Method and apparatus for a wireless power supply

• US 20050104453A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powercast, Llc
• Original Assignee: Firefly Power Technologies LLC (Powercast Corporation)
• Inventors: Shearer, John G., Vanderelli, Timm A., Shearer, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/151
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves

Abstract

An apparatus for a wireless power supply including a mechanism for receiving a range of RF radiation across a collection of frequencies. The apparatus includes a mechanism for converting the RF radiation across the collection of frequencies, preferably at a same time into DC. A method for a wireless power supply including the steps of receiving a range of RF radiation across a collection of frequencies. There is the step of converting the RF radiation across the collection of frequencies, preferably at a same time into DC.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a wireless power supply comprising:

means for receiving a range of RF radiation across a collection of frequencies; and

means for converting the RF radiation across the collection of frequencies into DC.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the converting means includes an absorbing mechanism which is resonant for a desired band of RF spectrum.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein the absorbing mechanism includes an inductor which is resonant for the desired band of RF spectrum.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein the converting means includes a plurality of taps placed at points along the inductor to access the RF energy.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein the tap points are calculated by matching the inductor'"'"'s impedance to the desired band of RF spectrum.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein the receiving means includes an antenna.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein the converting means includes a rectifying mechanism which rectifies the RF energy and converts it into DC voltage.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein the rectifying mechanism includes a plurality of diodes at each tap point which rectifies the RF energy and converts it into DC voltage.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 8 including a storage device for storing the DC voltage.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein the antenna impedance is matched 1:

1 with the inductor impedance.

11. An apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein the RF spectrum is between 60 Hz to 28 gigahertz.

12. A method for a wireless power supply comprising the steps of:

receiving a range of RF radiation across a collection of frequencies; and

converting the RF radiation across the collection of frequencies into DC.

13. A method as the described in claim 12 wherein the converting step includes the step of absorbing the energy.

14. A method as described in claim 13 wherein the absorbing step includes the step of absorbing the energy with an inductor.

15. A method as described in claim 14 wherein the converting step includes the step of accessing the absorbing energy with a plurality of taps on the inductor.

16. A method as described in claim 15 including the step of matching the inductor'"'"'s impedance to a desired RF range.

17. A method as described in claim 16 wherein the converting step includes the step of rectifying energy available at each tap and converting it into DC voltages.

18. A method as described in claim 17 wherein the rectifying step includes the step of rectifying the energy available at each tap and converting it into DC voltages with diodes.

19. A method as described in claim 18 wherein the converting step includes the step of adding the DC voltages.

20. A method as described in claim 19 wherein the summing step includes the step of integrating the DC voltages among a series capacitor integrator.

21. A method as described in claim 20 including the step of storing the summed DC voltages.

22. A method as described in claim 21 including the step of using the stored DC voltages.