PATENT ABSTRACT
A wireless communication device coupled to a wave antenna that provides greater increased durability and impedance matching. The wave antenna is a conductor that is bent in alternating sections to form peaks and valleys. The wireless communication device is coupled to the wave antenna to provide wireless communication with other communication devices, such as an interrogation reader. The wireless communication device and wave antenna may be placed on objects, goods, or other articles of manufacture that are subject to forces such that the wave antenna may be stretched or compressed during the manufacture and/or use of such object, good or article of manufacture. The wave antenna, because of its bent structure, is capable of stretching and compressing more easily than other structures, reducing the wireless communication device&#39;s susceptibility to damage or breaks that might render the wireless communication device coupled to the wave antenna unable to properly communicate information wirelessly.

PATENT DESCRIPTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a wave antenna coupled to a wireless communication device so that the wireless communication device can wirelessly communicate information.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Wireless communication devices are commonly used today to wirelessly communicate information about goods. For example, transponders may be attached to goods during their manufacture, transport and/or distribution to provide information, such as the good&#39;s identification number, expiration date, date of manufacture or “born on” date, lot number, and the like. The transponder allows this information to be obtained unobtrusively using wireless communication without slowing down the manufacturing, transportation, and/or distribution process.  
           [0003]    Some goods involve environmental factors that are critical to their manufacture and/or intended operation. An example of such a good is a vehicle tire. It may be desirable to place a wireless communication device in a tire so that information regarding the tire, such as a tire&#39;s identification, pressure, temperature, and other environmental information, can be wirelessly communicated to an interrogation reader during the tire&#39;s manufacture and/or use.  
           [0004]    Tire pressure monitoring may be particularly important since the pressure in a tire governs its proper operation and safety in use. For example, too little pressure in a tire during its use can cause a tire to be damaged by the weight of a vehicle supported by the tire. Too much pressure can cause a tire to rupture. Tire pressure must be tested during the manufacturing process to ensure that the tire meets intended design specifications. The tire pressure should also be within a certain pressure limits during use in order to avoid dangerous conditions. Knowledge of the tire pressure during the operation of a vehicle can be used to inform an operator and/or vehicle system that a tire has a dangerous pressure condition. The vehicle may indicate a pressure condition by generating an alarm or warning signal to the operator of the vehicle.  
           [0005]    During the manufacturing process of a tire, the rubber material comprising the vehicle tire is violently stretched during its manufacture before taking final shape. Wireless communication devices placed inside tires during their manufacture must be able to withstand this stretching and compression and still be able to operate properly after the completion of the tire&#39;s manufacture. Since wireless communication devices are typically radio-frequency communication devices, an antenna must be coupled to the wireless communication device for communication. This antenna and wireless communication device combination may be placed in the inside of the tire along its inner wall or inside the rubber of tire for example. This results in stretching and compression of the wireless communication device and antenna whenever the tire is stretched and compressed. Often, the antenna is stretched and subsequently damaged or broken thereby either disconnecting the wireless communication device from an antenna or changing the length of the antenna, which changes the operating frequency of the antenna. In either case, the wireless communication device may be unable to communicate properly when the antenna is damaged or broken.  
           [0006]    Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna for a wireless communication device that can withstand a force, such as stretching or compression, and not be susceptible to damage or a break. In this manner, a high level of operability can be achieved with wireless communication devices coupled to antennas for applications where a force is placed on the antenna.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention relates to a wave antenna that is coupled to a wireless communication device, such as a transponder, to wirelessly communicate information. The wave antenna is formed through a series of alternating bends in a substantially straight conductor, such as a wire, to form at least two different sections wherein at least one section of the conductor is bent at an angle of less than 180 degrees with respect to the other. A wave antenna is capable of stretching when subjected to a force without being damaged. A wave antenna can also provide improved impedance matching capability between the antenna and a wireless communication device because of the reactive interaction between different sections of the antenna conductor. In general, varying the characteristics of the conductor wire of the wave antenna, such as diameter, the angle of the bends, the lengths of the sections formed by the bends, and the type of conductor wire, will modify the cross coupling and, hence, the impedance of the wave antenna.  
           [0008]    In a first wave antenna embodiment, a wireless communication device is coupled to a single conductor wave antenna to form a monopole wave antenna.  
           [0009]    In a second wave antenna embodiment, a wireless communication device is coupled to two conductor wave antennas to form a dipole wave antenna.  
