Tire Deflation Or Inflation Patents (Class 340/442)
  • Patent number: 9644403
    Abstract: A system for controlling a locking module for a vehicle door having an electronic latch mechanism is provided. An electronic handle switch is operatively connected to the door and a controller. The electronic handle switch is configured to at least partially control operation of the electronic latch mechanism. The locking module is configured to block the electronic handle switch, thereby preventing the door from being unlatched. The locking module is enabled when one or more predefined operating parameters are met. The controller disables the locking module when one or more entry conditions are satisfied. At least one sensor is operatively connected to the controller, the sensor being configured to indicate one of two states, a first state and a second state. The entry conditions include at least one sensor indicating the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Richard J. Lange, Phillip C. Storck, III
  • Patent number: 9643618
    Abstract: A sensor system for a vehicle includes: at least one sensor unit; and one evaluation and control unit transmitting a synchronization signal via a communication connection to the sensor unit. The sensor unit transmits a sensor signal representing the measured variable via the communication connection to the evaluation and control unit. The evaluation and control unit ascertains an instantaneous signal quality of the received sensor signal and transmits a piece of information about the ascertained instantaneous signal quality to the sensor unit. The sensor unit predefines a modulation amplitude for the transmission of the sensor signal as a function of the ascertained instantaneous signal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Timo Weiss
  • Patent number: 9632106
    Abstract: An angular position is determined for an electronic module fixed to the inner face of the tread of a tire fitted to a wheel of a vehicle. A sensor for measuring the radial acceleration of the wheel is integrated into the electronic module, and a variation of the radial acceleration is detected that corresponds to a position of the electronic module when it contacts the ground. This variation is used to determine a frame of reference defined by an origin and a reference unit corresponding to an angular sector of the tire having a length is shorter than a mean length of the footprint of the grounded tire, in order to determine angular positions of the electronic module in the frame of reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Nicolas Guinart, Jean-Philippe Boisset
  • Patent number: 9610809
    Abstract: At a portable low frequency (LF) tool, a sensor reading of a tire pressure is received. A determination is made of a barometric pressure adjustment based upon received inputs. The adjustment is applied to the reading of the tire pressure to form an adjusted pressure. The adjusted pressure is presented to a user at the portable LF tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Deniau, Yasser Gad, Brian J Farrell
  • Patent number: 9604510
    Abstract: A TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) sensor setting method is disclosed to use a setting tool for selecting the ID codes of multiple TPMS sensors and burning a communication protocol into the multiple selected TPMS sensors at a time, significantly shortening the operation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CUB ELECPARTS INC.
    Inventors: San-Chuan Yu, Tsan-Nung Wang, Chi-Hung Chen, Chao-Ching Hu
  • Patent number: 9586448
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system includes a plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors including low frequency wireless receivers and high frequency wireless transmitters. The system further includes a plurality of low frequency transmitters each being disposed proximate one of the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors. The system further includes a control module in communication with the plurality of tire pressure monitoring sensors through the plurality of low frequency transmitters. In a first phase of operation the control module causes the low frequency transmitters to transmit low frequency wireless signals to the tire pressure monitoring sensors causing the tire pressure monitoring sensors to transmit data to the control module at a rate. In a second phase or operation the tire pressure monitoring sensors transmit data to the control module at a second rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew D. McIntyre, Jean-Christophe Deniau, Brian J. Farrell, Yasser Gad
  • Patent number: 9588002
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a measurement sensor comprising a radio frequency identification circuit for measuring a parameter. The circuit comprises at least of one component in which a characteristic of that component can be changed to reflect a change in a measured parameter, such that the frequency of the sensor varies according to changes in the measured parameter. The invention extends to a system for measuring a variable parameter that incorporates such a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Silent Sensors Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Ingram, Ashley Duddle, Marcus Taylor
  • Patent number: 9581610
    Abstract: A method for determining position of a tire pressure monitor equipped on a tire of a vehicle. The method is performed by a controller and comprises: detecting a radial acceleration and a tangential acceleration of the tire; computing a radial-versus-gravity value and a tangent-versus-gravity value based on the radial acceleration, the tangential acceleration and a gravity acceleration; determining an operating state according to variations of the radial-versus-gravity value and the tangent-versus-gravity value; determining whether the operating state is changed to another operating state; and when the operating state is changed, determining a position of the tire pressure monitor according to a change sequence of the operating states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: ORANGE ELECTRONIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chih Yu, Ping-Cheng Tsai
  • Patent number: 9584880
    Abstract: In a method for transmitting data from a sensor to a processor via at least one communication medium in a communication network, a sensor value of the sensor is transmitted to the processor, and the processor uses the transmitted sensor value for processing until a new sensor value is transmitted to the processor, which new sensor value is transmitted only if at least one condition for the new sensor value is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Jens Gladigau, Simon Kramer, Heinz Tilsner
  • Patent number: 9561759
    Abstract: Detecting transmission equipment for a vehicle gauge is fixed in an engine room of a vehicle and on a gauge. The detecting transmission equipment contains: a control box including: a first circuit board having a calculating module; a plurality of connecting ports, and each connecting ports being coupled with a first transmission cable; a power port welded on the first circuit board; a wireless transmission module welded on the first circuit board and coupled with the calculating module; and a receiver fixed on a gauge panel. The receiver includes a second circuit board having at least one second transmission cable connected with the gauge panel; a wireless receiving module welded on the second circuit board to receive data of the vehicle, and the data is displayed on the gauge panel via the at least one second transmission cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Wen-Hsien Liu
  • Patent number: 9561695
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tire internal pressure warning system, comprising: an internal pressure data acquisition apparatus for obtaining data of internal pressure of each tire 5 of a vehicle 6 (a TPMS sensor transmitter 1 and a TPMS receiver 2); and an information terminal device 3 for determining whether there is a puncture-based failure or a failure resulting from a natural pressure drop, based on a change in the internal pressure of each tire received from the TPMS receiver 2, and displaying a warning in accordance with the failure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shotaro Horikoshi, Kazuma Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 9555674
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel information acquiring device includes a vehicle wheel sensor and a vehicle-body-side device. The vehicle wheel sensor is configured to revolve around an axle with a rotation of a vehicle wheel. The vehicle-body-side device includes a reception unit, a processing unit, a rotation position acquiring unit, an on-reception rotation position storage unit, and a determination unit. The determination unit is configured to determine whether a revolution position of the vehicle wheel sensor is included in an insufficient received intensity area during a stopping operation of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuji Taki
  • Patent number: 9552680
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a tire rotation reminder system. The system includes a controller that generates a tire rotation reminder based on a predicted driving time for attaining a predetermined difference in tread wear between front tires and rear tires. The predicted driving time is based on a rate of change of a difference between a front tire circumference and a rear tire circumference. The tire rotation reminder is output when the predicted driving time is less than a predetermined time. The tire rotation reminder system may interface with at display to output additional information related to tire rotation. The tire rotation reminder may be communicated using a visual indicator, an audible indicator, and a tactile indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 9539868
    Abstract: The method is for transmitting data identifying a valve of a wheel to a receiver on board a vehicle. The method includes, excitation of the valve, transmission by the valve of a frame including at least a code identifying the valve, and reception of the frame by the on-board receiver. The reception includes a refreshing of a memory range contained in the receiver by the data from the frame received. The method the includes a reading operation, by a diagnostic instrument, of the most recent data contained in the memory range, and an operation of writing to an area of memory dedicated to storing identifier codes, by a diagnostic instrument, of at least part of the data read including an identifier code. The writing operation is carried out after validation by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignees: RENAULT SAS, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventors: Philippe Artur, Anne Caldichoury, Olivier Costes, Eric Dubot, Olivier Gazalet
