Method for identifying and locating the wheel units of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for identifying and locating the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of a motor vehicle (10) which is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, the method successively comprising at least one requesting step during which the central unit (12) emits a requesting signal to the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), each requested wheel unit (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) responding by emitting a location signal to the central unit (12), and a step of identifying and locating the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) during which the central unit (12) analyzes each location signal received, and establishes a correspondence between each location signal received and a reference signal chosen from a predefined panel of reference signals. Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Method for identifying and locating the wheel units of a motor vehicle Technical field

[0001] The present patent application relates to a motor vehicle equipped with a plurality of wheel units belonging to a tire pressure monitoring system and more particularly to a method for identifying and locating these wheel units. Prior art

[0002] For safety purposes, it is known to equip a motor vehicle with a monitoring system known as "TPMS", the English acronym for "Tyre Pressure Monitoring System", or in French "Tire Pressure Monitoring System".

[0003] Such a monitoring system, which is for example described in document FR3045498, generally comprises a central computing unit mounted on the vehicle and wheel units which each equip an associated wheel of the vehicle.

[0004] The central unit includes an electronic calculator known as “ECU”, the English acronym for “Electronic Control Unit”.

[0005] Also, the vehicle's central unit is equipped with a radio receiver adapted to communicate with each wheel unit.

[0006] Each wheel unit is responsible for regularly acquiring the physical quantities representative of operating parameters of the associated wheel, in particular to detect an anomaly of the associated wheel.

[0007] In addition, each wheel unit transmits, to the central unit of the vehicle, messages comprising pressure, temperature and acceleration data of the associated wheel, as well as an identifier of the transmitting wheel unit.

[0008] For this purpose, each wheel unit comprises a tire inflation pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an accelerometer and a radio transmitter.

[0009] Furthermore, each wheel unit is equipped with a battery for power supply and a microcontroller comprising a data storage memory and a microprocessor.

[0010] Upon receipt of this data by the vehicle's central unit, in the event of a significant deviation in pressure from the pressure recommended by the manufacturer, the TPMS system will warn the driver of the vehicle of under-inflation of one of the wheels, by means of an alert message displayed on the vehicle's dashboard, for example.

[0011] The TPMS system must be configured when new wheel units are installed on the motor vehicle, in particular when the vehicle is still in the manufacturing plant or during the life of the motor vehicle when replacing the wheel units.

[0012] This configuration of the TPMS system requires learning which makes it possible to associate the identifier of each wheel unit with the vehicle which carries them.

[0013] In addition, the TPMS system must locate each associated wheel unit on the vehicle, i.e. associate the identifier of each wheel unit with one of the wheels of the vehicle, so that the central unit can communicate with the desired wheel unit.

[0014] In the event that the wheel unit is not correctly associated with its identifier, the central unit will not recognize the wheel unit and will signal a fault, generally in the form of a fault message intended for the driver of the vehicle.

[0015] The fault message results in customer dissatisfaction and a maintenance step for the motor vehicle.

[0016] The association of the identifier of each wheel unit with the vehicle which carries them can be carried out manually via a diagnostic tool which communicates with each wheel unit.

[0017] Also, a so-called low-frequency identification and location method is known, which makes it possible to interrogate each wheel unit by name when the vehicle is stationary.

[0018] This type of low frequency location method involves the use of low frequency transmitters which emit a modulated low frequency field at 125 kHz and which are called LF transmitters for "Low Frequency", or LF antennas.

[0019] Low frequency transmitters have the advantage of being able to vary the transmission distance depending on the power applied to the transmission antenna. These are called field "bubbles".

[0020] With several low frequency transmitters, the detection of the wheel units can be managed by the intersection of the field bubbles.

[0021] This type of low frequency location method has the disadvantage of having to place low frequency transmitters on the vehicle.

[0022] Furthermore, this type of low frequency localization method can lead to errors in associating the wheel units with the vehicle, for example if another vehicle is located in the vicinity.

[0023] Indeed, during the interrogation of the wheel units, each message received by each wheel unit receiver will be considered valid.

[0024] A type of method for locating the wheels of a vehicle by angular correlation is also known, such as in particular the methods described in documents EP-0806306, EP-0895879, FR-3069192 and FR-2974033, the principle of which is based on the correlation existing between the signals delivered by an angular sensor fitted to a wheel unit of a wheel and the signals delivered by a speed sensor mounted on the vehicle near that wheel.

[0025] Typically, this type of angular correlation method relies on signals delivered by the speed sensors of an active safety system such as an anti-lock braking system known as “ABS” and a dynamic stability control system known as “ESP”.