           [0010]    In a third wave antenna embodiment, a dipole wave antenna is comprised out of conductors having different sections having different lengths. The first section is coupled to the wireless communication device and forms a first antenna having a first operating frequency. The second section is coupled to the first section and forms a second antenna having a second operating frequency. The wireless communication device is capable of communicating at each of these two frequencies formed by the first antenna and the second antenna.  
           [0011]    In a fourth wave antenna embodiment, a resonating conductor is additionally coupled to the wireless communication device to provide a second antenna operating at a second operating frequency. The resonating ring may also act as a stress relief for force placed on the wave antenna so that such force is not placed on the wireless communication device.  
           [0012]    In another embodiment, the wireless communication device is coupled to a wave antenna and is placed inside a tire so that information can be wirelessly communicated from the tire to an interrogation reader. The wave antenna is capable of stretching and compressing, without being damged, as the tire is stretched and compressed during its manufacture and pressurization during use on a vehicle.  
           [0013]    In another embodiment, the interrogation reader determines the pressure inside a tire by the response from a wireless communication device coupled to a wave antenna placed inside the tire. When the tire and, therefore, the wave antenna stretch to a certain length indicative that the tire is at a certain threshold pressure, the length of the antenna will be at the operating frequency of the interrogation reader so that the wireless communication device is capable of responding to the interrogation reader.  
           [0014]    In another embodiment, a method of manufacture is disclosed on one method of manufacturing the wave antenna out of a straight conductor and attaching wireless communication devices to the wave antenna. The uncut string of wireless communication devices and wave antennas form one continuous strip that can be wound on a reel and later unwound, cut and applied to a good, object, or article of manufacture.  
           [0015]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present invention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interrogation reader and wireless communication device system that may be used with the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a monopole wave antenna coupled to a wireless communication device for wireless communications;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a dipole wave antenna coupled to a wireless communication device for wireless communications;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a dipole wave antenna coupled to a wireless communication device wherein a first portion of the wave antenna operates at a first frequency and a second portion of the wave antenna coupled to the first portion operates at a second frequency;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of a wave antenna and a ring resonator both coupled to a wireless communication device wherein the wave antenna operates at a first frequency and the ring resonator operates at a second frequency;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the wave antenna and a ring resonator as illustrated in FIG. 4A, except that the ring resonator is additionally mechanically coupled to the wave antenna as a mechanical stress relief;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment to FIG. 4B;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a wave antenna and wireless communication device;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of a compressed version of the wave antenna illustrated in FIG. 5A;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication device and wave antenna attached to the inside of a tire for wireless communication of information about the tire;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of FIG. 6A, except that the tire is under pressure and is stretching the wave antenna;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a flowchart diagram of a tire pressure detection system executed by an interrogation reader by communicating with a wireless communication device coupled to a wave antenna inside a tire like that illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a reporting system for information wirelessly communicated from a tire to an interrogation reader;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a process of manufacturing a wave antenna and coupling the wave antenna to a wireless communication device; and  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an inductance tuning short provided by the manufacturing process illustrated in FIG. 9. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]    The present invention relates to a wave antenna that is coupled to a wireless communication device, such as a transponder, to wirelessly communicate information. The wave antenna is formed through a series of alternating bends in a substantially straight conductor, such as a wire, to form at least two different sections wherein at least one section of the conductor is bent at an angle of less than 180 degrees with respect to each other. A wave antenna is capable of stretching without being damaged when subjected to a force. A wave antenna can also provide improved impedance matching capability between the antenna and a wireless communication device because of the reactive interaction between different sections of the antenna conductor. In general, varying the characteristics of the conductor wire of the wave antenna, such as diameter, the angle of the bends, the lengths of the sections formed by the bends, and the type of conductor wire, will modify the cross coupling and, hence, the impedance of the wave antenna.  
         [0033]    Before discussing the particular aspects and applications of the wave antenna as illustrated in FIGS.  2 - 10  of this application, a wireless communication system that may be used with the present invention is discussed below.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication device and communication system that may be used with the present invention. The wireless communication device  10  is capable of communicating information wirelessly and may include a control system  12 , communication electronics  14 , and memory  16 . The wireless communication device  10  may also be known as a radio-frequency identification device (RFID). The communication electronics  14  is coupled to an antenna  17  for wirelessly communicating information in radio-frequency signals. The communication electronics  14  is capable of receiving modulated radio-frequency signals through the antenna  17  and demodulating these signals into information passed to the control system  12 . The antenna  17  may be any type of antenna, including but not limited to a pole or slot antenna. The antenna  17  may be internal or external to the wireless communication device  10 .  
