Brake pad wear sensor with wireless data transmission

1. A vehicle wheel monitoring device comprising:

a tire pressure monitoring unit disposed in the vehicle at a location remote from wheels of the vehicle;

a tire pressure sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle; and

a brake pad wear sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle, the brake pad wear sensor unit including

a brake pad wear sensor that is configured to detect a wear condition of a brake pad of a wheel and emit a signal representing the wear condition;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the signal emitted from the brake pad wear sensor and wirelessly transmit it to a remote device; and

a power supply configured to provide electrical power to the brake pad wear sensor unit and the transmitter,

wherein each of the brake pad wear sensor units and the tire pressure sensor units of the vehicle are monitored and controlled by the tire pressure monitoring unit,

the power supply is an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy derived from an external source into electrical power, and to provide the electrical power to the brake pad wear sensor unit and the transmitter,

the energy harvesting device produces electrical power by using thermal energy generated during friction-based brake operation of the brake pad, and

the energy harvesting device is in physical contact with a structure supporting the brake pad, and the thermal energy generated during friction-based brake operation of the brake pad is transferred to the energy harvesting device via thermal conduction through the brake pad and the structure supporting the brake pad.

2. The vehicle wheel monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmitter is remote from the brake pad, and the brake pad wear sensor is electrically connected to the wireless transmitter via an electrically conductive wire harness.

3. The vehicle wheel monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting device is a thermoelectric energy harvester that comprises

a first ceramic plate having a first outward-facing surface and an opposed first inward-facing surface,

a second ceramic plate having a second outward-facing surface and an opposed second inward-facing surface, and

p-type semiconductor elements and n-type semiconductor elements disposed between the first layer and the second layer, the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements arranged in an array in which the p-type semiconductor elements alternate with the n-type semiconductor elements and a series electrical circuit is formed between the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements of the array,

wherein

the first ceramic plate and the second ceramic plate are arranged in a stack such that the first and second inward-facing surfaces face the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements, and

when the first outward-facing surface is at a higher temperature than the second outward-facing surface, a current is generated within the circuit.

4. The vehicle wheel monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the brake pad wear sensor unit comprises an electronics unit configured to provide signal acquisition and signal processing of the signal emitted from the brake pad wear sensor, and

the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit output from the electronics unit to, the tire pressure monitoring unit.

5. The vehicle wheel monitoring device of claim 4 , wherein the output from the electronics unit includes a signal corresponding to a wear condition of the brake pad and an identifier uniquely identifying the brake pad wear sensor.

6. The vehicle, wheel monitoring device of claim 4 wherein the electronics unit includes an application specific integrated circuit that is operable with the tire pressure monitoring unit.

7. The vehicle wheel monitoring device of claim 6 wherein the tire pressure sensor unit comprises an electronics unit configured to provide signal acquisition and signal processing of the signal emitted from the tire pressure sensor, and the electronics unit of the tire pressure sensor unit includes an application specific integrated circuit that operates in the same manner as the application specific integrated circuit of the brake pad wear sensor unit.

8. The vehicle wheel monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting device is a device configured to detect vibration and convert the detected vibration into electrical power.

9. A sensor system comprising:

a sensor unit configured to detect a physical property and emit a signal representing the physical property;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the signal emitted from the sensor unit and wirelessly transmit it to a remote device; and

an energy harvesting device configured to convert thermal energy derived from an external source into electrical power, and to provide the electrical power to the sensor unit and the transmitter,

wherein

the sensor unit is a brake pad sensor configured to detect a wear condition of a brake pad of a vehicle; and

the energy harvesting device produces electrical power by using thermal energy generate during friction-based brake operation of the brake pad.

10. The sensor system of claim 9 , Wherein the energy harvesting device is in physical contact with a structure supporting the brake pad, and the thermal energy generated during friction-based brake operation of the brake pad is transferred to the energy harvesting device via thermal conduction through the brake pad and the structure supporting the brake pad.

11. The sensor system of claim 9 , Wherein the wireless transmitter is remote from the brake pad, and the sensor unit is electrically connected to the wireless transmitter via an electrically conductive wire.

12. The sensor system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor system is connected to a monitoring and control network of the motor vehicle.

