This disclosure is directed to systems and methods that determine theft of a wheel on a vehicle using a capacitive proximity sensor system. The systems and methods determine that a vehicle is parked, and then receives information indicative of a capacitance at a first sensor positioned proximate a wheel well of the vehicle. The systems and methods further determine, based on the information, that the capacitance exceeds a first threshold. The systems and methods further determine, based on the information, that the capacitance exceeds the first threshold for a period of time that exceeds a second threshold. The systems and methods further send a message to a mobile device in response to capacitance exceeding the first threshold for the period of time that exceeds the second threshold.

A system (1) for the management of data pertaining to a wheel service comprises: a database (2) including, for each tyre of a plurality of tyres, a tyre identification code; at least one tyre measurement parameter representing a physical quantity linked to the tyre or to the use thereof, and a related time mark, which indicates the time the tyre measurement parameter was captured; a knowledge dataset (3) containing reference data; a processor (4) having access to the database (2) and to the knowledge dataset (3) and programmed to process the at least one tyre measurement parameter and the reference data and to generate derived data.

An apparatus and method is provided that includes measuring a tire pressure for at least one tire with at least one tire pressure sensor. The tire pressure sensor has at least a first resolution for transmitting pressure information and a second resolution for transmitting pressure information that is higher than the first resolution. If a measured tire pressure is determined to be above a predetermined pressure threshold, the apparatus and method identify whether the tire pressure sensor has experienced at least one predetermined vehicle operating characteristic, and/or identify whether the tire pressure sensor has been activated by a command. The tire pressure sensor is only locked into the second resolution if the tire pressure sensor has experienced the at least one predetermined vehicle operating characteristic or if the tire pressure sensor has been activated by the command.

A method of acknowledging data transmissions for a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor module includes generating tire pressure information based on measuring an internal air pressure of a tire; selectively operating a transceiver in an advertising mode and a standby mode; transmitting, by the transceiver, a message including the pressure information while in the advertising mode; on a condition that the transceiver receives, in the advertising mode, an acknowledgement in response to the transmitted message, setting the transceiver into the standby mode; while the transceiver is in the advertising mode and on a condition that the transceiver does not receive any acknowledgement in response to the transmitted message within a waiting period, instructing the transceiver to retransmit the message via a command; and retransmitting the message, by the transceiver, in the advertising mode after the waiting period in response to the command.

A tyre monitoring device configured to be mounted on a wheel is described. The device includes a pressure sensor for sensing an inflation pressure of a tyre on the wheel; a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tyre pressure; a storage storing a predetermined pressure value; an indicator configured to provide a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication is different from the second indication; and a processing system configured to operate the indicator to provide the first indication or the second indication responsive to receipt of the command to indicate tyre pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value.

According to one embodiment, a method of improved communication between a wheel unit sensor and a master controller is disclosed. In this particular embodiment, the method includes determining, by the wheel unit sensor, whether a receive schedule of the wheel unit sensor indicates that a receive window has started. The method also includes in response to determining that the receive schedule indicates that the receive window has started, turning-on, by the wheel unit sensor, for the duration of the receive window, a wireless receiver of the wheel unit sensor. In this embodiment, the wireless receiver is configured to receive messages from the master controller.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of automobiles and disclose a tire positioning method and apparatus, an electronic control unit (ECU) and a tire pressure sensor. The method includes: successively controlling, within a transmission cycle, one of L exciter sets to send a low-frequency signal, L being an integer greater than 1; receiving high-frequency signals fed back by N tire pressure sensors according to the low-frequency signals, N being an integer greater than 1; determining a correspondence between one of the L exciter sets and M tire pressure sensors according to the high-frequency signals, M being an integer greater than 1; and after a quantity of transmission cycles reaches a preset threshold, determining a tire corresponding to each of the N tire pressure sensors according to the correspondence between the exciter set and the M tire pressure sensors determined in each transmission cycle. The tire positioning method is accurate and reliable.

A transmitter is mounted on each of a plurality of wheel assemblies included in a vehicle. The transmitter executes a process in accordance with a command included in a trigger signal. The transmitter includes a pressure sensor that detects the tire pressure, a transmission unit that transmits a data signal including a detection result of the pressure sensor to a receiver, a trigger reception unit that receives the trigger signal, and a controller that controls the transmitter. When the trigger reception unit receives the trigger signal including a command shifting a state of the transmitter to a standby state, the controller shifts the state of the transmitter to the standby state. Further, when the trigger reception unit receives the trigger signal including a command designating a mode while the state of the transmitter is the standby state, the controller sets the designated mode.

A system and method include, among other things, providing at least one vehicle transceiver and at least one tire information sensor for a tire on a vehicle and wirelessly communicating between the at least one vehicle transceiver and the at least one tire information sensor via a signal. A phase shift in the signal is determined and a physical distance between the at least one vehicle transceiver and the at least one tire information sensor is determined based on the phase shift. A position of the at least one tire information sensor within the vehicle is then determined based on the physical distance.

An electronic wheel unit for a wheel-monitoring system of a vehicle is disposed on one of the wheels and is configured to detect at least one wheel operating parameter of the wheel and to transmit wheel operating data telegrams according to a data transmission protocol wirelessly to a control device, configured to receive and evaluate the wheel operating data telegrams. The electronic control unit defines the data transmission protocol, which is to be used to transmit the wheel operating data telegrams, by using specification data which have previously been transmitted from the control device to the electronic wheel unit. Therefore, automatic adaptation of the data transmission protocol to the respective control device or the respective vehicle can advantageously take place. A control device for such a wheel monitoring system and a system and a method for monitoring wheels are also provided.