Patent ID: 7429801

Claim:
A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, said tire assembly comprising: a pneumatic tire structure characterized by a crown having a tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said pneumatic tire structure to a wheel rim, and sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown, wherein a carcass is provided within the pneumatic tire structure between said bead portions across said sidewall portions and said crown, wherein a belt package is provided within the crown of said pneumatic tire structure between said tread portion and said carcass, and wherein an inner liner forms an interior surface of said pneumatic tire structure; a piezoelectric device integrated with said pneumatic tire structure and configured to generate electric charge therein upon said tire structure being subjected to mechanical strains; a rubber patch provided adjacent to and supporting at least one surface of said piezoelectric device and wherein said rubber patch is mounted to a location selected from the group consisting of the inner liner of said pneumatic tire structure and the exterior tread portion of said pneumatic tire structure; at least one energy storage device coupled to said piezoelectric device for receiving said electric charge from said piezoelectric device and for storing at least some of said electric charge therein; and an electronics assembly for monitoring tire parameters integrated with said pneumatic tire structure and coupled to said at least one energy storage device such that selected electronic components of said electronics assembly are powered by electric charge stored in said at least one energy storage device.