JPH09249008A - Tire inflation pressure managing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate confirmation of an air pressure by a driver and to eliminate a fear of interference of a signal to transmit a measured air pressure value, in a tire air pressure managing device to confirm the air pressure state of the tire attached to a vehicle. SOLUTION: An air pressure value detected by an air pressure sensor part 1 attached to a tire is codelessly transmitted from a transmission part 3 by means of light. The signal is received by a receiver part 4 and compared with the assigned air pressure value of the tire by a microcomputer part 6, and a result is displayed by a display part 7. A small and low-cost tire inflation pressure managing device is provided to easily confirm the air pressure of the tire and prevent interference of a transmission signal.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire air pressure management device that is attached to a bicycle or the like (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle) and that checks the tire air pressure state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in order to drive a vehicle safely, tire pressure control is one of the essential elements,
The manual measurement method is to remove the cap of the air injection part, press the air gauge etc. directly on the air injection part for measurement, compare the specified air pressure value of the tire with the measured value, and the measurer Had decided.

As a tire air pressure detecting device, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-126666.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the tire air pressure detection device.

As shown in the figure, this tire air pressure detecting device measures the tire air pressure with a pressure sensor 11, removes noise components of the tire air pressure information signal obtained there, and removes the signal by the input filter 12. A modulation circuit 13 that modulates and outputs a radio carrier signal by
Power amplifier circuit 14 that amplifies and outputs the power of the modulated wave signal that is output, and the transmitting antenna 1 that radiates the modulated signal of the radio frequency that is output from this power amplifier circuit 14.
Since it is configured by including the pressure signal transmission circuit unit composed of 5 and the transmission antenna 15 is used, it is obvious that radio waves are used as a means of cordless transmission.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned conventional manual air pressure measuring method is very cumbersome, and the tire air pressure transmitting method using radio waves is different from each other in order to avoid interference of transmission signals of each tire. Different radio carrier frequencies are assigned to each tire, or if a single radio carrier frequency is used, it is necessary to digitize the tire transmission signal and assign a different code to each tire. there were.

However, considering the number of tires when this method became popular, it is difficult to assign different radio carrier frequencies to each tire because the frequency is finite, and a single radio carrier frequency is used. If it is, an analog / digital converter that digitizes the tire transmission signal on the transmitter side, an encoder that assigns a different code to each tire, a code decoder that decodes the code on the receiver side, etc. Therefore, an expensive and large-sized device was expected.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem and allows a driver to easily check the tire air pressure, and there is no fear that a transmission signal for transmitting the measured air pressure value will interfere with each other. It is an object of the present invention to provide a small and inexpensive tire pressure management device.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a tire air pressure management device of the present invention detects an air pressure value with an air pressure sensor portion attached to a tire of a vehicle or the like, and uses the air pressure value with light. Cordless transmission unit, a receiving unit that receives the transmitted signal, and a confirmation unit that compares the received signal with the specified air pressure value of the tire and notifies the result by sound, display, etc. It was done.

With this, the driver can easily confirm whether the tire air pressure is appropriate or not, without any troublesome work. At the same time, the tire air pressure value can be determined by using directional light as a means of cordless transmission. To transmit,
It is possible to realize the same small-sized and inexpensive device that has no fear of causing interference of transmission signals of each tire and has no fear of interference even when considering the number of tires when the present invention has spread.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a transmission in which an air pressure value is detected by an air pressure sensor portion attached to a tire for a vehicle and the air pressure value is transmitted cordlessly using light. Section, a receiving section that receives the transmitted signal, and a confirmation section that decodes the received signal, compares the air pressure value with the designated air pressure value of the detected tire, and notifies the comparison result by sound, display, etc. It is possible to easily check whether the tire pressure is appropriate or not, without the driver having to perform troublesome work, and to use directional light as a means for cordless transmission of the tire. Since the air pressure value is transmitted, there is an effect that transmission signals of the tires do not interfere with each other.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, an ambient temperature detecting section for detecting an ambient temperature outside the vehicle and an engine stop time from the last engine shut-off to the current engine start A stop time measuring unit for measuring and a lever position recognizing unit for recognizing the position of the shift lever are provided, and the result of comparing the confirmation unit with the designated air pressure value of each tire corresponding to the ambient external temperature is notified by sound or display. Since it is configured as described above, and considering that the tire air pressure varies depending on the temperature inside the tire and the ambient temperature, it has the effect of increasing the accuracy of determining whether the tire air pressure is appropriate or not. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the first or second aspect, the confirmation unit notifies only when the pressure is out of the specified air pressure range, and the air pressure value becomes abnormal. It has the effect that the driver can be notified only when

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tire air pressure management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 generates a voltage corresponding to a tire air pressure value of an automobile. An air pressure sensor unit, 2 is an A / D conversion unit that converts the voltage into a digital code, 3 is a transmission unit that converts the digital code into an optical signal by an infrared light emitting diode or a laser diode, and 4 is a photodiode or a pin A receiving unit 5 for converting the optical signal into a voltage signal by a photodiode or the like, a waveform shaping unit 5 for shaping the signal waveform of the voltage and converting it into a digital code, and 6 a code corresponding to the code and a specified air pressure value. If it is within the specified air pressure value range, a lighting display command for the measured air pressure value is issued, and if it is outside the specified air pressure value range, a blinking display command for the measured air pressure value is issued. Lee Black computer unit, 7 denotes a display unit for displaying the air pressure values constitute a tire pressure management apparatus thereby.

