Patent ID: 6518875
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: B60C

Abstract:
A tire condition sensor module for a vehicle comprising:a source of electrical energy; at least one actuatable tire condition sensor operative to sense a tire condition of an associated vehicle tire and to provide a tire condition signal indicative of the condition sensed; a motion detector operative to detect movement of the associated vehicle tire and to provide a motion signal having a characteristic indicating movement of the associated vehicle tire; a transmitter operative to transmit a tire condition indicating signal having a characteristic based on the tire condition signal; and a controller for controlling actuation of said at least one tire condition sensor and for controlling said transmitter, said controller being continuously energized from said source of electrical energy and having first and second operating modes, said controller (i) operating in said first operating mode when the motion signal indicates movement of the associated tire that is greater than a predetermined value and (ii) operating in said second operating mode when the motion signal indicates movement of the associated tire that is less than the predetermined value, said controller intermittently actuating said at least one tire condition sensor to sense the tire condition and controlling said transmitter to periodically transmit the tire condition indicating signal when said controller is operating in said first operating mode, and said controller intermittently actuating said tire condition sensor to sense the tire condition and controlling said transmitter to transmit the tire condition indicating signal only if said controller determines that the tire condition signal indicates that the sensed tire condition is indicative of an alert condition when said controller is operating in said second operating mode.