Wireless wheel speed sensor

Abstract

In accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention, a wireless sensing system is disclosed, where the system has particular application to sensing the speed of a vehicle wheel, for example. To sense wheel speed, a sensing unit senses changes in magnetic flux and wirelessly relays a signal indicative thereof back to a base station or control unit.

1 . A sensor component configured to sense a speed of a motor vehicle wheel, comprising:
 a sensor configured to provide one or more readings indicative of the speed of the wheel;   conditioning circuitry operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to condition the readings taken by the sensor into a data gram indicative of the speed of the wheel; and   a transmitter operatively coupled to the conditioning circuitry and configured to wirelessly transmit the data gram;   an antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter to facilitate transmission of the data gram; and   a power supply operatively coupled to the sensor, conditioning circuitry and transmitter to provide operating power thereto.   
   
   
       2 . The sensor component of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioning circuitry is further configured to associate identification data with the data gram indicative of the wheel whose speed is being sensed. 
   
   
       3 . The sensor component of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is part of a sensing system that comprises multiple sensor components operative to measure respective speeds of multiple wheels of the vehicle. 
   
   
       4 . The sensor component of  claim 3 , wherein the multiple sensor components transmit respective data grams having associated identification data corresponding to the wheels being sensed. 
   
   
       5 . The sensor component of  claim 4 , wherein the respective data grams are transmitted to a control module component. 
   
   
       6 . The sensor component of  claim 5 , wherein the control module component utilizes the data grams to determine whether the vehicle is making a turn. 
   
   
       7 . The sensor component of  claim 6 , wherein the control module component further utilizes the data grams to deter a roll over condition. 
   
   
       8 . The sensor component of  claim 7 , wherein the control module component comprises:
 a transceiver configured to receive wireless transmissions from the sensor, and to transmit control signals; and   an antenna operatively coupled to the transceiver to facilitate transmissions and receptions made thereby.   
   
   
       9 . The sensor component of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor senses the speed of the wheel by sensing changes in magnetic flux. 
   
   
       10 . The sensor component of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is situated on a vehicle chassis near a wheel bearing and senses changes in magnetic flux developed from a magnetic source operatively associated with the rotating wheel. 
   
   
       11 . The sensor component of  claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning circuitry comprises at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC. 
   
   
       12 . A sensing system for wirelessly sensing wheel speed in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a sensor component configured to sense wheel speed, the sensor component, comprising:
 a sensor configured to provide one or more readings indicative of a speed of a wheel, the sensor being situated on a vehicle chassis near a wheel bearing and configured to sense the wheel speed by sensing changes in magnetic flux developed from a magnetic source operatively associated with the rotating wheel; 
 conditioning circuitry operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to condition the readings taken by the sensor into data grams indicative of the speed of the wheel, and to associate identification data with the data grams indicative of the wheel whose speed is being sensed; and 
 a first transceiver operatively coupled to the conditioning circuitry and configured to wirelessly transmit the data gram; 
 a first antenna operatively coupled to the first transceiver to facilitate transmission of the data gram; and 
 a power supply operatively coupled to the sensor, conditioning circuitry and transmitter to provide operating power thereto; and 
   a control module component configured to receive and utilize wireless transmissions from the sensor component, the control module component comprising:
 a second transceiver configured to receive wireless transmissions from the sensor, and to transmit control signals; and 
 a second antenna operatively coupled to the second transceiver to facilitate transmissions and receptions made thereby. 
   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the control module component utilizes the data grams to determine whether the vehicle is making a turn. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the control module component utilizes the data grams to deter a roll over condition. 
   
   
       15 . A method of sensing the speed of a wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising:
 sensing changes in magnetic flux as the wheel rotates;   conditioning the sensed changes into a data gram; and   wirelessly transmitting the data gram to a control component,   wherein the control component causes a wheel sensor component to run a self diagnostic after the wheel has not rotated for a predefined period of time, and further causes the wheel sensor component to enter a power conservation mode if the self diagnostic reveals no defects in the operation of the sensor component.   
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 associating identification data indicative of the wheel being sensed with the data gram.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein respective speeds of multiple vehicle wheels are sensed, the method further comprising:
 sensing respective changes in magnetic flux as the wheels rotate;   conditioning the sensed changes into respective data grams; and   wirelessly transmitting the data grams to the control component.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the control component utilizes the data grams to at least one of:
 ascertain whether the vehicle is making a turn, and   deter a roll over condition.