Tire parameter monitoring system with inductive power source
First Claim
1. A tire parameter sensor assembly for monitoring a parameter of a vehicle tire, said assembly comprising:
- a substrate;
a power system carried by said substrate for converting an unregulated input voltage to a regulated output voltage, said power system having an input terminal, an output terminal, a voltage multiplier circuit having said power system input terminal and an output, a voltage regulator having an input coupled to said output of said voltage multiplier circuit and an output, and a storage capacitor coupled to said output of said voltage regulator;
a tire parameter sensor carried by said substrate for providing monitoring signals representative of the value of said parameter;
a processor/transmitter unit carried by said substrate and coupled to said sensor for converting said monitoring signals to transmission signals, said processor/transmitter unit having a power input terminal coupled to said output terminal of said power system; and
a power coil carried by said substrate and coupled to said input terminal of said power system,whereby said power coil develops said unregulated input voltage whenever a magnetic field is encountered by said coil and said power system produces said regulated output voltage to render said processor/transmitter operable.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery-less tire parameter sensor system for monitoring a vehicle tire parameter such as pressure and temperature. A sensor assembly has a power system, a processor/transmitter, a sensor, and a power coil mounted on a substrate. This assembly is mounted on or in the side wall or tread wall of a tire. A magnet is mounted on the vehicle in proximity to the path of the power coil during tire rotation. The moving power coil passes through the magnetic field and generates operating voltage for the sensor assembly components. The power system includes a voltage multiplier, a voltage regulator, and a storage capacitor. Two or more sensor assemblies can be mounted on the same tire to monitor different parameters.
33 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A tire parameter sensor assembly for monitoring a parameter of a vehicle tire, said assembly comprising:
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a substrate; a power system carried by said substrate for converting an unregulated input voltage to a regulated output voltage, said power system having an input terminal, an output terminal, a voltage multiplier circuit having said power system input terminal and an output, a voltage regulator having an input coupled to said output of said voltage multiplier circuit and an output, and a storage capacitor coupled to said output of said voltage regulator; a tire parameter sensor carried by said substrate for providing monitoring signals representative of the value of said parameter; a processor/transmitter unit carried by said substrate and coupled to said sensor for converting said monitoring signals to transmission signals, said processor/transmitter unit having a power input terminal coupled to said output terminal of said power system; and a power coil carried by said substrate and coupled to said input terminal of said power system, whereby said power coil develops said unregulated input voltage whenever a magnetic field is encountered by said coil and said power system produces said regulated output voltage to render said processor/transmitter operable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vehicle mounted tire parameter sensor system for monitoring a parameter of a vehicle tire, said system comprising:
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a vehicle having a tire rotatably mounted thereon, and a support member; a magnet mounted on said support member for generating a magnetic field having force lines extending from said support member in the direction of said tire; and a tire parameter sensor assembly for monitoring said parameter, said assembly comprising a substrate;
a power system carried by said substrate for converting an unregulated input voltage to a regulated output voltage, said power system having an input terminal, an output terminal, a voltage multiplier circuit having said power system input terminal and an output, a voltage regulator having an input coupled to said output of said voltage multiplier circuit and an output, and a storage capacitor coupled to said output of said voltage regulator and an output terminal;
a tire parameter sensor carried by said substrate for providing monitoring signals representative of the value of said parameter;
a processor/transmitter unit carried by said substrate and coupled to said sensor for converting said monitoring signals to transmission signals, said processor/transmitter unit having a power input terminal coupled to said output terminal of said power system; and
a power coil carried by said substrate and coupled to said input terminal of said power system,said tire parameter sensor assembly being mounted on said tire in a position whereby said power coil encounters said magnetic field when said tire rotates and develops said unregulated input voltage so that said power system produces said regulated output voltage to render said processor/transmitter operable. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A vehicle mounted tire parameter sensor system for monitoring a first and a second parameter of a vehicle tire, said system comprising:
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a vehicle having a tire rotatably mounted thereon, and a support member; a magnet mounted on said support member for generating a magnetic field having force lines extending from said support member in the direction of said tire; and a first tire parameter sensor assembly for monitoring said first parameter, said first tire parameter sensor assembly comprising a first substrate;
a first power system carried by said substrate for converting an unregulated input voltage to a regulated output voltage, said first power system having an input terminal and an output terminal;
a first tire parameter sensor carried by said first substrate for providing monitoring signals representative of the value of said first parameter;
a first processor/transmitter unit carried by said first substrate and coupled to said first sensor for converting said monitoring signals to transmission signals, said first processor/transmitter unit having a power input terminal coupled to said output terminal of said first power system; and
a power coil carried by said substrate and coupled to said input terminal of said first power system,said first tire parameter sensor assembly being mounted on said tire in a position whereby said power coil encounters said magnetic field when said tire rotates and develops said unregulated input voltage so that said first power system produces said regulated output voltage to render said first processor/transmitter operable; and a second tire parameter sensor assembly for monitoring a second parameter of the vehicle tire, said second tire parameter sensor assembly comprising a second substrate;
a second power system carried by said second substrate for converting an unregulated input voltage to a regulated output voltage, said second power system having an input terminal and an output terminal;
a second tire parameter sensor carried by said second substrate for providing monitoring signals representative of the value of said second parameter;
a second processor/transmitter unit carried by said second substrate and coupled to said second sensor for converting said monitoring signals to transmission signals, said second processor/transmitter unit having a power input terminal coupled to said output terminal of said second power system; and
a second power coil carried by said second substrate and coupled to said input terminal of said second power system,said second tire parameter sensor assembly being mounted on said tire in a second position whereby said second power coil encounters said magnetic field when said tire rotates and develops said unregulated input voltage so that said second power system produces said regulated output voltage to render said second processor/transmitter operable. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification