Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/166,626 filed on Jul. 2, 2008 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/958,203 which was filed on Jul. 3, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure relates to tire pressure monitoring devices. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a universal tire pressure monitoring device and method that is adaptable for operation according to different manufacture protocols. 
     A tire pressure monitoring device is typically mounted to a wheel within the tire and transmits information indicative of conditions within the tire. The transmissions and order of information are defined by a defined protocol corresponding to a receiver within the vehicle. Each automobile manufacturer has a unique preferred defined protocol to meet application specific needs and designs. 
     Disadvantageously, such different and unique protocols require corresponding unique tire pressure monitoring sensors, thereby complicating maintenance and service operations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A disclosed example tire pressure monitoring device includes a memory that is configurable to either hold a plurality of communication protocols or to be flash programmed with a single communication program to govern operation. 
     An example disclosed tire pressure monitoring device includes a memory that holds several different communication protocols. Each of these communication protocols correspond to each manufacturers preferred communications protocol. 
     The example disclosed tire pressure monitoring device includes a memory device adapted to store a plurality of different communication protocols. Upon installation of the tire pressure monitoring device, a programming module initiates a signal to each of the tire pressure monitoring devices that selects which communication protocol will govern operation of that tire pressure monitoring device. 
     Another disclosed example tire pressure device includes a memory that does not include a communications protocol. The tire pressure monitoring device is flash programmed from a programming device including each of the different communication protocols for each of the different original equipment manufacturers. The tire pressure monitoring device is interfaced with the programming device and flash programmed with the desired communication protocol. The programmed tire pressure monitoring devices is then installed within the vehicle tire. 
     Accordingly, the example tire pressure monitoring devices are capable of operating with different systems and operating according to different communications protocols. 
     These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of an example universal tire pressure monitoring system. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of another example universal tire pressure monitoring system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a tire pressure monitoring system  10  is shown assembled within a vehicle  12 . The system  10  includes a receiver  16  that receives communications from tire pressure monitoring devices  14  assembled within each of the vehicle&#39;s tires  18 . As is understood by those skilled in the art, each of the tire pressure monitoring devices  14  are assembled within the tires  18  and communicate information indicative of conditions within the tires  18  to the receiver  16 . These conditions include temperature, pressure, and any other desired information that aids in the monitoring of tire conditions. 
     The example system  10  includes the tire pressure monitoring devices  14  that all include a memory device  26 . The memory device  26  is utilized for the storage of a plurality of communication protocols  28 . The communication protocols  28  include individual and unique protocols that govern operation and communication between the tire pressure monitoring device  14  and the receiver  16 . Because each tire pressure monitoring device  14  includes several desired communication protocols for different manufacturers, all that is required is that the tire pressure monitoring device  14  be installed within the tire  18 . Once the tire pressure monitoring device  14  is installed with the tire  18 , one of the plurality of communication protocols  28  is selected to govern operation and communication. 
     Selection of a desired one of the communication protocols is accomplished through the use of a programming device  20 . The example programming device  20  emits a wireless signal  22  that is received by a corresponding one of the tire pressure monitoring devices  14 . The programming device  20  includes a series of selectable buttons  24  that are actuated by an operator to indicate which of the several communication protocols is desired for that tire pressure monitoring device to operate. Although the example device  20  is shown with buttons, other display and selection configurations, such as touch screen or other selection interface are within the contemplation of this invention. 
     Accordingly, installation of the example universal tire pressure monitoring devices  14  includes the initial step of physically installing the tire pressure monitoring devices  14  within each of the corresponding tires  18 . At this step in the installation process, no communication protocol selection is required. This is so because each of the tire pressure monitoring devices  14  has stored within it all of the desired communication protocols  28  required for communicating with any of several original equipment receivers  15 . 
     Once the tire pressure monitoring devices  14  are physically installed within each of the tires  18 , the programming device  20  is actuated. The programming device is placed proximate each of the tire pressure monitoring devices  14  to send a signal  22 . The example signal  22  is a low frequency transmission received by the proximate tire pressure monitoring device  14 . The signal  22  triggers the tire pressure monitoring device to operate according to a selected one of the stored communication protocols  28 . For example, in this instance, if the operator selects button number one, the corresponding tire pressure monitoring device  14  will operate according to the stored communication protocol  28  indicated as 1. The tire pressure monitoring device  14  can be reclaimed and the communication protocol reset by deactivating a currently selected one of the plurality of selectable communication protocols  28  and selecting a different one of the plurality of selectable programs  28 . 
     Of course it is within the contemplation of this invention that the controller may include other control operations not just the buttons  24  indicated in the illustrated example. Further, it is also within the contemplation of this invention that the programming device  20  may utilize other wireless communication protocols to communicate and trigger the selection of the desired communication protocol in which the corresponding tire pressure monitoring device  14  would operate. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , another example tire pressure monitoring system  32  utilizes a tire pressure monitoring device  34  that includes a memory  40 . The memory  40  of the tire pressure monitoring device  34  does not include any communication protocol data. Instead, the memory  40  is provided with a space for a communications protocol. The tire pressure monitoring device  34  with the blank memory  40  is in essence a blank slate as indicated by  42 . The blank tire pressure monitoring device  42  is inserted within a programming device  36 . The programming device  36  includes a memory device  38  that stores the plurality of communication protocols  28 . The tire pressure monitoring device  34  is placed into electrical communication by way of an interface with the programmer  36 . The programmer  36  is then actuated to download or flash program one of the communication protocols  28  from the memory device  38  into the memory device  40  of the tire pressure monitoring device. This step is accomplished prior to installation into the vehicle  12 . 
     Accordingly, each tire pressure monitoring device  34  that is to be assembled into a vehicle is first flash programmed using the programming device  36  to install and select a desired communication protocol  28 . The tire pressure monitoring device is thereby set and capable of operation only according to that flash programmed communication protocol. Programmed tire pressure monitoring devices  34  are indicated as being programmed by reference numeral  44 , can then be installed within the vehicle  12  to operate with the specific vehicle receiver  16 . 
     During the installation process of the example system illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a plurality of blank tire pressure monitoring devices  34  would be available for flash programming upon the desired need. The example non-programmed tire pressure monitoring devices are indicated at  42 . Prior to installation within the vehicle  12 , each tire pressure monitoring device  34  is loaded with a program by the programming device  36 . The example interface between the programming device  36  and the tire pressure monitoring device  34  is a physical connection. However, wireless connections could also be utilized for loading the desired communication protocol into the tire pressure monitoring device  34 . The programmed tire pressure monitoring devices indicated at  44  can then be installed within the vehicle  12 . 
     It should be understood that a computing device can be used to implement various functionality and operation of the example programming devices  20 , and  36 . In terms of hardware architecture, such a computing device can include a processor, a memory, and one or more input and/or output (I/O) device interface(s) that are communicatively coupled via a local interface. The local interface can include, for example but not limited to, one or more buses and/or other wired or wireless connections. The processor may be a hardware device for executing software, particularly software stored in memory. The processor can be a custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the computing device, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set) or generally any device for executing software instructions. 
     The memory can include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, VRAM, etc.)) and/or nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CD-ROM, etc.). Moreover, the memory may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Note that the memory can also have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the processor. 
     The software in the memory may include one or more separate programs, each of which includes an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. When constructed as a source program, the program is translated via a compiler, assembler, interpreter, or the like, which may or may not be included within the memory. 
     Accordingly, the example tire pressure monitoring devices  14 ,  34  and programming devices  20 ,  36  provide a system and device capable of operating according to different communication protocols. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Technology Category: 7