Device and method for wirelessly reading and programming tyre pressure sensors

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication device (2) for wirelessly reading and / or programming tyre pressure sensors (4), the communication device being designed to: search for radio signals emitted by tyre pressure sensors (4) located in the vicinity of the communication device (2) upon starting the communication device (2); receive tyre pressure sensor data from the tyre pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received, and store the received tyre pressure sensor data in a memory device (14); display to a user the tyre pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received, to enable selection by the user; receive the selection by the user of at least one of the displayed tyre pressure sensors (4); and display at least part of the tyre pressure sensor data received from the at least one selected tyre pressure sensor (4) and / or transmit data to the at least one selected tyre pressure sensor (4) in order to program the at least one selected tyre pressure sensor (4).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title and method for wireless reading and ing of

[0003] Tire pressure sensors

[0004] The invention relates to a device and a method for wirelessly reading and programming tire pressure sensors installed in the tires of motor vehicles.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] Modern motor vehicles are often equipped with electronic tire pressure sensors installed in the vehicle's tires. Such tire pressure sensors measure, for example, the air pressure, temperature, and acceleration in the respective tire and transmit the data via radio signals containing information about the measured sensor data. The radio signals can be received by a corresponding readout device. In this way, the air pressure in the vehicle's tires, for example, can be easily and conveniently measured and monitored.

[0007] The tire pressure sensors used here can be "universal sensors" that are used in a wide variety of vehicles. Therefore, the tire pressure sensors must be programmed in the workshop for the specific vehicle application, or additional characteristics such as tire size and type can be programmed into the sensor.

[0008] To reduce energy consumption and thus increase the service life of electronic tire pressure sensors, these sensors transmit their radio signals only at specified time intervals. This can result in waiting times when reading and programming tire pressure sensors until a tire pressure sensor to be read transmits its radio signal and this radio signal can be received by the reading device. It is an object of the invention to reduce waiting times when reading and programming wirelessly readable electronic tire pressure sensors.

[0009] Disclosure of the invention

[0010] The invention comprises a method for wirelessly reading and programming tire pressure sensors, the method comprising, with a communication device, immediately after starting the communication device, searching for radio signals and receiving radio signals emitted by tire pressure sensors located in the vicinity of the device; receiving tire pressure sensor data from the tire pressure sensors from which radio signals have been received and storing the received tire pressure sensor data in a storage device; displaying the tire pressure sensors from which radio signals have been received to a user for selection; and accepting a user selection for at least one of the displayed tire pressure sensors.The method further comprises at least partially displaying the tire pressure sensor data, in particular tire pressure data, received from the at least one selected tire pressure sensor and / or transmitting data to the at least one selected tire pressure sensor in order to program it for the intended application.

[0011] The invention comprises a communication device for wirelessly reading and programming tire pressure sensors, wherein the communication device is configured to search for radio signals immediately after starting the communication device and to receive radio signals emitted by tire pressure sensors located in the vicinity of the communication device; to receive tire pressure sensor data from the tire pressure sensors from which radio signals have been received and to store the received tire pressure sensor data in a storage device; to display the tire pressure sensors from which radio signals have been received to a user for selection; and to accept the user's selection for at least one of the displayed tire pressure sensors.The communication device is also designed to at least partially display the tire pressure sensor data, in particular tire pressure data, received from the at least one selected tire pressure sensor and / or to transmit data to the at least one selected tire pressure sensor in order to program it for the intended application.

[0012] Because, in a method according to the invention, which is carried out by a device according to the invention, the tire pressure sensor data transmitted by all tire pressure sensors located in the vicinity of the communication device are received and stored before the user has selected at least one of the tire pressure sensors, the desired tire pressure sensor data are immediately available to the user and programming of the selected tire pressure sensors can begin immediately as soon as the user has made his selection.

[0013] In particular, after selecting at least one tire pressure sensor, the user of a communication device according to the invention does not have to wait until the tire pressure sensor data is retransmitted by the at least one selected tire pressure sensor. Reading and programming the tire pressure sensors can be significantly accelerated and simplified in this way.

[0014] In one embodiment, the tire pressure sensor data includes a unique sensor identification, for example, a MAC address, of the tire pressure sensor that transmits the respective tire pressure sensor data. The received tire pressure sensor data can thus be uniquely assigned to one of the tire pressure sensors.

