TIRE PRESSURE MEASURING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a tire pressure measuring system for vehicles, such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers and / or trailers, wherein each wheel of a vehicle has a tire pressure sensor, a transmitter and a battery, and wherein the vehicle is equipped with an electronic, radio receiver module which is designed to wirelessly receive tire pressure values ​​measured by means of the tire pressure sensors.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for determining the tire pressures of the wheels of at least two vehicles arranged in spatial proximity to one another, such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers and / or trailers, wherein each wheel of a vehicle has a tire pressure sensor, a transmitter and a battery, and wherein the vehicle is equipped with an electronic, radio receiver module which is designed to wirelessly receive tire pressure values ​​measured by means of the tire pressure sensors.

[0003] The aforementioned receiver module can be a separate device or a component of a telematics unit installed in the vehicle. For example, the receiver module can also receive signals from a temperature sensor, which is located on each of the vehicle's wheels in addition to the respective pressure sensor.

[0004] It is well known that information about the correct tire pressure of a vehicle is of great importance to the vehicle operator, even before starting a journey and during extended downtimes. However, with state-of-the-art tire pressure measurement systems, consisting of a tire pressure sensor with a transmitter and battery in each vehicle wheel and a receiver module in the vehicle, reliable and complete tire pressure monitoring is often not possible when the vehicle is stationary or parked.This is because a wheel of the vehicle may have stopped circumferentially at the end of a journey, so that the sensor signal from the tire pressure sensor is shielded by the rim of the vehicle wheel or other chassis components, such as the axle tube or frame components, and thus blocked radio-technically. As a result, the radio signals from the affected tire pressure sensor cannot be received by the vehicle's receiver module, and the current tire pressure of the affected wheel cannot be measured for the duration of the vehicle's standstill. In such a case, the current tire pressures of all wheels can only be determined again after the journey has begun, i.e., when the wheels are rotating.

[0005] To solve this technical problem, it is obvious to arrange several tire pressure sensors, including transmitters and antennas, at different circumferential locations of the vehicle wheel. DE 103 17 689 A1 discloses positioning several transmitter antennas at different circumferential locations of the vehicle tire. DE 10 2007 007 135 A1 discloses providing a stationary receiver for a tire pressure sensor, including a transmitter, located on the respective vehicle wheel, in close proximity to the transmitter antenna. These technical solutions all entail comparatively high manufacturing costs and are therefore not practical.

[0006] In addition, known receiver modules for receiving sensor signals from tire pressure sensors transmit the tire pressure data to an on-board information system, such as a CAN bus, at a significantly higher frequency when the system is switched on, for example, when the vehicle ignition is switched on or the engine unit is activated. However, when the system is switched off, or when the vehicle ignition is switched off and the engine unit is deactivated, the data is transmitted only once every 12 hours. This reduces the power consumption of the tire pressure sensors and the transmitting electronics and extends the service life of the batteries associated with the tire pressure sensors.However, particularly with the long measurement interval described, gradual pressure losses in the vehicle's wheels may not always be detected in time before the vehicle sets off, meaning that any necessary tire pressure increase may not be carried out while the vehicle is stationary and before it sets off. This at least poses the risk of the vehicle operating with excessive fuel consumption. While tire pressure can be adjusted to the correct value later, this is often only possible at a rest stop, which would require time, or after returning to the vehicle operator's depot. In the worst case, operating a vehicle with significantly under-inflated tire pressure can lead to total tire failure.

[0007] WO 2017 / 179968 A1 discloses a tire pressure monitoring system, wherein a cluster module has a repeater wirelessly connected to a sensor arranged on a tire for measuring tire pressure. Identification data of the sensor is communicated to the repeater. The repeater receives data from the sensor and forwards it to the cluster module or a main control unit. The main control unit communicates with a mobile device, a cloud, and / or a network server.

[0008] WO 2005 / 113261 A1 discloses a system for processing tire information, comprising a sensor arranged on or in a tire, a readout unit, and a central database. The sensor measures tire pressure and transmits it to the readout unit, from where the tire pressure is further transmitted to the central database.

[0009] DE 10 2016 225 982 A1 discloses a system for theft protection for vehicles, in which vehicle wheel identification data identifying vehicle wheels are stored on a database server via a control unit arranged on a vehicle.

[0010] The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a tire pressure measuring system for vehicles that allows for the most reliable and continuous monitoring of the tire pressures of all wheels of the vehicle, particularly regardless of their respective circumferential position when stationary. Furthermore, a method for operating such a tire pressure measuring system is to be presented.

[0011] The device-related problem is solved by a tire pressure measuring system having the features of claim 1, while the solution to the problem concerning the method is defined by the features of an independent method claim. Advantageous further developments are mentioned in the respective associated dependent claims.

[0012] The invention therefore initially relates to a tire pressure measuring system for vehicles, such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers and / or trailers, wherein each wheel of a vehicle has a tire pressure sensor, a transmitter and a battery, and wherein the vehicle is equipped with an electronic, radio receiver module which is designed to wirelessly receive tire pressure values ​​measured by means of the tire pressure sensors.