         [0035]    The control system  12  may be any type of circuitry or processor that receives and processes information received by the communication electronics  14 , including a micro-controller or microprocessor. The wireless communication device  10  may also contain a memory  16  for storage of information. Such information may be any type of information about goods, objects, or articles of manufacture, including but not limited to identification, tracking, environmental information, such as pressure and temperature, and other pertinent information. The memory  16  may be electronic memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, diode, etc., or the memory  16  may be mechanical memory, such as a switch, dipswitch, etc.  
         [0036]    The control system  12  may also be coupled to sensors that sense environmental information concerning the wireless communication device  10 . For instance, the control system  12  may be coupled to a pressure sensor  18  to sense the pressure on the wireless communication device  10  and/or its surroundings. The control system  12  may also be coupled to a temperature sensor  19  to sense the temperature of the wireless communication device  10  or the ambient temperature around the wireless communication device  10 . More information on different types of pressure sensors  18  that can be used to couple to the control system are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,299,349 and 6,272,936, entitled “Pressure and temperature sensor” and “Pressure sensor,” respectively, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.  
         [0037]    The temperature sensor  19  may be contained within the wireless communication device  10 , or external to the wireless communication device  10 . The temperature sensor  19  may be any variety of temperature sensing elements, such as a thermistor or chemical device. One such temperature sensor  19  is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,524, entitled “Temperature sensor,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The temperature sensor  19  may also be incorporated into the wireless communication device  10  or its control system  12 , like that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,215, entitled “Temperature sensor integral with microprocessor and methods of using same,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, note that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of temperature sensor  19 .  
         [0038]    Some wireless communication devices  10  are termed “active” devices in that they receive and transmit data using their own energy source coupled to the wireless communication device  10 . A wireless communication device  10  may use a battery for power as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,602 entitled “Radio frequency data communications device,” or may use other forms of energy, such as a capacitor as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,603, entitled “Implantable biosensing transponder.” Both of the preceding patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.  
         [0039]    Other wireless communication devices  10  are termed “passive” devices meaning that they do not actively transmit and therefore may not include their own energy source for power. One type of passive wireless communication device  10  is known as a “transponder.” A transponder effectively transmits information by reflecting back a received signal from an external communication device, such as an interrogation reader. An example of a transponder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,280, entitled “Frequency diversity transponder arrangement,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Another example of a transponder is described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/678,271, entitled “Wireless communication device and method,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 1 depicts communication between a wireless communication device  10  and an interrogation reader  20 . The interrogation reader  20  may include a control system  22 , an interrogation communication electronics  24 , memory  26 , and an interrogation antenna  28 . The interrogation antenna  28  may be any type of antenna, including a pole antenna or a slot antenna. The interrogation reader  20  may also contain its own internal energy source  30 , or the interrogation reader  20  may be powered through an external power source. The energy source  30  may include batteries, a capacitor, solar cell or other medium that contains energy. The energy source  30  may also be rechargeable. A timer  23  may also be coupled to the control system  22  for performing tasks that require timing operations.  
         [0041]    The interrogation reader  20  communicates with the wireless communication device  10  by emitting an electronic signal  32  modulated by the interrogation communication electronics  24  through the interrogation antenna  28 . The interrogation antenna  28  may be any type of antenna that can radiate a signal  32  through a field  34  so that a reception device, such as a wireless communication device  10 , can receive such signal  32  through its own antenna  17 . The field  34  may be electromagnetic, magnetic, or electric. The signal  32  may be a message containing information and/or a specific request for the wireless communication device  10  to perform a task or communicate back information. When the antenna  17  is in the presence of the field  34  emitted by the interrogation reader  20 , the communication electronics  14  are energized by the energy in the signal  32 , thereby energizing the wireless communication device  10 . The wireless communication device  10  remains energized so long as its antenna  17  is in the field  34  of the interrogation reader  20 . The communication electronics  14  demodulates the signal  32  and sends the message containing information and/or request to the control system  12  for appropriate actions.  
