U.S. patent application number 13/913230 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-11 for tpms setting tool.
The applicant listed for this patent is CUB ELECPARTS INC.. Invention is credited to Chi-Hung CHEN, Chao-Ching HU, Yuan-Tung HUNG, Tsan-Nung WANG, San-Chuan YU.
Application Number | 20140361884 13/913230 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52004994 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140361884 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YU; San-Chuan ; et
al. |
December 11, 2014 |
TPMS Setting Tool
Abstract
A TPMS setting tool includes a housing carrying a display unit
and an input device on the outside and a circuit hoard and a power
supply device on the inside, the power supply device and the
circuit board being electrically coupled together to provide the
TPMS setting tool with the necessary working power supply. The
housing has a receptacle provided at one side thereof and a
connection port with multiple pins mounted inside the receptacle
for the connection of a TPMS, enabling the desired communication
protocol and ID code to be written into the inserted TPMS.
Inventors: |
YU; San-Chuan; (Changhua
County, TW) ; HUNG; Yuan-Tung; (Changhua County,
TW) ; WANG; Tsan-Nung; (Changhua County, TW) ;
CHEN; Chi-Hung; (Changhua County, TW) ; HU;
Chao-Ching; (Tainan City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CUB ELECPARTS INC. |
Changhua |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
52004994 |
Appl. No.: |
13/913230 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/447 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60C 23/0471 20130101;
B60C 23/0479 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/447 |
International
Class: |
B60C 23/04 20060101
B60C023/04 |
Claims
1. A TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) setting tool,
comprising: a housing having mounted thereon a display unit and an
input device and mounted therein a circuit board and a power supply
device, said power supply device being electrically coupled to said
circuit board for providing the TPMS setting tool with the
necessary working power supply, said circuit board comprising: a
MCU (micro control unit) electrically coupled with said display
unit and said input device; a memory unit electrically connected to
said MCU and adapted for storing communication protocols; a
low-frequency communication unit electrically connected to said
MCU; a radio-frequency communication unit electrically connected to
said MCU; a clock system electrically connected to said MCU; and a
connection port electrically connected to said MCU, said connection
port comprising a plurality of pins; wherein said housing further
comprises a receptacle located at one side thereof and adapted for
receiving a TPMS; said connection port being installed in said
receptacle; wherein said housing further comprises a lock knob
disposed at one side relative to said receptacle and adapted to
lock an inserted TPMS in said receptacle, allowing the inserted
TPMS to be removed from said receptacle when said lock knob is
pressed down by a person.
2. (canceled)
3. The TPMS setting tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
circuit board comprises a flash-ROM (flash read only memory)
unit.
4. The TPMS setting tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
circuit board comprises a RAM (random access memory) unit.
5. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to tire pressure monitoring
technology and more particularly, to a TPMS (tire pressure
monitoring system) setting tool.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Wireless communication technology is commonly used in
commercial TMPSs (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) for system
checking or protocol/identification programming. This programming
operation can be done in two methods.
[0005] The first method is to pre-store different communication
protocols in the memory of the TMPS, and then to send a command
wirelessly through a setting tool to select one communication
protocol for execution. This method has drawbacks: The limited
memory space of the TMPS does not allow storage of a large amount
of communication protocols, therefore the storage amount is limited
and it is not allowed for expansion. Further, during the wireless
operation, it cannot immediately judge whether or not the
configuration of the TPMS corresponds to the set configuration.
After programmed, it cannot make sure that the TPMS has been
activated or not. Further, this wireless transmission method can
cause all TPMSs within the wireless signal range to receive the
transmitted signal and to have their system configuration be
altered or erroneously set.
[0006] The second method is to pre-store a BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System), and then to write the desired communication protocol into
the TPMS by means of a setting tool in a wireless manner. This
method has drawbacks below: Because it adopts wireless connection,
the programming procedure must be rigorously examined, slowing down
the speed of the whole operation. More particularly, it cannot
immediately determine whether or not the configuration of the TPMS
corresponds to the set configuration during the wireless operation,
or make sure that the TPMS has been activated immediately after
programming. Further, due to wireless transmission, surrounding
TPMSs within the wireless signal range can receive the signal,
causing the settings of surrounding TPMSs to be altered or
erroneously set. Therefore, improvement in this regard is
required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present
invention to provide a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system),
which significantly shortens the operating time in setting a tire
pressure monitoring system.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) setting tool, which prevents
the settings of surrounding TPMSs to be altered or erroneously
set.
[0009] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) setting tool,
which allows immediate reading of the ID code been written into a
TPMS, making sure that the programming is successful.
[0010] To achieve these and other objects of the present invention,
a TPMS setting tool of the present invention comprises a housing
having mounted thereon a display unit and an input device and
mounted therein a circuit board and a power supply device. The
power supply device is electrically coupled to the circuit board
for providing the TPMS setting tool with the necessary working
power supply. The circuit board comprises a MCU (micro control
unit) electrically coupled with the display unit and the input
device, a memory unit electrically connected to the MCU and adapted
for storing communication protocols, a low-frequency communication
unit electrically connected to the MCU, a radio-frequency
communication unit electrically connected to the MCU, a clock
system electrically connected to the MCU, and a connection port
electrically connected to the MCU, said connection port comprising
a plurality of pins. Further, the connection port comprises a
plurality of pins.
