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Wireless sensing and communication system including sensors located on the vehicle, in the roadway or in the vicinity of the vehicle or roadway and which provide information which is transmitted to one or more interrogators in the vehicle by a wireless radio frequency mechanism. Power to operate a p

Wireless sensing and communication system including sensors located on the vehicle, in the roadway or in the vicinity of the vehicle or roadway and which provide information which is transmitted to one or more interrogators in the vehicle by a wireless radio frequency mechanism. Power to operate a particular sensor is supplied by the interrogator or the sensor is independently connected to either a battery, generator, vehicle power source or some source of power external to the vehicle. The sensors can provide information about the vehicle and its interior or exterior environment, about individual components, systems, vehicle occupants, subsystems, or about the roadway, ambient atmosphere, travel conditions and external objects. The sensors arranged on the roadway or ancillary structures would include pressure sensors, temperature sensors, moisture content or humidity sensors, and friction sensors.

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1. A driving condition monitoring system for a vehicle on a roadway, comprising:stationary mounting structures arranged proximate the roadway;sensors located in said mounting structures in a vicinity of the roadway and apart from the roadway, said sensors being structured and arranged to generate an

1. A driving condition monitoring system for a vehicle on a roadway, comprising:stationary mounting structures arranged proximate the roadway;sensors located in said mounting structures in a vicinity of the roadway and apart from the roadway, said sensors being structured and arranged to generate and wirelessly transmit information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway in response to an activation signal; andat least one interrogator arranged on the vehicle to wirelessly transmit the activation signal to said sensors to cause said sensors to wirelessly transmit information generated by said sensors and to receive the information generated by said sensors. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one interrogator includes two receiving antennas whereby, by transmitting the activation signal from one of said antennas and receiving a return signal at both of said antennas, a position of the vehicle relative to said sensors is determinable. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensors are structured to transmit an identification code indicative of their position with the information generated by said sensors such that the absolute position of the vehicle is determinable using a map and the known position of said sensors. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensors are arranged to utilize time, code, space or frequency multiplexing in the transmission of the information. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said sensors each include a SAW device whereby said sensors are arranged to transmit information after a delay, said sensors being arranged to use time-multiplexing such that each sensor has a different delay. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors includes power-receiving means for receiving power wirelessly from said at least one interrogator. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said sensors is connected to a power source via one or more wires. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one interrogator comprises a plurality of interrogators, each of said interrogators having one or more antennas which transmit radio frequency energy to said sensors and receive modulated radio frequency signals from said sensors containing the sensor information. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is a RFID type whereby said at least one sensor is arranged to return information immediately to said at least one interrogator in the form of a modulated RF signal. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors includes a SAW device whereby said at least one sensor is arranged to return information after a delay. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors includes a RFID circuit and a SAW circuit whereby said at least one sensor is arranged to return information immediately to said at least one interrogator in the form of a modulated RF signal and after a delay. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said sensors are RFID type whereby said sensors are arranged to return information immediately to said at least one interrogator in the form of a modulated RF signal, said sensors being arranged to use frequency-multiplexing such that each sensor responds only to a narrow frequency. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said sensors is structured and arranged to transmit information including an identification of said sensor. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said mounting structures is a pole adjacent the roadway, at least one of said sensors being arranged on said pole. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure friction of a surface of the roadway. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure atmospheric pressure. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure atmospheric temper ature. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure temperature of the roadway or moisture content of the roadway. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure humidity of the atmosphere. 20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications device arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said at least one interrogator for transmitting the information generated by said sensors and received by said at least one interrogator to a remote location. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein said communications device comprises a cellular phone. 22. The system of claim 20, wherein said communications device is arranged to transmit the information via a satellite or the Internet to the remote location. 23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location-determining system arranged on the vehicle for determining the location of the vehicle. 24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a communications device arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said at least one interrogator and said location-determining system for transmitting the information generated by said sensors and the location of the vehicle to a remote location. 25. A driving condition monitoring system for a vehicle on a roadway, comprising:sensors located on or in a vicinity of the roadway, said sensors being structured and arranged to generate and wirelessly transmit information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway in response to an activation signal; andat least one interrogator arranged on the vehicle to wirelessly transmit the activation signal to said sensors to cause said sensors to wirelessly transmit information generated by said sensors and to receive the information generated by said sensors; anda communications device arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said interrogator for transmitting the information generated by said sensors and received by said interrogator to a remote location spaced from the vehicle. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein said sensors are embedded in the roadway. 27. The system of claim 25, wherein said sensors are arranged in mounting structures proximate the roadway and spaced from the roadway. 28. The system of claim 25, wherein each of said sensors is structured and arranged to transmit information including an identification of said sensor. 29. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged on a note adjacent the roadway. 30. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure friction of a surface of the roadway. 31. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged to measure temperature of the roadway or moisture content of the roadway. 32. The system of claim 25, wherein said communications device comprises a cellular phone. 33. The system of claim 25, wherein said communications device is arranged to transmit the information via a satellite or the Internet to the remote location. 