UWB device is operable to locate the UWB device relative to a controller node.

[0035] Consider first the sensing mode; in this mode, the UWB device determines the value of a characteristic associated with the tire, such as air pressure, wall thickness, tread depth, etc. This mode can be considered a tire characteristic determination mode, and in this mode, the UWB device typically operates in a UWB radar mode. Specifically, the UWB device transmits a signal comprising a radar frame to one or more portions or surfaces of the tire via one or more antennas 130. The radar frame may include a series of short pulses (e.g., 2ns wide and repeated at a pulse repetition frequency of 124.8MHz). The reflection or echo of the radar frame from the tire and specifically from the surface of the tire (e.g., a metal rim) is received by the UWB device 110. The reflected frame is processed by the processing unit 140 in order to determine a channel impulse response (CIR) from the reflected frame. Based on the CIR, a CIR tap point (e.g., a CIR tap point showing the strongest signal activity) is determined by the processing unit 140, and a phase associated with the CIR tap point is determined.

[0036] The tire, together with the rim of the wheel on which it is mounted (acting like a spring-damper system), will typically experience vibrations during rotation, with a characteristic frequency that depends on the stiffness, which in turn depends on the tire pressure. These vibrations (which correspond to and are evidenced by periodic range variations) will change the phase of the reflected radar frame. By measuring the phase variation, the range variation can be inferred using the following equation:

[0037]

[0038] where Δd is the distance change, is the phase change and λ is the (instantaneous) wavelength of the radar signal; from this the frequency of the vibrations related to and therefore indicative of the tire pressure can be determined. For example, at 8 GHz, a distance change of 2 to 4 mm gives a (relative) phase change of about 20 to 40 degrees. Overall, therefore, the tire pressure determines its stiffness, which determines the characteristic frequency, which determines the vibrations (amplitude or frequency) measurable in the phase of the radar reflection.

[0039] Monitoring changes in this phase over time can provide an indication of deflation, or reduced air pressure, within the tire. In other embodiments, the system can be calibrated to determine a measure of absolute tire pressure from the phase of the radar reflections. In one or more other embodiments, the UWB device 110 can calculate a range-Doppler spectrum and determine tire pressure based on changes in Doppler frequency over time in a particular range.

[0040] In one or more other embodiments, the physical property determined by the radar mode may be tire pressure, which may be derived from the distance between the wheel rim and the inner surface of the tire. The skilled person will appreciate that the tire deforms due to the weight of the vehicle. When stationary, such as when the vehicle is parked, the local deformation at any location around the circumference of the tire depends on the portion of the circumference that is in contact with the ground, so in this case, auxiliary measurements will be required to determine the orientation of the tire relative to the UWB device and the ground. In yet other embodiments, the tread wear of the tire may be determined, as this may affect the overall hardness of the tire. As described above, changes in the hardness of the tire affect the vibration of the tire. Vibration changes may be determined by operating the UWB device in radar mode, also as outlined above.

[0041] In a general sense, in sensing mode, the UWB device determines the value of a characteristic of the tire.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, but not by way of limitation, the sensing mode may operate using a higher carrier frequency than the frequencies used for the communication mode and the ranging mode, which will be described in more detail below. For example, the sensing mode may operate at a frequency in the 60 GHz range, particularly in the range between 57 GHz and 64 GHz. Using this relatively high frequency may be beneficial because the phase change due to distance changes is inversely related to the wavelength lambda. Therefore, using a higher carrier frequency (and correspondingly shorter wavelength) helps detect smaller distance changes, which may be beneficial when determining tire characteristics such as tire pressure.

[0043] In one or more embodiments, the TPMS IC has a UWB transceiver portion 120 that supports frequencies in the 6 to 10 GHz and 60 GHz ranges. In each of these frequency ranges, the IC can operate using pulses with a bandwidth greater than 500 MHz (the bandwidth may depend on the frequency range), and is therefore described as a UWB device. However, it should be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure are not necessarily limited to one particular definition of "UWB".