  • Patent number: 9537677
    Abstract: A surface-launched acoustic wave sensor tag system for remotely sensing and/or providing identification information using sets of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor tag devices is characterized by acoustic wave device embodiments that include coding and other diversity techniques to produce groups of sensors that interact minimally, reducing or alleviating code collision problems typical of prior art coded SAW sensors and tags, and specific device embodiments of said coded SAW sensor tags and systems. These sensor/tag devices operate in a system which consists of one or more uniquely identifiable sensor/tag devices and a wireless interrogator. The sensor device incorporates an antenna for receiving incident RF energy and re-radiating the tag identification information and the sensor measured parameter(s). Since there is no power source in or connected to the sensor, it is a passive sensor. The device is wirelessly interrogated by the interrogator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: SenSanna Incorporated
    Inventors: Jacqueline H. Hines, Leland P. Solie, Dana Y. G. Tucker, Andrew T. Hines
  • Patent number: 9522578
    Abstract: A tire sensor locating system for auto-location of a tire-based air pressure sensor at any tire location on a vehicle includes a hub acceleration sensor mounted to make a hub vertical acceleration measurement at a preset and known location on the vehicle for a respective one of the wheel hubs and a chassis acceleration sensor mounted to a chassis of the vehicle to make a chassis vertical acceleration measurement for the vehicle chassis. An estimator model is employed to derive a tire vertical stiffness estimation from the hub vertical acceleration measurements and the chassis vertical acceleration measurement. A look-up table correlates tire vertical stiffness estimation against measured tire air pressure and from the look-up table an assigned location of the tire sensor is made through a correlation between the tire measured air pressure and the tire vertical stiffness estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Kanwar Bharat Singh
  • Patent number: 9517665
    Abstract: An altitude of the vehicle from an external electronic source and an external temperature is received from a temperature sensor are received. An external relative humidity is determined. Based upon the altitude, the temperature, and the external relative humidity, an estimated barometric pressure is determined. An air pressure of a tire is received. An adjustment is made to the received pressure to obtain a corrected pressure. The amount of adjustment is based upon the estimated barometric pressure and the adjustment is applied to the air pressure to obtain a corrected tire pressure. An evaluation is made of the corrected tire pressure to determine when an alert should be presented to a user. When the alert is determined, the alert to the user is presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Deniau, Alexander Fink
  • Patent number: 9511634
    Abstract: A vehicle tire pressure control system includes a road sensor configured to acquire road data regarding a road at an advanced location ahead of a current location of a vehicle; a pressure regulator configured to control the air pressure within a tire of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle; and a controller configured to control operation of the pressure regulator and vary the air pressure within the tire based on the road data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Alistair K. Chan, Geoffrey F. Deane, William D. Duncan, Philip A. Eckhoff, Bran Ferren, William Gates, W. Daniel Hillis, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, John Latham, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Clarence T. Tegreene, David B. Tuckerman, Thomas A. Weaver, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9505502
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system for wheeled vehicles is presented that uses a vehicle computer, a vehicle position sensor, a tire pressure sensor, and ambient temperature readings to determine whether the vehicle has remained stationary for a predetermined time period before determining and reporting cold tire pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Trent Daryl Miller
  • Patent number: 9500550
    Abstract: System method and computer operable application for estimating pneumatic pressure in tires of vehicles, using a handheld device having at least one camera installed therein that allow acquiring an image of a wheel of a vehicle, using the camera of the handheld device, analyzing the acquired image for estimating value of at least one parameter of the tire of the wheel in the image, where the parameter is related to pneumatic pressure of the tire, estimating pneumatic pressure state of the respective tire by using the parameter and presenting an indication of the estimated pneumatic pressure state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: NOMATIX LTD.