[0013] To achieve the stated objective, this tire pressure measuring system is designed so that, in at least two vehicles arranged side by side, one behind the other, or one above the other, the tire pressure readings of all wheels of the at least two vehicles can be received wirelessly using the receiver modules assigned to them, provided that the arrangement of the vehicles and their components, as well as the reception of the tire pressure readings, allow this without radio interference. Furthermore, it is provided that the receiver module of the respective vehicle can be connected, at least temporarily, to an electronic database external to the vehicle via a bidirectional radio link.It is further provided that a vehicle identification value assigned to the respective vehicle, as well as the tire pressure measurements of the wheels assigned to this vehicle and the identification values ​​of the respective tire pressure sensors of the at least two vehicles, can be transmitted to the vehicle-external database via the bidirectional radio connection. Finally, it is provided that the vehicle identification values, the tire pressure measurements, and the identification values ​​of the tire pressure sensors can be queried and received from the vehicle-external database at least by the receiver modules via the respective bidirectional radio connections.

[0014] This allows the receiver module in each vehicle to read not only the vehicle's own tire pressure readings but also the tire pressure readings from tire pressure sensors in nearby vehicles, particularly parked or stationary vehicles. Therefore, if the vehicle is conveniently positioned, a tire pressure sensor in a vehicle that is radio-shielded or shaded, for example due to an unfavorable circumferential position of the associated wheel, and whose tire pressure readings cannot be received by the directly assigned on-board receiver module, can be received using the receiver modules of neighboring parked vehicles and transmitted to the vehicle-external database to complete the tire pressure data for all vehicles via bidirectional radio transmission. The tire pressure measuring system fundamentally allows the monitoring of tire pressures in both stationary and moving vehicles.

[0015] According to a technically advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the vehicle-external database can be operated by means of a vehicle-external computer in such a way that the vehicle identification values ​​of all vehicles that use this tire pressure measuring system, as well as identification values ​​of the tire pressure sensors of these vehicles and the determined and assigned tire pressure measurement values ​​can be stored in this database.

[0016] Initializing the database, which is preferably implemented using a computer or server external to the vehicle, can occur, for example, during the initial commissioning of a vehicle and / or by reading vehicle commissioning logs. The identification values ​​of the tire pressure sensors allow the tire pressure sensors, and thus the tire pressure measurements measured and transmitted by them, to be uniquely assigned to the wheels of all vehicles using the pressure measurement system.

[0017] According to another advantageous embodiment of the tire pressure measurement system, the bidirectional radio connections between the vehicle-mounted receiver modules and the database are implemented using transmitters and receivers that operate with the features of a radio transmission standard, such as mobile radio, Wi-Fi, or the like. This ensures cost-effective implementation using standard computer components. Furthermore, the use of mobile radio allows for virtually unlimited spatial deployment of the tire pressure measurement system.

[0018] The tire pressure measuring system is preferably designed such that the receiver modules and the bidirectional radio connections can be activated at least temporarily even when the vehicle is not in use and the ignition is inactive. As a result, largely continuous monitoring of tire pressures is possible even when vehicles are parked in a parking lot for an extended period of time, without placing excessive strain on the vehicle's own battery. This time interval can be, for example, between one hour and 48 hours to monitor gradual air loss in the vehicle's wheels.

[0019] Another advantageous development of the tire pressure measurement system is characterized by the bidirectional radio connections being implemented by means of a transmitting and receiving unit integrated into each receiver module. This allows for a particularly space-saving and compact design of the receiver modules. Furthermore, at least the identification values ​​of the tire pressure sensors, the tire pressure measurements, and vehicle identification values ​​can be downloaded from the vehicle-external database, or corresponding values ​​temporarily stored in the vehicle's receiver modules can be uploaded to the external database via radio.

[0020] Preferably, the tire pressure readings of the vehicles stored in the off-board database can be fed to at least one stationary off-board display unit. This provides a user of the tire pressure measurement system with a complete overview of the tire pressures of all vehicles using the system. A large-screen monitor or a monitor installed in a shipping company's office can serve as an off-board display unit, for example.

[0021] According to a further technically advantageous embodiment of the tire pressure measuring system, the directly determinable tire pressure readings can be stored in the receiver module of a vehicle, and tire pressure readings of this vehicle that cannot be directly determinable can be queried from the external database via the bidirectional radio connection, received, and stored in the receiver module of the requesting vehicle. Because the complete tire pressure readings are stored locally in the receiver modules, these are available to the user of the tire pressure measuring system as initial values ​​immediately upon starting a journey. Therefore, any incorrect tire pressures can be corrected if necessary before the vehicle leaves a stationary location.

[0022] Furthermore, it is considered advantageous if the receiver module of at least one vehicle is designed to determine the tire pressure readings of wheels equipped with tire pressure sensors that are stored in the spatial vicinity of this receiver module, independent of the vehicle, and to upload these readings to the vehicle-external database for central evaluation. This allows, for example, a neighboring warehouse for vehicle wheels, i.e., tires including rims, to be monitored using the tire pressure measuring system with regard to its current inventory and the respective air pressures. If the warehouse to be monitored is a tire warehouse, the determined tire pressures are unimportant because they correspond to the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere; however, an identification value received from a tire pressure sensor signals that this tire is still in stock.

[0023] Finally, it can be provided that an optimized parking order for at least two vehicles can be determined and displayed using the tire pressure measurements stored in the vehicle-external database or the identification values ​​of the tire pressure sensors, as well as an optimization algorithm stored in a computer. This allows, for example, a frequently used vehicle to be preferentially parked between two less frequently used vehicles in order to monitor their tire pressure. Furthermore, the distance between the tire pressure sensors in the wheels of the two outer, permanently parked vehicles and the receiver module of the middle vehicle can be minimized to increase the receivable signal strength of the tire pressure sensors.

