Transponder system for communicating with a vehicle tire
First Claim
1. A transponder system for a tire mounted on a rimmed vehicle wheel, comprising:
- a flexible resilient tube that is flexible enough to be passed over the wheel rim and resilient enough to thereafter be seated in place around the wheel,a transponder antenna coil that extends around said tube, anda tire information transponder circuit that is mounted on said tube and coupled to said antenna coil, said transponder circuit responding to an external excitation by transmitting tire information via said antenna coil.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tire transponder system seats a transponder coil in a flexible resilient tube that is positioned around a vehicle wheel. The transponder antenna is lodged in a groove that extends around the tube, and responds to an excitation signal by transmitting a signal that contains identification information and/or information on the tire condition. For tire condition information, a diode is connected in circuit with the transponder coil to double the frequency of the signal returned by the transponder. A switch that is connected to bypass the diode is operated by a tire condition sensor, such as a pressure sensor, when the sensed condition crosses a threshold level in a predetermined direction. The change in the frequency of the transponder'"'"'s returned signal when the threshold has been crossed is used to activate a response such as a low tire pressure alarm.
122 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A transponder system for a tire mounted on a rimmed vehicle wheel, comprising:
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a flexible resilient tube that is flexible enough to be passed over the wheel rim and resilient enough to thereafter be seated in place around the wheel, a transponder antenna coil that extends around said tube, and a tire information transponder circuit that is mounted on said tube and coupled to said antenna coil, said transponder circuit responding to an external excitation by transmitting tire information via said antenna coil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vehicle wheel communications system, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) exciter/receiver, a rimmed vehicle wheel, a flexible resilient tube that is flexible enough to be passed over the wheel rim and resilient enough to thereafter be seated around the wheel, a transponder antenna coil that extends around said tube, and a tire information transponder circuit that is mounted on said tube and coupled to said antenna coil, said transponder circuit responding to an RF excitation signal from said exciter/receiver by transmitting tire information back to said exciter/receiver. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A tire condition communications system, comprising:
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a transponder antenna coil configured to be carried by a vehicle wheel; a tire condition sensor for sensing a condition of a tire mounted on said wheel; a diode connected in circuit with said antenna coil; a circuit modifier that is actuated by said condition sensor to alter the connection of said diode to said antenna coil in response to said condition sensor sensing said condition crossing a threshold level in a predetermined direction, said communications system responding to an external excitation signal received by said antenna coil by transmitting a signal at one frequency when said circuit modifier is actuated, and at different frequency when said circuit modifier is not actuated; and a flexible resilient grooved tube that is flexible enough to be passed over the rim of a wheel and resilient enough to thereafter be seated in places around the wheel, with said antenna coil seated in said groove. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A tire condition communications system, comprising:
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a transponder antenna coil configured to be carried by a vehicle wheel; a tire condition sensor for sensing a condition of a tire mounted on said wheel; a diode connected in circuit with said antenna coil; a circuit modifier that is actuated by said condition sensor to alter the connection of said diode to said antenna coil in response to said condition sensor sensing said condition crossing a threshold level in a predetermined direction, said communications system responding to an external excitation signal received by said antenna coil by transmitting a signal at one frequency when said circuit modifier is actuated, and at different frequency when said circuit modifier is not actuated, wherein said antenna coil is formed from a stiffly flexible material and has a diameter that varies around the coil, said coil being flexible enough to be deformed to pass over a rim of said wheel and thereafter to spring back to its original shape and be seated around the wheel with a portion of the antenna coil extending away from the wheel beyond the height of the wheel rim. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A wheel to vehicle low tire condition pressure communication system, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) exciter/receiver configured to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle within transmitting range of at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels; a wheel for said vehicle; a transponder antenna coil carried by said wheel; a tire condition sensor for sensing a condition of a tire mounted on said wheel; a diode connected in circuit with said antenna coil; a circuit modifier that is actuated by said condition sensor to alter the connection of said diode to said antenna coil in response to said condition sensor sensing said condition crossing a threshold level in a predetermined direction, said antenna coil responding to an RF excitation signal received from said exciter/receiver by transmitting a signal back to said exciter/receiver at one frequency when said circuit modifier is actuated, and at a different frequency when said circuit modifier is not actuated, said exciter/receiver differentiating between said two frequencies and producing an output signal that is indicative of the signal frequency which it receives from said antenna coil; and a flexible resilient grooved tube that is flexible enough to be passed over the rim of a wheel and resilient enough to thereafter be seated in place around the wheel, with said antenna coil seated in said groove. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A wheel to vehicle low tire condition pressure communication system, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) exciter/receiver configured to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle within transmitting range of at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels; a wheel for said vehicle; a transponder antenna coil carried by said wheel; a tire condition sensor for sensing a condition of a tire mounted on said wheel; a diode connected in circuit with said antenna coil; and a circuit modifier that is actuated by said condition sensor to alter the connection of said diode to said antenna coil in response to said condition sensor sensing said condition crossing a threshold level in a predetermined direction, said antenna coil responding to an RF excitation signal received from said exciter/receiver by transmitting a signal back to said exciter/receiver at one frequency when said circuit modifier is actuated, and at a different frequency when said circuit modifier is not actuated, said exciter/receiver differentiating between said two frequencies and producing an output signal that is indicative of the signal frequency which it receives from said antenna coil, wherein said antenna coil is formed from a stiffly flexible material and has a diameter that varies around the coil, said coil being flexible enough to be deformed to pass over a rim of said wheel and thereafter to spring back to its original shape and be seated around the wheel with a portion of the antenna coil extending away from the wheel beyond the height of the wheel rim.
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34. A wheel to vehicle low tire condition pressure communication system, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) exciter/receiver configured to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle within transmitting range of at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels; a wheel for said vehicle; a transponder antenna coil carried by said wheel; a tire condition sensor for sensing a condition of a tire mounted on said wheel; a diode connected in circuit with said antenna coil; a circuit modifier that is actuated by said condition sensor to alter the connection of said diode to said antenna coil in response to said condition sensor sensing said condition crossing a threshold level in a predetermined direction, said antenna coil responding to an RF excitation signal received from said exciter/receiver by transmitting a signal back to said exciter/receiver at one frequency when said circuit modifier is actuated, and at a different frequency when said circuit modifier is not actuated, said exciter/receiver differentiating between said two frequencies and producing an output signal that is indicative of the signal frequency which it receives from said antenna coil; and at least one additional wheel for said vehicle, each additional wheel having a respective additional transponder antenna coil mounted around it, an additional tire condition sensor for sensing a condition of a tire mounted on said additional wheel, an additional diode connected in circuit with said additional antenna coil, and an additional circuit modifier that is actuated by said additional condition sensor to alter the connection of said additional diode to said additional antenna coil in response to said additional condition sensor sensing said condition crossing a threshold level in a predetermined direction, said additional antenna coil responding to an excitation signal received from said exciter/receiver by transmitting a signal back to said exciter/receiver at said one frequency when said additional circuit modifier is actuated, and at said different frequency when said additional circuit modifier is not actuated. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification