Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090322480 | RFID TAG AND METHOD OF VEHICLE ATTACHMENT THEREOF - An electronic tag for a vehicle includes an antenna; a data transmitter coupled to the antenna; and an elastomeric coating layer encapsulating the transmitter and antenna. The tag may attach to the vehicle by means of a tire or otherwise affixed to the body of the vehicle. The antenna may be configured as a dipole accessible by an external signal from substantially a 360 degree sphere surrounding the tag package. An adhesive material layer may be included to encapsulate the elastomeric material coated transmitter and antenna and utilized to attach the tag to a vehicle component. | 12-31-2009 |
20100108211 | RFID TAG PACKAGE AND TIRE ASSEMBLY - A tire and RFID tag combine as an assembly to include a tire and a tag package mounted to a tire tag mounting surface. The tag package includes a carrier substrate having a die receiving surface and one or more interconnection tabs mounted to the die receiving surface. The tag package further includes a dipole antenna or other antenna configuration formed by first and second antenna members having inward ends connected to respective first and second interconnection tabs on the die receiving surface and outer antenna segments extending outward from the carrier substrate. An integrated circuit die mounts to the die receiving surface and has electrical contact(s) in contacting engagement with the interconnection tab(s). A cap member or, alternatively, a cylindrical encapsulating member, may be utilized for enclosing the integrated circuit die, the carrier substrate, and the inward ends of the first and second antenna members; the outer antenna segments of the first and second antenna members extending outward from the cap member or encapsulating member in operable position against respective portions of the tire tag mounting surface. | 05-06-2010 |
20100123585 | RFID TIRE TAG TEST FIXTURE AND METHOD - A test fixture and electronic tag assembly includes an electronic tag comprising an electronic device and a half wave dipole antenna of antenna length L. The antenna is configured as first and second coiled dipole antenna segments connecting with and extending in opposite directions from the electronic device. The assembly further includes a support frame; first and second electrically conductive pads positioned in spaced apart relationship within the support frame; and apparatus for fixedly holding end segments of the first and second coiled dipole antenna segments respectively against the first and second conductive pads in an overlapping relationship. A combined length of the first and second coiled dipole antenna segments and the conductive pads less the length of the overlapping end segments define a calculated effective antenna length for operative utility in performance measurement of the electronic tag in air analogous with the performance of the performance of the tag in a non-air medium such as in a tire. The spacing between the conductive pads may be selectively altered to accommodate the testing of tags of varying lengths within the fixture. | 05-20-2010 |
20110074549 | TESTING APPARATUS FOR EMBEDDED RFID TAGS - A testing apparatus includes an elongate carrier strip encapsulating an electronic device such as an RFID tag therein. The apparatus includes multiple rollers positioned in sequence and defining a serpentine path for receiving and supporting a carrier strip mid-portion. A drive mechanism engages the end portions of the strip and reciprocally moves the strip mid-portion in a forward direction and a reverse direction against curved surfaces of the rollers. A reader is further provided and positioned to detect the presence or absence of transmission error by the electronic device as the strip mid-portion reciprocally moves in the forward and reverse directions over the apparatus support surface during a testing sequence. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074550 | METHOD FOR TESTING EMBEDDED RFID TAGS - A method of testing an electronic tag includes: embedding the electronic tag within an elongate carrier strip composed of a material having material properties simulating an end product material within which the tag resides embedded during end product use; positioning the embedded tag substantially within the carrier strip at a mid-portion between opposite end portions of the strip; positioning the mid-portion of the strip and the embedded tag over at least one curved support surface; engaging the end portions of the strip; and positioning a reader in a position operative to receive information from the electronic tag during a testing transmission sequence; reciprocally moving the strip mid-portion in a forward direction and a reverse direction over the curved support surface; and rendering the reader operational to receive information transmitted from the electronic tag as the strip mid-portion reciprocally moves in the forward and reverse directions. | 03-31-2011 |
20110095870 | METHOD FOR MEASURING PRESSURE IN A TIRE - A method for sensing pressure in a pressurized article utilizing an electronic tag includes: calculating the impedance of a tag antenna, the tag antenna being flexible and at least partially composed of a flexible conductive pressure sensitive material including rubber; measuring changes in antenna impedance resulting from changes in pressure exerted on the tag antenna; calculating changes in tag transmission signal strength resulting from changes in antenna impedance; at least partially embedding the electronic tag within a wall portion of the article, the wall portion at least partially defining an article cavity and exerting a compressive force on the tag antenna of a magnitude determined by the magnitude of air pressure within the cavity; measuring the tag transmission signal strength with the tag antenna subjected to pressure from the article wall portion; determining the magnitude of air pressure within the cavity required to effect a compressive force on the tag antenna by the article wall sufficient to result in the measured tag transmission signal strength. | 04-28-2011 |
