Patent ID: 8872376

Claim:
A method for generating electric energy in a tire, comprising: attaching a device to a crown portion of the tire, said device comprising: a housing attached to the crown portion, the housing having a first end and a second end and extending from the first end to the second end along a longitudinal axis; at least one electrical winding; a magnet movable within the housing; and a force providing element positioned at at least one of the first end and the second end, the magnet being movable with respect to the electrical winding along said longitudinal axis and the force providing element capable of being adapted to exert on the magnet at a force along said longitudinal axis; rotating the tire on a rolling surface so as to cause variations of forces acting on the device each time said device passes, due to rolling of the tire, in correspondence of a footprint of the tire; exploiting a force exerted by the force providing element and said variations of forces along said longitudinal axis so as to cause variations of magnet position with respect to the at least one electrical winding; and collecting electric energy generated across the at least one electrical winding as a consequence of said variations of the magnet position with respect to the at least one electrical winding.