Vehicular RFID and sensor assemblies

A method for enabling control of sensors and switches on a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging a plurality of RFID assemblies on the vehicle, each of the RFID assemblies including a sensor and an associated RFID switch that controls wireless transmission of data provided by the sensor;
• arranging each RFID switch to receive an RF signal from an interrogator and only upon receipt of an RF signal containing its identification, enable the associated sensor to transmit a sensor signal from the sensor to the interrogator, the sensors being arranged to monitor properties of the vehicle or properties of components of the vehicle, the RFID switch thereby precluding transmission of the sensor signal from the sensor to the interrogator when the RFID switch does not receive an RF signal containing its identification;
• associating an RFID tag with each RFID assembly, the RFID tag having a unique identification;
• directing the interrogator to transmit RFID activation signals to elicit responses from all of the RFID tags containing their identification;
• determining a location of each of the RFID assemblies based on the responses from their associated RFID tags;
• and
• converting the responses from the RFID tags into a library of the identifications of the RFID tags and thus the associated RFID assemblies and their locations.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of components including an interrogator arranged to transmit RF signals and receive responsive RF signals;
• and
• at least one RFID assembly, each of said at least one RFID assembly including a sensor and an associated RFID switch that controls wireless transmission of data provided by said sensor, said interrogator being arranged to include in transmissions therefrom an identification of an RFID switch associated with a sensor from which data is sought,
• said RFID switch being arranged to receive an RF signal from said interrogator and upon receipt of a signal not containing its identification, disable said sensor from receiving an interrogation signal from said interrogator for its excitation and thus preventing said sensor from providing a return sensor signal in response to the interrogation signal,
• whereby a property being monitored by said sensor is determinable from said sensor signal.