13. The sensor system of claim 9 , wherein the energy harvesting device is a thermoelectric energy harvester that comprises

a first ceramic plate having a first outward-facing surface and an opposed first inward-facing surface,

a second ceramic plate having a second outward-facing surface and an opposed second inward-facing surface, and

p-type semiconductor elements and n-type semiconductor elements disposed between the first layer and the second layer, the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements arranged in an array in which the p-type semiconductor elements alternate with the n-type semiconductor elements and a series electrical circuit is formed between the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements of the array,

wherein

the first ceramic plate and the second ceramic plate are arranged in a stack such that the first and second inward-facing surfaces face the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements, and

when the first outward-facing surface is at a higher temperature than the second outward-facing surface, a current is generated within the circuit.

14. The sensor system of claim 9 , comprising:

an electronics unit configured to provide signal acquisition and signal processing of the signal emitted from the sensor unit, and

a transmitter configured to transmit output from the electronics unit to the remote device.

15. The sensor system of claim 9 , wherein the remote device is a tire pressure monitoring unit.

16. The sensor system of claim 15 , wherein the electronics unit includes an application specific integrated circuit operable with the tire pressure monitoring unit.

17. A vehicle wheel monitoring device comprising:

a tire pressure monitoring unit disposed in the vehicle at a location remote from wheels of the vehicle;

a tire pressure sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle; and

a brake pad wear sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle, the brake pad wear sensor unit including

a brake pad wear sensor that is configured to detect a wear condition of a brake pad of a wheel and emit a signal representing the wear condition;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the signal emitted from the brake pad wear sensor and wirelessly transmit it to a remote device; and

a power supply configured to provide electrical power to the brake pad wear sensor unit and the transmitter,

wherein each of the brake pad wear sensor units and the tire pressure sensor units of the vehicle are monitored and controlled by the tire pressure monitoring unit,

the power supply is an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy derived from an external source into electrical power, and to provide the electrical power to the brake pad wear sensor unit and the transmitter,

the energy harvesting device produces electrical power by using thermal energy generated during friction-based brake operation of the brake pad,

the energy harvesting device is in physical contact with a structure supporting the brake pad, and the thermal energy generated during friction-based brake operation of the brake pad is transferred to the energy harvesting device via thermal conduction through the brake pad and the structure supporting the brake pad, and

the wireless transmitter is remote from the brake pad, and the brake pad wear sensor is electrically connected to the wireless transmitter via an electrically conductive wire harness.

18. A vehicle wheel monitoring device comprising:

a tire pressure monitoring unit disposed in the vehicle at a location remote from wheels of the vehicle;

a tire pressure sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle; and

a brake pad wear sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle, the brake pad wear sensor unit including

a brake pad wear sensor that is configured to detect a wear condition of a brake pad of a wheel and emit a signal representing the wear condition;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the signal emitted from the brake pad wear sensor and wirelessly transmit it to a remote device; and

an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy derived from an external source into electrical power and to provide electrical power to the brake pad wear, sensor unit and the transmitter,

wherein

the energy harvesting device is a thermoelectric energy harvester that comprises

a first ceramic plate having a first outward-facing surface and an opposed first inward-facing surface,

a second ceramic plate having a second outward-facing surface and an opposed second inward-facing surface, and

p-type semiconductor elements and n-type semiconductor elements disposed between the first layer and the second layer, the p-type semiconductor elements, and the n-type semiconductor elements arranged in an array in which the p-type semiconductor elements alternate with the n-type semiconductor elements and a series electrical circuit is formed between the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements of the array,

and wherein

the first ceramic plate and the second ceramic plate are arranged in a stack such that the first and second inward-facing surfaces face the p-type semiconductor elements and the n-type semiconductor elements,

when the first outward-facing surface is at a higher temperature than the second outward-facing surface, a current is generated within the circuit, and

each of the brake pad wear sensor units and the tire pressure sensor units of the vehicle are monitored and controlled by the tire pressure monitoring unit.

19. A vehicle wheel monitoring device comprising:

a tire pressure monitoring unit disposed in the vehicle at a location remote from wheels of the vehicle;

a tire pressure sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle; and

a brake pad wear sensor unit disposed at at least one wheel of the vehicle, the brake pad wear sensor unit including

a brake pad wear sensor that is configured to detect a wear condition of a brake pad of a wheel and emit a signal representing the wear condition;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the signal emitted from the brake pad wear sensor and wirelessly transmit it to a remote device; and

a power supply configured to provide electrical power to the brake pad wear sensor unit and the transmitter,

wherein

each of the brake pad wear sensor units and the tire pressure sensor units of the vehicle are monitored and controlled by the tire pressure monitoring unit,

the brake pad wear sensor unit comprises an electronics unit configured to provide signal acquisition and signal processing of the signal emitted from the brake pad wear sensor, and

the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit output from the electronics unit to the tire pressure monitoring unit.