Wireless communication device having conductive elements antenna

• US 7,327,326 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Trinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, DIEU HIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/515,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20060290579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 343/795, 343/793, 343/711, 343/717, 343/702
• US Class Current: 343/795
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0452 Antenna structure, control or arrangement vehicle tyre mounted antennas H01Q1/2241
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13613 the semiconductor element being formed on a first substrate and thereafter transferred to the final cell substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An antenna coupled to a wireless communication device that is comprised of a series of conductive elements that form a conductor when placed under a force. The conductor is coupled to a wireless communication device to provide an antenna so that the wireless communication device is capable of communicating at an operating frequency defined by the length and construction of the conductor. The wireless communication device, through its communication using the conductor as an antenna, acts as an indicator of force to an interrogation reader when the wireless communication device is capable of communicating to the interrogation reader using the conductor as an antenna.

Claims

1. A device capable of wirelessly communicating information, comprising:

a wireless communication device; and

a series of conductive elements coupled together in a manner to form a conductor when said series of conductive elements is under a threshold force;

at least one conductive element in said series of conductive elements coupled to said wireless communication device to form an antenna for said wireless communication device to wirelessly communicate information when said series of conductive elements are under said threshold force to become conductive.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements are arranged in a manner that they do not form conductive connections with each other unless they are placed under said threshold force.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said series of conductive elements comprises two different series of conductive elements coupled to said wireless communication device to form a dipole antenna.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said threshold force is comprised from a group consisting of a stretching threshold force, a compression threshold force, a rotation threshold force, and an expansion threshold force.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements comprises a link chain.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements comprises a plurality of hollow conductive spheres each having two orifices and a shaped link confining the distance between each of said plurality of hollow conductive spheres wherein said shaped link has a narrow center and wider outer edges wherein said wider outer edges are inside said hollow conductive spheres and are larger in diameter than said orifices so that each of said shaped links creates a conductive connection between adjacent hollow conductive spheres when said hollow conductive spheres are stretched or compressed.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said plurality of hollow conductive spheres are placed inside a tire and said plurality of hollow conductive spheres form a conductor that is adapted to resonate at a first frequency when said pressure of said tire reaches a threshold pressure level.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said plurality of hollow conductive spheres are attached to an object that stretches said plurality of hollow conductive spheres to form a conductor that is adapted to resonate at a first frequency when the weight of said object reaches or exceeds a threshold weight level.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein said plurality of hollow spheres are attached to an axle that stretches said plurality of hollow spheres to form a conductor that is adapted to resonate at a first operating frequency when the rotational speed of said axle reaches or exceeds a threshold speed.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements are placed inside a tire and said series of conductive elements form a conductor that is adapted to resonate at a first frequency when said pressure of said tire reaches a threshold pressure level.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements are attached to an object that stretches said series of conductive elements to form a conductor that is adapted to resonate at a first operating frequency when the weight of said object reaches or exceeds a threshold weight level.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements are attached to an axle that stretches said series of conductive elements to form a conductor that is adapted to resonate at a first operating frequency when the rotational speed of said axle reaches or exceeds a threshold speed.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism adjacent to at least one conductive element in said series of conductive elements that locks at least a portion of said series of conductive elements to form a conductor when said threshold force is placed on said series of conductive elements.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a conductor that is coupled between said wireless communication component and said series of conductive elements, said conductor forming an antenna having a first fixed length adapted to resonate at a first operating frequency and said series of conductive elements forming an antenna having a second length adapted to resonate at a second operating frequency when said series of conductive elements are locked.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements is comprised of a material that changes its area in relation to temperature.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements are coupled to a temperature sensitive material that changes its area in relation to temperature thereby causing said series of conductive elements to stretch or contract in relation to said temperature.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein said series of conductive elements comprises two expansion points arranged in such a manner that said series of conductive elements form a first conductor with a first operating frequency at a first temperature and form a second conductor that is longer in length than said first conductor with a second operating frequency at a second temperature.