[0044] Consider next the second mode, which is a communication mode in which the UWB device 110 is operable to communicate a value to the control unit (in Figure 2 250). In this mode, the UWB device sends data associated with the physical characteristics of the tire to the controller node, and specifically, may send the value of the characteristic of the tire determined in the sensing mode. The controller node may typically be part of an electronic control unit (ECU) installed in the vehicle. The ECU may be configured to monitor physical characteristics such as the tire pressure of each tire, and may be configured to report faults or changes in physical characteristics. For example, the ECU may be configured to alert the driver of the vehicle in the event of a measured tire pressure change that may indicate a puncture or other fault in the tire; alternatively or in addition, the ECU may be configured to alert the driver and / or vehicle supplier in the event of tread wear or tire thickness reduction below an acceptable level.

[0045] To perform this function, the controller node 250 includes Figure 2 260, which communicates directly with the UWB device 110. Communication protocols using UWB are well known to those skilled in the art (e.g., IEEE 802.15.4a mentioned above), and the present disclosure is not dependent on and is not limited to the use of any individual specific protocol. The communication between the UWB device 110 and the UWB transceiver 260 can be a one-way communication, for example, the UWB device 110 can periodically send a value received by the UWB transceiver 260. However, in a preferred embodiment, the communication is a two-way communication, wherein the UWB device 110 receives information and specifically commands or requests sent by the UWB transceiver 260 from the ECU 250, and sends data to the ECU 250 via the UWB transceiver 260 in response to the command or request, such as specifically, the value of a physical parameter, or a change in the value of a parameter.

[0046] According to one or more other embodiments, the UWB device 110 may communicate with the ECU 250 via a near-wheel UWB transceiver. Figure 2 Shown in.

[0047] Figure 2A vehicle 200, such as an automobile, is schematically shown with a UWB device 110 positioned on a wheel of the vehicle. As described above, the UWB device 110 is configured to operate in a first sensing mode, which typically relies on radar-type signal transmission and reception in order to determine a value of a physical characteristic of a tire, such as tire pressure. The UWB device 110 is configured to also operate in a second communication mode. As described above, the UWB device 110 may communicate with a UWB transceiver 260, which is electrically connected to a control unit 250, such as an ECU, or a portion of the control unit 250. As shown, the UWB transceiver 260 may be separate from the ECU and connected to the ECU via a wired link; in an alternative embodiment, the UWB transceiver 260 may be integrated with and included in the ECU 250.

[0048] The vehicle 200 may additionally include near-wheel UWB transceivers 270 positioned near the wheels of the vehicle (e.g., one wheel is shown at each corner of the vehicle 200, or one wheel near each end of each axle of a multi-axle truck). These near-wheel UWB transceivers 270 may be provided on the vehicle for purposes unrelated to the present disclosure. For example, the near-wheel UWB transceivers 270 may be used to communicate with a remote device to facilitate keyless remote entry of the vehicle. In the case where such near-wheel UWB transceivers 270 may be used in or on the vehicle 200, the near-wheel UWB transceivers 270 may be used as an alternative to the UWB transceiver 260. For example, a UWB device 110 operable in a communication mode may communicate with one or more of the near-wheel transceivers 270. In such embodiments, the near-wheel transceivers 270 are electrically connected to the ECU 250. Specifically, conventional wired connection means familiar to technicians, such as a CAN bus or a LIN bus, may be used.

[0049] The UWB device 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may operate in a third mode, which is a ranging mode. The UWB device 110 may operate in this mode in order to identify which wheel and specifically which tire of the vehicle the UWB device 110 relates to. That is, the UWB device needs to be positioned relative to the control unit. Positioning may be performed in several different methods, as will be described below; however, each of the methods utilizes the ranging capability of the UWB transceiver.