    Inventor: Kfir Wittmann
  • Patent number: 9493043
    Abstract: A TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) sensor setting method is disclosed and performed by: using a setting tool to input a location code into the TPMS sensor to be set so that the TPMS sensor can feed the location code and its ID to the on-vehicle main unit for enabling the on-vehicle main unit to establish the relationship between the ID of the TPMS sensor and its location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: CUB ELECPARTS INC.
    Inventors: San-Chuan Yu, Tsan-Nung Wang, Chi-Hung Chen, Chao-Ching Hu, Jyong Lin, Tzu-Wen Ko, Hsiao-Ming Chen, Ming-Hong Lin, Eric Ma
  • Patent number: 9488492
    Abstract: A multi-sensor, multi-modal data collection, analysis, recognition, and visualization platform can be embodied in a navigation capable vehicle. The platform provides an automated tool that can integrate multi-modal sensor data including two-dimensional image data, three-dimensional image data, and motion, location, or orientation data, and create a visual representation of the integrated sensor data, in a live operational environment. An illustrative platform architecture incorporates modular domain-specific business analytics “plug ins” to provide real-time annotation of the visual representation with domain-specific markups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: SRI INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Supun Samarasekera, Raia Hadsell, Rakesh Kumar, Harpreet S. Sawhney, Bogdan C. Matei, Ryan Villamil
  • Patent number: 9481216
    Abstract: The tire pressure sensor module contains a casing, a nozzle, a sleeve element, a fastening element, and a two-way tire information transmission and sensory system inside the casing. The casing has a trough and an air opening. The nozzle contains a nozzle mouth and a nozzle base. The nozzle base is joined to the casing, and the mouth is threaded through the sleeve element. The nozzle and the sleeve element are secured to the casing by the fastening element through the trough. The two-way tire information transmission and sensory system contains a battery, a micro-controller circuit, a low-power-consumption Bluetooth wireless transceiver circuit, a boosting/regulating circuit, a pressure sensor, an operation amplifier, a gravity sensor, a temperature sensor, and an antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: SYSGRATION LTD.
    Inventors: Tsaichiang Chow, Shihchin Cho, Shihyao Lin, Tzu-Wen Ko, Chi-Hung Chen
  • Patent number: 9476789
    Abstract: A pressure-measurement device includes a pressure-measurement surface, which is functionally connected to a test body, and a sealed pressure-measurement housing in which the test body is arranged. The pressure-measurement surface is carried by a deformable wall of the sealed pressure-measurement housing lying at a distance from the test body. The sealed pressure-measurement housing delimits an internal space, which is a space internal to the sealed housing. The pressure-measurement device also includes a pressure-transmission object that transmits the pressure between the pressure-measurement surface and the test body. The pressure-transmission object includes a substantially incompressible material occupying all of the internal space. The pressure-measurement device further includes an energy source and a processor for processing pressure data detected by the test body. The processor is arranged in the sealed pressure-measurement housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Jonathan Champredonde, Richard Leman, Mark Leman, Peter Smith
  • Patent number: 9475349
    Abstract: Each time a time corresponding to one period of an intermittent reception process in a vehicle-side device elapses, a transmission interval of a notification signal is controlled so that a transmission time of a preamble of the notification signal is shifted in a direction in which the transmission time is relatively delayed from an execution time of the reception process. Further, when the transmission time of the preamble passes through a range of the execution time of the reception process during this relative shift, the transmission interval of the notification signal is controlled so that the entire transmission time of the preamble is included in the range of the execution time of the reception process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ushida, Shinya Takahata
  • Patent number: 9463673
    Abstract: A tire positioning method includes the following steps. Four wireless signals transmitted from four tires of a car are received by a wireless signal receiver. Each wireless signal includes a uniaxial acceleration. One of the tires which is located at a first location is identified according to the intensity of the wireless signals. The first location is the closest to the wireless signal receiver. When the car makes a turn, one of the tires which is located at a second location is identified according to the direction of each uniaxial acceleration. The second location and the first location are both located at one side of the car. The direction of the uniaxial acceleration of the tire which is located at the first location is identical to that of the tire which is at the second location. The side of the car is right side or left side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Shih-Ching Huang, Chin-Chia Chang, Chung-Yuan Su
