Tire Pressure Monitoring

Systems
1. Background
2. System Classification
3. Direct TPMS
3-1. Typical Example of the Direct Type
3-2. New Development of Direct TPMS
4. Indirect TPMS
4-1. Typical Example of the Indirect Type
4-2. Detection Methods of Indirect TPMS
4-3. Variety of Indirect TPMS
4-4. New Development of Indirect TPMS
4-5. Future Development of Indirect TPMS
5. Summary of System Classification
6. Summary
1. Background
1) TPMS of conventional tires recently came into use on vehicles
mainly as a convenience device for drivers.

2) On the other hand, a FMVSS 138 rule on TPMS was published

on June 5, 2002 and offers manufacturers 2 options:

- Option 1: TPMS to warn within 10 minutes after the inflation pressure

in one or more (up to four) of the vehicle’s tires, becomes
equal to or less than 25% below the recommended pressure.
- Option 2: TPMS to warn within 10 minutes after the inflation pressure
in one of the vehicle tires falls to equal or be less than 30%
below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure.

3) By March 1, 2005 reconsideration will be given to establishing the

performance requirement for the period beginning November 1, 2006.

4) There is a discussion concerning TPMS also in Europe.

We believe it is helpful to present an understanding of the

TPMS technologies of both direct type and indirect types.
2. System Classification
Direct TPMS
Detection - Absolute pressure measurement
Accuracy - More accurate method.
Reliability
- High cost
Cost
- Sensor batteries have to be
changed periodically.
▲ Tire pressure on each wheel
Convenience can be displayed.
▼ Additional sensors needed
with snow tires (user’s on-cost)
▼ Wheel type is restricted by
integrated sensor/valve
Indirect TPMS
- Relative tire pressure
- Absolute pressure (estimated)
- Depends on tire characteristics.
- High reliability because there is
no additional hardware.
- Using ABS sensors means only
a small on-cost.
▼ In some cases, it may be difficult
to guarantee the TPMS
performance on all replacement
tires
3. Direct TPMS
3-1. Typical Example of the Direct Type
Direct type: a system using the actual measurement
of tire pressure.

Sensor & Transmitter Tire

Antenna

ECU
Rim
Sensor /
Transmitter

Instrument Panel
TRANSMITTER

Warning Lamp Pressure display

Pressure and
Temperature
Sensors
+ Signal
conditioning

Tire Valve
Battery
3-2. New Development of Direct TPMS
For cost reduction, the number of the antenna is reduced
from 4 to 1.

4 Antenna System 1 Antenna System

Sensor / Transmitter Warning Lamp Sensor / Transmitter Warning Lamp

Antenna
Receiver / ECU Antenna &Receiver / ECU

COST REDUCTION
4. Indirect TPMS
4-1. Typical Example of the Indirect Type
Indirect type: a system using the wheel speed signals
from the ABS.

Tire

ABS ECU Toothed Rotor

Wheel Speed Sensor
TPMS Logic

Instrument Panel Lower Panel

Warning Lamp
Set
Switch
4-2. Detection Methods of Indirect TPMS

Rolling Radius Method (Conventional)

VFR VRR

VFR VFL
α＝
VRL VRR
R R’
VFL VRL

Standard Pressure Low Pressure

Relative detection Only one wheel deflation can be detected.

4-3. Variety of Indirect TPMS continued

Indirect Detect
System Direct Detect
C D
Antenna
Rolling radius + Resonance freq
Rolling radius
Pressure

the wheel speed

goes down
Characteristic Receiver

Amplitude of
r r’ r r’ ← Air Pressure
sensor

Frequency

Wheel speeds + Wheel speeds +

Input signal Stability Control System Stability Control System signals Tire pressure
signals

Wheels
In combination Independent Independent
detection
Up to 3 wheels deflation:
Up to 4 wheels
Detection Up to 3 wheels: 15 to 250km/h
deflation:
speed range 15 to 250km/h Up to 4 wheels deflation:
0 to 250km/h
15 to 100km/h
Deviation of
accuracy ±10% at worst ±10% at worst ±5%
(approx.)

Detection Time 2 to 5min 2 to 5min 15sec to 1min.

4-3. Variety of Indirect TPMS
Indirect Detect
System Direct Detect
A B
Antenna
Rolling radius + Resonance freq
Rolling radius
Pressure

the wheel speed

goes down
Characteristic Receiver

Amplitude of
r r’ ← Air pressure
r r’ sensor

Frequency

Input signal Wheel speeds Wheel speeds Tire pressure

Wheels
In combination Independent Independent
detection

1 wheel deflation:
Detection Up to 4 wheels
1 wheel deflation: 15 to 120km/h
speed range deflation:
15 to 120km/h Up to 4 wheels deflation: 0 to 250km/h
15 to 100km/h

Deviation of
accuracy ±10% at best ±10% at best ±5%
(approx.)

