In a tire inflation pressure detection device, a receiver functions such that, when an ignition switch is on, power is generated by a power supply controller to set the power supply state of the receiver to one in which frame reception is enabled to detect the inflation pressure of a tire, and such that, when the IG is off, in each predetermined intermittent cycle power is generated by the power supply controller to set the power supply state of the receiver to one in which frame reception is enabled to detect the inflation pressure of the tire. A transmitter determines whether a decrease in tire inflation pressure occurs, and when the decrease occurs, the transmitter transmits frames more frequently than before the occurrence of the decrease in tire inflation pressure at a shorter frame transmission time interval than a regular transmission cycle during a high-frequency transmission period.

A wheel assembly rotational position identifying apparatus includes an acceleration detector, a control section, and a battery. The control section identifies the rotational position of the wheel assembly based on an acceleration detected by the acceleration detector. The control section operates in a control mode that is a selected one of a normal mode and a power saving mode, in which a power consumption associated with identification of the rotational position of the wheel assembly is smaller than that in the normal mode. The control section switches the control mode to the normal mode when an initiation condition is met in accordance with an input from outside. The control section also switches the control mode to the power saving mode when a termination condition is met in the normal mode.

Embodiments included herein are directed towards an automatic tire inflation monitoring system and method. The method may include confirming, using a battery powered electronic sensor, that there is no active tire re-inflation in progress. The method may further include monitoring, using the battery powered electronic sensor, the status of all tire pressures over a period of time and determining, using the battery powered electronic sensor, whether a rate of tire pressure reduction exceeds a first value. The method may include reporting, using the battery powered electronic sensor, a fault if the rate exceeds the first value.

A wheel registration apparatus applied to a vehicle comprises: a transmitter that is provided on each of the four traveling wheels provided with tires and has a first controller configured to create and transmit a frame including unique identification information; and a receiver that is provided on a vehicle body, receives the frames transmitted by the transmitters provided on the four traveling wheels via a reception antenna in a registration mode, and has a second controller configured to register four pieces of the identification information included in the respective frames as pieces of identification information of the transmitters provided on current four traveling wheels.

A tire pressure sensor includes a pressure sensor element, a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) interface and a microcontroller that is coupled to the pressure sensor element and the BLE interface. The microcontroller can be switched between an energy saving mode and an active operating mode. A battery is provided for voltage supply. The BLE interface is designed to establish a BLE communication with a reader designed for BLE communication and to initiate switch-over of the microcontroller from its energy saving mode to its active operating mode in response to the BLE communication being established.

Embodiments included herein are directed towards an automatic tire inflation monitoring system and method. The method may include confirming, using a battery powered electronic sensor, that there is no active tire re-inflation in progress. The method may further include monitoring, using the battery powered electronic sensor, the status of all tire pressures over a period of time and determining, using the battery powered electronic sensor, whether a rate of tire pressure reduction exceeds a first value. The method may include reporting, using the battery powered electronic sensor, a fault if the rate exceeds the first value.

A wheel registration apparatus applied to a vehicle comprises: a transmitter that is provided on each of the four traveling wheels provided with tires and has a first controller configured to create and transmit a frame including unique identification information; and a receiver that is provided on a vehicle body, receives the frames transmitted by the transmitters provided on the four traveling wheels via a reception antenna in a registration mode, and has a second controller configured to register four pieces of the identification information included in the respective frames as pieces of identification information of the transmitters provided on current four traveling wheels.

A tire pressure monitoring unit includes a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a transmitter for wireless transmission of pressure and temperature data HF signals, a receiver for receiving wireless control LF signals, a microcontroller containing a program memory and a data storage device containing a library of control programs to control the measurement and transmission activity of the tire pressure monitoring unit. The microcontroller selects from this library, on the basis of control signals that are received, a control program and then writing it into its program memory. When a loading program is activated by a control signal, it causes the microcontroller to transfer into the data storage device an additional control program that is received by the receiver. A method includes adding, to a library of control programs in a data storage device connected to a microcontroller of a tire pressure monitoring unit, an additional control program.

A tyre pressure sensing module (104) for fitting to a wheel (106) of a vehicle (100) comprising a pneumatic tyre, a driver indicator unit (102) and a TPMS comprising the two. The sensing module comprising: a pressure sensor (214) for sensing a pressure of a gas retained within the pneumatic tyre; an alert generator (216) configured to generate an alert signal based on the sensed pressure of the gas and one or more parameters; and a transmitter (202) configured to transmit the alert signal to the driver indicator unit fitted to the vehicle. The driver indicator unit comprising a receiver (304) configured to receive alert signals from a plurality of tyre pressure sensing modules;

and a display (314) configured to display an indication to a driver of the vehicle that the alert signal has been received.

A tire pressure sensor includes a pressure sensor element, a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) interface and a microcontroller that is coupled to the pressure sensor element and the BLE interface. The microcontroller can be switched between an energy saving mode and an active operating mode. A battery is provided for voltage supply. The BLE interface is designed to establish a BLE communication with a reader designed for BLE communication and to initiate switch-over of the microcontroller from its energy saving mode to its active operating mode in response to the BLE communication being established.