Method of and apparatus for acquiring data of dynamic physical processes via a radio link

• US 7,026,977 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leonhard Reindl
• Original Assignee: Leonhard Reindl
• Inventors: Reindl, Leonhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US10/440,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 342/71, 340/442, 340/445, 340/447, 340/870.01, 340/941
• US Class Current: 342/71
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0444 Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/03 Tire sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1725 Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT] for tyre pressure and temperature detection B60C23/00

Abstract

For acquiring data of dynamic physical processes via a radio link, a transponder antenna (17) is excited by an electromagnetic exciting wave at the resonance frequency of the transponder antenna (17), and a back-scattered electromagnetic sensor wave which is modulated by a sensor (16) having an electrical impedance depending on the data to be acquired is received and analyzed. The sensor (16) is directly connected to the transponder antenna (17) such that the sensor changes the electrical impedance of the transponder antenna (17) with every variation of the data to be acquired. The electromagnetic wave which is back-scattered by the transponder antenna (17) is received as the sensor wave at the same time as the transponder antenna (17) is excited by the exciting wave.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring data of dynamic physical processes via a radio link, said method comprising the steps of:

arranging a sensor having an electrical impedance which depends on the data to be acquired;

arranging a transponder antenna having an electrical impedance;

connecting the sensor directly to the transponder antenna such that the sensor changes the electrical impedance of the transponder antenna with every variation of the data to be acquired;

exciting the transponder antenna by an electromagnetic exciting wave at the resonance frequency of the transponder antenna to produce an electromagnetic wave being back-scattered by the transponder antenna and being modulated by the sensor;

receiving the electromagnetic wave being back-scattered by the transponder antenna approximately at the same time as the transponder antenna is excited by the electromagnetic exciting wave; and

analyzing the electromagnetic wave being back-scattered by the transponder antenna with respect to the modulation by the sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of the electrical impedance of the transponder antenna is changed by the data to be acquired in a time dependent way such that the changed impedance changes the back-scattering properties of the transponder antenna which modulates the back-scattered sensor wave with the same time characteristics as the time characteristics of the data to be acquired.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the value of the electrical impedance of the transponder antenna is modulated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a passive sensor.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor is a passive sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave is analyzed with respect to the ratio of amplitudes of at least two frequency components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor wave is analyzed with respect to a frequency modulation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor wave is analyzed with respect to an amplitude modulation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

arranging the sensor and the transponder antenna in a radio sensor unit;

arranging the radio sensor unit at an object rotating about an axis of rotation;

arranging a transmitting and receiving unit in a stationary way such that it does not rotate with the object; and

transmitting the exciting wave and receiving the back-scattered sensor wave by the transmitting and receiving unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data to be acquired is the strain of a tire element of a tire of a vehicle during its contact with a road while the vehicle is moving.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor has one of an electrical capacitance, an inductance and a resistance the electrical value of which is changed by the data to be acquired in a time dependent way.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor has one of an electrical capacitance, an inductance and a resistance the electrical value of which is modulated by the data to be acquired in a time dependent way.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is connected to a base of the transponder antenna as a load.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is integrated into a resonant circuitry of the transponder antenna.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transponder antenna also fulfills the function of the sensor element by changing its back-scattering properties due to mechanical bending.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the exciting frequency is emitted within a frequency range of approximately 100 MHz to 6 GHz.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the value of the electrical impedance of the transponder antenna is modulated.

17. An apparatus for acquiring data of dynamic physical processes via a radio link, comprising:

a transmitter antenna being designed and arranged to emit an electromagnetic exciting wave;

a transponder antenna having an electrical impedance and being designed and arranged to receive the exciting wave;

a sensor having an electrical impedance depending on the data to be acquired, said sensor being directly connected to said transponder antenna in a way that said sensor changes the electrical impedance of said transponder antenna with every variation of the data to be acquired;

a receiver antenna being designed and arranged to receive a back-scattered electromagnetic sensor wave being modulated by said sensor approximately at the same time as said transmitter antenna emits the exciting wave; and

an analysis unit being designed and arranged to analyze the received sensor wave.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the value of the electrical impedance of said transponder antenna is changed by the data to be acquired in a time dependent way such that the changed impedance changes the back-scattering properties of said transponder antenna which modulates the back-scattered sensor wave with the same time characteristics as the time characteristics of the data to be acquired.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the value of the electrical impedance of said transponder antenna is modulated.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said sensor is designed as a passive sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said sensor is designed as a passive sensor.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said sensor is arranged in a profile area of a tire of a vehicle.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said sensor is arranged in a tire element being located in a running zone of a tire of a vehicle.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said sensor and said transponder antenna are both designed to form one section of a conductive wire being bent to different shapes.

25. A system for determining the deformation of a rotating tire of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a transmitter element being designed and arranged to emit an electromagnetic exciting wave;

a transponder antenna having an electrical impedance and being designed and arranged to receive the exciting wave;

a sensing element having an electrical impedance depending on the data to be acquired, said sensing element being directly connected to said transponder antenna in a way that said sensing element changes the electrical impedance of said transponder element with every variation of the data to be acquired;

a receiver element being designed and arranged to receive a back-scattered electromagnetic sensor wave being modulated by said sensing element approximately at the same time as said transmitter element emits the exciting wave; and

an analysis unit being designed and arranged to analyze the received sensor wave.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the value of the electrical impedance of the transponder element is changed by the data to be acquired in a time dependent way such that the changed impedance changes the back-scattering properties of the transponder element which modulates the back-scattered sensor wave with the same time characteristics as the time characteristics of the data to be acquired.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the sensing element is a passive sensor.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the sensing element is a passive sensor.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the sensor wave is analyzed with respect to one of the ratio of amplitudes of at least two frequency components, a frequency modulation, and an amplitude modulation.