Patent ID: 8742913

Claim:
A method of programming a tire pressure monitoring device comprising: mounting a tire pressure monitoring device to a mounting location of a programming device to establish a physical interface therebetween, the programming device including a first memory including a first program and a second program, the first program configured to govern operations and communications of the tire pressure monitoring device according to a first protocol associated with a first automobile manufacturer, the second program configured to govern operations and communications of the tire pressure monitoring device according to a second protocol associated with a second automobile manufacturer, wherein the physical interface comprises a cavity corresponding to a shape of the tire pressure monitoring device; selecting through a user interface of the programming device a desired one of the first program or the second program, the selection being accomplished by an indicator that is non-specific to an automobile manufacturer; loading the selected one of the first program or the second program from the first memory device of the programming device to a second memory device disposed within the tire pressure monitoring device; and wherein selecting the first program or the second program causes the deactivation of a third program that has been active immediately before the deactivation occurs in the tire pressure monitoring device, the deactivation occurring after initialization of the tire pressure monitoring device is complete.