Continental AG’s TPMS will soon be able to report to smart phones via pressure sensors in intelligent tires.

According to the company, the “filling assistant” system also lets the driver know when they reach the right pressure during inflation. Conti expects users to experience “enhanced driving safety and fuel efficiency” as a result of the system.

The first series production of the Filling Assistant in new vehicles is expected from 2013 onwards. The application, developed by Continental’s Interior Division, communicates wirelessly with the smartphone and specifies the exact inflation pressure of each tire using a brief honk and blink signal that can be given to confirm when the tire has been inflated to the correct pressure level.

Technical requirements for the system are a TPMS with the corresponding sensors in the tires and factory-integrated vehicle electronics with a wireless interface.

“This speedy and uncomplicated system not only adds to the user friendliness of the car but also enhances vehicle safety and efficiency,” Dr. Burkhard Wies, head of Continental’s passenger tire development, said.“The driver is also warned of a gradual loss of inflation pressure resulting from an embedded nail or a damaged valve. At the same time, the environment also benefits, as the proper tire pressure keeps road resistance and thus fuel consumption low.”

“The Filling Assistant is an example of the ever closer networking with the outside world,” adds Andreas Wolf, head of the Body and Security business unit of the Interior Division. “And it is precisely this close cooperation between the various domains in vehicle construction, which will provide many more new and above all practical functions in the future.”

From 2013, Continental expects to start mass-producing the first tires that will have sensors collecting tire data directly in the tire underneath the tread, instead of sensors that are connected to the valve. The company believes this will mark the beginning of the intelligent tire era.