EMBEDDED IN TIRE SELF-POWERED SEMI-PASSIVE RFID TRANSPONDER

• US 20110012723A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA), Societe De Technologie Michelin (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Adamson, John David, O'Brien, George P.
• Application Number:
  US12/922,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20110012723A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• 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 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07764 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier attachable to a tire tire temperature or pressur control arrangements, see B60C23/00

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and methodology for providing a semi-passive transponder system in a vehicle. A semi-passive module employing backscatter technology is provided with an internal energy source that provides operating energy for at least a portion of the modules operating circuitry to reduce the energy requirements of a corresponding interrogator device. The module may be associated with tires mounted on a vehicle such that bi-directional communications may be established between the module and a centrally located interrogator module on the vehicle. The internal energy source may correspond to a battery, a fuel cell, a rechargeable device, an energy harvesting device, or similar devices.

Claims

1. A semi-passive transponder system, comprising:

a vehicle;

at least one semi-passive backscatter module associated with said vehicle; and

an interrogator module,

wherein said semi-passive module includes an antenna, an antenna impedance modulator, a data encoder, a data decoder, a memory, and an internal energy source, and wherein said internal energy source supplies power to at least said antenna impedance modulator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one semi-passive backscatter module is located within at least one tire mounted on said vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said internal energy source comprises one of a battery, a fuel cell, a radiation source, a super-capacitor, a piezoelectric transducer, a thermo-electric transducer, a radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device, and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said interrogator module further comprises at least one antenna, a transceiver, a data encoder, and a data decoder.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one peripheral device associated with said vehicle and interfaced with said at least one semi-passive backscatter module,

whereby additional data may be transmitted to said interrogator module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said peripheral device comprises one of a sensor and a microcontroller.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said internal energy source further supplies power to a said data encoder, said data decoder, and said memory.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said interrogator is provided as one of a vehicle mounted device, a handheld device, and a drive by device.

4. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. A method for providing improved communications in a vehicle mounted back-scatter transceiver system, comprising:

providing a vehicle;

providing a semi-passive backscatter module by providing an antenna, an antenna impedance modulator, a data encoder, a data decoder, a memory, and an internal energy source for providing energy to at least the antenna impedance modulator;

associating at least one semi-passive backscatter module with the vehicle; and

providing an interrogator module for initiating communications with the semi-passive backscatter module.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein associating at least one semi-passive backscatter module with the vehicle comprises:

providing a tire;

associating at least one semi-passive backscatter module with the tire; and

mounting the tire on the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing an internal energy source comprises providing one of a battery, a fuel cell, a radiation source, a super-capacitor, a piezoelectric transducer, a thermo-electric transducer and a radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein providing an interrogator module further comprises providing at least one antenna, a transceiver, a data encoder, and a data decoder.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing at least one peripheral device;

associating the at least one peripheral device with the vehicle; and

interfacing the at least one peripheral device with at least one semi-passive backscatter module.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing energy from the internal energy source to one or more of the data encoder, the data decoder, the memory, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing the interrogator as one of a vehicle mounted device, a handheld device, and a drive by device.

15. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)