         [0042]    It is readily understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that there are many other types of wireless communications devices and communication techniques than those described herein, and the present invention is not limited to a particular type of wireless communication device, technique or method.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 2A illustrates a first embodiment of a wave antenna  17  coupled to a wireless communication device  10  for wireless communication. This embodiment illustrates a monopole wave antenna  17 . The wave antenna  17  is formed by a conducting material, such as a wire or foil for example, that is bent in alternating sections to form a series of peaks and valleys. Any type of material can be used to form the wave antenna  17  so long as the material can conduct electrical energy. A wave antenna  17  in its broadest form is a conductor that is bent in at least one position at an angle less than 180 degrees to form at least two different sections  21 . The monopole wave antenna  17  in this embodiment contains seven alternating bends to form a saw-tooth wave shape. The monopole wave antenna  17  is coupled, by either a direct or reactive coupling, to an input port (not shown) on the wireless communication device  10  to provide an antenna  17  for wireless communications. Since the wireless communication device  10  contains another input port that is coupled to the monopole wave antenna  17 , this additional input port is grounded.  
         [0044]    A wave antenna  17  may be particularly advantageous to use with a wireless communication device  10  in lieu of a straight antenna. One advantage of a wave antenna  17  is that it is tolerant to stretching without substantial risk of damage or breakage to the conductor. Certain types of goods, objects, or articles of manufacture may encounter a force, such as stretching or compression, during their manufacture and/or normal use. If a wireless communication device  10  uses a straight conductor as antenna  17  and is attached to goods, objects, or articles of manufacture that are subjected to a force during their manufacture or use, the antenna  17  may be damaged or broken when the good, object or article of manufacture is subjected to such force. If the antenna  17  is damaged or broken, this may cause the wireless communication device  10  to be incapable of wireless communication since a change in the length or shape of the conductor in the antenna  17  may change the operating frequency of the antenna  17 .  
         [0045]    A wave antenna  17 , because of its bent sections  21 , also causes the field emitted by the conductors in sections  21  to capacitively couple to other sections  21  of the wave antenna  17 . This results in improved impedance matching with the wireless communication device  10  to provide greater and more efficient energy transfer between the wireless communication device  10  and the wave antenna  17 . As is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art, the most efficient energy transfer occurs between a wireless communication device  10  and an antenna  17  when the impedance of the antenna  17  is the complex conjugate of the impedance of the wireless communication device  10 .  
         [0046]    The impedance of a straight conductor antenna  17  is dependant on the type, size, and shape of the conductor. The length of the antenna  17  is the primary variable that determines the operating frequency of the antenna  17 . Unlike a straight conductor antenna  17 , a wave antenna  17  can also be varied in other ways not possible in a straight conductor antenna  17 . In a wave antenna  17 , other variables exist in the design of the antenna in addition to the type, size, shape and length of the conductor. The impedance of a wave antenna  17  can also be varied by varying the length of the individual sections  21  of the conductor making up the wave antenna  17  and the angle between these individual sections  21  in addition to the traditional variables available in straight conductor antennas  17 . These additional variables available in wave antennas  17  can be varied while maintaining the overall length of the conductor so that the operating frequency of the wave antenna  17  is maintained. In this embodiment, the lengths of the individual sections  21  and the angles between the individual sections  21  are the same; however, they do not have to be.  
         [0047]    In summary, a wave antenna  17  provides the ability to alter and select additional variables not possible in straight conductor antennas  17  that affect the impedance of the antenna  17 , thereby creating a greater likelihood that a wave antenna&#39;s  17  impedance can be designed to more closely match the impedance of the wireless communication device  10 . Of course, as is well known by one of ordinary skill in the art, the type of materials attached to the wave antenna  17  and the material&#39;s dielectric properties also vary the impedance and operating frequency of the wave antenna  17 . These additional variables should also be taken into account in the final design of the wave antenna  17 . The reactive cross-coupling that occurs between different sections  21  of the wave antenna  17  also contribute to greater impedance matching capability of the wave antenna  17  to a wireless communication device  10 . More information on impedance matching between a wireless communication device  10  and an antenna  17  for efficient transfer of energy is disclosed in United States pending patent application Ser. No. 09/536,33, entitled “Remote communication using slot antenna,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 2B illustrates a wave antenna  17  similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2A; however, the wave antenna in FIG. 2B is a dipole wave antenna  17 . Two conductors  17 A,  17 B are coupled to the wireless communication device  10  to provide wireless communications. In this embodiment, the length of the conductors  17 A,  17 B that form the dipole wave antenna  17  are each 84 millimeters in length. The dipole wave antenna  17  operates at a frequency of 915 MHz. In this embodiment, the lengths of the individual sections  21  and the angles between the individual sections  21  that make up the dipole wave antenna  17  are the same; however, they do not have to be.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a wave antenna  17  where the lengths of the individual sections  21  and the angle between the individual sections  21  are not the same. Two conductors are coupled to the wireless communication device  10  to create a dipole wave antenna  17 . The first conductor is comprised out of two sections  21 A,  21 C, each having a different number of sections  21  and lengths. The two sections  21 A,  21 C are also symmetrically contained in the second conductor  21 B,  21 D. This causes the wave antenna  17  to act as a dipole antenna that resonates and receives signals at two different operating frequencies so that the wireless communication device  10  is capable of communicating at two different frequencies.  
