Sensor assemblies

A method for obtaining a measurement of at least one physical quantity from a remote sensor assembly on a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an interrogator on the vehicle;
• arranging at least one sensor assembly on the vehicle, each sensor assembly including an antenna for receiving a radio frequency signal, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device coupled to the antenna, a sensor coupled to the RFID device and arranged to generate a measurement of at least one physical quantity and a switch coupled to the RFID device and arranged to connect or disconnect the sensor from a circuit with the antenna dependent on whether the antenna receives a particular signal associated with the RFID device;
• transmitting via the interrogator the particular signal associated with the RFID device to cause the RFID device to close the switch and connect the sensor in the circuit with the antenna;
• subsequently transmitting a sensor interrogation signal to cause the sensor to generate the measurement of the physical quantity;
• and
• directing the measurement generated by the sensor to the antenna to be transmitted thereby back to the interrogator.

A method for obtaining a measurement of multiple physical quantities of components on a vehicle from remote sensor assemblies on the vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an interrogator on the vehicle;
• arranging a plurality of sensor assemblies on the vehicle, each sensor assembly including an antenna for receiving a radio frequency signal, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device coupled to the antenna, a sensor coupled to the RFID device and arranged to generate a measurement of a physical quantity and a switch arranged to connect or disconnect the sensor from a circuit with the antenna dependent on whether the antenna receives a particular signal associated with the RFID device;
• transmitting via the interrogator the particular signals associated with the RFID devices at different times to cause each of the RFID devices to close the respective switch and connect the respective sensor in the respective circuit with the respective antenna;
• transmitting sensor interrogation signals to cause the sensors to generate the measurements of the physical quantity;
• and
• directing the measurements generated by the sensors to the respective antennas to be transmitted thereby back to the interrogator.