34. The system of claim 25, further comprising a location-determining system arranged on the vehicle for determining the location of the vehicle, said communications device being coupled to said location-determining system for transmitting the location of the vehicle to the remote location. 35. A method for monitoring driving conditions on a roadway using a vehicle, comprising the steps of:arranging stationary mounting structures proximate the roadway;arranging sensors in the mounting structures in a vicinity of the roadway and apart from the roadway, each sensor generating information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway and being arranged to wirelessly transmit the information in response to an activation signal;arranging at least one interrogator on the vehicle;transmitting an activation signal from the at least one int errogator on the vehicle to the sensors to cause the sensors to wirelessly transmit the information to the at least one interrogator. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of arranging the sensors in the vicinity of the roadway comprises the step of arranging at least one sensor on a pole adjacent the roadway. 37. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of transmitting the information generated by the sensors and received by the at least one interrogator to a remote location via a cellular phone, a satellite or the Internet. 38. A driving condition monitoring system for a roadway, comprising:sensors located on or in a vicinity of the roadway, said sensors being structured and arranged to generate information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway and wirelessly transmit the information in response to an activation signal;a receiver arranged on a vehicle for receiving information generated and transmitted by said sensors;a transmitter arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said receiver for transmitting information received by said receiver to at least one remote location spaced from the vehicle; andat least one interrogator arranged on the vehicle for transmitting activation signals to said sensors to cause said sensors to wirelessly transmit the information to said receiver. 39. The system of claim 38, further comprising a location-determining system arranged on the vehicle for determining the location of the vehicle, said transmitter being coupled to said location-determining system and arranged to transmit the location of the vehicle. 40. The system of claim 38, further comprising additional sensors mounted on the vehicle and arranged to generate information on the status of the additional sensors, conditions of an environment around the vehicle, conditions of the vehicle and conditions of any occupants of the vehicle, said transmitter being coupled to said additional sensors and arranged to transmit the information generated by said additional sensors. 41. A method for monitoring driving conditions, comprising the steps of:arranging sensors on or in a vicinity of the roadway, each sensor generating information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway and being arranged to wirelessly transmit the information in response to an activation signal;arranging a receiver on the vehicle for receiving information generated and transmitted by the sensors;transmitting information received by the receiver from the vehicle to at least one remote location spaced from the vehicle; andtransmitting an activation signal from the vehicle to the sensors to cause the sensors to wirelessly transmit information to said receiver. 42. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of arranging a location-determining system on the vehicle to determine the location of the vehicle and transmitting the location of the vehicle to the remote location. 43. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:mounting additional sensors on the vehicle;generating information on the status of the additional sensors, conditions of an environment around the vehicle, conditions of the vehicle and conditions of any occupants of the vehicle by means of the additional sensors; andtransmitting the information generated by the additional sensors to the remote location. 44. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications device arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said at least one interrogator for establishing a bi-directional communications channel between the vehicle and a remote facility spaced from the vehicle such that the information generated by said sensors and received by said at least one interrogator is transmitted by said communications device over said communications channel to the remote location. 45. The method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:ar ranging a communications device on the vehicle and coupled to the at least one interrogator for establishing a bi-directional communications channel between the vehicle and a remote facility spaced from the vehicle; andtransmitting the information generated by the sensors and received by the at least one interrogator from the communications device over the communications channel to the remote location. 46. A driving condition monitoring system for a vehicle on a roadway, comprising:sensors located on or in a vicinity of the roadway, said sensors being structured and arranged to provide information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway; andat least one interrogator arranged on the vehicle for receiving information obtained by said sensors and transmitted by said sensors using a wireless radio frequency mechanism,said at least one interrogator including at least one antenna arranged to receive at least one return signal transmitted by said sensors such that a position of the vehicle in a lane of the roadway relative to said sensors is determinable from analysis of the at least one return signal. 47. The system of claim 41, wherein said at least one interrogator includes two antennas spaced apart from one another and arranged such that a single return signal transmitted by each of said sensors is received at a different time at said two antennas such that the position of the vehicle in the lane of the roadway relative to said sensors is determinable from a comparison of the arrival time of the return signals received at said antennas. 48. The system of claim 41, wherein said sensors are embedded in the roadway. 49. A method for monitoring driving conditions on a roadway using a vehicle, comprising the steps of:arranging sensors on or in a vicinity of the roadway, each sensor providing information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway or external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway;arranging at least one interrogator including at least one antenna on the vehicle;transmitting a signal from the at least one interrogator to cause the sensors to transmit the information using a wireless radio frequency mechanism; anddetermining a position of the vehicle in a lane of the roadway relative to the sensors based on at least one return signal transmitted by the sensors and received by the at least one antenna. 50. The system of claim 49, wherein two antennas are arranged on the vehicle spaced apart from one another and arranged such that a single return signal transmitted by each of the sensors is received at a different time at the two antennas such that the position of the vehicle in the lane of the roadway relative to the sensors is determinable from a comparison of the arrival time of the return signals received at the antennas. 51. The method of claim 49, wherein the step of arranging the sensors on or in the vicinity of the roadway comprises the step of embedding at least one sensor in the roadway. 52. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensors are structured and arranged to generate and wirelessly transmit information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway and external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway in response to the activation signal. 53. The system of claim 25, wherein said sensors are structured and arranged to generate and wirelessly transmit information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway and external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway in response to the activation signal. 54. The system of claim 40, wherein said sensors are structured and arranged to generate information about the roadway, travel conditions relating to the roadway and external objects on or in the vicinity of the roadway and wirelessly transmit the information in response to the activation signal.