[0024] The method-related problem mentioned above is solved by a method having the features of the independent method claim. This method serves to determine the tire pressures of the wheels of at least two vehicles arranged in close proximity to one another, such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers, and / or trailers. Each wheel of a vehicle has a tire pressure sensor, a transmitter, and a battery. The vehicle is equipped with an electronic, radio-based receiver module designed to wirelessly receive tire pressure readings measured by the tire pressure sensors.

[0025] This procedure has the following steps: a) Measuring the tire pressures of all wheels of at least two vehicles using the tire pressure sensors assigned to these wheels, b) Wirelessly transmitting the tire pressure readings together with an identification value of the respective assigned tire pressure sensor, c) Receiving these tire pressure readings and identification values ​​using the respective receiver module, provided that this receiver module is accessible from the assigned tire pressure sensors without radio interference, d) Sending all tire pressure readings recorded by the respective receiver module together with the identification value of the respective tire pressure sensor and a vehicle identification value identifying the respective vehicle to a vehicle-external database using a bidirectional radio connection that can be established between the receiver modules and this database,e) Assigning the tire pressure measurement values ​​determined by the receiver modules of the at least two vehicles to the wheels of the at least two vehicles and f) Retrieving the tire pressure measurement values ​​representing the tire pressures of the wheels of a selected vehicle from the database by a user.

[0026] This method therefore enables complete monitoring of the tire pressures of all wheels of vehicles using the tire pressure measurement system. According to the invention, this is also possible when not every receiver module can fully receive all signals from its assigned tire pressure sensors due to unfavorable wheel positions in the circumferential direction, which can lead to radio interference with the transmission signal caused by other vehicle components.

[0027] A preferred development of this method additionally provides, in a further method step g), that after detecting low tire pressure, a message is automatically sent to a designated person or a vehicle fleet operator, for example, by email or via a social, electronic communication medium, that a specific wheel on a specific vehicle has the measured, low tire pressure. This ensures that the information about low tire pressure is actively sent to a responsible person without this person having previously actively requested the current tire pressures of their vehicles.

[0028] The tire pressure measurements stored in the vehicle-external database are automatically transmitted back to the receiver modules of the respective vehicles, individually for each vehicle, using bidirectional radio connections. This ensures that all tire pressure measurements relevant to the respective vehicle are always automatically available and can be displayed as needed. By retransmitting or downloading the vehicle-relevant tire pressure measurements from the vehicle-external database, all tire pressure measurements are stored locally in each vehicle within the respective receiver module and are available to the user for immediate information when starting a journey. The tire pressure measurements can be displayed on a display unit in the vehicle. For parked trailers, the tire pressure measurements can be displayed on an external mobile control device.

[0029] Furthermore, the method according to the invention can provide for the tire pressure measurements stored in the vehicle-external database to be transmitted to a central, stationary display unit via a bidirectional radio link. This enables a central, local overview of the tire pressure measurements of the wheels of all vehicles, for example, in a shipping office, a workshop, or the like.

[0030] In addition to the current tire pressure measurement value, the current temperature measurement value, the identification value of the respective wheel or pressure sensor and the vehicle identification value, the sensor unit preferably also sends a status value which includes at least the current date and time.

[0031] For a better understanding of the invention, a drawing is attached to the description, which shows an embodiment. The drawing shows in detail Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a tire pressure measuring system with three vehicles in a top view, Fig. 2 a simplified longitudinal section through a wheel according to Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a receiver module of the tire pressure measuring system according to Fig. 1 , and Fig. 4 a flow chart of a method for operating the tire pressure measuring system according to Fig. 1 .

[0032] The Fig. 1 The schematically illustrated tire pressure measuring system 10 comprises, merely by way of example, three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , which are arranged or parked upright on a base 12. These vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 can be, for example, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers and / or trailers. The vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , which are merely illustrated here as semi-trailers by way of example, have an approximately rectangular contour. The three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 are positioned parallel to one another at a short distance from one another, but are each slightly offset from one another in the longitudinal direction. The first vehicle F 1 has six wheels R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 on three vehicle axles, which are not labelled for the sake of clarity in the drawing, with two wheels being arranged rotatably at each end on one axle.The second vehicle F 2 also has six wheels R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , and the third vehicle F 3 also has six wheels R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 , R 17 , R 18 , which in turn are rotatably arranged at the ends on vehicle axles not designated here.

[0033] The first vehicle F 1 has a first on-board radio receiver module M 1 , the second vehicle F 2 has a second on-board radio receiver module M 2 and the third vehicle F 3 has a third on-board radio receiver module M 3 .

[0034] Each of the eighteen wheels R 1 to R 18 has, among other things, an approximately cup-shaped rim, of which only the rims of the wheels R 7 ,..., R 12 of the middle, second vehicle F 2 are indicated here by a dashed line (without reference symbols) for the sake of clarity. Each of the wheels R 1 ,..., R 18 of the three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 has a tire pressure sensor S 1 to S 18 in the area of ​​the respective vehicle tire or rim. The first tire pressure sensor S 1 is assigned to the first wheel R 1 arranged at the front left of the first vehicle F 1, the second tire pressure sensor S 2 is assigned to the second wheel R 2, the third tire pressure sensor S 3 is assigned to the third wheel R 3, and so on. Each of the eighteen tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 18 shown here as examples is also assigned an individual identification value J 1 ,..., J 18 for unambiguous assignment, of which in the area of ​​the three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 only the identification values ​​J 7 , J 8 of the tire pressure sensors S 7 , S 8 of the two front wheels R 7 , R 8 of the second vehicle F 2 are designated.