[0050] exist Figure 2 An example of positioning a UWB device by ranging is shown in FIG. 1 . For this positioning method to be effective, the control unit, and specifically the UWB transceiver 260, should be offset from the center of the vehicle both in the front-to-rear direction and in the left-to-right direction. By positioning the UWB transceiver 260 at a suitable offset position, such as Figure 2The offset positions shown in , may be arranged so that the distance between the UWB transceiver 260 and each of the UWB devices 110 is different. That is, Figure 2 The distances A, B, C, and D shown in are all not equal. Each UWB device 110 may perform ranging measurements between itself and the UWB transceiver 260. Based on the values, the control unit 250 may determine on which wheel the UWB device 110 is located, such as the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. It should be understood that the UWB device is not located at the exact center of the wheel, and therefore, the distance between the UWB device 110 and the UWB transceiver 260 may change as the wheel rotates; however, by locating the UWB transceiver 260, it is possible to uniquely determine which wheel the UWB device 110 is associated with.

[0051] In other embodiments, particularly embodiments where the vehicle is equipped with a near-wheel UWB device 270, these approaches may be used in the ranging process. Figure 3 An example of such a method is shown in . Figure 3 A vehicle 300 is shown with the controller node 250 being an ECU having a UWB transceiver 260 therein. Also visible in this case are near-wheel UWB devices 270a and 270b associated with the left front corner and left rear corner of the vehicle, respectively. The figure also shows a UWB device 110a mounted on the left front wheel of the vehicle and a UWB device 110b mounted on the left rear wheel of the vehicle. The UWB device 110 performs a set of ranging measurements that will be familiar to those skilled in the art, wherein a plurality of anchors include a near-wheel UWB transceiver 270a and a near-wheel UWB transceiver 270b. (Also visible with respect to FIG. 1 ) Figure 3 10a and the UWB transceiver 260. The UWB device 110a may be located at the left front wheel and the right rear near wheel UWB transceiver 270 may be located at the right ... In other embodiments, the near-wheel UWB device 270a itself may be or serve as a controller node.

[0052] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in applications where the vehicle is equipped with a near-wheel UWB transceiver 270, the above ranging method may be combined with a triangulation technique in which the distance between the UWB device 110a and two UWB transceivers whose positions relative to the vehicle are known is used to locate the UWB device 110a. For such triangulation techniques, the UWB transceiver 260 may be used in conjunction with one or more near-wheel UWB transceivers 270. In other embodiments, the controller node may be provided with multiple UWB transceivers 260 that are spatially separated. The ranging between the UWB device 110a and two or more UWB transceivers 260 may then be used to perform triangulation.

[0053] Now turn to Figure 4 , which shows a flow chart according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the figure shows a method of operating a tire monitoring system, the tire monitoring system including a UWB device mounted on a tire. As used herein, the term "on the tire" should be broadly understood to include (without limitation) in the tire, on the inner surface of the tire, and on the surface of the wheel rim to which the tire is attached. The method includes, at 410, operating the UWB device in a first sensing mode to determine the value of a physical characteristic of the tire, and at 420, operating the UWB device in a second communication mode to transmit the value to a control unit. The UWB device operates alternately in a first sensing mode and a second communication mode. There may be an idle period between each operating mode. The sensing mode may typically occupy between 10ms and one second; the communication mode may occupy between 1ms and 100ms; the communication mode operation may be immediately after the sensing mode, and depending on the application, there may be a gap between 100ms and several minutes between the communication mode and the subsequent sensing mode. The method further includes, at 430, operating the UWB device in a third ranging mode to determine a distance between the UWB device and the controller node. As a result of this mode, the system can locate the UWB device relative to the vehicle, and specifically, identify which wheel (front left, front right, etc.) or axle end the UWB device is associated with. This in turn can enable the system to locate any faults, such as underinflation of a tire, or tread thickness below acceptable or legal limits with respect to the vehicle. As can be seen in FIG. Figure 4 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , operation in the third mode may occur only once, after which the UWB device has been located and the third mode need not be used again. The third mode of operation may be performed after the first and second modes of operation, or may be performed at an initial stage or time as shown, such as during setup or calibration.

