A direct tire data collection and communication device is adapted for use in a pneumatic vehicle tire. The device incorporates a tire-mounted electronics module comprising a microcontroller, and at least one tire property sensor in electronic communication with the microcontroller and capable of measuring at least one operational property of the vehicle tire. The threshold operational property value defines a positive tire safety condition and a negative tire safety condition. The electronics module calculates accumulated travel data of the vehicle tire while in the negative tire safety condition. A transmitter transmits the travel data to an electronic remote terminal.

A tire position determination system provided in a vehicle including a first tire and a second tire includes an initiator that transmits a command signal, a first detector attached to the first tire, a second detector attached to the second tire, and a monitoring unit. A distance between the first tire and the initiator is equal to or shorter than a distance between the second tire and the initiator. Each of the first detector and the second detector includes an acceleration sensor. A detection signal includes a detection value from the acceleration sensor. The monitoring unit performs determination processing for determining a position of the first tire and a position of the second tire based on positional relation between the detector and the initiator estimated from the detection value from the acceleration sensor.

A method for initialising a tyre monitoring device including a wireless communication interface and tyre monitoring devices and systems using the method are disclosed. The method includes operating the tyre monitoring device in a first mode, in the first mode the tyre monitoring device is only responsive to an initialisation instruction received over the wireless communication interface from the second device; receiving an initialisation instruction over the wireless communication interface while operating in the first mode; and, responsive to the initialisation instruction, operating the tyre monitoring device in a second mode in which the tyre monitoring device is responsive to instructions received over the wireless communication interface. The first mode draws lower power than the second mode so power draw prior to initialisation, for example while storage awaiting use, is reduced.

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 transmitter is configured to be attached to each of wheel assemblies provided in a vehicle and execute a process in accordance with a command included in a trigger signal. The transmitter includes a battery, which serves as a power source for the transmitter, a condition detecting section, which is configured to detect a condition of a tire, a trigger receiving section, which is configured to receive, as the trigger signal, an unmodulated wave having a received signal strength indication greater than or equal to a predetermined received signal strength indication, a transmitting section, which is configured to transmit a signal, and a controlling section, which is configured such that, when the trigger receiving section receives the unmodulated wave, the controlling section causes the transmitting section to transmit the signal in response to the unmodulated wave. The controlling section is configured to execute an accumulation process to accumulate reception time of the unmodulated wave from a starting point in time, and shift into a restriction state to restrict a response to the unmodulated wave when the accumulated reception time reaches a predetermined time.

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for sensor auto-location using phased antenna array beamforming are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method of sensor auto-location using phased antenna array beamforming includes sending a radio frequency (RF) signal beam directed towards a given tire placement direction of a vehicle. In this embodiment, the method includes receiving an acknowledgement from a sensor and determining whether one or more signal attributes indicated in the acknowledgement are within one or more predefined ranges for the one or more signal attributes and corresponding to the given tire placement direction. In response to the one or more signal attributes being within the one or more predefined ranges, the method includes determining that the sensor is fitted on the given tire placement direction.

A tyre monitoring device, tyre monitoring system and method including a wireless interface having range determining capability and a processor. The processor: receives a command via the wireless interface from a second device of the tyre monitoring system; determines a range to the second device; and executes the command if the range to the second device is less than a predetermined threshold.

A method for detecting a change in location of the wheels of a motor vehicle, the vehicle having at least one central processing unit, and two wheel units which each includes an electronic assembly of sensors and which are each mounted on one of the wheels. The method including a monitoring step, during which a first pattern representative of the location of the wheel unit is established, when the vehicle is at a standstill, and an evaluation step, during which a possible first variation in each first pattern is measured to estimate if the location of the wheel has changed.

A system for determining abnormalities of a TPMS that includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure inside a tire and transmits sensed pressure data as a radio signal, a reception unit that receives the radio signal from the pressure sensor and measures strength of the received radio signal, and a determination unit that determines an abnormality of the TPMS based on the radio signal received, and the strength of the radio signal measured, by the reception unit.

A radio-transmitting sensor for a vehicle wheel, suitable for measuring at least one physical quantity and for transmitting a radio signal representative of this measured physical quantity. The sensor includes a measurement and transmission circuit, an antenna impedance matching circuit, and an antenna circuit. The sensor includes a sensitivity switch controlled by the measurement and transmission circuit and suitable for switching the antenna circuit according to two modes: a dynamic mode in which the antenna circuit is configured as a magnetic antenna, and in which the sensor transmits said radio signal representative of the measured physical quantity, this signal including transmitted data frames; and a static mode in which the antenna circuit is configured as an electric antenna.