  • Patent number: 9457625
    Abstract: A tire pressure management system with enhanced wireless security and a control method thereof are provided. The tire pressure management system includes initiators configured to wirelessly transmit a tire information request signal to tire pressure sensors when the initiators receive a first signal, a receiver configured to receive packets including the tire information from the tire pressure sensors, and an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to transmit the first signal to the initiators. Further the ECU is configured to measure a delay after transmission of the first signal until the packets are received. The ECU is also configured to transmit the tire information within the received packets to a cluster or drop the received packets in response to the delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Ho Jin Jung
  • Patent number: 9440501
    Abstract: An ID code learning device includes a RF transceiving module, a received signal strength indication (RSSI) module, and a processing circuit. The RF transceiving module receives RF signals, and each of the RF signals contains an ID code. The RSSI module is electrically connected to the RF transceiving module to detect signal strengths of the RF signals received by the RF transceiving module. The processing circuit is electrically connected to the RF transceiving module and the received signal strength indication module respectively. The received signal strength indication module detects the RF signal with the highest signal strength, the processing circuit pairs the ID code thereof with a predetermined tire location code, and then the RF transceiving module transmits a pairing result out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: MOBILETRON ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiao-Hwa Huang, Kuan-Chih Huang, Yu-Liang Chou
  • Patent number: 9434056
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of impact tools having pressure verification and/or adjustment systems are disclosed. According to at least one illustrative embodiment, an impact tool may comprise a housing, an impact mechanism supported in the housing, a motor supported in the housing, and a pressure probe coupled to the housing. The impact mechanism may be configured to drive rotation of an output shaft about a first axis, the motor may be configured to drive the impact mechanism when energized, and the pressure probe may be configured to couple to a valve of a motor vehicle tire to measure an air pressure of the motor vehicle tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Warren A. Seith, Aaron M. Crescenti
  • Patent number: 9387734
    Abstract: A monitoring system includes sensors, clocks, global positioning systems (GPS) receiver, display screens and a controller circuitry. The controller circuitry is configured to analyze the collected signals, the time information, and the route information to identify at least one trigger factor based on a tire characteristic; determine whether the identified at least one triggering factor exceeds an triggering threshold based on the collected signals and information; derive when the identified triggering factor exceeds the triggering threshold, an triggering priority indicating an order in which the triggering factors are processed based on the collected signals and route information; trigger a tire monitoring procedure based on the collected information, the triggering threshold and the triggering priority; and display at the display screen, results of the tire monitoring procedure to provide a visual indication of the tire characteristic that caused the triggers factor to exceed the triggering threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Inventor: Hussain Ali Alhazmi
  • Patent number: 9381777
    Abstract: A signal transponder transceiving signals using different communication protocols has a control module, a receiving module and a transmitting module. The control module is electrically connected to the receiving module and the transmitting module, is built in with multiple communication protocols, decodes a tire pressure signal transmitted from and encoded by an external tire pressure sensor with one of the communication protocols, encodes the decoded information to a new tire pressure signal, and further transmits the new tire pressure signal to a tire pressure receiver. Accordingly, there is no failure in decoding and transmissions and cost increase when the signal transponder communicates with tire pressure sensors and a tire pressure receiver using two different communication protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Orange Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hung-Chih Yu, Shih-Hsin Chang, Chin-Yao Hsu
  • Patent number: 9376118
    Abstract: A method and system monitor a plurality of operating parameters for a tire over time during usage of the tire as the tire is exposed to actual operating conditions. The system and method may also determine a tire health parameter for the tire that provides an indication of the condition of the tire based upon the data collected for the tire over time during usage of the tire. The plurality of operating parameters includes, in the least, a temperature associated with the tire during usage of the tire and a duration of usage of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Robert Leon Benedict, Thomas Sherwood Fleischman, Susan Marie Spaeth, Su Xu
