TRW Automotive Holdings on Wednesday said it had secured its first production contract with an unnamed “major Asian auto manufacturer” for an integrated remote keyless entry (RKE) and direct tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) receiver.
“The integration of RKE and TPMS is another example of TRW’s drive toward enhancing value and performance through electronics integration,” said Martin Thoone, head of the supplier’s global electronics engineering. “This system simplifies the electronics architecture by eliminating the need for separate receivers for these two systems – we can maintain the performance characteristics while using less space and reducing system weight and wiring complexity, leading to lower material and assembly costs.”
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There will be no discernible change to the RKE key fob layout or performance – the transmitted commands will be received by a single smart receiver/ECU that will process information from the RKE fobs and also the temperature and pressure signals sent from the transmitters located in the TPMS sensor units in each individual tyre. The integrated ECU decodes the signal to activate the lock/unlock function for vehicle doors and the trunk, and provides tire pressure warning information to the driver in the same way as conventional RKE and TPMS receivers.
The integrated system is anticipated to launch in 2012 for a 2013 model year vehicle, TRW said.
