Wireless programming method for tire pressure detectors

A wireless programming method for tire pressure detectors includes the following steps. A wireless programmer sends an activating command. The tire pressure detectors send a responding message. The wireless programmer receives the responding messages and records identification codes in the received responding messages. The wireless programmer sends a stop-responding command to make the tire pressure detector with the identification codes, which is recorded in the wireless programmer, enter a stop-responding mode. The wireless programmer sends the activating command again. The tire pressure detectors not in the stop-responding mode send the responding messages. The wireless programmer receives the responding message and records the identification code in the received responding message. The wireless programmer sends a code to the tire pressure detectors corresponding to the recorded identification code to program the code. With such design, it could be ensured that the code could be sent and programmed into all the tire pressure detectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to programming of a tire pressure detector, and more particularly to a wireless programming method for programming a code into multiple tire pressure detectors.

Description of Related Art

For the sake of safety, a tire pressure monitoring system (which is abbreviated as “TPMS”) is standard on new cars. The tire pressure monitoring system basically is consisting of tire pressure detectors and a receiver mounted in a car, wherein the tire pressure detectors are mounted on a plurality of wheels for detecting a tire pressure, a tire temperature, and other tire conditions of each one of the wheels. Data of tire conditions could be wirelessly sent to the receiver in the car by the tire pressure detectors to report the tire conditions to a driver in time. Once the tire conditions become abnormal, the driver could be warned in time.

Each of the tire pressure detectors is consisting of a controller and a sensor, wherein the controller runs a code to initiate the sensor to sense the tire pressure, the tire temperature, and the tire conditions. The data of the tire conditions could be wirelessly sent to the receiver in the car. The receiver analyzes the tire pressure, the tire temperature, and the tire conditions to check whether the tires are in a normal condition. An update of the code is done by wired programming or wireless programming.

The wired program is executed when tire pressure detectors are electrically connected to a programmer, so that a transmission of the code is not easily interfered, thereby increasing a correct rate of the code which is programmed into the tire pressure detectors. An error is hard to be found in the code. On the other hands, the wireless program is to transmit the code from a wireless programmer to the tire pressure detectors by a wireless way. It is not necessary to use any cable to connect the wireless programmer and the tire pressure detectors, so that the wireless program is more convenient.

During wireless programming, the programmer sends an activating command, and each of the tire pressure detectors sends the identification code back to the programmer after the tire pressure detector receives the activating command. The programmer then sends the code to the tire pressure detectors corresponding to the identification codes to programming. However, when there are multiple tire pressure detectors, the tire pressure detectors, that receive the activating command sent by the programmer, send the identification codes to the programmer at the same time, the wireless signals may interfere each other, causing the programmer missing the identification codes of a portion of the tire pressure detectors. Therefore, the programmer could not send the code to said portion of the tire pressure detectors to program the code in the portion of the tire pressure detectors.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a wireless programming method for tire pressure detectors, which could ensure that the code could be programmed into all of tire pressure detectors, even if multiple tire pressure detectors are programmed at the same time.

The present invention provides a wireless programming method for a tire pressure detector, which is applied in a wireless programmer and a plurality of tire pressure detectors. The wireless programmer communicates with the plurality of tire pressure detectors in a wireless way, and each of the plurality of tire pressure detectors has an identification code. The wireless programming method includes:

A. send an activating command by the wireless programmer.

B. send a responding message by each of the plurality of tire pressure detectors that receives the activating command, wherein the plurality of responding messages respectively includes the identification code of each of the plurality of tire pressure detectors.

C. receive at least one of the plurality of responding messages sent by the plurality of tire pressure detectors by the wireless programmer and record the identification code of the at least one of the plurality of responding messages that is received.

D. send at least one stop-responding command by the wireless programmer, wherein the at least one stop-responding command includes the at least one identification code that is recorded.

E. make at least one of the plurality of tire pressure detectors enter a stop-responding mode when the identification code of the tire pressure detector receiving the at least one stop-responding command is consistent with the identification code in the at least one stop-responding command, wherein the tire pressure detector in the stop-responding mode stops sending the responding message when the tire pressure detector receives the activating command.

