Tuned radio frequency (rf) resonant materials and material configurations for sensing in a vehicle

Abstract

This disclosure provides a tire formed of a body having multiple plies and a tread that surrounds the body. The plies and/or the treads and/or other surfaces of the tire include one or more resonators that respond to being interrogated by an externally generated excitation signal. Multiple resonators formed of electrically-conducting materials are disposed (e.g., printed) on the plies and/or tread and/or other surfaces of the tire. Each of a group of multiple resonators can be individually configured to respond to different frequencies of the excitation signal such that the presence of a response (e.g., a measured attenuation of the excitation signal return) or lack of response (e.g., based on comparison of the excitation signal return to calibration curves) from individual ones of the multiple resonators can be combined to form a serial number that is unique to the tire or other elastomer-containing component (e.g., belts, hoses, etc.) being interrogated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.