TPMS Sensor Position Detection Using ABS Wheel Arrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) using the direct scheme face reliability issues and increased cost and weight due to the need for multiple low-frequency initiators to detect tire positions, which complicates assembly and operation.
Innovation Solution
A position detection apparatus that includes a receiver and controller to receive TPMS signals, arrest wheel rotation sequentially, and associate non-received signals with wheel positions, allowing for accurate detection of TPMS sensor positions without the need for additional low-frequency initiators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If four separate low-frequency initiators (LFIs) are added around each tire to detect sensor positions in high-line TPMS, then position detection capability is improved, but cost and weight of the TPMS system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the position detection function from the traditional LFI-based approach and relocates it to the ABS sensor system. Instead of adding separate LFIs for position detection, the system utilizes the existing ABS sensors to detect wheel rotation status and infer sensor positions based on which wheel is arrested, thereby eliminating the need for additional position-detecting components.
Solution Approach 2:
The ABS sensor system is given a dual function: its original function for anti-lock braking and an additional function for TPMS sensor position detection. By making the ABS system multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated position detection devices, thus reducing overall system cost and weight while maintaining position detection capability.
2Measurement precision
If four separate low-frequency initiators (LFIs) are added around each tire to detect sensor positions, then position detection capability is improved, but assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for separate LFI installation around each tire by extracting the position detection function to the ABS sensor system. This eliminates the additional assembly steps required for installing and positioning multiple LFIs, thereby reducing assembly time while maintaining position detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the ABS system multi-functional for both braking control and position detection, the patent eliminates the need for separate position detection components that would require additional assembly time. The existing ABS sensor infrastructure is leveraged, reducing both component count and assembly complexity.
3Device complexity
If the indirect scheme uses ABS sensors to sense wheel RPM, then system complexity is reduced, but reliability of tire pressure monitoring degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring functions by using the indirect ABS sensor system specifically for position detection while the direct TPMS sensors continue to measure pressure. This segmentation allows the system to combine the simplicity of indirect sensing for position detection with the reliability of direct sensing for pressure measurement, avoiding the reliability degradation of pure indirect schemes.
Solution Approach 2:
The ABS sensor system acts as an intermediary for position detection, providing wheel rotation status information that helps identify TPMS sensor locations. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain low complexity while improving reliability by cross-validating sensor positions through the independent ABS detection channel.
Data Source
AI summary
Position detection apparatuses of TPMS sensors and a method thereof are provided. One aspect of the invention provides a position detection apparatus for tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors mounted on each wheel of a vehicle. The apparatus includes: a receiver programmed to receive TPMS signals from each TPMS sensor; and a controller programmed to (i) sequentially arrest rotation of each wheel of the vehicle and (ii) detect a position of each TPMS sensor by associating a TPMS signal that is not received at the time of arresting a specific wheel with a position of the specific wheel that is arrested at that time.