F. send the activating command again by the wireless programmer.

G. receive the activating command by the plurality of tire pressure detectors to make the tire pressure detectors, which do not stay in the stop-responding mode, send the responding messages.

H. receive the responding messages by the wireless programmer and record the identification code in each of the responding messages.

I. send a code by the wireless programmer to the plurality of tire pressure detectors having the identification codes that are recorded in the wireless programmer to program the code into the plurality of tire pressure detectors.

The present invention provides another wireless programming method for a tire pressure detector which is applied in a wireless programmer and a plurality of tire pressure detectors, wherein the wireless programmer communicates with the plurality of tire pressure detectors in a wireless way, and each of the plurality of tire pressure detectors has an identification code. The wireless programming method includes:

A. send an activating command by the wireless programmer.

B. send a plurality of responding messages by the plurality of tire pressure detectors, after the plurality of tire pressure detectors receives the activating command, wherein the plurality of responding messages respectively includes the identification code of at least one of the plurality of tire pressure detectors.

C. receive at least one of the plurality of responding messages sent by the plurality of tire pressure detectors by the wireless programmer and record the identification code of the at least one of the plurality of responding messages that is received.

D. send at least one stop-responding command by the wireless programmer, wherein the at least one stop-responding command includes the at least one identification code that is recorded.

E. determine whether the identification code of the at least one tire pressure detector is consistent with the identification code included in the at least one stop-responding command, after the at least one tire pressure detector receives the at least one tire pressure detector. When the identification codes are consistent, the at least one tire pressure detector enters a stop-responding mode.

F. send the activating command again by the wireless programmer.

G. stop sending the responding message by the at least one tire pressure detector which receives the activating command.

H. send a code by the wireless programmer to the at least one tire pressure detector having the identification code recorded in the wireless programmer, thereby programming the code into the at least one tire pressure detector.

Before the wireless programmer sends the activating command again, the responding messages of the portion of the tire pressure detectors are received by the wireless programmer, and the stop-responding command is sent to make the portion of the tire pressure detectors enter the stop-responding mode, so that the number of the tire pressure detectors which send the responding messages is reduced after the second activating command. Therefore, when the wireless programmer receives the responding messages at the second time, the interference between the wireless signals is reduced, thereby allowing the identification codes of all of the tire pressure detectors could be received by the wireless programmer to ensure the code could be sent to and programmed into all of the tire pressure detectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIG.1toFIG.3, a wireless programming method for a tire pressure detector of an embodiment according to the present invention which is applied in a wireless programming system, wherein the wireless programming system includes a wireless programmer10and a plurality of tire pressure detectors30.

As illustrated inFIG.2, the wireless programmer10includes a first controller12, a first wireless communication module14, a first memory16, an operational interface18, and a display unit20, wherein the first wireless communication module14, the first memory16, the operational interface18and the display unit20are electrically connected to the first controller12. In the current embodiment, the first controller12is a microcontroller unit (MCU). The first wireless communication module14is used for communicating with the tire pressure detectors30. In the current embodiment, the first wireless communication module14includes a first low-frequency circuit14a(which is abbreviated as “first LF circuit” hereinafter) and a first radio-frequency circuit14b(which is abbreviated as “first RF circuit” hereinafter). A frequency range of the first LF circuit14ais between 120 kHz and 130 kHz, and a frequency range of the first RF circuit14bis between 314 MHz to 318 MHz or between 432 MHz to 434 MHz, wherein the first LF circuit14aand the first RF circuit14bare adapted to send data to or receive data from the tire pressure detectors30, but it is not limited to the above. In practice, the programmer10could be merely disposed with either the first LF circuit14aor the first RF circuit14bfor sending or receiving data.

At least one code is stored in the first memory16. In practice, the first memory16could be built in the first controller12. An operator could learn an operating condition from the display unit20by operating operational interface18.