Detection Time 2 to 10min 2 to 10min 15sec to 1min

4-4. New Development of Indirect TPMS
using resonance frequency
Up to 4 tires with pressure deficiencies can be detected by the
resonance frequency method.

1) Resonance Frequency Method

Torsion spring constant is reduced with deflation of tire
and consequently the resonance frequency drops
Low

Amplitude of wheel speed

Standard
Pressure
Pressure

Frequency

Independent and absolute detection

Even natural leak deflation of any tire(s) can be detected
4-4. New Development of Indirect TPMS
using resonance frequency
2) Actual vehicle data

Frequency analysis
Wheel speed signal ４００ 40
100kPa 38

Frequency（Hz）
wheel speed

３００
36
200kPa

Gain
２００ 34

32
１００

■
30

０ 28
０ １０ ２０ ３０ ４０ ５０ ６０ ７０ 100 200 300
time
Frequency (Hz) Tire Pressure（kPa）

3) Concerns
Tire resonance phenomenon might be not measurable in the situations below.
- high speed
- low aspect ratio tires
4-4. New Developments of Indirect TPMS
using additional signals
By using Stability Control System’s signals, up to 3 deflated tires can be detected.

1) Two ‘low tires’

tires’ on the same axle (Front or Rear)
クルーガー　中央道　２名乗車
No engine torque signal used

Rolling radius change

<Concern> トルク選別なし

It is difficult to judge whether a difference of wheel speed 1.0

0.8
st210
ra160
0.6
results from low pressure or from slipping under acceleration. 0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2
Development -0.4
0 600 1200 1800 2400 3000
Engine torque information distinguishes low tire pressure from time(sec)

wheel slip caused by acceleration.

2) Two ‘low tires’

tires’ on the same side (Right or Left)

Rolling radius change

クルーガー　中央道　２名乗車
Engine40Nm<Tｅ<70Ｎｍ
torque signal used
のデータ採用
<Concern>
1.0
It is difficult to judge, whether a difference of wheel speed 0.8
st210
ra160
0.6
results from low pressure or is being caused by cornering. 0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2

Development -0.4
0 600 1200 1800 2400 3000
time(sec)
Cornering information used in Stability Control Systems
distinguishes low tire pressure from cornering.
4-5. Future Development of Indirect TPMS
1) Tire characteristic for indirect TPMS
Load=290kg
0
-0.001

Rolling radius change

-0.002
-0.003
-0.004
BS POTENZA RE01
-0.005 CN T-Contact CH95
DL LEMANS LM702
-0.006 GY EAGLE LS300
ML pilot SPORT
-0.007
OT DIGNEO
-0.008
30km/h PL P-ZERO NERO
100km/h TY TRAMPIO Vimode
-0.009 YH DNA dB
-0.01
100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230

Pressure (kPa)

The effective rolling radius is altered as the tire pressure changes.

The value of the change depends on vehicle speed, load and tire variation.
4-5. Future Development of Indirect TPMS continued
2) To improve the performance of indirect TPMS
Future

TPMS Logic
Development Tire Development

Use of Stability Identification of Standardization

Control Signals Tire of tire radius change
characteristics
Resonance frequency
method

To
Toinform
informthe
thedriver
driverthat
that To
Toimprove
improve To
Toensure
ensureoperation
operationwith
with
TPMS
TPMS and tires arematched
and tires are matched detection
detectionaccuracy
accuracy all
all replacementtires
replacement tires

It is possible to make progress in the performance of indirect TPMS

by developing in future, the combination of TPMS and tires.
5. Summary of System Classification
Direct TPMS
Detection - Absolute pressure measurement
Accuracy - More accurate method.
Reliability
- High cost
Cost
- Sensor batteries have to be
changed periodically.
▲ Tire pressure on each wheel
Convenience can be displayed.
▼ Additional sensors needed
with snow tires (user’s on-cost)
▼ Wheel type is restricted by
integrated sensor/valve
Indirect TPMS
- Relative tire pressure
- Absolute pressure (estimated)
- Depends on tire characteristics.
- High reliability because there is
no additional hardware.
- Using ABS sensors means only
a small on-cost.
▼ In some cases,it may be difficult
to guarantee the TPMS
performance on all replacement
tires
6. Summary

1)
Both direct and indirect systems are able to contribute to
the real world safety with regard to tire deflation

- Independent wheel detection

- Tire pressure detection level

2)
For direct TPMS the cost will become lower in future.

For indirect TPMS it is possible to make progress with

the performance in future, by developing TPMS and
tires in combination.