Patent ID: 8436724

Claim:
An apparatus for determining a tire condition and location on a vehicle comprising: a tire-based sensing unit, a plurality of tires on the vehicle having an associated tire-based sensing unit, each tire-based sensing unit including, a first tire rotation sensor mounted for rotation with the tire and for providing a first tire rotation signal each time the tire passes one of at least two predetermined rotational position of the tire during tire rotation, a tire condition sensor for sensing a tire condition and for providing a tire condition signal indicative thereof and a unique tire identification indicator, a transmitter for transmitting the tire condition signal and the unique tire identification indicator, and a controller for controlling said transmitter so that the transmission of said tire condition signal and the unique tire identification indicator occurs when said first tire rotation signal indicates the tire has reached one of said at least two predetermined rotational positions during tire rotation; a second tire rotation sensor mounted external of the tire for sensing tire rotation and for providing a second tire rotation signal indicative of incremental angular positions of the tire relative to a reference; and a vehicle-based receiver for receiving said transmitted tire condition signal, the unique tire identification indicator, and said second tire rotation signal and for correlating reception of said tire condition signal with said second tire rotation signal so as to associate the unique tire identification indicator with a particular tire location on the vehicle.