A power harvesting solution concerns a generally non-conductive tire
structure that is formed with at least one defined conductivity path
through which static electricity accumulated in the tire structure during
tire rotation can dissipate to ground. Such conductivity path is formed
from a portion of conductive material that may be partially surrounded by
additional insulative material to restrict the flow of electric charge to
ground. An energy storage device, such as a capacitor or rechargeable
battery, is coupled with the conductivity path and configured to store
selected amounts of the electric charge dissipating through the
conductivity path. Various diode elements may be provided in combination
with the energy storage device to prevent reverse discharging of and to
provide voltage protection for the energy storage device. Sufficient
accumulations of such harvested energy can then power tire electronic
systems, including various condition-responsive devices (i.e., sensors,
etc.) a revolution counter, a radio frequency (RF) device, a rechargeable
battery or a lighting device.
