The present invention is directed to tires, and specifically to tires that can transmit information regarding the characteristics thereof to a mobile communications device being carried by a user.
A vehicle such as for example an automobile usually has mounted thereto a set of tires. These tires are the only means by which the vehicle makes contact with the road. And when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, it is imperative that the operational characteristics of the tires be maintained above a given standard so as to avoid accidents and potential injury to the driver and passengers, if any, of the vehicle.
The prior art teaches the incorporation of sensors, either to the tire proper or in proximity thereof, for measuring an operational parameter of the tire. Once the parameter is measured, it is transmitted to a terminal at a remote location, such as for example a maintenance facility, or to a monitor fixedly mounted to the vehicle. Such prior art teachings are disclosed for 20 example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,825,286, 5,731,754, 5,731,516, 5,585,554, 5,540,092, 5,741,966, 5,472,938 and 5,825,283.
In particular, the prior art teaches that particular types of interrogators and transmitters have to be designed for a remotely located facility in order for the remote facility to receive information from the tires of the vehicle. And in order to be able to provide information relating to the tires to the driver of the vehicle, a special apparatus has to be either incorporated to the vehicle during its manufacture, or retrofitted thereto after the vehicle has been placed into service. Needless to say, such apparatus specifically designed for receiving the information from the tires are bulky and expensive.
The prior art furthermore does not teach the provisioning of information relating to the tires of a vehicle to the user of the vehicle, when the user is away from the vehicle. Nor does the prior art teach communication among the tires.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an economical way for a user to mobilely monitor the operational characteristics of the tires mounted to a vehicle.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a method whereby an operator of a vehicle can query the conditions of the tires on his vehicle, when he is either driving the vehicle or is away from the vehicle.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to enable communication among the tires of the vehicle so that the overall operational characteristics of the tires of the vehicle can readily be conveyed to the operator by means of any one of the tires.