         [0050]    The first symmetrical sections  21 A,  21 B are 30.6 millimeters or λ/4 in length and are coupled to the wireless communication device  10  so that the wave antenna  17  is capable of receiving 2.45 GHz signals. The second symmetrical sections  21 C,  21 D are coupled to the first sections  21 A,  21 B, respectively, to form a second dipole antenna for receiving signals at a second frequency. In this embodiment, the second sections  21 C,  21 D are 70 millimeters in length and are coupled to the first sections  21 A,  21 B, respectively, to form lengths that are designed to receive 915 MHz signals. Also note that bends in the conductor in the wave antenna  17  are not constant. The bends in the wave antenna  17  that are made upward are made at an angle of less than 180 degrees. The bends in the wave antenna  17  that are made downward are made at an angle of 180 degrees.  
         [0051]    Note that it is permissible for bends in sections  21  of the conductor to be 180 degrees so long as all of the sections  21  in the conductor are not bent at 180 degrees with respect to adjacent sections  21 . If all of the sections  21  in the conductor are bent at 180 degrees, then the conductor will effectively be a straight conductor antenna  17  and not a wave antenna  17 .  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of the wave antenna  17  coupled to the wireless communication device  10  wherein the wireless communication device  10  is configured to receive signals at two different frequencies. A wave antenna  17  similar the wave antenna  17  illustrated in FIG. 2B is coupled to the wireless communication device  10  to form a dipole wave antenna  17 . A resonating ring  40  is also capacitively coupled to the wireless communication device  10  to provide a second antenna  17  that operates at a second and different frequency from the operating frequency of the dipole wave antenna  17 . The resonating ring  40  may be constructed out of any type of material so long as the material is conductive.  
         [0053]    This embodiment may be particularly advantageous if it is necessary for the wireless communication device  10  to be capable of wirelessly communicating regardless of the force, such as stretching or compression, exerted on the wave antenna  17 . The resonating ring  40  is designed to remain in its original shape regardless of the application of any force that may be placed on the wireless communication device  10  or a good, object, or article of manufacture that contains the wireless communication device  10 . Depending on the force exerted on the wave antenna  17  or a good, object or article of manufacture that contains the wave antenna  17  and wireless communication device  10 , the length of the wave antenna  17  may change, thereby changing the operating frequency of the wave antenna  17 . The new operating frequency of the wave antenna  17  may be sufficiently different from the normal operating frequency such that wave antenna  17  and the wireless communication device  10  could not receive and/or demodulate signals sent by the interrogation reader  20 . The resonating ring  40  is capable of receiving signals  32  regardless of the state of the wave antenna  17 .  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 4B also illustrates an embodiment of the present invention employing a dipole wave antenna  17  that operates at 915 MHz and a resonating ring  40  that operates at 2.45 GHz. The dipole wave antenna  17  and the resonating ring  40  are both coupled to the wireless communication device  10  to allow the wireless communication device  10  to operate at two different frequencies. However, in this embodiment, the conductors of the dipole wave antenna  17  are looped around the resonating ring  40  at a first inductive turn  42 A and a second inductive turn  42 B. In this manner, any force placed on the dipole wave antenna  17  will place such force on the resonating ring  40  instead of the wireless communication device  10 .  