[0015] In one embodiment, the tire pressure sensor data is transmitted, for example, via a Bluetooth® data connection. Bluetooth® data connections have proven well-suited for transmitting data between tire pressure sensors and communication devices. In particular, the data can be transmitted via a Bluetooth® Low Energy data connection ("BLE data connection") to keep the energy consumption of the tire pressure sensors as low as possible.

[0016] In one embodiment, the tire pressure sensors, of which

[0017] Radio signals have been received, sorted by the communication device according to the reception strength of the received radio signals and displayed in the order of reception strength. The received radio signals can in particular be sorted and displayed in descending order of their reception strength.

[0018] Since the reception strength of the received radio signals generally decreases with the distance between the tire pressure sensors transmitting the radio signals and the communication device, the tire pressure sensors located near the communication device, and therefore with a higher probability of being of interest, are displayed before those located farther away from the communication device. This further simplifies and improves the selection of the desired tire pressure sensors.

[0019] In one embodiment, the communication device comprises a screen that allows the user to display all tire pressure sensors from which radio signals have been received for selection.

[0020] In one embodiment, the communication device also comprises an input device, for example a keyboard, which makes it possible to receive an input from the user, in particular a selection of at least one of the tire pressure sensors from which tire pressure sensor data has been received, so that the tire pressure sensor data received from the selected tire pressure sensor can be displayed.

[0021] In one embodiment, the screen of the communication device is designed as a touchscreen, which allows for user input, in particular the selection of at least one of the tire pressure sensors from which tire pressure sensor data has been received. With the aid of a touchscreen, the selection of at least one of the tire pressure sensors can be carried out particularly conveniently and with a low susceptibility to errors.

[0022] Short description of the characters

[0023] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of two motor vehicles in whose tires electronic tire pressure sensors are arranged, and a communication device according to the invention which is designed for wireless reading of the tire pressure sensors.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for wirelessly reading the tire pressure sensors.

[0025] Character description

[0026] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of two motor vehicles 8 in whose tires 6 electronic tire pressure sensors 4 are arranged, and a communication device 2 according to the invention which is designed for wirelessly reading the tire pressure sensors 4.

[0027] The tire pressure sensors 4 each have a transmitter 10 configured to repeatedly, in particular periodically, transmit radio signals. The radio signals contain tire pressure sensor data that uniquely identify the respective tire pressure sensor 4. The tire pressure sensor data may also include tire pressure data that contains information about the current air pressure in the respective tire 6.

[0028] The radio signals can be, for example, Bluetooth® radio signals, in particular Bluetooth® Low Energy radio signals ("BLE radio signals"). However, the invention is not limited to Bluetooth® radio signals, but can also be implemented in conjunction with other types of radio signals.

[0029] A communication device 2 according to the invention for wirelessly reading and / or programming the tire pressure sensors 4 comprises a receiving device 12 for receiving the radio signals emitted by the transmitters 10 of the tire pressure sensors 4. Immediately after starting, in particular after switching on, the communication device 2, the communication device 2 is designed to search for radio signals emitted by tire pressure sensors 4 located in the surrounding area, i.e., within the reception range of the communication device 2, and to receive these radio signals.

[0030] The communication device 2 is further designed to

[0031] Tire pressure sensor data contained in the received radio signals are stored in a storage device 14 provided within the communication device 2.

[0032] The communication device 2 is also designed to display a unique identification of all tire pressure sensors 4 from which radio signals have been received on a display device 16 of the communication device 2 in order to enable a user of the communication device 2 to select at least one of these tire pressure sensors 4.

[0033] The identifications of the tire pressure sensors 4 from which radio signals have been received can be sorted by the communication device 2 according to the reception strength of the radio signals and displayed on the display device 16 in order of reception strength, in particular in descending order of reception strength. Since the reception strength of the received radio signals generally decreases with the distance of the tire pressure sensors 4 transmitting the radio signals from the communication device 2, the tire pressure sensors 4 that are located near the communication device 2 and are therefore more likely to be of interest are displayed before the tire pressure sensors 4 that are farther away from the communication device 2.

[0034] The display device 16 can, for example, be designed as a touch-sensitive screen ("touchscreen") to enable the user to select the at least one desired tire pressure sensor 4 directly on the display device 16.

[0035] Alternatively or additionally, the communication device 2 may also have an additional input device 18, for example a keyboard, which enables the user to select the at least one desired tire pressure sensor 4.