Since configurations of the tire pressure detectors30are the same, one of the tire pressure detectors30is taken as an example to describe hereafter. As illustrated inFIG.3, the tire pressure detector30includes a second controller32, a second wireless communication module34, a second memory36, and a sensor module38, wherein the second wireless communication module34, the second memory36, and the sensor module38are electronically connected to the second controller32. In the current embodiment, the second controller32is a microcontroller unit (MCU). The second wireless communication module34is adapted to communicate with the first wireless communication module14. In the current embodiment, the second wireless communication module34includes a second low-frequency circuit34a(which is abbreviated as “second LF circuit” hereinafter) and a second radio-frequency circuit34b(which is abbreviated as “second RF circuit” hereinafter), wherein the second LF circuit34acommunicates with the first LF circuit14a, and the second RF circuit34bcommunicates with the first RF circuit14b. The second memory36is adapted to store an identification code, and a code could also be stored in the second memory36as well. In practice, the second memory36could be built in the second controller32. In the current embodiment, the identification code could be, but not limited to, numbers, alphabets, or a combination thereof.

The sensor module38at least includes a pressure sensor. In the current embodiment, the sensor module38includes the pressure sensor and a temperature sensor, wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to sense a tire pressure of a tire, and the temperature sensor is adapted to sense a tire temperature of the tire.

The second controller32runs the code saved in the second memory36to initiate the sensor module38to sense a tire pressure, a tire temperature, and other tire condition of the tire that is disposed with the tire pressure detectors30, and then transmits a data of the tire condition of the tire to the wireless programmer10or a receiver in the car via the second RF circuit34bof the second wireless communication module34.

Based on the system described above, the wireless programming method of the embodiment according to the present invention could be used in the system, wherein the wireless programming method includes the following steps as shown inFIG.4:

Step S11: The wireless programmer10sends an activating command. In the current embodiment, the first controller12transmits the activating command to each of the tire pressure detectors30by broadcasting.

Step S12: Each of the tire pressure detectors30receiving the activating command sends a responding message, wherein the responding message includes the identification code of the tire pressure detector30itself. In the current embodiment, each of the tire pressure detector30receives the activating command via the second LF circuit34aof the second wireless communication module34to transmit the activating command to the second controller32. The second controller32accesses the identification code stored in the second memory36and sends the responding message with the identification code via the second LF circuit34a.

Step S13: The wireless programmer10receives at least one of the responding messages sent by the tire pressure detectors30and records the identification code of the at least one of the responding messages that is received. In the current embodiment, since the tire pressure detectors30sends the responding messages almost at the same time, the responding messages may be missed by the first LF circuit14aof the first wireless communication module14of the wireless programmer10due to a wireless signal interference between the responding messages. However, the first LF circuit14acould receive at least one of the responding messages. The first LF circuit14asends the at least one of the responding message that is received to the first controller12. The first controller12reads the at least one responding message to obtain the identification code inside and stores the identification code into the first memory16. In other words, in this step, the at least one of the identification codes of the tire pressure detectors30could be recorded in the first memory16.

Step S14: The wireless programmer10sends at least one stop-responding command which includes the identification code recorded in the wireless programmer10. In the current embodiment, the first controller12sends the stop-responding command, including the at least one of the identification codes that is recorded in the step S13, via the first LF circuit14a.

For example, when a number of the tire pressure detectors30is four, in the step S13, the wireless programmer10receives the responding messages of two of the tire pressure detectors30and miss the responding messages of the other two of the tire pressure detectors30. In the step14, the first controller12sends the stop-responding command with the identification codes of the two of the tire pressure detectors30.

In practice, in the step S14, the first controller12could successively send at least two stop-responding commands, each of the at least two stop-responding command includes one of the identification codes that are recorded. The identification codes included in the stop-responding commands are different.

Step S15: When the identification code of the tire pressure detector30that receives the at least one stop-responding command is consistent with the identification code included in the at least one stop-responding command, the tire pressure detector30enters a stop-responding mode. The tire pressure detector30in the stop-responding mode stops sending the responding message when the tire pressure detector30receives the activating command. In the current embodiment, all of the tire pressure detectors30could receive the stop-responding commands. The second controller32of each of the tire pressure detector30compares the identification code in the stop-responding commands that are received with the identification code stored in the second memory36to determine a conformity.

When the identification code in the stop-responding commands is consistent with the identification code of the tire pressure detectors30, the second controller32enters the stop-responding mode. In the stop-responding mode, the second controller32does not send the responding message when receiving the activating command and waits for a step of receiving a code.

