Continental, a leading global automotive supplier, is receiving the 2013 Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence) Award for its tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) with patented LocSync software.
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) from Continental with LocSync software provides the driver with exact information about the inflation pressure of the individual tires. If the pressure in a tire is too low, the instrument cluster alerts the driver in detail. New tires and sensors are detected automatically without the need for any additional electronic equipment. To do this, the LocSync software combines the data from the wheel speed sensors and tire sensors.
"Winning the 2013 Automotive News PACE Award for LocSync is a real honor for us. LocSync is a minimum-cost solution that helps a driver easily notice if a tire that is not optimally inflated. In just a few minutes driving time, the vehicle electronics localize the pressure sensors in the tires with the data from the wheel-rpm sensors. LocSync is a further example of intelligent products based on existing technology and sensors. Thanks to clever networking, these products realize new functions with perceptible added value for the customer," said Andreas Wolf, head of the Continental Interior division's Body & Security business unit.
The LocSync software combines Continental's tire pressure monitoring expertise with measured data from the wheel-rpm sensors for the vehicle's electronic stability control system. LocSync is already integrated into three vehicle models, with further vehicle platforms planned to be equipped later in the year. The individual tire pressure display helps reduce fuel consumption, since drivers receive timely alerts about low tire pressure levels.
At the same time, tire service life is extended and drivers benefit from better vehicle handling. In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that tires that are under-inflated by 25 percent or more are three times more likely to be cited as critical to events in the pre-crash phase. LocSync helps to resolve this issue by providing drivers with feedback and information regarding the inflation of tires and their corresponding locations on the vehicle.
PACE Award also for short-range radar sensor
Continental was also singled out with a PACE award for a new sensor generation. Invisibly positioned behind the plastic bumpers on the right and left rear corners of the vehicle, the two short-range radar sensors (SRR sensors) detect, for example, vehicles crossing in the path of a reversing vehicle and warn the driver. In this way, they can prevent a collision. Various vehicle models are already equipped with the radar sensors. They make up part of a warning system that detects vehicles in the driver's blind spot. They are also found in lane change assist systems. The Automotive News PACE Awards are awarded annually by an independent jury.
