Vehicle tag reader

• US 20060192662A1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• 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: G01P 3/66 using electric or magnetic means G01P3/80 takes precedence; measuring short time intervals G04F8/00, G04F10/00

Abstract

A tire sensor that communicates to a remote interrogator in one of two modes depending on the nature of the interrogation. The interrogator may be distributed throughout a vehicle if needed for design options. Further, the interrogator only interrogates the transponder when the interrogator has reason to believe that the transponder is in range of the interrogator. The interrogator and transponder may be configured to operate in different modes for communication during operation of the tire on a vehicle and during non-operation. The transponder may communicate tire condition information to the interrogator concerning environmental or other information sensed about the tire.

Claims

1. A transponder for sensing a condition relating to a tire, comprising:

a tire condition sensor adapted to sense a condition relating to the tire; and

a control system comprising at least two operating modes, said control system communicatively connected to said tire condition sensor and transmitting information from said tire condition sensor to a remote location in one of said at least two operating modes depending on how the remote location interrogates the control system.

2. The transponder of claim 1, wherein a first of said at least two operating modes comprises a contention access protocol.

3. The transponder of claim 1, wherein one of said at least two operating modes comprises a continuous response operation.

4. The transponder of claim 1, wherein one of said at least two operating modes is triggered by an RF field lacking an AM scheme.

5. The transponder of claim 1, wherein said tire condition sensor is comprised from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor and tread sensor.

6. A method of operating a transponder, comprising:

providing a transponder comprising two operating modes;

associating a tire condition sensor with the transponder;

operating in a first mode when said transponder is present in a first type of RF field; and

operating in a second mode when said transponder is present in a second type of RF field.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing a transponder comprising two operating modes comprises providing a transponder adapted to operate in a vehicle tire.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein operating in a first mode comprises operating in a contention access protocol mode.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein operating in a second mode comprises transmitting readings from the tire condition sensor and a check sum as long as the RF field is sufficient.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein operating in a second mode when said transponder is present in a second type of RF field comprises operating in said second mode when said second type of RF field lacks an AM scheme.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said tire condition sensor is comprised from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor and tread sensor.

12-40. -40. (canceled)