  • Patent number: 9354687
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for unsupervised wakeup of a device including receiving a first acoustic event at a first time and a second acoustic event at a second time, wherein the first and second acoustic events have scores above a first threshold identifying the first and second acoustic events as wakeup candidates for a wakeup phrase for an unsupervised wakeup of a device. It can be determined that the first acoustic event score is below a second threshold, which is higher than the first threshold and whether a difference between the first and second times is within a range to check for correlation in time between the first and second acoustic events. Occurrence of a wakeup event can be determined based upon the first and second times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Dhananjay Bansal, Michael J. Newman, Paul van Mulbregt
  • Patent number: 9349287
    Abstract: An embedded Tire Pressure Monitoring sensor is incorporated into vehicular wheels and a secured central server is used to track the unique identification code of each sensor. The TPMS is installed by the vehicular manufacturer in accordance with the federally mandated TREAD Act of 2000. When a vehicle enters the radius of a first encrypted TPM sensor detection transceiver, its TPM sensor identification codes are recorded and time-stamped via an encrypted TPM sensor detection transceiver. If the vehicle enters the area of a second encrypted TPM sensor detection transceiver, the sensor codes will be recorded and time-stamped a second time, encrypted and sent to the secured central server. Using the two encrypted, time-stamped signals, the secured central server calculates traffic flow data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Live Traffic Data LLC
    Inventors: Mark Holzwanger, Xianghong Henry Liu, Jianfeng Zheng, Heng Hu, Jie Sun, Harry Holzwanger, William Reid Block
  • Patent number: 9340075
    Abstract: A TPMS auto localization system for on-demand tire parameter acquisition and an associated method includes a central unit configured to receive and transmit radio-frequency (RF) signals, and a tire module associated with a tire. The tire module is configured to measure one or more tire parameters based on a received low frequency (LF) command and transmit the one or more tire parameters to the central unit. A repeater module is associated with the tire module, and is configured to receive the RF signal from the central unit and translate the RF signal into a LF command to be transmitted to the tire module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Lifeng Guan, Yoon Fatt Foo, Wai Keung Chan
  • Patent number: 9335966
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for unsupervised wakeup of a device including receiving a first acoustic event at a first time and a second acoustic event at a second time, wherein scores of the first and second acoustic events are above a first threshold identifying the first and second acoustic events as wakeup candidates for a wakeup phrase for an unsupervised wakeup of a device. It is determined that the first acoustic event is above a second threshold, which is higher than the first threshold, and that the second acoustic event is above a third threshold, which is higher than the first threshold. Occurrence of a wakeup event can be determined based upon acoustic similarity of the events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Dhananjay Bansal, Michael J. Newman, Paul van Mulbregt
  • Patent number: 9317277
    Abstract: A tire pressure sensor is installed on a tire rim which includes an assembly through hole. The tire pressure sensor includes a sensor body, a gas intake nozzle fixed on the tire rim and connected to the sensor body, and a gas nozzle assembly member to couple with the sensor body and the gas intake nozzle. The sensor body includes a gas nozzle assembly hole to couple with the gas intake nozzle, a tire pressure sensing module disposed in the sensor body for detecting a tire pressure, and an update connection port electrically connected to the tire pressure sensing module. Through the update connection port, the tire pressure sensing module receives an update firmware data for updating firmware stored therein in response to different applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: SUNG JUNG MINUTE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Wen-Huo Huang
  • Patent number: 9310277
    Abstract: A tire temperature and tire pressure wireless sensing device is provided, which includes a housing, a valve body, a power supply module, a circuit board and a transmission antenna. The power supply module is disposed on the fixed seat of the housing, and the circuit board includes a wireless transmission module and a sensing module thereon. The sensing module is disposed corresponding to an air-intake through hole of the bottom seat of the housing. The valve body is engaged with the air-intake through hole and one end of the transmission antenna is disposed in an antenna slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Inventor: Ta-Min Peng
  • Patent number: 9296267