         [0055]    This embodiment may be advantageous in cases where a force, placed on the dipole wave antenna  17  without providing a relief mechanism other than the wireless communication device  10  itself would possibly cause the dipole wave antenna  17  to disconnect from the wireless communication device  10 , thus causing the wireless communication device  10  to be unable to wirelessly communicate. The resonating ring  40  may be constructed out of a stronger material than the connecting point between the dipole wave antenna  17  and the wireless communication device  10 , thereby providing the ability to absorb any force placed on the dipole wave antenna  17  without damaging the resonating ring  40 . This embodiment may also be particularly advantageous if the wireless communication device  10  is placed on a good, object or article of manufacture that undergoes force during its manufacture or use, such as a rubber tire, for example.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 4C illustrates another embodiment similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. However, the resonating ring  40  is directly coupled to the wireless communication device  10 , and the dipole wave antenna  17  is directly coupled to the resonating ring  10 . A first and second conducting attachments  44 A,  44 B are used to couple the resonating ring  40  to the wireless communication device  10 . A force exerted on the dipole wave antenna  17  is exerted on and absorbed by the resonating ring  40  rather than wireless communication device  10  so that the wireless communication device  10  is not damaged.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 5A illustrates another embodiment of the wave antenna  17  that is stretched wherein the bending are at angles close to 180 degrees, but slightly less, to form sections  21  close to each other. The coupling between the individual elements in the wave antenna  17  will be strong due to the proximity. Therefore, a small change in stretching of the wave antenna  17  will have a large effect on the operating frequency of the wave antenna  17 . Since the change in the operating frequency will be great, it will be easier for a small stretching of the wave antenna  17  to change the operating frequency of the wave antenna  17 .  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 5B illustrates the same wave antenna  17  and wireless communication device  10  illustrated in FIG. 5A; however, the wave antenna  17  is not being stretched. When this wave antenna  17  is not being stretched, the bent sections in the wave antenna  17  touch each other to effectively act as a regular dipole antenna without angled sections  21 . If this embodiment, each pole  17 A,  17 B of the wave antenna  17  in its normal form is 30.6 millimeters long and has an operating frequency of 2.45 GHz such that the wireless communication device  10  is capable of responding to a frequency of 2.45 GHz.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 6A illustrates one type of article of manufacture that undergoes force during its manufacture and use and that may include a wireless communication device  10  and wave antenna  17  like that illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. This embodiment includes a rubber tire  50  well known in the prior art that is used on transportation vehicles. The tire  50  is designed to be pressurized with air when placed inside a tire  50  mounted on a vehicle wheel forming a seal between the wheel and the tire  50 . The tire  50  is comprised of a tread surface  52  that has a certain defined thickness  53 . The tread surface  52  has a left outer side  54 , a right outer side  56  and an orifice  58  in the center where the tire  50  is designed to fit on a wheel. The left outer side  54  and right outer side  56  are bent downward at angles substantially perpendicular to the plane of the tread surface  52  to form a left outer wall  60  and a right outer wall  62 . When the left outer wall  60  and right outer wall  62  are formed, a left inner wall  64  and a right inner wall  66  are also formed as well. Additionally, depending on the type of tire  50 , a steel belt  68  may also be included inside the rubber of the tire  50  under the surface of the tread surface  52  for increase performance and life. More information on the construction and design of a typical tire  50  is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,242, entitled “Method for making a multi-component tire,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
         [0060]    In this embodiment, a wireless communication device  10  and dipole wave antenna  17  are attached on the inner surface of the tire  50  on the other side of the tread surface  52 . During the manufacturing of a tire  50 , the rubber in the tire  50  undergoes a lamination process whereby the tire  50  may be stretched up to approximately 1.6 times its normal size and then shrunk back down to the normal dimensions of a wheel. If a wireless communication device  10  is placed inside the tire  50  during the manufacturing process, the wireless communication device  10  and antenna  17  must be able to withstand the stretching and shrinking that a tire  50  undergoes without being damaged. The wave antenna  17  of the present invention is particularly suited for this application since the wave antenna  17  can stretch and compress without damaging the conductor of the wave antenna  17 .  
         [0061]    Also, a tire  50  is inflated with gas, such as air, to a pressure during its normal operation. If the wireless communication device  10  and antenna  17  are placed inside the tread surface  52  or inside the tire  50 , the wireless communication device  10  and antenna  17  will stretch and compress depending on the pressure level in the tire  50 . The more pressure contained in the tire  50 , the more the tire  50  will stretch. Therefore, any wireless communication device  10  and antenna  17  that is contained inside the tire  50  or inside the rubber of the tire  50  must be able to withstand this stretching without being damaged and/or affecting the proper operation of the wireless communication device  10 .  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 6B illustrates the same tire illustrated in FIG. 6A. However, in this embodiment, the tire  50  is under a pressure and has stretched the dipole wave antenna  17 . Because the dipole wave antenna  17  is capable of stretching without being damaged or broken, the dipole wave antenna  17  is not damaged and does not break when the tire  50  is stretched when subjected to a pressure. Note that the wave antenna  17  placed inside the tire  50  could also be a monopole wave antenna  17 , as illustrated in FIG. 2A, or any other variation of the wave antenna  17 , including the wave antennas  17  illustrated in FIGS. 2B, 3,  4 A- 4 C,  5 A, and  5 B. Also, note that the wireless communication device  10  and wave antenna  17  could be provided anywhere on the inside of the tire  50 , including inside the thickness  53  of the tread surface  52 , the left inner wall  64  or the right inner wall  66 .  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart process wherein the interrogation reader  20  is designed to communicate with the wireless communication device  10  and wave antenna  17  to determine when the pressure of the tire  50  has reached a certain designed threshold pressure. Because a wave antenna  17  changes length based on the force exerted on its conductors, a wave antenna  17  will stretch if placed inside a tire  50  as the pressure inside the tire  50  rises. The wave antenna  17  can be designed so that the length of the wave antenna  17  only reaches a certain designed length to be capable of receiving signals at the operating frequency of the interrogation reader  20  when the tire  50  reaches a certain threshold pressure.  
