Equipment for an electronic system for checking the pressure of the tyres of a motor vehicle
Electronic equipment for use in checking the air pressure of the tires of a motor vehicle and communicating information to an on-board computer of the motor vehicle is disclosed. The equipment includes a device including an internal pressure sensor and a connection means for connecting the device to a valve of a tire to place the internal pressure sensor in communication with the internal air pressure of the tire. In one example, the electronic equipment includes a device having a first case, and the internal air pressure sensor is in a separate second case including the connection means to connect the second case to the valve of the tire. The internal air pressure sensor in the second case is configured to be in communication with the components in the first case of the device.
1 . An apparatus for an electronic system for selectively measuring air pressure of a tire of a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
a device external to the tire and the motor vehicle comprising:
an activation module configured to selectively activate a pressure sensor housed in the tire;
a reception means for receiving signals from the pressure sensor;
an electronic entity configured to at least one of store or process data carried by the signals received from the pressure sensor; and
a communication means configured to communicate with an on-board computer of the motor vehicle so as to transmit the data from the received signals to pair the pressure sensor with the on-board computer of the motor vehicle;
an internal pressure sensor external to the tire and the motor vehicle, the internal pressure sensor in communication with the device; and
a connection means for connection of the apparatus to a tire valve of the tire, said connection means being configured to selectively connect said internal pressure sensor to the tire valve of the tire and operable to alternately measure an air pressure of the tire when the tire does not include the pressure sensor in the tire or when the tire does include the pressure sensor in the tire to check that the pressure sensor in the tire is operating properly.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said device further comprises a first case configured to house said internal pressure sensor.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said internal pressure sensor is housed inside a second case distinct from said device.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said internal pressure sensor is integral with a wall of said second case.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said connection means is fixed to said second case.
6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of said second case or said device further comprises at least one of mechanical or magnetic means configured for securing the device to the second case.
7 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said second case comprises a material transparent to radio frequency waves.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the material for said second case comprises a plastic or polymer material.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said connection means comprises a connector configured to connect the apparatus to the tire valve.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said internal pressure sensor comprises a tire air pressure sensor for a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) of the motor vehicle.
11 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said connection means is fixed to the second case.
12 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one of said second case or said device further comprises at least one of mechanical or magnetic means configured for securing the device to the second case.
13 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said connection means comprises a connector configured to connect the second case to the tire valve.
14 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second case is physically separated from the device when the internal pressure sensor measures the air pressure in the tire.
15 . An apparatus for an electronic system for selectively measuring air pressure of a tire of a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) tool positioned external to the tire and the motor vehicle comprising:
an activation module configured to selectively activate a pressure sensor housed in a first tire;
a reception means for receiving signals from the pressure sensor;
an electronic entity configured to at least one of store or process data carried by the signals received from the pressure sensor; and
a communication means configured to communicate with an onboard computer of the motor vehicle so as to transmit the data from the received signals;
an internal pressure sensor external to the tire and the motor vehicle, the internal pressure sensor in communication with the TPMS tool; and
a connector configured to selectively connect the apparatus to a tire valve of the tire of the motor vehicle to place the internal pressure sensor in communication with an air pressure of the tire of the motor vehicle, wherein the internal pressure sensor is configured to alternately measure an air pressure of a second tire not including the pressure sensor and measure an air pressure of the first tire including the pressure sensor to check that the pressure sensor in the first tire is operating correctly, and communicate the measured air pressure to the TPMS tool.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the TPMS tool further comprises a first case positioned external to the tire and the motor vehicle, the first case housing the activation module, the reception means, the electronic entity and the communication means, the apparatus further comprising:
a second case positioned external to the tire and the motor vehicle, the second case different from the first case and physically distinct from the first case, the second case defining an internal volume, wherein the internal pressure sensor is positioned in the internal volume, the second case including the connector configured to selectively connect the second case to the tire valve of the first tire or the second tire to place the internal pressure sensor in communication with the air pressure of the first tire or the second tire, respectively, to measure the air pressure of the first tire or the second tire.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the internal pressure sensor positioned in the second case comprises a TPMS tire pressure sensor.
18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the communication means comprises an OBD socket in the first case configured to connect the TPMS tool to the on-board computer of the motor vehicle to transmit the data received from the signals received from the pressure sensor of the first tire to pair the pressure sensor with the on-board computer of the motor vehicle.
19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the connector comprises a tube connected to the second case configured to facilitate connection of the connector to the tire valve.