    Abstract: The present invention relates to recording and storing identification information of tire pressure monitoring sensors and transmission of the stored identification information to a tire pressure monitoring system. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of integrating one or more tire pressure monitoring sensors with a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle. The method includes programming and/or configuring a tire pressure monitoring sensor with a suitable program software for a tire pressure monitoring system of a vehicle. The method also includes utilizing a configuration tool to cause the tire pressure monitoring sensor to generate a signal including an identifier. The method further includes recording the identifier on a memory device of the configuration tool. The method further includes transmitting the recorded identifier from the configuration tool to a memory device of a vehicle when the vehicle enters a learning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew D McIntyre, Jean-Chrstophe Deniau, Brian J Farrell
  • Patent number: 9278589
    Abstract: A TPMS that uses a unique signature, such as RSSI signal levels and statistics or Doppler shift information, to identify the location of where the TPMS signal is being transmitted from. The TPMS includes a separate transmitter unit provided in each tire, where each transmitter unit transmits TPMS signals including an ID code identifying the tire and the pressure in the tire. The TPMS also includes a receiver unit that receives the TPMS signals from each of the transmitter units, where the receiver unit stores an average or other classification of the signature over time to identify the location of the transmitter unit for a particular ID code. The receiver unit compares the new received TPMS signals to the classified signals to identify whether the ID code indicates that the position of the tire has changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Moshe Laifenfeld, Timothy J. Talty, Douglas M. Kidd
  • Patent number: 9233581
    Abstract: A display and a controller are used to implement a tire pressure optimization system for a vehicle. The controller is programmed to receive inflation pressure information indicative of a vehicle tire's inflation pressure, and identify an operating state of the vehicle as being in an optimum state when the inflation pressure information indicates optimum performance, in a warning state when the inflation pressure information indicates the inflation pressure is beyond a warning pressure threshold, or in an advisory state when the inflation pressure information indicates an undesirable performance characteristic outside of the warning state and the optimum state. The controller is programmed to operate the display to output an optimum state indication when the operating state is in the optimum state, a warning indication when the operating state is in the warning state, and an advisory indication when the operating state is in the advisory state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Fritz, Farokh Kavarana, David Zdeb, John DeYoung
  • Patent number: 9227471
    Abstract: A tire position determination system includes a tire pressure detector attached to each tire to generate a tire pressure signal. An acceleration detector generates gravitational information for each tire pressure detector. A receiver arranged in a vehicle body receives the tire pressure signal from each tire pressure detector. An axle rotation amount detector detects an axle rotation amount of an axle corresponding to each tire and generates pulses indicative of the detected axle rotation amount. An automatic locator determines the position of each tire based on the gravitational force and the pulses. A pulse combination determination unit determines whether or not a combination of the pulses from the axle rotation amount detectors is appropriate. A pulse acquisition timing setting unit sets an acquisition timing of the pulse signal for the automatic locator based on the determination of the pulse combination determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Masanori Kosugi, Yuta Tsuchikawa
  • Patent number: 9227470
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system has a first abnormality determination means for determining a state to be normal, the normal state being when the front wheel air pressure is higher than a front wheel warning threshold 400 kPa and the rear wheel tire pressure is higher than a rear wheel warning threshold 240 kPa. The first abnormality determination means also turns on a warning light in the state. A second abnormality determination means turns the warning light to an off state regardless of the determination result of the first abnormality determination means when the warning light is turned off while the vehicle is stopped, the tire pressures of two wheels have been determined to be higher than the front wheel warning threshold 400 kPa, and the tire pressures of the remaining two wheels have been determined to be higher than the rear wheel warning threshold 240 kPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Syoji Terada, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Takashi Shima
  • Patent number: 9193224
