Transponder system for reporting the distance traveled by a wheeled vehicle

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, said wheel including a rotational hub, and said sensor comprising an odometer/shaft encoder combination that is mounted to and rotates with said hub.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1, said wheel including a rotational hub, and said transponder including an antenna coil that is mounted to and rotates with said hub.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, said wheel including a hubcap having a plurality of openings, wherein said antenna coil is positioned between said wheel and said hubcap and is at least partially aligned with said openings.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1, wherein said transponder stores and transmits an identification code as part of said transponder signal.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1, wherein said transponder includes a memory that is connected to receive said sensor signal as a memory input, and a transponder circuit that is energized in response roan interrogation signal to transmit said transponder signal from the memory.

Claim 8

The transponder of claim 6, said memory comprising a digital memory that is at least partially reprogrammable, wherein said sensor is connected to program the reprogrammable portion of said memory with said sensor signal in a digital format, and said transponder circuit reads out said sensor signal from said memory for inclusion in said transponder signal.

Claim 9

The transponder of claim 7, wherein said memory includes a non-reprogrammable portion for storing a transponder identification code, and said transponder circuit reads out the transponder identification code stored in said non-reprogrammable portion along with said sensor signal for inclusion in said transponder signal.

Claim 12

The system of claim 9, said wheel including a rotational hub, and said sensor comprising an odometer/shaft encoder combination that is mounted to and rotates with said hub.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9, wherein said transponder stores and transmits an identification code as part of said transponder signal.

Claim 14

The system of claim 9, wherein said transponder includes a memory that is connected to receive said sensor signal as a memory input, and a transponder circuit that is energized in response to said RF interrogation signal to transmit said transponder signal from the memory.

Claim 17

A transponder system for communicating information concerning the number of rotations experienced by a rotating structure, comprising: a sensor that includes a mounting mechanism for mounting the sensor to the rotating structure to rotate with the rotating structure, said sensor providing a sensor signal that is indicative of the rotations of the rotating structure to which it is mounted, and a radio frequency (RF) transponder including an antenna coil that is mountable to the rotating structure to which said sensor is mounted, said transponder energized by an RF interrogation signal, wherein said transponder is connected to receive said sensor signal, said transponder transmitting a transponder signal to a remote location away from said rotating structure, wherein said transponder signal corresponds to said sensor signal.

Claim 18

A transponder system for communicating information concerning the number of rotations experienced by a rotating structure, comprising: a sensor that includes a mounting mechanism for mounting the sensor to the rotating structure to rotate with the rotating structure, said sensor providing a sensor signal that is indicative of the rotations of the rotating structure to which it is mounted, and a radio frequency (RF) transponder including an antenna coil that is mountable to the rotating structure to which said sensor is mounted, said transponder energized by an RF interrogation signal, wherein said transponder is connected to receive said sensor signal, said transponder transmitting a transponder signal to a remote location away from said rotating structure, wherein said transponder signal corresponds to said sensor signal.

Claim 19

The system of claim 14, said sensor comprising an odometer/shaft encoder combination.

Claim 20

The system of claim 14, wherein said transponder stores and transmits an identification code as part of said transponder signal.

Claim 21

The system of claim 14, wherein said transponder includes a memory that is connected to receive said sensor signal as a memory input, and a transponder circuit that is energized in response to said RF interrogation signal to transmit said transponder signal from the memory.

Claim 22

A transponder system for communicating information concerning the rotation history of a rotating structure, comprising: a sensor for sensing the rotations of the rotating structure and providing a sensor signal that is indicative of said rotations, a radio frequency (RF) transponder mounted to and rotating with said rotating structure, said transponder energized by an RF interrogation signal, wherein said transponder is connected to receive said sensor signal and transmit a transponder signal to a remote location away from said rotating structure, wherein said transponder signal corresponds to said sensor signal, said RF transponder including, an antenna for receiving said RF interrogation signal, a rectifier connected to said antenna to provide a power supply for said transponder in response to the received interrogation signal, a clock which provides a clock signal, a counter which counts up in response to said clock signal, a memory which is at least partially reprogrammable, a decoder connected to be clocked by said counter and in response to enable a readout from said memory, an output circuit which applies a readout from said memory to said antenna for transmission as said transponder signal, and an interconnection circuit interconnecting said sensor with said memory to program the reprogrammable portion of said memory with said sensor signal for inclusion in said transponder signal.

Claim 23

A transponder system for communicating information concerning the rotation history of a rotating structure, comprising: a sensor for sensing the rotations of the rotating structure and providing a sensor signal that is indicative of said rotations, a radio frequency (RF) transponder mounted to and rotating with said rotating structure, said transponder energized by an RF interrogation signal, wherein said transponder is connected to receive said sensor signal and transmit a transponder signal to a remote location away from said rotating structure, wherein said transponder signal corresponds to said sensor signal, said RF transponder including, an antenna for receiving said RF interrogation signal, a rectifier connected to said antenna to provide a power supply for said transponder in response to the received interrogation signal, a clock which provides a clock signal, a counter which counts up in response to said clock signal, a memory which is at least partially reprogrammable, a decoder connected to be clocked by said counter and in response to enable a readout from said memory, an output circuit which applies a readout from said memory to said antenna for transmission as said transponder signal, and an interconnection circuit interconnecting said sensor with said memory to program the reprogrammable portion of said memory with said sensor signal for inclusion in said transponder signal.

Claim 24

The transponder of claim 18, wherein said memory includes a non-reprogrammable portion for storing a transponder identification code, said decoder enabling a read-out of said identification code from said memory along with said sensor signal in response to clocking by said counter.

Claim 25

The transponder system of claim 18, further comprising a mounting structure for mounting said sensor to the rotating structure.

Claim 26

The transponder system of claim 20, said sensor comprising an odometer/shaft encoder combination.