Active integrated circuit transponder and sensor apparatus for sensing and transmitting vehicle tire parameter data

A vehicle tire parameter sensing apparatus adapted for use with a vehicle tire comprising:

• control means having an interrogator transmitter means for transmitting an interrogation signal and an interrogator receiver means for receiving remotely generated signals;
• and
• a transponder adapted to be fixedly mountable on an inner surface of a vehicle tire, the transponder including:
• a substrate adapted to be mountable on a vehicle tire;
• a processor, a memory, a receiver means connected to the processor means for receiving an interrogation signal from a remote source, and a transmitter means connected to the processor means for transmitting a signal containing data representative of the sensed tire condition parameter to the control means remote from the tire on which the substrate is mounted, all mounted on the substrate;
• sensor means, mounted on the substrate, for sensing a tire parameter and for generating an output signal to the processor means representative of the sensed tire parameter;
• power supply means, mounted on the substrate, for supplying electrical power to the processor means, the receiver means, the transmitter means and the sensor means;
• and
• antenna means, mounted on the substrate and connected to the transmitter means and the receiver means, for communicating an interrogation signal from the control means to the receiver means and for communicating a signal from the transmitter means to the control means.

A method for sensing tire condition parameters comprising the steps of:

• mounting a substrate on a tire in communication with a tire;
• mounting a processor means, a memory, a receiver means connected to the processor means for receiving an interrogation signal from a remote source, and a transmitter means connected to the processor means for transmitting a signal containing data representative of sensed tire condition parameter data to a remote source, on the substrate;
• mounting sensor means on the substrate for sensing at least one tire parameter, the sensor means generating an output signal to the processor means representative of the sensed tire parameter;
• mounting a power supply on the substrate, the power supply connected to and actively supplying electrical power to the processor means, the memory, the receiver means, the transmitter means, and the sensor means;
• mounting an antenna on the substrate and connecting the antenna to the receiver means and the transmitter means;
• and
• executing a controlled program stored in the memory by the processor means by which in response to an interrogation signal received by the receiver means via the antenna and the output signal from the sensor means, the processor means generates and supplies a signal representative of the sensor output signal to the transmitter means for transmission to a remote source.