Patent ID: 9122423
Filing Date: 2015-09-01
Classification: B60C,G01M,G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of programming a tire pressure monitoring sensor of a vehicle wheel unit, comprising the steps of: storing, in a hand-held programming tool, a database of identification codes, wherein the database of identification codes includes a plurality of vehicle identification numbers (VINs), wherein each of the plurality of VINs includes an associated make, model, or year of a vehicle, and wherein each of the plurality of VINs includes a reference to a program software associated with one or more of the make, the model, or the year of the vehicle; storing, in the hand-held programming tool, a database of program software, wherein the database of program software includes a plurality of program software modules, and wherein each of the plurality of program software modules is identified by a selected reference from the database of identification codes; linking, by the hand-held programming tool, at least some of the plurality of program software modules to a manufacturer's database; periodically updating selected ones of the plurality of program software modules from the manufacturer's database; obtaining a first identification information of a vehicle with the hand-held programming tool for a tire pressure monitoring sensor of a vehicle wheel unit, wherein the first identification information of the vehicle is in an electronic form; automatically retrieving a second identification information from the database of identification codes, wherein the second identification information is in an electronic form; automatically comparing the first identification information of the vehicle with the second identification information to determine, from the database of identification codes, one or more of a make, a model, or a year of the vehicle; selecting and obtaining a selected one of the plurality of program software modules associated with one or more of the make, the model, or the year of the vehicle from the database of program software using the reference; and automatically programming the tire pressure monitoring sensor of the vehicle wheel unit with the selected one of the plurality of program software modules via a communication link that exists between the hand-held programming tool and the tire pressure monitoring sensor of the vehicle wheel unit.