[0026] However, this type of angular correlation method has the disadvantage of being carried out only when the vehicle is moving for a certain time. Statement of the invention

[0027] The present invention aims in particular to propose a method for identifying and locating the wheel units of a stationary motor vehicle, without restrictive interrogation, that is to say without management of an emission field bubble localized to a wheel zone.

[0028] Another object of the invention is to propose a method which does not require an additional dedicated or diverted interrogation system, of the low-frequency transmitter type described previously.

[0029] This objective, as well as others which will become apparent upon reading the following description, is achieved with a method for identifying and locating the wheel units of a motor vehicle which is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, said monitoring system comprising at least: • a central computing unit which includes a radio communication device, and • a plurality of wheel units which are each mounted on an associated wheel of the motor vehicle, and which each comprise a radio communication device adapted to transmit and receive messages with the central unit, the method being characterized in that it successively comprises at least: • a solicitation step during which the central unit emits a solicitation signal to the wheel units mounted on the motor vehicle, each solicited wheel unit responding by emitting a location signal to the central unit, • a reception step during which the central unit receives each location signal emitted by the wheel units during the previous step, and • a step of identification and localization of the wheel units during which the central unit analyzes each localization signal received, and establishes a correspondence between each localization signal received and a signal of reference chosen from a predefined panel of reference signals, each reference signal being characteristic of the location of one of the wheel units, said correspondence being based on at least one property of the location signals received.

[0030] According to other optional characteristics of the invention, taken alone or in combination:

[0031] - said property of the localization signal concerns the phase variation as a function the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit. In fact, the phase characteristics vary according to the transmission channel used by the signal, and therefore vary according to the position of the signal transmitter, so that the method makes it possible to locate the wheel unit which transmits the signal;

[0032] - said property of the location signal concerns the variation in power in function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit. Indeed, the power of a signal varies according to the transmission channel it uses, and therefore varies according to the position of the signal transmitter, so that the method makes it possible to locate the wheel unit which emits the signal;

[0033] - during the identification and localization step, the central unit establishes the cor correspondence between each received location signal and one of said reference signals by means of a machine learning method;

[0034] - the monitoring system comprises a plurality of angle sensors which are each associated with a wheel unit to determine the angular position of the associated wheel unit, and during the identification and location step, the central unit establishes the correspondence between each location signal received and a reference signal chosen from said predefined panel of reference signals, in particular as a function of the angular position of the transmitting wheel unit provided by said associated angle sensor. Indeed, the angular position of transmission of the wheel unit affects the properties of the signal concerned;

[0035] - the radio communication devices of each wheel unit and of the central unit operate according to the Bluetooth® standard, so that each communication device is suitable for transmitting and receiving signals;

[0036] - during the step of soliciting the wheel units, the central unit increases the transmission power of said request signal progressively by iteration, until reaching the wheel units of the motor vehicle 10, to limit the range of said request signal to the environment of said vehicle;

[0037] - during the step of soliciting the wheel units, the transmission power of the request signal emitted by the central unit is limited to a predetermined value sufficient to reach the wheel units of the motor vehicle, to limit the risk of requesting a wheel unit which does not belong to the motor vehicle;

[0038] - the method includes a confirmation step which is carried out following the loca lisation of at least a first wheel unit and a second wheel unit, and during which: • the first localized wheel unit transmits a localization signal to the second localized wheel unit, • the second wheel unit receives the location signal transmitted by the first wheel unit, and transmits said received location signal to the central unit for analysis, and • the central unit establishes a correspondence between said location signal transmitted by the second wheel unit and a reference signal chosen from said panel of reference signals, in order to confirm the location of said first wheel unit transmitting the location signal, said correspondence being based on at least one property of said location signal;

[0039] - the method is capable of being implemented when said motor vehicle is at the stop.

[0040] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle which comprises at least one central unit and a plurality of wheel units duly programmed to implement the method of the type described above. Brief description of the drawings

[0041] Other characteristics, aims and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:

[0042] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a schematic top view of a motor vehicle which implements the method for identifying and locating the wheel units of the motor vehicle, according to the invention;

[0043] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a view similar to that of [Fig.l], which illustrates the implementation implementation of the confirmation step of the method according to the invention;

[0044] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a flowchart that illustrates the sequence of steps in the method according to the invention;

[0045] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a graph with the abscissa axis representing the channels communication graduated in mega Hertz (MHz) and the ordinate axis graduated in degrees of angle (°), representative of the phase variation as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit and emitted from the first left front wheel unit;

[0046] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a graph with the abscissa axis representing the channels communication graduated in mega Hertz (MHz) and the ordinate axis graduated in degrees of angle (°), representative of the phase variation as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit and transmitted from the second unit right front wheel;

[0047] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a graph with the abscissa axis representing the communication channels graduated in mega Hertz (MHz) and the ordinate axis graduated in decibel (dB), representative of the variation in power as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit and emitted from the first left front wheel unit;

[0048] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a graph with the abscissa axis representing the channels communication graduated in mega Hertz (MHz) and the ordinate axis graduated in decibels (dB), representative of the variation in power as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit and emitted from the first unit right front wheel.