Since the tire air pressure management device configured as described above transmits and receives data by light, it does not interfere like radio waves, and has a simpler circuit structure, which is inexpensive and compact.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tire air pressure management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The tire air pressure management device of the first embodiment has an ambient temperature. Detecting unit 8 and engine stop time measuring unit 9
And the shift lever position recognition unit 10 is added.

In this tire pressure management device, the microcomputer unit 6 does not move the shift lever from the parking position after the engine is started, and the engine stop time from the last time the engine was turned off until the current engine is started is set. If more than 3 hours have passed, it is judged that the ambient temperature and the tire are at the same temperature, and the code is compared with the code corresponding to the specified air pressure value of each tire corresponding to the ambient temperature. If it is within the specified air pressure value range, a lighting display command for the measured air pressure value is issued, and if it is outside the specified air pressure value range, a blinking display command for the measured air pressure value is issued.

If the engine is operated and the shift lever is moved from the parking position, or the time from when the engine was last turned off to when the engine is started this time has not elapsed, the ambient temperature and the tire are the same. The measured air pressure value is not displayed because the temperature has not been reached.

With such a structure, the tire air pressure can be measured under the condition that the outside air around the vehicle and the air inside the tire have the same temperature.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a tire air pressure management device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 is a voltage corresponding to a tire air pressure value of an automobile. The air pressure sensor unit 2, which generates the pressure, outputs a digital code "1" if the voltage corresponding to the tire air pressure value of the vehicle is equal to or less than the specified air pressure voltage, and outputs a digital code "0" if the voltage is equal to or more than the specified air pressure voltage. An A / D converter, 3 is a transmitter that converts the digital code into an optical signal by an infrared light emitting diode or laser diode, and 4 is a photodiode or pin photodiode that converts the optical signal into a voltage signal. The receiving unit 7 for conversion is a display unit that lights and displays the tire symbol mark if the voltage signal is a signal corresponding to the digital code “1”. Constitute a tire pressure management apparatus.

In the above description of FIG. 3, if the air pressure sensor unit 1 and the A / D conversion unit 2 are below the designated air pressure value, the switch is in the "ON" state, and if it is above the designated air pressure value, the switch is "OFF". Even if it replaces with the pressure switch which becomes a state, it can implement similarly.

Further, in all the embodiments of the present invention, when the receiving portion is provided on the cover covering the tire and the air pressure sensor portion and the transmitting portion are provided at the air inlet / outlet portion or the cap of the air inlet / outlet portion, the transmission is performed. Since the tire having some parts and the receiving part are close to each other, the transmission power can be reduced, so that the tire pressure management device of the present invention can be mounted on the tires of most vehicles.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the driver can adjust the tire pressure to a proper level without any troublesome work.
Inadequacy can be easily confirmed, and tire pressure is transmitted using directional light as a means of cordless transmission, so it is necessary to avoid transmission interference of each tire like omnidirectional radio waves. It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that an inexpensive and small tire pressure management device can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tire pressure management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tire air pressure management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tire pressure management device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional tire pressure detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Air Pressure Sensor 2 A / D Converter 3 Transmitter 4 Receiver 5 Waveform Shaper 6 Microcomputer 7 Display 8 Ambient Temperature Detector 9 Engine Stop Time Measurement 10 Shift Lever Position Recognition

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A transmitter for cordlessly transmitting the tire air pressure value detected by an air pressure sensor attached to a tire for a vehicle or the like, a receiver for receiving the transmitted signal, and a receiver thereof. A tire pressure management device that includes a confirmation unit that compares the specified air pressure value with the specified air pressure value of the tire and notifies the result of the comparison by sound and display. 2. An ambient temperature detecting unit for detecting an ambient temperature outside the vehicle, a stop time measuring unit for measuring an engine stop time from when the engine was last turned off to when the engine is started this time, and the position of the shift lever is recognized. The tire pressure management device according to claim 1, wherein a lever position recognition unit is provided, and the result of comparing the confirmation unit with the designated air pressure value of each tire corresponding to the ambient external temperature is notified by sound or display. 3. The tire air pressure management device according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation unit notifies the user only when the air pressure is out of the specified air pressure range.