[0035] In the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 there is a tire pressure p 1 to p 18 which is to be individually measured and monitored by means of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 , whereby in the Fig. 1 only the tire pressures p 1 to p 6 , p 7 , p 8 and p 13 to pis in the wheels R 1 to R 6 , R 7 , R 8 and R 13 to R 18 are designated by reference symbols.

[0036] When the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 are in operation, i.e. when the wheels are rotating, the eighteen tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 18 transmit a tire pressure measurement D 1 to D 18 as well as an associated tire pressure sensor identification value J 1 ,..., J 18 to the respective assigned vehicle-specific receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 approximately every minute. When the vehicle is at rest or parked, or when the vehicle is turned off, or in a long-term traffic jam, each of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 18 only transmits a tire pressure measurement D 1 ,..., D 18 and an associated tire pressure sensor identification value J 1 ,..., J 18 every twelve hours, for example, to protect the integrated batteries. Different time intervals from one second up to 48 hours are also possible. Of the tire pressure values ​​D 1,...,D 18, Fig. 1 only the tire pressure measured values ​​D 7 and D 8 of the tire pressure sensors S 7 and S 8 on the two front wheels R 7 , R 8 of the middle, second vehicle F 2 are designated.

[0037] The on-board receiver module M 2 of the middle, second vehicle F 2 is primarily designed for wirelessly receiving tire pressure readings of the wheels R 7 ,..., R 12 of this middle, second vehicle F 2, measured by the tire pressure sensors S 7 ,..., S 12. The same applies to the receiver modules M 1 , M 3 of the first vehicle F 1 and the third vehicle F 3, as well as the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 6 and S 13 ,..., S 18 arranged on their wheels, which are not designated here.

[0038] Each tire pressure sensor S 1 ,...,S 18 can be a functional part of a compact sensor unit 80, which, in addition to the tire pressure sensor S 1 ,...,S 18, has a temperature sensor 74, a battery 72 and a transmitter 70 for wireless transmission of the measured tire pressure values ​​and temperature values ​​to the respective receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 by radio (see Fig. 2 ). The sensor units 80 are connected, for example, directly to the rim or tire of the respective wheel R 1 ,..., R 18 . The power supply to the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 is provided by an on-board electric battery, which has a comparatively high capacity. In trailer vehicles, an associated battery is integrated, for example, in the respective receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 .

[0039] In addition, the tire pressure measuring system 10 has a vehicle-external, stationary database 20, which can be operated by means of a powerful, vehicle-external computer 22. This vehicle-external database 20 contains a plurality of stored vehicle-specific values. The receiver module M 1 of the first vehicle F 1 is connected to the vehicle-external database 20 by means of a first bidirectional radio connection 30, the receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2 is connected by means of a second bidirectional radio connection 32, and the receiver module M 3 of the third vehicle F 3 is connected by means of a third bidirectional radio connection 34. For this purpose, the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 each have a radio transmission and reception unit (see Fig. 3 ). The vehicle-external computer 22 also has a central radio transmission and reception unit 40. The receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 as well as the bidirectional radio connections 30, 32, 34 can also be operated at least partially when the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 are parked or stationary, in particular when the ignition is inactive or the drive unit is switched off or not activated.

[0040] The database 20 can be organized with reserved memory areas in the form of a table 24. The table 24 contains, for each of the wheels R 1 ,..., R 18 of the three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , a uniquely assigned tire pressure measurement value D 1 ,..., D 18 , which is individually determined by the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 18 at defined time intervals, along with the associated identification values ​​J 1 ,..., J 18 of the respective tire pressure sensor S 1 ,..., S 18 of the wheels R 1 ,..., R 18 . In addition, the respective vehicle identification values ​​I 1 , I 2 , I 3 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 are stored in the table 24. The first tire pressure measurement value D 1 originates from the first tire pressure sensor S 1 with the first identification value J 1 , which is arranged on the first wheel R 1 of the first vehicle F 1 .The second tire pressure measurement value D 2 comes from the second tire pressure sensor S 2 with the second identification value J 2 , which is arranged on the second wheel R 2 of the second vehicle F 1 , and so on.

[0041] Accordingly, the first six wheels R 1 ,...,R 6 are assigned to the first vehicle F 1 with the vehicle identification value I 1 , the second six wheels R 7 ,...,R 12 are assigned to the second vehicle F 2 with the vehicle identification value I 2 , and the third six wheels R 13 ,...,R 18 are assigned to the third vehicle F 3 with the vehicle identification value I 3 . The vehicle identification values ​​I 1 , I 2 , I 3 and the identification values ​​J 1 ,...,J 18 of the sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 on the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 can be any digital sequence of numbers, letters, symbols and / or pictograms of suitable length.