[0049] Throughout these figures, identical or similar elements are identified by identical or similar reference signs. Description of the embodiments

[0050] [Fig.l] schematically shows a motor vehicle 10 according to the invention, which comprises a central unit 12 and a tire pressure monitoring system known by the English acronym “TPMS”, for “Tyre Pressure Monitoring System”.

[0051] The monitoring system comprises a first wheel unit 14a which equips a left front wheel 16a of the motor vehicle 10, a second wheel unit 14b which equips a right front wheel 16b, a third wheel unit 14c which equips a right rear wheel 16c and a fourth wheel unit 14d which equips a left rear wheel 16d.

[0052] In order not to complicate the description, only the first front left wheel unit 14a is described below, the four wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d having a similar design and operation.

[0053] The front left wheel unit 14a comprises a housing which contains a microcontroller equipped with a processor, a battery, a memory and a set of sensors dedicated to measuring operating parameters of the wheel unit 14a.

[0054] This set of sensors comprises for example a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor capable of measuring the inflation pressure of the tire of the associated front left wheel 16a.

[0055] The measurements taken by the sensors are transmitted to the central unit 12 of the motor vehicle 10.

[0056] For this purpose, the front left wheel unit 14a comprises a radio communication device 18 which comprises a transmitter and a receiver.

[0057] Similarly, the central unit 12 comprises a radio communication device 20 which is adapted to communicate with each of the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d and which also comprises a transmitter and a receiver.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment, the communication device 18 of each wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d and the communication device 20 of the central unit 12 each operate according to the Bluetooth® standard which allows a short-distance bidirectional exchange of data using radio waves.

[0059] Also, each wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d is associated with an angle sensor 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d respectively, which makes it possible to measure the angular position of the associated wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, and to transmit it to the central unit 12.

[0060] The expression "angular position" refers to the measurement of the rotation of the wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d around the axis of rotation of the associated wheel 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, this measurement being carried out in degrees or radians.

[0061] In addition, the central unit 12 of the motor vehicle 10 comprises an electronic computer 22 and a memory 24.

[0062] The central unit 12 of the motor vehicle 10 and the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d are duly programmed to implement a method for the identification and location of the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, in accordance with the invention, the sequence of steps of which is illustrated in [Fig.3].

[0063] The method according to the invention comprises a first solicitation step E1 during which the central unit 12 emits a solicitation signal for the attention of the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d mounted on the motor vehicle 10.

[0064] Each requested wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d responds by transmitting a location signal to the central unit 12, by means of the associated communication device.

[0065] The solicitation step E1 is followed by a reception step E2 during which the central unit 12 receives each location signal emitted by the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d during the previous solicitation step EL.

[0066] After receiving the location signals, the central unit 12 executes an identification and location step E3 during which the central unit 12 analyzes each location signal and establishes a correspondence between each location signal received and a reference signal chosen from a panel of predefined reference signals recorded in the memory 24 of the central unit 12.

[0067] Each reference signal is characteristic of the location of a wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d whereby the central unit 12 can, by association, identify and locate each wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d emitting the associated location signal.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the correspondence between each signal received location signal and an associated reference signal is based on two properties of the received location signals.

[0069] A first property of the location signal concerns the phase variation as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit 12, this phase variation being equivalent to a signature which is characteristic of the origin of the location signal.

[0070] This aspect is illustrated by the graph in [Fig.4] which represents the phase variation as a function of the frequency of the location signal SI received by the central unit 12, and emitted from the first wheel unit 14a of the associated left front wheel 16a.

[0071] Also, the graph of [Fig.5] represents the phase variation as a function of the frequency of the location signal S2 received by the central unit 12, and emitted from the second wheel unit 14b of the associated right front wheel 16b.

[0072] In this exemplary embodiment, the Bluetooth® communication uses a frequency band of 80 mega Hertz between 2402 and 2480 mega Hertz, or forty channels spaced two mega Hertz apart.

