A tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread. The tread is formed with a plurality of tread elements and a radially outer surface, and a chamber is formed in one of the tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. The polymer plug includes a wire disposed in the chamber. The wire includes proximal ends and a distal end near a radially outer surface of the tread. A liquid polymer is injected into the chamber and cured. An electrical circuit is formed by each proximal end of the wire electrically contacts a respective one of the sensor unit electrical contacts. When the tread element wears down to the distal end of the wire, the wire and the circuit break. A notice is transmitted by the sensor unit when the circuit breaks.

A tire sensor container system is provided. A tire includes a carcass toroidally extending from a first bead area to a second bead area, and an innerliner formed on an inner surface of the carcass. The tire sensor container system includes a tire pressure monitoring system sensor, which in turn includes a rigid housing that is formed with an oval shape. A flexible container is mounted to the innerliner. The container includes a base and a wall extending radially outwardly from the base, and the wall terminates in a lip. The container wall is formed with an oval shape that cooperates with the shape of the tire pressure monitoring sensor housing. A cavity is defined by the base, the wall, and the lip, and cavity receives and secures the tire pressure monitoring system sensor.

A sensor retaining system for a vehicle tire is provided. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread, which is formed with a plurality of tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. A tread wear sensor extends into one of the tread elements and includes a wire. The wire includes proximal ends, each one of which contacts a sensor unit electrical contact to create an electrical circuit. A flexible container is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A cup includes a base and a sidewall that cooperate to form a cavity, and a bottom of the tread wear sensor and the sensor unit are received in the cavity. The cup maintains a connection between the electrical contacts and the wire proximal ends, and is disposed in the flexible container.

An integrated tread wear sensor and tire pressure monitoring system sensor unit container for a tire includes a tread wear sensor plug and a sensor container. The tread wear sensor plug includes a cylindrical projection extending through an opening formed in a selected tread element of the tire. A flange extends outwardly from the projection and includes a contact surface that is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A conductive wire is disposed in the tread wear sensor plug and includes proximal ends disposed in the flange and a distal end disposed near a radially outer surface of the projection. The sensor container includes a wall extending radially from the flange of the tread wear sensor plug and terminating in a lip. A container cavity is defined by the flange, the wall, and the lip, and receives a tire pressure monitoring system sensor.

An assembly for attaching an electronics package to a tire includes a carriage for receiving an electronics package. The assembly also includes a locking clip connected to the carriage and a locking ring having a first side permanently affixed to an interior of the tire. The locking ring is configured to engage the locking clip.

A method for encapsulating electronic devices comprises, successively, placing a profiled strip on a conveyor belt, the profiled strip comprising a base, at least one flap protruding with respect to said base; positioning an electronic device, in the longitudinal direction, on the receiving zone of the profiled strip; and plastically deforming the flap by application of an application force in a predetermined direction.

Methods for increasing the read range of an electronic communication module within a tire and methods for improving the read range of an electronic communication module within a tire are provided herein. As discussed further herein, the read range can be improved by applying strain to the tire without circumferentially contacting the outer surface of its tread, resulting in an increase in the same-distance-signal-strength of 5% or more. Also provided are tires made according to the disclosed methods.

A Bluetooth tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) includes a sensing host and a receiving host, and the sensing host includes a battery, a control unit, a Bluetooth transceiver unit, a boost/regulation circuit, a pressure sensing unit, an operational amplifier, a gravity sensing unit, a temperature sensing unit and a Bluetooth antenna. The Bluetooth TPMS utilizes low-power Bluetooth wireless communication technology to transmit and receive signals, so as to meet the requirement in low power consumption.

A detection system for extracting information from a sensor module in a rolling wheel comprises: a sensor module which comprises a sensor adapted for sensing a physical property of the tire when mounted in a tire of the wheel or on an inner surface of a tire of the wheel; an acquisition module adapted for sampling a signal from the sensor module, thus obtaining a sequence of data samples; a correlation module adapted for cross-correlating a signed reference sequence with the sequence of data samples thus obtaining a correlation sequence; an extraction module adapted for identifying at least one perturbation in the correlation sequence, wherein the perturbation is induced when a part of the tire where the sensor is mounted hits the ground thereby forming the tire patch.

A sensor retaining system for a vehicle tire is provided. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread, which is formed with a plurality of tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. A tread wear sensor extends into one of the tread elements and includes a wire. The wire includes proximal ends, each one of which contacts a sensor unit electrical contact to create an electrical circuit. A flexible container is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A cup includes a base and a sidewall that cooperate to form a cavity, and a bottom of the tread wear sensor and the sensor unit are received in the cavity. The cup maintains a connection between the electrical contacts and the wire proximal ends, and is disposed in the flexible container.