[0054] Figure 5 A flowchart according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method is similar to Figure 4, except that sensing mode operation is repeatedly initiated at 410 without communication mode operation in between. Communication mode operation may be performed only when requested by tire monitoring sensor 100, as shown at 440. For example, such a request may be triggered by TMS 100 identifying a change in a physical characteristic, such as a decrease in tire pressure or a decrease in tire tread. Alternatively, but not by way of limitation, the request may be triggered periodically, for example, once per second or once per minute, or whenever the vehicle begins to move.

[0055] Figure 6 1 shows a flowchart of one or more other embodiments according to the present disclosure. The method shown is similar to Figure 5 , except that, after the communication mode, the method may operate in the ranging mode 430 in response to a request, for example, from a controller node to reconstruct the position of the UWB device relative to the vehicle. This may occur, for example, in response to a user request, such as after a flat tire has been repaired or a new set of tires has been attached to the vehicle.

[0056] From reading this disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to the skilled person.Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art of UWB and which may be used instead of or in addition to features described herein.

[0057] Although the attached claims refer to specific combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features or any generalized form thereof disclosed explicitly or implicitly herein, regardless of whether it relates to the same invention currently claimed in any claim or whether it alleviates any or all technical problems that are the same as the technical problems alleviated by the present invention.

[0058] It should be noted that one or more of the above embodiments have been described with reference to different subject matters. Specifically, some embodiments may be described with reference to method-type claims, while other embodiments may be described with reference to apparatus-type claims. However, those skilled in the art should understand from the above that, unless otherwise indicated, any combination of features related to different subject matters (specifically, a combination of features of a method-type claim with features of an apparatus-type claim) in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter is also considered to be disclosed with this document.

[0059] Features described in the context of separate embodiments may be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0060] For the sake of completeness, it is also stipulated that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, the term "a" or "an" does not exclude that a plurality, a single processor or other unit can perform the functions of several components described in the claims [deleted if not relevant], and the reference numerals in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims. In addition, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the possibility of...) rather than a mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include / including / includes" mean including but not limited to.

Claims

1. A tire monitoring sensor TMS comprising an ultra-wideband UWB device, characterized in that: The UWB device is configured to be mounted on a tire and is operable in at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode; The first mode is a sensing mode in which the UWB device is operable to determine a value of a physical characteristic of the tire; the second mode being a communication mode in which the UWB device is operable to communicate the value to a control unit; The third mode is a ranging mode in which the UWB device is operable to locate the UWB device relative to a controller node.

2. The TMS according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing mode is a tire characteristics determination mode.

3. The TMS according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The physical property is the pressure of the tire or the tread thickness of the tire.

4. TMS according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The method is further configured to associate the UWB device with a wheel of a vehicle and mount the tire on the wheel in response to determining a distance between the UWB device and the controller node.

5. The TMS according to claim 4, characterized in that: The UWB device is configured to operate in the third mode only in response to user input after the UWB device is associated with the wheel.

6. The TMS according to claim 4, characterized in that: The device is configured to at least one of: periodically operate the UWB device in the first mode at a repetition rate of at least one Hertz, and periodically operate the UWB device in the second mode at a repetition rate of at least one Hertz.

7. TMS according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The UWB device is configured to operate in a frequency range between 3.1 GHz and 10.6 GHz and occupy a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.

8. TMS according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device is operable in the first mode in a first frequency range within a range between 57 GHz and 64 GHz, and is operable in the second mode in a second frequency range within a range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz.

9. A tire pressure monitoring system, characterized in that: comprising a respective plurality of TMSs according to any preceding claim and additionally comprising said control unit.

10. A method of operating a tire monitoring system, the tire monitoring system comprising a UWB device mounted on a tire, characterized in that: The method comprises: operating the UWB device in a first sensing mode to determine a value of a physical characteristic of the tire; operating the UWB device in a second communication mode to communicate the value to a control unit; and The UWB device is operated in a third ranging mode to determine a distance between the UWB device and a controller node.

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