[0011] Other advantages and features of the present invention will
be fully understood by reference to the following specification in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference
signs denote like components of structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is an oblique top elevational view of a tire pressure
monitoring system setting tool in accordance with the present
invention,
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of the tire pressure monitoring
system setting tool in accordance with the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the internal circuit of the
tire pressure monitoring system setting tool in accordance with the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring
system) setting tool in accordance with the present invention is
shown. The TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) setting tool
comprises a housing 10.
[0016] The housing 10 has a display unit 11 and an input device 12
mounted on the outside. The display unit 11 is a liquid crystal
display. The input device 12 comprises a set of buttons. The
housing 10 further comprises a receptacle 13 for receiving a TPMS,
and a lock knob 14 disposed at one side relative to the receptacle
13. When a TPMS is put in the receptacle 13, the lock knob 14 locks
the TPMS in place. Pressing the lock knob 14 can unlock the TPMS,
allowing the TPMS to be moved out of the receptacle 13.
[0017] The housing 10 further has a circuit board and a power
supply device 20 mounted on the inside. The power supply device 20
is electrically connected to the circuit board, and adapted to
provide the setting tool with the necessary working power
supply.
[0018] The circuit board comprises: [0019] a MCU (micro control
unit) 21 electrically coupled with the display unit 11 and the
input device 12; [0020] a memory unit 22 electrically coupled to
the MCU 21 and adapted for storing at least one TPMS communication
protocol; [0021] a low-frequency communication unit 23 electrically
coupled to the MCU 21 and working an interface of the setting tool
for external communication; [0022] a radio-frequency communication
unit 24 electrically coupled to the MCU 21 and working an interface
of the setting tool for external communication; [0023] a clock
system 25 electrically coupled to the MCU 21; [0024] a connection
port 26 mounted in the receptacle 13 and electrically coupled to
the MCU 21 and comprising a plurality of pins; [0025] a flash-ROM
unit 27 electrically coupled to the MCU 21; and [0026] a RAM unit
28 electrically coupled to the MCU 21.
[0027] With respect to the update operation of the storage
communication protocol or ID code in the setting tool, the setting
tool can be linked to an external computer or other data source by
means of the low-frequency communication unit or radio-frequency
communication unit, enabling the external computer or data source
to fetch or update the stored communication protocol or ID code
data in the setting tool.
[0028] The setting tool of the present invention is applicable to a
TPMS having a mating connection port. During operation, insert the
TPMS into the receptacle 13 of the housing 10 to connect its mating
connection port to the connection port 26 of the setting tool.
Because TPMSs for different models of cars from different
manufacturers use different communication protocols, it is
necessary to operate the input device and the display unit of the
setting tool for selecting the desired communication protocol and
ID code prior to programming. This operation procedure is same as
the operation of conventional designs. Therefore, no further
detailed description in this regard will be given.
[0029] After selection of the desired communication protocol and ID
code, the selected communication protocol and ID code are written
into the TPMS directly through a wired connection, finishing the
programming.
[0030] Subject to the aforesaid structural design of the present
invention, the memory unit of the setting tool has sufficient space
for storing a plurality of communication protocols and ID codes,
eliminating the insufficient storage space problem of the prior art
designs. Further, the housing provides a connection port for the
connection of the connection port of a TPMS directly for
communication protocol or ID code programming, avoiding altering or
erroneously setting the settings of other surrounding TPMSs.
Further, the MCU has a clock system electrically connected thereto
and the setting tool adopts wired connection, and therefore, the
setting tool can examine the configuration of the connected TPMS
directly, enabling the operator to make sure that the configuration
of the connected TPMS is accurate. Because of wired connection for
ID code reading and writing, the setting tool can read the
programmed ID code from the TPMS and then display it on the display
unit immediately after writing, enabling the operator to know
quickly and clearly the result, to immediately examine the TPMS and
to make sure the operation is successful, or to check the matching
of the ID code of the TPMS. Therefore, the invention clearly
improves the drawbacks of conventional designs, achieving the
expected objects.
[0031] Of course, the setting tool of the present invention can
also be used to copy a communication protocol or ID code. In this
case, insert the old TPMS into the receptacle of the housing to
electrically connect the connection port of the old TPMS to the
connection port in the receptacle, and then operate the setting
tool to read the communication protocol or ID code from the old
TPMS and to further store the communication protocol or ID code in
the memory unit of the setting tool. Thereafter, remove the old
TPMS from the setting tool and then insert a new TPMS into the
receptacle to electrically connect the connection port of the new
TPMS to the connection port in the receptacle, enabling the setting
tool to write the communication protocol or ID code of the old TPMS
into the new TPMS.
* * * * *