         [0064]    The process starts (block  70 ), and the interrogation reader  20  emits a signal  32  through the field  34  as discussed previously for operation of the interrogation reader  20  and wireless communication device  10  illustrated in FIG. 1. The interrogation reader  20  checks to see if a response signal has been received from the wireless communication device  10  (decision  74 ). If no response signal is received by the interrogation reader  20  from the wireless communication device  10 , the interrogation reader  20  continues to emit the signal  34  in a looping fashion (block  72 ) until a response is received. Once a response is received by the interrogation reader  20  from the wireless communication device  10  (decision  74 ), this is indicative of the fact that the wave antenna  17  coupled to the wireless communication device  10  has stretched to a certain length so that the wave antenna&#39;s  17  operating frequency is compatible with the operating frequency of the interrogation reader  20  (block  76 ). The interrogation reader  20  can report that the tire  50  containing the wireless communication device  10  and wave antenna  17  has reached a certain threshold pressure. Note that the wave antennas  17  may be any of the wave antennas  17  illustrated in FIGS. 2B, 3,  4 A- 4 C,  5 A, and  5 B.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a reporting system that may be provided for the interrogation reader  20 . The interrogation reader  20  may be coupled to a reporting system  77 . This reporting system  77  may be located in close proximity to the interrogation reader  20 , and may be coupled to the interrogation reader  20  by either a wired or wireless connection. The reporting system  77  may be a user interface or other computer system that is capable of receiving and/or storing data communications received from an interrogation reader  20 . This information may be any type of information received from a wireless communication device  10 , including but not limited to identification information, tracking information, and/or environmental information concerning the wireless communication device  10  and/or its surroundings, such as pressure and temperature. The information may be used for any purpose. For example, identification, tracking, force and/or pressure information concerning a tire  50  during its manufacture may be communicated to the reporting system  77  which may then be used for tracking, quality control, and supply-chain management. If the information received by the reporting system is not normal or proper, the reporting system  77  may control the manufacturing operations to stop and/or change processes during manufacture and/or alert personnel in charge of the manufacturing process.  
         [0066]    The reporting system  77  may also communicate information received from the wireless communication device  10 , via the interrogation reader  20 , to a remote system  78  located remotely from the reporting system  77  and/or the interrogation reader  20 . The communication between the reporting system  77  and the remote system  78  may be through wired communication, wireless communication, modem communication or other networking communication, such as the Internet. Alternatively, the interrogation reader  20  may communicate the information received from the wireless communication device  10  directly to the remote system  78  rather than first reporting the information through the reporting system  77  using the same or similar communication mediums as may be used between the reporting system  77  and the remote system  78 .  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 9 illustrates a method of manufacturing a wave antenna  17  and assembly of the wave antenna  17  to wireless communication devices  10 . The process involves eight total steps. Each of the steps is labeled in circled numbers illustrated in FIG. 9. The first step of the process involves passing an antenna  17  conductor wire or foil through cogs  120  to create the alternating bends in the antenna conductor  17  to form the wave antenna  17 . The cogs  120  are comprised of a top cog  120 A and a bottom cog  120 B. The top cog  120 A rotates clockwise, and the bottom cog  120 B rotates counterclockwise. Each cog  120 A,  120 B includes teeth that interlock with each other as the cogs  120 A,  120 B rotate. As the antenna conductor  17  passes through the cogs  120 A,  120 B, alternating bends are placed in the antenna conductor  17  to form peaks  121  and valleys  122  in the antenna conductor  17  to form the wave antenna  17 .  
         [0068]    The second step of the process involves placing tin solder on portions of the wave antenna  17  so that a wireless communication device  10  can be soldered and attached to the wave antenna  17  in a later step. A soldering station  123  is provided and is comprised of a first tinning position  123 A and a second tinning position  123 B. For every predefined portion of the wave antenna  17  that passes by the soldering station  123 , the first tinning position  123 A and second tinning position  123 B raise upward to place tin solder on the left side of the peak  124 A and an adjacent right side of the peak  124 A so that the wireless communication device  10  can be soldered to the wave antenna  17  in the third step of the process. Please note that the process may also use glue instead of solder to attach the wireless communication device  10  to the wave antenna  17 .  
         [0069]    The third step of the process involves attaching a wireless communication device  10  to the wave antenna  17 . A wireless communication device is attached to the left side of the peak  124 A and the right side of the peak  124 B at the points of the tin solder. An adhesive  126  is used to attach the leads or pins (not shown) of the wireless communication device  10  to the tin solder, and solder paste is added to the points where the wireless communication device  10  attach to the tin solder on the wave antenna  17  to conductively attach the wireless communication device  10  to the wave antenna  17 . Note that when the wireless communication device  10  is attached to the wave antenna  17 , the peak remains on the wireless communication device  10  that causes a short  128  between the two input ports (not shown) of the wireless communication device  10  and the two wave antennas  17  coupled to the wireless communication device  10 .  
         [0070]    The fourth step in the process involves passing the wireless communication device  10  as connected to the wave antenna  17  through a hot gas re-flow soldering process well known to one of ordinary skill in the art to securely attach the solder between the leads of the wireless communication device  10  and the wave antenna  17 .  
         [0071]    The fifth step in the process involves the well-known process of cleaning away any excess solder that is unused and left over during the previous soldering.  
         [0072]    The sixth step in the process involves removing the short  128  between the two wave antennas  17  left by the peak  124  of the wave antenna  17  from the third step in the process. Depending on the type of wireless communication device  10  and its design, the short  128  may or may not cause the wireless communication device  10  to not properly operate to receive signals and remodulate response signals. If the wireless communication device  10  operation is not affected by this short  128 , this step can be skipped in the process.  
         [0073]    The seventh step in the process involves encapsulating the wireless communication device  10 . The wireless communication device  10  is typically in the form of a RF integrated circuit chip that is encapsulated with a hardened, non-conductive material  130 , such as a plastic or epoxy, to protect the inside components of the chip from the environment.  
         [0074]    The eighth and last step involves winding wireless communication devices  10  as attached on the wave antenna  17  onto a reel  130 . The wireless communication devices  10  and wave antenna  17  are contained on a strip since the wave antenna  17  conductor has not been yet cut. When it is desired to apply the wireless communication device  10  and attached wave antenna  17  to a good, object, or article of manufacture, such as a tire  50 , the wireless communication device  10  and attached wave antenna  17  can be unwound from the reel  130  and the wave antenna  17  conductor cut in the middle between two consecutive wireless communication devices  10  to form separate wireless communication device  10  and dipole wave antenna  17  devices.  
         [0075]    [0075]FIG. 10 illustrates the short  128  left on the wireless communication device  10  and wave antenna  17  as a tuning inductance. Some UHF wireless communication devices  10  operate best when a direct current (DC) short, in the form of a tuning inductance, is present across the wireless communication device  10  and therefore the process of removing the short  128  can be omitted. FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the wave antenna  17  and wireless communication device  10  where an uneven cog  120  has been used in step  1  of the process to produce an extended loop short  128  across the wireless communication device  10 . This gives the required amount of inductance for best operation of the wireless communication device  10  as the wave antenna  17  and the short  128  are in parallel.  
         [0076]    The embodiments set forth above represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention. Upon reading the preceding description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.  
         [0077]    It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to applications involving a vehicle tire. It should also be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of component, including but not limited to the wireless communication device  10  and its components, the interrogation reader  20  and its components, the pressure sensor  18 , the temperature sensor  19 , the resonating ring  40 , the tire  50  and its components, the reporting system  77 , the remote system  78 , the wheel  100  and its components, the cogs  120 , the soldering station  123 , the adhesive  124 , and the encapsulation material  130 . For the purposes of this application, couple, coupled, or coupling is defined as either a direct connection or a reactive coupling. Reactive coupling is defined as either capacitive or inductive coupling.  
         [0078]    Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.