[0042] Table 24 therefore allows a complete overview of all tire pressure measurements D 1 ,...,D 18 and thus of all tire pressures p 1 ,...,p 18 in all wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of the three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 at practically any time, even if individual tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 are at least temporarily or partially radio-shielded, in particular due to an unfavorable position of the respective rim or other chassis parts, and are therefore not receivable by the vehicle's own receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 assigned to them. This is because any measurement gaps that may arise as a result can easily be supplemented in Table 24 by tire pressure measurements received from the neighboring receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3. The identification values ​​J 1 ,...,J 18 of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 ensure their unambiguous assignment to the individual wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 and the values ​​measured therein by the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 determined tire pressure measurements D 1 ,...,D 18 of the tire air pressures p 1 ,...,p 18 are ensured.

[0043] The phenomenon of incomplete reception of the tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 by the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and the addition of missing tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 by means of Table 24 of the Fig. 1 will be explained in more detail below using examples.

[0044] The sensor signal of the tire pressure sensor S 7 of the left front wheel R 7 of the second vehicle F 2 can be received wirelessly in a first circular sector-shaped zone 50 only by the receiver module M 1 of the first vehicle F 1 and not by the actually assigned receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2. The situation is different for the sensor signal of the tire pressure sensor S 8 of the right front wheel R 8, arranged on the same vehicle axle, which can be received wirelessly in a second circular sector-shaped zone 52 by the receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2 and also by the receiver module M 3 of the third vehicle F 3. This is because the two zones 50, 52 each cover only an area of ​​approximately 270°. In this example, an angular range of approximately 90° is shaded or shielded wirelessly by chassis parts.

[0045] The wheels R 7 ,...,R 12 of the second vehicle F 2 or the rims and thus the tire pressure sensors S 7 ,...,S 12 are each in a different circumferential position, which is illustrated by black circle sections with a different height on the rims (these are drawn with a dashed line). As a result, the tire pressure measurement value D 7 of the tire pressure sensor S 7 on the left front wheel of the second vehicle F 2 in the arrangement of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 and the circumferential positions of the wheels R 7 ,...,R 12 according to Fig. 1 cannot be received by the receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2. However, this tire pressure measurement value D 7 of the tire pressure sensor S 7 of the second vehicle F 2 can be received without any problem by the receiver module M 1 of the first vehicle F 1, even though this tire pressure sensor S 7 does not belong to the first vehicle F 1.

[0046] By means of the first bidirectional radio connection 30 of the receiver module M 1 of the first vehicle F 1 from the first vehicle F 1 to the vehicle-external computer 22, the thus determined non-vehicle tire pressure value D 7 of the wheel R 7 of the second vehicle F 2, together with the associated identification value J 7 of this tire pressure sensor S 7 and the vehicle identification value I 2 of the second vehicle F 2, can be uploaded to the vehicle-external database 20 and stored in the table 24. This tire pressure value D 7 can then be downloaded as a copy from the database 20 to this second receiver module M 2 via the second bidirectional radio connection 32 of the receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2 provided for this purpose.The tire pressure value D 7 can then be stored in the receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2 to complete the tire pressure measurement values ​​of the second vehicle F 2 and for further use, such as for local display purposes by means of an on-board display unit of the second vehicle F 2 .

[0047] Due to the circumferential position of the right front wheel R 8 , the tire pressure sensor S 8 of the second front wheel R 8 of the second vehicle F 2 is not shaded by its rim or any chassis component, so that the tire pressure measurement value D 8 of this tire pressure sensor S 8 can be easily received by the designated second receiver module M 2 of the vehicle and also by the external receiver module M 3 of the adjacent third vehicle F 3 . However, reception by the receiver module M 1 of the first vehicle F 1 is clearly not possible.

[0048] As a result, in the case of at least two vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 arranged next to one another or one behind the other, the tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 of all wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of the at least two vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 can be determined seamlessly by means of the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 assigned to them through the interaction of all components, provided that the spatial arrangement of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 and the circumferential position of the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 in relation to one another as well as the radio reception of the tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 permit this, which will most likely be the case.

[0049] The bidirectional radio connections 30, 32, 34 between the individual receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and the transmitting and receiving unit 40 of the vehicle-external computer 22 can be implemented using a suitable radio transmission standard, such as mobile radio, WLAN, or the like. The use of a long-range radio transmission standard allows Germany-wide, Europe-wide, or even global use of the tire pressure measuring system for both stationary or parked or shut-off vehicles and moving vehicles. Even for vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 that are stationary in a traffic jam for a long time, tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,..., D 18 can be transferred to the vehicle-external database 20 for completion.

[0050] The tire pressure measured values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 of the individual wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of the three vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , representing the respective tire pressure values ​​p 1 ,...,p 18 in the vehicle-external database 20, can also be fed to a central, vehicle-external, and stationary display unit, which is not shown in the figures but is known per se. This makes it possible to realize a central overview display of all tire pressure measured values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 of the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of all vehicles, for example, in a forwarding office, a scheduling room, a workshop, or the like.

[0051] At least the directly ascertainable tire pressure values ​​D 1 ..., D 6 , and D 7 ,..., D 12 as well as D 13 ,..., D 18 of the respective vehicles can be stored in the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3. Tire pressure values ​​that cannot be directly ascertained due to radio shadowing can be downloaded from the vehicle-external database 20 with the aid of at least one of the bidirectional radio connections 30, 32, 34 to supplement missing values, if available, and stored in the relevant receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of the respective vehicle F 1 , F 2 , F 3.

