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

In combination with a vehicle tire, a vehicle tire parameter sensing apparatus comprising:

• control means having an interrogator transmitter means for transmitting an interrogation signal and a receiver means for receiving remotely generated signals;
• a transponder mountable on a vehicle tire, the transponder including:
• a substrate mountable on a vehicle tire;
• an integrated circuit chip mounted on the substrate, the integrated circuit chip including a processor, a memory, a receiver means connected to the processor for receiving an interrogation signal from a remote source, and a transmitter means connected to the processor for transmitting a signal containing data representative of the sensed tire condition parameter to a remote source;
• sensor means, mounted on the substrate, for sensing a tire parameter at predetermined times when electrical power is applied to the sensor means, and for generating an output signal to the processor representative of the sensed tire parameter;
• power supply means, mounted on the substrate, for supplying electrical power to the processor, 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;
• the memory responsive to the processor for storing the output signal from the sensor means at the predetermined times.