[0036] After the user has selected at least one tire pressure sensor 4, the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4 can be programmed by wirelessly transmitting data, in particular programming data, from the communication device 2 to the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4. If the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4 has already been programmed previously, the tire pressure sensor data, in particular tire pressure data, which have been provided and received by the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4 and which in particular contain the current air pressure in the tire 6 in which the selected tire pressure sensor 4 is arranged, can be displayed on the display device 16.

[0037] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 100 according to the invention for wirelessly reading the tire pressure sensors 4.

[0038] The method 100 comprises, immediately after starting 110 the communication device 2, in a step 120, searching for radio signals emitted by tire pressure sensors located in the vicinity of the communication device 2. In a subsequent step 130, tire pressure sensor data is received from those tire pressure sensors 4 from which radio signals have been received, and the received tire pressure sensor data is stored in the storage device 14 in step 140. In the following step 150, the tire pressure sensors 4 from which radio signals have been received are displayed to a user for selection. In step 160, a user selection for at least one of the displayed tire pressure sensors 4 is accepted. In step 170, programming data is transmitted to the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4 in order to program the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4.

[0039] If the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4 has already been programmed previously, the tire pressure sensor data, in particular the tire pressure data received from the at least one selected tire pressure sensor 4, are displayed on the display device 16 in step 180.

[0040] Because in a method according to the invention the tire pressure sensor data which are transmitted by all tire pressure sensors 4 which are located in the vicinity of the communication device 2 are received and stored before the user has selected at least one of the tire pressure sensors 4, the desired tire pressure sensor data are immediately available to the user as soon as he has made his selection. In particular, the user does not have to wait until the desired tire pressure sensor data have been retransmitted by the selected tire pressure sensor 4 after his selection.

[0041] Reading and programming the tire pressure sensors 4 can be significantly accelerated and simplified in this way.

Claims

1 . Communication device (2) for wirelessly reading and / or programming tire pressure sensors (4), wherein the communication device (2) is designed to: after starting the communication device (2), search for radio signals emitted by tire pressure sensors (4) located in the vicinity of the communication device (2) and receive these radio signals; Receive tire pressure sensor data from the tire pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received and store the received tire pressure sensor data in a storage device (14); display the tire pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received for a user to select; accept the user's selection for at least one of the displayed tire pressure sensors (4); and display at least part of the tire pressure sensor data received from the at least one selected tire pressure sensor (4) and / or transmit data to the at least one selected tire pressure sensor (4) in order to program the at least one selected tire pressure sensor (4).

2. Communication device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the tire pressure sensor data comprises a unique sensor identification, for example a MAC address, of the tire pressure sensor transmitting the tire pressure sensor data.

3. Communication device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication device (2) is designed to transmit the tire pressure sensor To transmit data via a Bluetooth® data connection, wherein the communication device (2) is particularly designed to transmit the tire pressure sensor data via a Bluetooth® Low Energy data connection.

4. Communication device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication device (2) is configured to arrange and display the tire pressure sensors (4) in the order of the strength of the received radio signals; wherein the communication device (2) is configured, in particular, to arrange and display the tire pressure sensors (4) in descending order of the strength of the received radio signals.

5. Communication device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication device (2) comprises a display device (16) that enables the tire pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received to be displayed to the user for selection; wherein the display device (16) is designed, in particular, as a touch-sensitive screen.

6. Communication device (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication device (2) comprises an input device (18) which is designed to accept a selection of the user.

7. A method for wirelessly reading and / or programming tire pressure sensors (4), the method comprising: using a communication device (2), after starting the communication device (2), to search for radio signals emitted by tire pressure sensors (4) located in the vicinity of the device and to receive these radio signals; to receive tire pressure sensor data from the tire pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received and to store the received tire pressure sensor data in a storage device (14); display the tire pressure sensors (4) from which radio signals have been received for a user to select; accept the user's selection for at least one of the displayed tire pressure sensors (4); and at least partially display the tire pressure sensor data received from the at least one selected tire pressure sensor (4) and / or transmit data to the at least one selected tire pressure sensor (4) in order to program the at least one selected tire pressure sensor (4).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the tire pressure sensor data comprises a sensor identification, for example a MAC address, of the tire pressure sensor (4) transmitting the tire pressure sensor data.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the tire pressure sensor data are transmitted via a Bluetooth® data connection, wherein the tire pressure sensor data are transmitted in particular via a Bluetooth® Low Energy data connection.

10. The method according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the tire pressure sensors (4) are arranged and displayed in order of the strength of the received radio signals; wherein the tire pressure sensors (4) are arranged and displayed in particular in descending order of the strength of the received radio signals.

Images