Tire monitoring with passive and active modes
First Claim
1. A tire monitoring assembly for association with a movable tire of a vehicle, said tire having flexible side walls and a flexible tread, the assembly adapted to provide information about a property of said tire, the assembly comprising:
- a power generating system adapted to be coupled with said tire to generate energy from movement of said tire; and
a circuit coupled to said power generating system and including an energy storage device, said circuit being operable in an active mode when said tire moves and in a passive mode when said tire is not moving,said circuit being arranged to provide the information about the property of said tire and including at least one wireless transmission component for transmitting a signal relating to the property of said tire, said at least one wireless transmission component requiring energy to transmit the signal relating to the tire property,said circuit being constructed and arranged such that in the active mode, said power generating system generates energy which is used by said circuit or stored in said energy storage device,said circuit being constructed and arranged such that in the passive mode, said circuit receives power from a signal received by said circuit to enable and cause said at least one wireless transmission component to transmit the signal relating to the property of said tire, when;
1) said energy storage device does not contain sufficient energy to power said circuit, and2a) the property of said tire is above a threshold, wherein said at least one wireless transmission component does not transmit a signal relating to the property of said tire when the property is not above the threshold, or2b) the property of said tire is below a threshold, wherein said at least one wireless transmission component does not transmit a signal relating to the property of said tire when the property is not below the threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Movable vehicular assembly including an electricity generating system includes a movable substrate such as a tire, a power generating system arranged on, in connection with or within the substrate and to generate energy from movement of the substrate, and a circuit coupled to the power generating system and including an energy storage device. The circuit is operable in an active mode when the substrate moves and the power generating system generates energy or the energy storage device contains energy for powering the circuit and in a passive mode when the substrate is not moving and the energy storage device does not contain sufficient energy to power the circuit. The circuit receives power to operate in the passive mode from a signal received by the circuit. Components which may be part of the circuit include a surface-acoustic-wave device and a radio-frequency identification device.
81 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A tire monitoring assembly for association with a movable tire of a vehicle, said tire having flexible side walls and a flexible tread, the assembly adapted to provide information about a property of said tire, the assembly comprising:
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a power generating system adapted to be coupled with said tire to generate energy from movement of said tire; and a circuit coupled to said power generating system and including an energy storage device, said circuit being operable in an active mode when said tire moves and in a passive mode when said tire is not moving, said circuit being arranged to provide the information about the property of said tire and including at least one wireless transmission component for transmitting a signal relating to the property of said tire, said at least one wireless transmission component requiring energy to transmit the signal relating to the tire property, said circuit being constructed and arranged such that in the active mode, said power generating system generates energy which is used by said circuit or stored in said energy storage device, said circuit being constructed and arranged such that in the passive mode, said circuit receives power from a signal received by said circuit to enable and cause said at least one wireless transmission component to transmit the signal relating to the property of said tire, when; 1) said energy storage device does not contain sufficient energy to power said circuit, and 2a) the property of said tire is above a threshold, wherein said at least one wireless transmission component does not transmit a signal relating to the property of said tire when the property is not above the threshold, or 2b) the property of said tire is below a threshold, wherein said at least one wireless transmission component does not transmit a signal relating to the property of said tire when the property is not below the threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for monitoring a tire, comprising:
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arranging a monitoring system on the tire which generates or modifies a signal which enables a determination of at least one property of the tire and provides a wireless transmission of the generated or modified signal; generating energy to power the monitoring system from rotation of the tire; storing energy generated while the tire is rotating to power the monitoring system when the tire is not rotating; directing an interrogation signal to the monitoring system to obtain in response, the wireless transmission of the signal generated or modified by the monitoring system; providing the monitoring system with an active mode when the tire rotates and energy is being generated to enable the monitoring system to generate or modify the signal; providing the monitoring system with a passive mode when the tire is not rotating; and constructing the monitoring system such that in the passive mode, the monitoring system receives power from a signal received by the monitoring system to enable the wireless transmission of the signal generated or modified by the monitoring system in response to the interrogation signal directed to the monitoring system, when; 1) there is insufficient stored energy to power the monitoring system, and 2a) the at least one property of the tire is above a threshold, wherein the monitoring system does not provide the wireless transmission of the signal when the at least one property is not above the threshold, or 2b) the at least one property of the tire is below a threshold, wherein the monitoring system does not provide the wireless transmission of the signal when the at least one property is not below the threshold. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A tire monitoring assembly for association with a movable tire of a vehicle, said tire having flexible side walls and a flexible tread, the assembly adapted to provide information about a property of said tire, the assembly comprising:
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a power generating system arranged on or in said side walls to generate energy from rotation of said tire; and a circuit coupled to said power generating system and including an energy storage device, said power generating system generating energy when said tire rotates and using the generated energy to power said circuit or storing energy in said energy storage device, said circuit being arranged to provide the information about the property of said tire and including at least one wireless transmission component for transmitting a signal relating to the property of said tire, said at least one wireless transmission component requiring energy to transmit the signal relating to the tire property and being provided with energy by said power generating system or said energy storage device.
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Specification