A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor module as provided herein includes a pressure sensor configured to measure an internal air pressure of a tire and generate tire pressure information; a transducer configured to receive a structure borne sound signal induced by sound waves; a receiver circuit electrically connected to the transducer and configured to detect the structure borne sound signal and generate a detection indication that the structure borne sound signal has been detected; a processing circuit electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the receiver circuit, and configured to receive the tire pressure information from the pressure sensor, receive the detection indication from the receiver circuit, and generate a communication signal in response to receiving the detection indication; and a transmitter electrically connected to the processing circuit and configured to transmit the communication signal.

A method for detecting a change in location of at least one wheel of a motor vehicle, the vehicle having at least one central processing unit, one wheel unit which includes an electronic assembly of sensors and which is mounted on the wheel, and one bidirectional communications assembly. The method notably includes a first comparison step, during which a first evaluation pattern is compared with a first reference pattern to determine whether the location of the wheel has changed, the patterns being representative of the effective location of the wheel unit in the motor vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of automotive technologies, and disclose a tire location positioning method and apparatus, a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) receiver, a tire pressure sensor, a TPMS and an automobile. The method includes: controlling a first exciter to send a first excitation signal, and controlling a second exciter to send a second excitation signal; respectively receiving response signals that are generated according to the first excitation signal or the second excitation signal by all tire pressure sensors; performing positioning on front and rear wheels according to times when the response signals are received, to identify response signals sent by tire pressure sensors of the front and rear wheels; and performing positioning on left and right wheels according to the signal strength information, to identify response signals sent by tire pressure sensors of the left and right wheels.

A tire mount position detection system measures a first signal intensity, which is intensity of a radio signal received by a first receiver (R1), and a second signal intensity, which is intensity of a radio signal received by a second receiver (R2), for each transmitter, and calculates a total value of the first signal intensity and the second signal intensity for each transmitter. The tire mount position detection system detects the wheel position to which a tire having the transmitter is mounted, based on the first signal intensity, the second signal intensity, and the total value of each transmitter.

A method for determining the instantaneous frequency and phase of a periodic signal includes: acquiring a periodic signal characteristic of the frequency to be determined and a particular point of which is characteristic of a reference of the phase of the signal; identifying, by optimization, a reference sequence in at least one consecutive portion of the signal; determining a temporal evolution of the frequency of the signal by computing a function of the lag between the identification of the reference sequence in at least one consecutive portion of the signal; determining an instant corresponding to a point characteristic of a reference of the phase of the signal in the course of the period of the signal, and deducing therefrom the temporal evolution of the frequency, the instantaneous phase of the signal with respect to the point characteristic of phase reference.

An aspect of the invention relates to a method for the radio-oriented optimization of wheel monitoring in a vehicle equipped with vehicle wheels, wherein the monitoring of at least one of the vehicle wheels is prompted by an electronic wheel unit arranged on the relevant vehicle wheel capturing at least one wheel operating parameter of the vehicle wheel, and radio signals containing information about the at least one captured wheel operating parameter being transmitted for a respective wheel rotational position of the vehicle wheel, stipulated by the electronic wheel unit, wherein the radio signals are received and evaluated by a control device of the vehicle and wherein the radio-oriented optimization of the wheel monitoring is prompted by the electronic wheel unit being used to transmit multiple radio signals for different wheel rotational positions, wherein the radio signals are received by means of the control device and rated in respect of their respective radio signal strength, wherein the control device is used to transmit an optimization radio signal to the electronic wheel unit, wherein the optimization radio signal contains optimization information formed on the basis of the rating of the radio signals, and wherein the electronic wheel unit is used to receive the optimization radio signal, and the optimization information contained therein is taken into consideration for the stipulation of the wheel rotational position of the vehicle wheel for radio signals that are to be transmitted subsequently.

A tire mount position detection system measures a first signal intensity, which is intensity of a radio signal received by a first receiver (R1), and a second signal intensity, which is intensity of a radio signal received by a second receiver (R2), for each transmitter, and calculates a total value of the first signal intensity and the second signal intensity for each transmitter. The tire mount position detection system detects the wheel position to which a tire having the transmitter is mounted, based on the first signal intensity, the second signal intensity, and the total value of each transmitter.

A tire-side apparatus includes: a first storage unit storing an identifier for identifying the tire-side apparatus. A signal reception strength measurement unit measures signal reception strengths of measurement signals. A specification unit specifies the number of received measurement signals. A second storage unit stores the number of the received measurement signals transmitted sequentially from a vehicle body-side apparatus to tire-side apparatuses corresponding to a plurality of tires, and a signal reception order in which the measurement signal with the highest signal reception strength among the received measurement signals was received. The tire-side apparatus transmits a response signal including an identifier and information indicating the reception order and number of measurement signals stored in the second storage unit, and the vehicle body-side apparatus determines a correspondence based on comparison of the information indicating the number of measurement signals and signal reception order transmitted from the multiple tire-side apparatuses.

Disclosed is a method of locating a plurality of electronic measuring modules mounted in the wheels of a motor vehicle. The method includes the steps of determination (E1) by each electronic measuring module of a set of proximity scores with respect to the other modules, sending (E2) by each module of the set of proximity scores to the electronic control unit, reception (E3) by an electronic control unit of the sets of proximity scores sent, and location (E4) of each module from the sets of proximity scores received.

A method for signaling the theft of a wheel of a motor vehicle. The vehicle includes a plurality of wheels and a computer. At least one of the wheels includes a sensor. The method includes, for the at least one wheel, the steps of measuring at least one value for the internal pressure of the tire of the wheel, detecting that the vehicle has been raised if the absolute value of the difference between the at least one measured internal pressure value and a predetermined reference internal pressure value is greater than a predetermined pressure difference threshold when it is detected the vehicle has been raised, detecting the detachment of the wheel when it is detected that the wheel has become detached, and signaling the theft of the wheel.