[0073] As a non-limiting example, it should be noted that the communication devices can operate using other technologies which provide information on the transmission channel in amplitude and phase, for example in Wifi or Ultra Wide Band UWB.

[0074] Furthermore, a second property of the location signal concerns the variation in power as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit 12, this variation in power being equivalent to a signature which is characteristic of the origin of the location signal.

[0075] This aspect is illustrated by the graph in [Fig.6] which represents the variation in power of the location signal SI received by the central unit 12, and transmitted from the first wheel unit 14a of the associated left front wheel 16a.

[0076] Also, the graph of [Fig.7] represents the variation in power of the location signal S2 received by the central unit 12, and emitted from the second wheel unit 14b of the associated right front wheel 16b.

[0077] It is noted that the location signals SI, S2 are different.

[0078] In fact, each signal uses a transmission channel which constitutes the path by which the data are transmitted between the transmitter and the receiver of said signal, for example between a wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d and the central unit 12.

[0079] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], a first channel C1 extends between the first wheel unit 14a and the central unit 12, a second channel C2 extends between the second wheel unit 14b and the central unit 12, a third channel C3 extends between the third wheel unit 14c and the central unit 12 and a fourth channel C4 extends between the fourth wheel unit 14d and the central unit 12.

[0080] It will therefore be understood that the signals which are transmitted between the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d and the central unit 12, or between the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d between them, each transit through a different transmission channel, so that the properties of each location signal are affected in a way specific to the transmission channel used.

[0081] Furthermore, the properties of the location signal are also linked to the angular position of the transmitting wheel unit 14a, and therefore of the associated wheel 16a.

[0082] Consequently, the central unit 12 establishes the correspondence between the received location signal and the corresponding reference signal, also as a function of the angular position of the wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d provided by the associated angle sensor 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d.

[0083] It will be noted that the panel of reference signals, which makes it possible to establish a correspondence between each location signal received and a reference signal, is common to the vehicles of the same model, thanks to which it is not necessary to develop this panel for each vehicle of the same model.

[0084] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the solicitation step E1, the reception step E2 and the identification and location step E3 rely on a function called “channel sounding” which is known by the English terminology “channel sounding” and which is specific to Bluetooth® technology.

[0085] The "channel sounding" function is generally implemented to measure the quality and conditions of a transmission channel, including interference, noise and other parameters, as well as to measure a distance between a transmitter and a receiver.

[0086] In this exemplary embodiment of the invention, the establishment of the correspondence between the location signal received by the central unit 12 and a reference signal is based on a machine learning method, a method better known under the English name “machine learning”.

[0087] For this purpose, an algorithm is trained with labeled data which includes signals representative of the location of each wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, at different angular positions, for a given vehicle type.

[0088] Once trained, the algorithm is used by the central unit 12 during the identification and localization step E3.

[0089] The method according to the invention can fulfill two functions, namely a first location function and a second association function.

[0090] The first location function makes it possible to locate the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d during the life of the motor vehicle 10, knowing that at this stage the central unit 12 knows the identifiers of each wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d.

[0091] For this purpose, the method according to the invention solicits one of the wheel units in a no minative with its identifier and analyzes the location signal received in return, to associate the identifier of each wheel unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d with the position of the corresponding wheel 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d of the motor vehicle 10, for example the first wheel unit 14a with the front left wheel 16a.

[0092] This first function is for example used during a permutation of the wheels 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d of the motor vehicle 10.

[0093] The second function of the method according to the invention makes it possible to associate the identifiers of the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d with a motor vehicle 10, while the central unit 12 does not know the identifiers of the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d.

[0094] This association function is for example carried out when the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d are mounted for the first time on the vehicle in the manufacturing plant.

[0095] According to the invention, this second association function is optimized in the following manner.

[0096] During the solicitation step E1, the central unit 12 increases the transmission power of the solicitation signal progressively by iteration, until it reaches all the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the motor vehicle 10, to limit the range of the solicitation signal to the environment of the motor vehicle 10.

[0097] This characteristic aims to limit the range of the request signal to the environment of the motor vehicle 10 so as not to request wheel units which do not belong to the motor vehicle 10.

[0098] Similarly, according to an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, the second association function can be optimized by limiting the transmission power of the request signal transmitted by the central unit 12, to a predetermined value sufficient to reach all the wheel units 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the motor vehicle 10, in order to limit the risk of requesting a wheel unit which does not belong to the motor vehicle 10.

[0099] In addition, the method according to the invention comprises a confirmation step E4 which is carried out between two previously located wheel units, for example the first front left wheel unit 14a and the second front right wheel unit 14b, and between the third rear right wheel unit 14c and the fourth rear left wheel unit 14d, as illustrated in [Fig.2].

