TRANSMITTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS TRANSMISSION OF MEASURED PARAMETERS

• US 20170250633A1
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ste Industries S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Ste Industries S.r.l.
• Inventors: MOIRAGHI, Paolo Maria, CORTESE, Mauro
• Granted Patent: US 10,284,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0447 Wheel or tyre mounted circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0454 Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0457 self triggered by timer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/16 Circuit arrangements for detecting position
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/326 the resonator being an acoustic wave device, e.g. SAW or BAW device
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/16 Indirect frequency synthesis, i.e. generating a desired one of a number of predetermined frequencies using a frequency- or phase-locked loop

Abstract

A transmitting device for wireless transmission of measured parameters comprising a microcontroller and pulse generating elements connected to the microcontroller, the microcontroller being configured to receive at least one detection signal representative of at least one measured parameter value and being also configured to control the pulse generating elements so that the pulse generating elements generate at least one pulse position modulation (PPM) signal comprising information corresponding to the at least one measured parameter value, the transmitting device further comprising or being connectable to an antenna for the wireless transmission of the PPM signal, the pulse generating elements comprising an oscillator and a power amplifier connected to the oscillator in order to amplify the pulses output from the oscillator and to output the PPM signal.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A transmitting device for wireless transmission of measured parameters, said transmitting device comprising a microcontroller and pulse generating means connected to said microcontroller, said microcontroller being configured to receive at least one detection signal representative of at least one measured parameter value, said microcontroller being also configured to control said pulse generating means so that said pulse generating means generate at least one pulse position modulation (PPM) signal comprising information corresponding to said at least one measured parameter value, said transmitting device further comprising or being connectable to an antenna for the wireless transmission of said PPM signal, wherein said pulse generating means comprise an oscillator and a power amplifier connected to said oscillator in order to amplify the pulses output from said oscillator and to output said PPM signal, and wherein said microcontroller is configured, for each pulse of said PPM signal to be generated, to activate only said oscillator for a first period of time and then to activate also said power amplifier only for a second period of time following said first period of time, said microcontroller being also configured to maintain deactivated said oscillator and said power amplifier outside the time interval defined by said first and second periods of time.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein said first period is comprised between 1 microsecond and 2 microseconds and said second period is equal to 2 microseconds.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein said first period is equal to 2 microseconds.

28. The device according to claim 25, wherein the frequency of said oscillator is comprised between 433.050 MHz and 434.790 MHz.

29. The device according to claim 25, wherein said oscillator comprises a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) resonator or an equivalent SAW (Surfaced Acoustic Wave) resonator.

30. The device according to claim 25, wherein detecting means are connected or connectable to said microcontroller and are able to detect at least one parameter value and to generate said at least one detection signal.

31. The device according to claim 25, wherein said transmitting device further comprises a RFID tag device connected to said microcontroller.

32. The device according to claim 25, wherein said transmitting device further comprises a receiver connected to said antenna and to said microcontroller.

33. The device according to claim 25, wherein said transmitting device comprises an energy source.

34. The device according to claim 33, wherein said energy source is a battery, such as a lithium standard cell or an equivalent flexible or bendable battery.

35. The device according to claim 33, wherein said energy source comprises a generator controlled by an energy management module connected to a capacitor or a supercapacitor.

36. The device according to claim 35, wherein said generator comprises an energy harvester.

37. The device according to claim 25, wherein said transmitting device further comprises a flexible or bendable mounting substrate.

38. The device according to claim 25, wherein said transmitting device is a System in Package device.

39. A tire comprising the device of claim 25.

40. An apparatus for monitoring parameters, said apparatus comprising detecting means capable of measuring at least one parameter value, said apparatus comprising a transmitting device according to claim 25 and a wireless receiving device, said receiving device being capable of receiving a PPM signal coming from said transmitting device.

46. The use of the pulse generated by a transmitting device according to claim 25, for the transmission of a PPM radio signal representing at least one measured parameter value through PPM modulation of words that correspond to said at least one measured parameter value.

41. A method for the generation of a pulse of a pulse position modulation signal bearing information on a measured parameter, characterized by comprising the following steps:

maintaining in a deactivated state an oscillator and a power amplifier connected to an output of the oscillator;

then, activating only said oscillator for a first period of time;

at the end of said first period of time and for a second period of time following said first period of time, maintaining said oscillator activated and activating also said power amplifier so as to generate a pulse at an output of the power amplifier;

at the end of said second period of time, deactivating both said oscillator and said power amplifier.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein said first period is comprised between 1 microsecond and 2 microseconds and said second period is equal to 2 microseconds.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein said first period is equal to 2 microseconds.

44. The method according to claim 41, wherein the frequency of said oscillator is comprised in the range between 433.050 MHz and 434.790 MHz.

45. The method according to claim 41, wherein said measured parameter is tire pressure.

47. A method for the fastening of a transmitting device to a tire, and in particular to an internal surface of said tire, comprising the following steps:

cleaning a portion of said internal surface of said tire with denatured ethyl alcohol 90°

;

spreading a layer of a polyurethane, solvent based primer, said solvent comprising ethyl acetate, on said portion of said internal surface of said tire;

applying on the lower face of said device a double-coated acrylic foam tape;

gluing said transmitting device on said portion of said internal surface of said tire by means of said double-coated acrylic foam tape, which reacts to said primer previously spread.

48. The method according to the claim 47, further comprising the step of covering said transmitting device glued to said internal surface of said tire with an additional protective single-coated adhesive tape comprising a top layer of ionomer with a layer of acrylic adhesive coated on its bottom side.