Abstract: A wheel assembly for a non-driven wheel includes a rotating wheel hub with a shaft portion supporting a bearing inner race. A magnetic encoder is mounted for rotation with the shaft portion. A non-rotating component radially surrounds the shaft portion and has a bearing outer race. A cap is secured to the non-rotating component and covers the outer and inner races, the shaft portion and the magnetic encoder inboard of the races to seal an inboard side of the outer and inner races. A sensor is mounted to a non-rotating vehicle steering member externally to, not covered by, and not extending through the cap. The sensor is configured to deflect to be biased into continuous contact with an outer surface of the cap to read the magnetic encoder through the cap without extending through the cap.

Abstract: A wheel assembly for a non-driven wheel includes a rotating wheel hub with a shaft portion supporting a bearing inner race. A magnetic encoder is mounted for rotation with the shaft portion. A non-rotating component radially surrounds the shaft portion and has a bearing outer race. A cap is secured to the non-rotating component and covers the outer and inner races, the shaft portion and the magnetic encoder inboard of the races to seal an inboard side of the outer and inner races. A sensor is mounted to a non-rotating vehicle steering member externally to, not covered by, and not extending through the cap. The sensor is configured to deflect to be biased into continuous contact with an outer surface of the cap to read the magnetic encoder through the cap without extending through the cap.

Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) for a vehicle, and related operating methods are provided. The TPMS includes a plurality of tire pressure sensors, each being configured to wirelessly transmit respective sensor signals, and a wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive and process sensor signals transmitted by the tire pressure sensors. The location of the wireless receiver is biased toward the fore or aft of the vehicle. The wireless receiver has an adjustable sensitivity setting that accommodates wireless signal reception in a key fob mode and a TPMS mode. One operating method for the TPMS involves wirelessly receiving sensor signals transmitted by the tire pressure sensors, determining respective received signal strength (RSS) values for the received sensor signals, and processing the RSS values to resolve whether the received sensor signals were transmitted by a fore tire pressure sensor or an aft tire pressure sensor.