    Abstract: A travelling state determination unit of a tire pressure detector determines a travelling state of a vehicle based on a gravitational component force detected by an acceleration sensor. An operation mode switching unit of the tire pressure detector switches the operation mode of the tire pressure detector from a pressure determination mode to an automatic locating mode when the vehicle speed become lower than a threshold value. An interval of period transmission of radio waves in the automatic locating mode is set to be shorter than an interval of the periodic radio wave transmission in the pressure determination mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Masanori Kosugi, Taketoshi Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9162542
    Abstract: A tire air pressure transmission device is provided that is configured to set a sampling period or cycle based on a centrifugal acceleration of a wheel in the centrifugal direction, and to detect the value of the gravitational acceleration component of the centrifugal acceleration at each set sampling period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Shima, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Syoji Terada
  • Patent number: 9139053
    Abstract: Each tire pressure detector detects a characteristic point in a detection signal of an acceleration sensor indicating that the tire pressure detector is located at a certain rotation position. When detecting the characteristic point, the tire pressure detector transmits a notification signal including the detector ID. Whenever a receiver receives a notification signal, the receiver acquires an axle rotation amount of a representative wheel and stores the axle rotation amount in a memory in association with the detector ID in the notification signal. After acquiring axle rotation amounts associated with the detector IDs of all of the tire pressure detectors, the receiver determines mounting positions of tires from the angle each tire pressure detector rotated and the angle each axle rotated between a first determination timing and a second determination timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Masanori Kosugi, Taketoshi Sakurai, Katsuhide Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9129510
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for monitoring an operating condition of an electrical component, such as electrical switchgear. In one example, temperatures associated with an electrical conductor connection within the electrical component may be evaluated against one or more expected temperatures curves derived from a linear regression model to determine whether the electrical conductor connection has failed or is starting to fail. In another example, temperature readings may be monitored to determine whether a temperature reading at one location is out of sync with temperature readings at other locations. An electrical conductor connection associated with a location of the out of sync temperature may be determined as faulty. In another example, a Euclidean distance model and/or a correlation coefficient model may be used to identify a faulty electrical conductor connection. In this way, failure and/or potential failure of the electrical component may be predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Wei Huang, Khoi Nguyen, Douglas A. Voda, David C. Lawrence, Harshavardhan M. Karandikar
  • Patent number: 9126459
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position and/or orientation of a tire mounted unit in a wheel monitoring system comprises a lateral force sensor that is responsive to forces exerted on the respective tire along a lateral axis that is parallel with an axle of the vehicle on which the tire is mounted. The lateral force sensor is arranged to produce an output signal that indicates the direction of the exerted forces. A controller determines the position and/or orientation of the tire unit depending on the exerted force direction indicated by the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Schrader Electronics Limited
    Inventors: William David Stewart, Stephen John Robb
  • Patent number: 9122423
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems and tools for programming tire pressure monitoring sensors based upon ascertained vehicle identification numbers. In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of programming a tire pressure monitoring sensor of a vehicle wheel unit. The method includes obtaining identification information of a vehicle with a programming tool for a tire pressure monitoring sensor. The method further includes comparing the identification information with a database of identification information to determine a program software that is compatible with the vehicle. The method further includes programming the tire pressure monitoring sensor with the program software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew D McIntyre, Jean Christophe Deniau, Brian J Farrell
  • Patent number: 9065689
    Abstract: At a vehicle, a first signal is received and the first signal is of an ASK-compliant modulation type. A second signal is received and the second signal is of a FSK-compliant modulation type. Based upon a set of predetermined criteria, one of the first signal and the second signal is selected, the predetermined criteria at least in part indicating a priority as between ASK-compliant and FSK-compliant communications. The selected signal is transmitted to a vehicular controller over a single transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Farrell, Matthew D. McIntyre, Yasser Gad