20110095891 | PRODUCT AND ELECTRONIC TAG ASSEMBLY - A host article and electronic tag assembly includes an article portion of rubber-based material composition. The electronic device and antenna attach to or are embedded within the article portion. The antenna is constructed to be flexible and at least partially composed of a flexible conductive material such as conductive rubber. The flexible antenna conductive material is selected to provide material composition properties substantially equivalent to the rubber-based article portion, whereby rendering the antenna mechanically compatible for incorporation into the article portion. A change in compression within the rubber-based article portion changes compression forces exerted from the article portion on the antenna arms which, in turn, results in a detectable change in signal strength from the tag. The antenna may further be configured and positioned within the article portion to change transmission characteristics responsive to a change of air pressure in an ambient adjacent air mass within the article, and thereby function as an air pressure sensor. | 04-28-2011 |
20110148592 | ANTENNA ASSEMBLY FOR A TAG READER - An antenna assembly includes a stand having a convex outer surface positioned to intercept and engage a vehicle tire as the vehicle tire passes over the convex stand surface. The height and contour of the convex stand surface slows the rotational rate of the vehicle tire, and thereby a transmitting device carried by the tire, to a preferred rotational read rate as the vehicle tire passes over the convex surface. One or more antenna members mount to the stand proximal to the convex surface, each antenna having a directionally aimed tilted antenna field positioned to continuously receive data transmission from the electronic transmitting device as the vehicle tire passes over the convex stand surface at the reduced rotational read rate. | 06-23-2011 |
20110148593 | METHOD FOR READING A VEHICLE TAG WITHIN A READ STATION - A method of reading a data transmission from an electronic transmitting device mounted to a vehicle tire assembly includes: positioning a convex upper surface of a stand to intercept a vehicle tire of the vehicle tire assembly; establishing rotational engagement between the vehicle tire and the convex upper surface of the stand to slow the speed of the vehicle and reduce the rotational rate at which the vehicle tire rotates to a targeted reduced rotational read rate; and directing an antenna field from at least one antenna toward an approach path (and at least one antenna toward the exiting path) of the vehicle tire to the convex upper surface and lower surface of the stand to receive data transmission from the electronic transmitting device as the vehicle tire passes over the stand upper surface then down the lower surface at the reduced rotational read rate. | 06-23-2011 |
20140002242 | TIRE RFID TAG READER PORTAL SYSTEM AND METHOD | 01-02-2014 |
20140005956 | LOAD ESTIMATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A VEHICLE TIRE | 01-02-2014 |
20140049375 | STACKED TIRE RFID READER SYSTEM AND METHOD - A product management system and method for reading electronic identification tags from a vertical stack of tires. Each tire has an electronic identification tag secured at a position to operative to electronically transmit data to an antenna element positioned internally within a toroidal opening of each tire in the stack. An elongate read wand is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation within the aligned toroidal openings of the tires. The antenna element is carried by the read wand and is thus positioned by the read wand to receive an electronic transmission from each electronic identification tag in the aligned tire stack. The read wand may be ceiling-mounted, floor mounted, or hand held. | 02-20-2014 |
20140069181 | TIRE SIDEWALL LOAD ESTIMATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method of estimating a load bearing on a vehicle tire includes an inflation pressure measuring sensor attached to the tire for measuring a tire cavity inflation pressure level; and one or more piezofilm deformation measuring sensors mounted to one or both of the tire sidewalls. The deformation measuring sensor generates within the tire footprint a deformation signal having signal power level indicative of a level of sidewall deformation within the footprint contact patch. Power-to-load maps adjusted for tire inflation pressure are generated and stored for the tire, the maps correlating a range of load levels to a range of signal power levels whereby operatively enabling a load level to be identified for each signal power level on an inflation pressure adjusted basis. | 03-13-2014 |
20140114558 | VEHICLE WEIGHT AND CENTER OF GRAVITY ESTIMATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A load estimation system and method for estimating vehicle load includes a tire rotation counter for generating a rotation count from rotation of a tire; apparatus for measuring distance travelled by the vehicle; an effective radius calculator for calculating effective radius of the tire from the distance travelled and the rotation count; and a load estimation calculator for calculating the load carried by the vehicle tire from the effective radius of the tire. A center of gravity height estimation may be made from an estimated total load carried by the tires supporting the vehicle pursuant to an estimation of effective radius for each tire and a calculated load carried by each tire from respective effective radii. | 04-24-2014 |
20150028101 | DRIVE-OVER STAND AND ANTENNA ASSEMBLY - A drive over stand for a TAG reader has a lead-on ramped surface and an exit-off ramped surface aligned and operative to intercept and engage the vehicle tire as the vehicle tire traverses over the upper surface of the stand. One or more pockets are disposed within the stand base, each receiving an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly is positioned within the pocket of the base, seated at a tilt angle operative to direct a read field toward a vehicle approach path to the stand. | 01-29-2015 |