READER AND METHOD FOR WHEEL-BASED RFID DEVICES

• US 20100007465A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Benedict, Robert Leon
• Granted Patent: US 9,000,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/007 having multiple wheels arranged side by side
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles

Abstract

A drive over, reader system for a wheel-based, electric field-actuated transponder device includes a vehicle support pad surface; an antenna device on the support pad located to operatively align with a wheel-based transponder device of the vehicle with the vehicle positioned on the pad in a read location; a transmitter device and a receiver device coupled to the antenna device for generating an upwardly directed electric field to actuate the transponder device and receive a responsive signal back from the transponder device. The upwardly directed electric field operatively engages the transponder device as the vehicle drives over the antenna device. Multiple antennae may be aligned in a linear array to subject the transponder device to multiple electric fields as the vehicle traverses the support pad. The antenna device of the reader system may be configured as a layered panel positioned on the support pad or as a dipole antenna embedded within the support pad.

Claims

1. A reader system for a wheel-based, electric field-actuated transponder device of the type having a transmitter for transmitting data from a vehicle to an external receiver, the reader system comprising:

a support pad for operatively supporting and positioning the vehicle in at least one read location on an upper pad surface;

at least one antenna device on the support pad located to operatively align with the vehicle wheel-mounted transponder device with the vehicle on the support pad in the one read location;

at least one transmitter device and receiver device coupled to the antenna device for generating an upwardly directed electric field to actuate the transponder device and receive a responsive signal back from the transponder device.

2. The reader system of claim 1, wherein the upwardly directed electric field operatively engages the transponder device as the transponder device passes over the one antenna device.

3. The reader system of claim 2, wherein the support pad extends between vehicle entry and vehicle exit gates to operatively facilitate a drive-over electric field actuation of the transponder device.

4. The reader system of claim 1, wherein the antenna device comprises at least one dipole antenna coupled to the transmitter and receiver device.

5. The reader system of claim 4, wherein the at least one dipole antenna is at least partially embedded within the support pad.

6. The reader system of claim 1, wherein the antenna device comprises a plurality of proximally positioned and adjacent antennas coupled to the transmitter and receiver device for subjecting the transponder device to respective electric fields.

7. The reader system of claim 1, wherein the antenna device comprises at least one generally linear array of antennae coupled to electric field generating means and positioned on the support pad, the array aligning with the vehicle wheel-mounted transponder device to operatively direct a plurality of generally linearly arrayed electric fields upward toward the transponder device as the vehicle moves over the linear array of antennae.

8. The reader system of claim 7, wherein the transponder device is mounted to a vehicle wheel unit and rotates therewith, and wherein linear array of antennae have a spacing operative to subject the transponder device to a sequence of electric field as the transponder device moves over the linear array of antennae.

9. The reader system of claim 1, wherein further comprising at least one secondary above-ground antenna device coupled to an electric field generating transmitter device and located to operatively subject the vehicle wheel-mounted transponder device to a secondary electric field with the vehicle in the one read location.

10. The reader system of claim 9, wherein the one antenna device and the secondary above-ground antenna device are proximally located to simultaneously subject the vehicle wheel-mounted transponder device to respective electric fields with the vehicle in the one read location.

11. The reader system of claim 1, wherein the one antenna device comprises:

a base layer;

a conductive antenna member positioned on the base layer; and

a cover layer over the antenna member.

12. The reader system of claim 11, wherein further comprising a spacer member situated between the base layer and the cover layer.

13. The reader system of claim 11, wherein the antenna member comprises a conductive top and bottom plates and a dielectric material layer situated between the top and bottom plates.

14. The reader system of claim 13, wherein the cover layer and the base layer are composed of respective materials having a respective relative static permittivity less than the relative static permittivity of the dielectric material layer.

15. The reader system of claim 11, wherein the cover layer and the base layer are at least partially composed of thermoplastic material.

16. The reader system of claim 11, wherein further comprising a mastic layer below the base layer for affixing the antenna device to the support pad upper pad surface.

17. The reader system of claim 1 antenna device comprises at least one dipole antenna embedded within and covered by the support pad.

18. The reader system of claim 17, wherein further comprising a reflective member situated beneath the one dipole antenna for operatively directing energy upward from the one dipole antenna.

19. The reader system of claim 1, wherein further comprising a reflective member situated beneath the antenna device for directing energy upward from the antenna device.