[0052] Furthermore, using the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , the tire pressure readings of wheels stored in close proximity to these receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 but not shown in the figures can be determined using corresponding radio-communicating tire pressure sensors and uploaded to the vehicle-external database 20 for central evaluation. This allows, for example, tire pressure readings of wheels stored in a hall and not attached to a vehicle to be monitored.

[0053] In addition, an optimized parking order for vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 can be determined using the tire pressure measurements D 1 ,..., D 18 stored in the vehicle-external database 20 and displayed to the users of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 as a recommendation. If the second vehicle F 2 is used more frequently, for example, it can, as in Fig. 1 shown, be parked between the two other vehicles F 1 , F 3 , which are used less frequently than the second vehicle F 2 . As a result, the measured values ​​of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 6 of the first vehicle F 1 and the tire pressure sensors S 12 ,...,S 18 of the third vehicle F 3 can be read more frequently and more quickly by the receiver module M 2 of the middle vehicle F 2 , which is in use more frequently, and uploaded to the vehicle-external database 20. As a result, the tire pressure measured values ​​D 1 ,...,D 6 and D 12 ,...,D 18 of the two outer vehicles F 1 , F 3 are more up-to-date. In addition, the distances to be bridged by the radio connections between the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 6 and S 12 ,..., S 18 of the two outer vehicles F 1 , F 3 and the receiver module M 2 of the middle vehicle F 2 can be reduced.

[0054] The Fig. 2 shows a simplified longitudinal section through the left front wheel R 7 of the second vehicle F 2 according to Fig. 1 . The wheel R 7 has, among other things, a tubeless tire 60 mounted on a rim 62 rotatably mounted on an axle 64 of the chassis of the second vehicle F 2 (not shown here).

[0055] The tire pressure sensor S 7 belonging to this wheel R 7 is designed to measure the tire pressure p 7 within an approximately toroidal interior space 66 between the tire 60 and the rim 62. The tire pressure p 7 measured by the tire pressure sensor S 7 is preferably digitized and wirelessly transmitted as tire pressure measurement value D 7 by means of a transmitter 70 to the associated, on-board receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2. Furthermore, the transmitter 70, for physical reasons, scatters its signals into receiver modules of the neighboring vehicles F 1 , F 3 , which can often be used according to the invention to complete missing tire pressure measurement values. A particularly long-life battery 72, for example a lithium battery or the like, is used to supply power to the transmitter 70 and the tire pressure sensor S 7.The tire pressure sensor S7, the temperature sensor 74, the transmitter 70 including the antenna, and the battery 72 are functionally combined into a spatially compact sensor unit 80 for preferred mounting within the rim 62. Alternatively, the tire pressure sensor S7, the temperature sensor 74, the transmitter 70 including the antenna, and the battery 72 can also be laminated into the material of the tire 60.

[0056] The Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the receiver module M 2 according to Fig. 1 The receiver module M 2 of the second vehicle F 2 (not shown here) has a transmitting and receiving unit 100, by means of which the bidirectional radio connection 32 to the combined radio receiver and radio transmitter of the vehicle-external computer 22 is realized. The power supply can be provided by means of the electrical system of the second vehicle F 2 and / or autonomously by means of an optional battery 102 integrated into the receiver module M 2. Important in this context is that the receiver module M 2 and its bidirectional radio connection 32 can be activated at least temporarily and preferably at regular intervals by means of the vehicle's own battery or a battery integrated in the receiver module, even when the second vehicle F 2 is parked or in the idle state, in particular when the ignition is inactive or the drive unit is not running or the vehicle is without drive.

[0057] The Fig. 4 shows a flow chart of the method having the features of the invention for operating the tire pressure measuring system according to Fig. 1 . According to this flow chart, a method for operating the tire pressure measuring system 10 is divided into Fig. 1 into the following process steps: In the first process step a), the tire pressures p 1,...,p 18 of all wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 are measured by means of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 assigned to these wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 .

[0058] In the second process step b), the determined tire pressure measured values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 are sent wirelessly, i.e. by radio, together with an identification value J 1 ,...,J 18 of the respectively assigned tire pressure sensor S 1 ,...,S 18.

[0059] In the subsequent third method step c), the tire pressure measured values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 and identification values ​​J 1 ,...,J 18 of the respectively assigned tire pressure sensor S 1 ,...,S 18 are received wirelessly by means of the respective receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 , provided that the respective receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 can be reached by radio from the assigned tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 or the ambient conditions enable error-free reception.

[0060] Subsequently, in the fourth method step d), all tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,..., D 18 recorded by the respective receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 , together with the identification value J 1 ,..., J 18 of the respective tire pressure sensor S 1 ,..., S 18 and a vehicle identification value I 1 , I 2 , I 3 identifying the respective vehicle F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , are transmitted to a vehicle-external computer 22, and stored by the latter in a vehicle-external database 20. The transmission of these values ​​to the vehicle-external computer 22 takes place via bidirectional radio links 30, 32, 34 that can be established between the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and this computer 22.

[0061] With the aid of the vehicle-external database 20, in a fifth method step e), the tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 determined by the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 are clearly assigned to the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 .

[0062] With a sixth method step f), the tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 representing the tire pressures p 1 ,...,p 18 of the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of a selected vehicle F 1 , F 2 , F 3 can be retrieved as a copy from the vehicle-external database 20 by a user and / or any receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and can be used further.