[0100] During the confirmation step E4, the first located wheel unit 14a transmits a location signal to the second located wheel unit 14b through a fifth transmission channel C5.

[0101] The second wheel unit 14b receives the location signal emitted by the first wheel unit 14a, and transmits the received location signal to the central unit 12 which executes the identification and location step E3, so that the central unit 12 establishes a correspondence between said location signal and a reference signal chosen from the reference signal panel, in order to confirm the location of the first wheel unit 14a transmitting the location signal.

[0102] Symmetrically, the second located wheel unit 14b transmits a location signal to the first located wheel unit 14a through the fifth transmission channel C5, to confirm the location of the first wheel unit 14a.

[0103] This confirmation step E4 is repeated with the third wheel unit 14c located and the fourth wheel unit 14d located.

[0104] The method according to the present invention has numerous advantages.

[0105] Indeed, the method can be implemented when the motor vehicle 10 is at the stop.

[0106] Furthermore, the method according to the invention does not require an additional device, unlike a low-frequency type location method according to the prior art, which involves the use of low-frequency transmitters, or low-frequency antennas.

[0107] Naturally, the invention is described in the above by way of example. It is understood that those skilled in the art are able to carry out different variant embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for identifying and locating the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of a motor vehicle (10) which is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, said monitoring system comprising at least: • a central computing unit (12) which comprises a radio communication device (20), and • a plurality of wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) which are each mounted on an associated wheel (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) of the motor vehicle (10), and which each comprise a radio communication device (18) adapted to transmit and receive messages with the central unit (12), the method being characterized in that it successively comprises at least: • a solicitation step (El) during which the central unit (12) transmits a solicitation signal to the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) mounted on the motor vehicle (10), each wheel unit (14a, 14b, 14c,14d) requested responding by transmitting a location signal to the central unit (12), • a reception step (E2) during which the central unit (12) receives each location signal transmitted by the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) during the previous step, and • a step of identification and location (E3) of the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) during which the central unit (12) analyzes each location signal received, and establishes a correspondence between each location signal received and a reference signal chosen from a predefined panel of reference signals, each reference signal being characteristic of the location of one of the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), said correspondence being based on at least one property of the location signals received.,

2. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to claim 1, characterized in that said property of the loca- signal lization concerns the phase variation as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit (12).

3. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said property of the location signal relates to the variation in power as a function of the frequency of the location signal received by the central unit (12).

4. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the identification and locating step, the central unit (12) establishes the correspondence between each location signal received and one of said reference signals by means of a machine learning method.

5. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring system comprises a plurality of angle sensors (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) which are each associated with a wheel unit (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) to determine the angular position of the associated wheel unit, and in that during the identification and locating step, the central unit (12) establishes the correspondence between each location signal received and a reference signal chosen from said predefined panel of reference signals, in particular as a function of the angular position of the transmitting wheel unit (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) provided by said associated angle sensor (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d).

6. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radio communication devices (18, 20) of each wheel unit (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and of the central unit (12) operate according to the Bluetooth® standard, so that each communication device (18, 20) is adapted to transmit and receive signals.

7. Method for identifying and locating the wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the step of soliciting the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the central unit (12) increases the transmission power of said solicitation signal progressively by iteration, until reaching the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of the motor vehicle 10, to limit the range of said solicitation signal to the environment of said vehicle.

8. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that during the step of soliciting the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the transmission power of the solicitation signal emitted by the central unit (12) is limited to a predetermined value sufficient to reach the wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of the motor vehicle (10), to limit the risk of soliciting a wheel unit which does not belong to the motor vehicle (10).

9. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a confirmation step (E4) which is carried out following the location of at least a first wheel unit (14a) and a second wheel unit (14b), and during which: • the first wheel unit (14a) located emits a location signal to the second wheel unit (14b) located, • the second wheel unit (14b) receives the location signal emitted by the first wheel unit (14b), and transmits said received location signal to the central unit (12) for analysis, and • the central unit (12) establishes a correspondence between said location signal transmitted by the second wheel unit (14b) and a reference signal chosen from said panel of reference signals,in order to confirm the location of said first wheel unit (14a) emitting the location signal, said correspondence being based on at least one property of said location signal.,

10. Method for identifying and locating wheel units according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is capable of being implemented when said motor vehicle (10) is stationary.

11. A motor vehicle (10) which comprises at least one central unit (12) and a plurality of wheel units (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) duly programmed to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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