Sensor module

• US 7,171,849 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Kandler, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US10/653,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 737/00, 731/46, 737/60, 738/624.1, 731/465
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor module in a flexible housing with integrated transmission means. A possible application of such a flexible sensor module would be the use as transponder-based tire pressure measuring system. Here, the complete module could be vulcanized into the tire, and the data could be transmitted by means of a standardized receiver unit. The transmission may herein be made by radio or inductively, for example.

Claims

1. A sensor module comprising at least one sensor element that is at least partially surrounded by a housing, wherein the housing of the module is flexible, and a transmission means for wireless data transmission is integrated in the module, the flexible housing including at least two flexible foils, a first one of the flexible foils supporting the at least one sensor element and a second one of the flexible foils overlapping the first one of the flexible foils and supporting the transmission means.

2. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the transmission means contains an antenna and/or an induction coil.

3. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein an operational voltage for the sensor module is inductively coupled in.

4. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the operational voltage for the sensor module is electromagnetically coupled in.

5. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the flexible housing is designed so that it may be vulcanized into a rubber tire.

6. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the flexible housing is adapted to the geometry of a receiving unit.

7. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the sensor module incorporates a memory element configured to store specific data that is not data sensed by the sensor element.

8. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a pressure sensor and the entire sensor module is inductively operated.

9. The sensor module of claim 8, wherein a gel is introduced between the flexible cover and the pressure sensor.

10. A method for producing a sensor module with at least one sensor element, the method comprising:

providing at least one sensor element being at least partially surrounded by a flexible housing; and

integrating transmission means for wireless data transmission into the module, the flexible housing including at least two flexible foils, a first one of the foils supporting the at least one sensor element and a second one of the foils overlapping the first one of the foils and supporting the transmission means.