When the identification code in the stop-responding commands and the identification code of the tire pressure detectors30is not consistent, the second controller32discards the stop-responding command and waits for receiving the activating command again.

In practice, after the second controller32enters the stop-responding mode, the second controller32starts to time. When a predetermined time is up and the code is not received, the second controller32lifts the stop-responding mode to wait for receiving the activating command again, thereby preventing the second controller32from keeping staying in the stop-responding mode and could not be activated again in case the wireless programmer10could not send the code for some reason.

Step S16: The wireless programmer10sends the activating command again. In the current embodiment, the first controller12sends the activating command to all the tire pressure detectors30in a way of the broadcast via the first LF circuit14a.

Step S17: After each of the tire pressure detectors30, which does not stay in the stop-responding mode, receives the activating command, said tire pressure detector30sends the responding message. In the current embodiment, after the tire pressure detectors30receive the activating command, the second controller32of each of the tire pressure detectors30could determine whether the tire pressure detector30itself is in the stop-responding mode or not.

If yes, the tire pressure detector30does not send the responding message;

If not, the tire pressure detector30sends a responding message with the identification code of the tire pressure detector30.

Step S18: The wireless programmer10receives the responding message and records the identification code in the responding message that is received. In the previous step S17, a number of the tire pressure detectors30sending the responding messages has been reduced. Therefore, in the step S18, the wireless signal interference between the responding messages could be avoided, so that the wireless programmer10could receive the responding messages of the tire pressure detectors30that is not in the stop-responding mode.

After that, the wireless programmer10could send the stop-responding command as mentioned in the step S14, the stop-responding command could merely include the identification codes recorded in the step S18or could include the identification codes recorded in the step S13and the step S18. When each of the tire pressure detectors30receives the at least one stop-responding command, each of the tire pressure detector30compares the identification code itself with the identification code or the identification codes of the at least one stop-responding command. When the identification code of the tire pressure detector30is consistent with the identification code of the stop-responding command, the tire pressure detector30enters the stop-responding mode. Similarly, when the second controller32does not receive the code within the predetermined time, the second controller32could lift the stop-responding.

In practice, the step S17and the step S18could be repeated to ensure the wireless programmer10receives all the identification codes of the tire pressure detectors30.

Step S19: The wireless programmer10sends the code to each of the tire pressure detectors30having one of the identification codes recorded in the wireless programmer10, so that the code could be saved in the tire pressure detectors30.

More specifically, the first controller12of the wireless programmer10sends a preparing-program command within the predetermined time via the first LF circuit14a. The preparing-program command includes the identification codes recorded in the first memory16.

After the second LF circuit34aof the tire pressure detector30receives the preparing-program command via the second LF circuit34a, the preparing-program command is transmitted to the second controller32. The second controller32compares the identification codes in the preparing-program command with the identification code of the second memory36. When the identification codes are consistent, the second controller32enters a preparing-program mode to wait for receiving the code.

The wireless programmer10sends the code by broadcasting. After the tire pressure detectors30in the preparing-program mode receives the code, the code was programmed into the second memory36, thereby completing a code programming.

After that, the code programming of each of the tire pressure detectors30is completed, a completing message sends to the wireless programmer10via the second LF circuit34a. Each of the completing messages includes the identification code of one of the tire pressure detectors30and a state of program, wherein the state of program indicates whether the code program is successful or not. The first controller12of the wireless programmer10displays the identification codes and the states of program on the display unit20.

In view of above, the wireless programming method of the current embodiment according to the present invention includes sending the activating commands many times via the wireless programmer, wherein before the wireless programmer sends the activating command again, the wireless programmer receives the responding messages of some of the tire pressure detectors and sends the at least one stop-responding to command is the some of the tire pressure detectors to enter the stop-responding mode, so that the number of the tire pressure detectors that could send the responding messages will be reduced after sending the activating command second time, thereby avoiding the wireless signal interference between the responding messages. With such design, the wireless programmer could receive all of the identification codes of the tire pressure detectors to ensure that the code could be programmed into all of the tire pressure detectors.

It must be pointed out that the embodiment described above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent structures and methods which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention.