Patent ID: 8584957

Claim:
An intelligent fastener comprising: a body member having a head portion and a shank portion extending from said head portion, said shank portion having a threaded outer surface, said head portion having a lower surface and an upper surface and a throughbore formed therethrough and laterally offset outwardly of said threaded outer surface; said upper surface having a recess formed therein; an RFID tag mounted in said recess; an antenna mounted in said recess and coupled to said RFID tag; a sensor having a body portion mounted in said recess and coupled to said RFID tag; said sensor having an arm portion extending away from said sensor body portion and terminating in an end, said arm portion being slidably received in said throughbore outwardly of said threaded outer surface and said end of said arm portion extending below said lower surface so that said end of said arm contacts the surface of a workpiece having an aperture when said shank portion of said fastener is inserted into said aperture and said arm is translated along said throughbore towards said head portion as said shank portion advances into said aperture of said workpiece.