[0063] According to an optional seventh method step g), it is provided that, after detecting an excessively low tyre pressure, a message is automatically sent to a designated person or a vehicle fleet operator, for example by email or by means of a social, electronic communication medium, indicating that it has been determined that a specific wheel on a specific vehicle has the measured, excessively low tyre pressure.

[0064] In addition, the tire pressure measurement values ​​D 1 ,...,D 18 can also be selectively downloaded from the database 20 to each receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 and, for example, brought to the attention of a user or driver by means of a local output unit. Accordingly, the tire pressure measurement values ​​of tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 18 shielded by chassis parts can also be determined with the aid of the receiver modules M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of neighboring vehicles, uploaded to the vehicle-external database 20, and from there downloaded to a receiver module M 1 , M 2 , M 3 of the vehicle to be monitored. This significantly improves the monitoring of the tire pressures p 1 ,...,p 18 of the wheels R 1 ,...,R 18 of all vehicles integrated into the tire pressure measuring system 10.

[0065] According to an advantageous development of the method, the tire pressure measurements D 1 ,..., D 18 stored in the vehicle-external database 20 are sent to a central display unit (not shown) and / or to another central, stationary computer via the bidirectional radio connections 30, 32, 34. This central display unit provides users with a constantly updated overview of the wheel pressures of the vehicles they operate.

[0066] The method for operating the tire pressure measuring system 10 also allows theft monitoring of the vehicles F 1 , F 2 , F 3 using this system. If, for example, the first vehicle F 1 is lost and its location is unknown, the relevant tire pressure values ​​D 1 ,...,D 6 , the associated identification values ​​J 1 ,...,J 6 of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...,S 6 and the vehicle identification value I 1 can be at least partially received by a third-party vehicle located in the vicinity, which also uses the tire pressure measuring system 10 according to the invention, and uploaded to the vehicle-external database by means of the receiver module of the third-party vehicle via its bidirectional radio connection.

[0067] The found vehicle can then be unequivocally identified as the first vehicle F 1 if, during a data comparison, it emerges that, for example, the uploaded identification values ​​J 1 ,..., J 6 of the tire pressure sensors S 1 ,..., S 6 and the vehicle identification values ​​I 1 , I 2 , I 3 of the found vehicle match those of vehicle F 1, and this vehicle F 1 is marked as missing in the vehicle-external database 20. The marking of vehicle F 1 can be done, for example, by means of a marker or a so-called flag within a correspondingly supplemented table 24. If this is the case, the found vehicle is unequivocally identified as the missing vehicle F 1.Its location can then be easily determined using the GPS coordinates of the other vehicle or the vehicle being found, which are usually always known through remote monitoring or telematics.

[0068] The theft detection function works reliably even if the lost vehicle F1 is without power, which could be the case, for example, if the vehicle's battery was disconnected or tampered with during a theft. Only if all wheels with the tire pressure sensors installed were replaced with wheels without sensors would the indirect-passive tracking described above no longer be possible without a functioning GPS system in the stolen vehicle. List of reference symbols (part of the description)

[0069] 10Tire pressure measuring system 12Subsurface 20Vehicle-external database 22Vehicle-external computer 24Table in the database 30First bidirectional radio connection 32Second bidirectional radio connection 34Third bidirectional radio connection 40Transmitter and receiver unit on the vehicle-external computer 50First signal reception zone 52Second signal reception zone 60Tire 62Rim 64Vehicle axle 66Interior space between rim and tire 70Transmitter 72Battery 74Temperature sensor 80Sensor unit 100Transmitter and receiver unit 102Battery D 1 ,...,D 18 Tire pressure measurement value of the respective tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...S 18 F 1 First vehicle; wheeled vehicle F 2 Second vehicle; wheeled vehicle F 3 Third vehicle; Wheeled vehicle I 1 Vehicle identification value of a first vehicle I 2 Vehicle identification value of a second vehicle I 3 Vehicle identification value of a third vehicle J 1 ,...,J 18 Identification value of the respective tire pressure sensors S 1 ,...S 18 M 1 Receiver module on the first vehicle M 2 Receiver module on the second vehicle M 3 Receiver module on the third vehicle R 1 ,...,R 6 Wheels of the first vehicle R 7 ,...,R 12 Wheels of the second vehicle R 13 ,...,R 18 Wheels of the third vehicle p 1 ,...,p 18 Tire pressures on the respective wheels R 1 to R 18 S 1 ,...,S 18 Tire pressure sensors on the respective wheels R 1 to R 18.

Claims

1. Tire pressure measuring system (10) for vehicles (F1, F2, F3), such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers and / or trailer vehicles, - wherein each wheel (R1,...,R18) of a vehicle (F1, F2, F3) has a tire pressure sensor (S1,...,S18), a transmitter (70) and a battery (72), and - wherein the vehicle (F1, F2, F3) is equipped with an electronic, radio receiver module (M1, M2, M3) which is designed to wirelessly receive tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) measured by the tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18), - wherein in the case of at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3) arranged next to one another, one behind the other or one above the other, the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) of all wheels (R1,...,R18) of the at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3) can be received via radio by means of the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) associated with the vehicles (F1, F2, F3), provided that the arrangement of the vehicles (F1, F2, F3) as well as the arrangement of components of the vehicles (F1, F2, F3) and the receivability of the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) make this possible without radio shadowing, - wherein the receiver module (M1, M2, M3) of the relevant vehicle (F1, F2, F3) can be connected at least temporarily to a vehicle-external electronic database (20) by means of a bidirectional radio connection (30, 32, 34), and - wherein a vehicle identification value (I1, I2, I3) assigned to the relevant vehicle (F1, F2, F3), as well as the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) of the wheels (R1,...,R18) that correspond to this vehicle (F1, F2, F3) and identification values (J1,...,J18) of the respective tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18) of the at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3) can be transferred to the vehicle-external database (20) by means of the bidirectional radio connection (30, 32, 34), characterized in that - the vehicle identification values (I1, I2, I3), the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) and the identification values (J1,...,J18) of the tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18) from the vehicle-external database (20) can be queried and received at least by the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) by means of the respective bidirectional radio connections (30, 32, 34).

2. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the database (20) can be operated by means of a vehicle-external computer (22) such that the vehicle identification values (I1, I2, I3) of all vehicles (F1, F2, F3) which use this tire pressure measuring system (10), as well as identification values (J1,...,J18) of the tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18) of these vehicles (F1, F2, F3) and the determined and corresponding tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) can be saved in this database (20).

3. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the bidirectional radio connections (30, 32, 34) between the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) and the database (20) are provided by means of transmitters and receivers having the features of a radio transmission standard.

4. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the tire pressure measuring system (10) is designed such that the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) and the bidirectional radio connections (30, 32, 34) can be activated at least temporarily even when vehicles (F1, F2, F3) are not in use and the ignition is inactive.

5. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the bidirectional radio connections (30, 32, 34) are provided by means of a transmitting and receiving unit (100) integrated in each of the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3).

6. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) of the vehicles (F1, F2, F3) that are saved in the vehicle-external database (20) can be supplied to at least one vehicle-external display unit.

7. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) that can be determined directly can be saved in the receiver module (M1, M2, M3) of a vehicle (F1, F2, F3), and in that the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) of this vehicle (F1, F2, F3) that cannot be determined directly can be queried and received by the vehicle-external database (20) by means of the bidirectional radio connection (30, 32, 34), and can be saved in the receiver module (M1, M2, M3) of the inquiring vehicle (F1, F2, F3).

8. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, by means of the receiver module (M1, M2, M3) of at least one vehicle (F1, F2, F3), the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) of wheels stored independently of the vehicle, in close proximity to the receiver module (M1, M2, M3), can be determined using tire pressure sensors, and can be transferred to the vehicle-external database (20) for central evaluation.

9. Tire pressure measuring system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, by means of the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) saved in the vehicle-external database (20) or the identification values (J1,...,J18) of the tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18), as well as using an optimization algorithm saved on a computer (22), an optimized parking order of the at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3) can be identified and displayed.

10. Method for determining tire pressures (p1,...,p18) of the wheels (R1,...,R18) of at least two vehicles arranged in close proximity to one another (F1, F2, F3), such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tractors, semi-trailers and / or trailer vehicles, - wherein each wheel (R1,...,R18) of a vehicle (F1, F2, F3) has a tire pressure sensor (S1,...,S18), a transmitter (70) and a battery (72), and - wherein the vehicle (F1, F2, F3) is equipped with an electronic, radio receiver module (M1, M2, M3) which is designed to wirelessly receive tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) measured by the tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18), comprising the following steps: a) measuring the tire pressures (p1,...,p18) of all wheels (R1,...,R18) of the at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3) by means of tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18) associated with these wheels (R1,...,R18), b) wirelessly sending the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) together with an identification value (J1,...,J18) of the relevant associated tire pressure sensor (S1,...,S18), c) receiving these tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) and identification values (J1,...,J18) by means of the relevant receiver module (M1, M2, M3), provided that this receiver module (M1, M2, M3) can be reached by the associated tire pressure sensors (S1,...,S18) without radio shadowing, d) transmitting all tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) recorded by the relevant receiver module (M1, M2, M3) together with the identification value (J1,...,J18) of the relevant tire pressure sensor (S1,...,S18) and a vehicle identification value (I1, I2, I3) identifying the relevant vehicle (F1, F2, F3) to a vehicle-external database (20) using a bidirectional radio connection (30, 32, 34) which can be established between each of the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) and this database (20), e) assigning the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) determined by the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) of the at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3) to the wheels (R1,...,R18) of the at least two vehicles (F1, F2, F3), and f) retrieval of the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18), representing the tire pressures (p1,...,p18) of the wheels (R1,...,R18) of a selected vehicle (F1, F2, F3), from the database (20) by a user, characterized in that the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) saved in the vehicle-external database (20) are automatically and vehicle-specifically transferred back to the receiver modules (M1, M2, M3) of the respective vehicles (F1, F2, F3) using the bidirectional radio connections (30, 32, 34).

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that, following detection of a tire air pressure that is too low, a message is sent automatically, in particular by email or by means of a social, electronic communication medium, to a designated person or to a vehicle fleet operator that a specific wheel on a specific vehicle has the measured tire air pressure that is too low.

12. Method according to either claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that the tire pressure measured values (D1,...,D18) saved in the vehicle-external database (20) are transferred to a central, stationary display unit using a bidirectional radio connection.