Flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission

• US 20070185546A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tseng, Kuo-Hua, Chou, Yu-Kon, Kuo, Tsung-Ter, Chou, Wen-Yang, Huang, Pin-Hsun, Shieh, Pei-Ying
• Application Number:
  US11/403,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

This invention provides a flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission, which uses an antenna size controlling device to adjust the antenna'"'"'s size to conform a living body'"'"'s outer portion wearing the flexible annular antenna. An antenna energy transmission control module is provided to adjust the power for driving the flexible annular antenna according to the deformation of the flexible annular antenna. This invention can adjust both the antenna size to fit the individual and the power for driving the antenna. The individual can use the present antenna module under a comfortable, safe and reliable circumstance.

Claims

1. A flexible antenna device for energy transmission, comprising:

a flexible annular antenna being able to be provided on a living body'"'"'s outer portion;

a pressure sensor provided on an inner side of said flexible annular antenna for detecting a pressure value generated from said pressure sensor touched by the living body'"'"'s outer portion; and

an antenna size controlling device for controlling the size of said flexible annular antenna;

wherein said antenna size controlling device fixes the size of said flexible annular antenna when said pressure value detected by said pressure sensor is up to a threshold value.

2. The flexible antenna device for energy transmission of claim 1, wherein said flexible annular antenna is multi-concentric annular shaped.

3. A flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission, comprising:

a flexible annular antenna being able to be provided on a living body'"'"'s outer portion;

a pressure sensor provided on an inner side of said flexible annular antenna for detecting a pressure value generated from said pressure sensor touched by a living body'"'"'s outer portion;

an antenna size controlling device for controlling the size of said flexible annular antenna, wherein said antenna size controlling device fixes the size of said flexible annular antenna when said pressure value detected by said pressure sensor is up to a threshold value; and

a flexible antenna energy transmission controlling module, which depends on a deformation of said flexible annular antenna to control a driving power of said flexible annular antenna.

4. The flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission of claim 3, wherein said flexible antenna energy transmission controlling module comprises:

an antenna deformation detector for detecting the deformation of said flexible annular antenna; and

an antenna deformation compensation circuit, which depends on the deformation of said flexible annular antenna to adjust the driving power of said flexible annular antenna.

5. The flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission of claim 4, wherein said antenna deformation detector detects a voltage value or current value representative of the deformation of the flexible annular antenna.

6. The flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission of claim 4, wherein said antenna deformation detector detects the deformation of said flexible annular antenna by an electric field sensing element or a magnetic field sensing element.

7. A method for controlling a size of a flexible energy transmission antenna, comprising:

providing a flexible annular antenna on a living body'"'"'s outer portion; and

adjusting the size of said flexible annular antenna until a pressure value applied to the living body'"'"'s outer portion by said flexible annular antenna is up to a threshold value.

8. A method for energy transmission of a flexible antenna, comprising:

providing a flexible annular antenna on a living body'"'"'s outer portion;

adjusting the size of said flexible annular antenna to conform the living body'"'"'s outer portion;

detecting the deformation of said flexible annular antenna; and

adjusting an output power provided to said flexible annular antenna depending on the deformation of said flexible annular antenna.

9. A device for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device, comprising:

an external module for energy transmission provided on a living body'"'"'s outer portion and comprising a flexible annular antenna, a flexible antenna energy transmission controlling module and an electrical stimulating signal control module;

wherein said flexible antenna energy transmission controlling module comprises an antenna deformation detector, an antenna deformation compensation circuit and a power controller, said electrical stimulating signal control module comprises a first wireless radio frequency interface circuit, an adjustable power control circuit and an output control circuit;

wherein said flexible annular antenna is used to perform wireless energy transmission and deformed to conform the living body'"'"'s outer portion, said antenna deformation detector is provided to detect the deformation of said flexible annular antenna and said antenna deformation compensation circuit is provided to apply a compensation power to said power controller depending on the deformation of the flexible annular antenna, said first wireless radio frequency interface circuit is used to drive said flexible annular antenna to emit energy and convert a sense signal received by said flexible annular antenna into a first electronic signal, said adjustable power control circuit determines an optimum power control mode for energy transmission depending on said first electronic signal, said output control circuit sends an output power to said power controller depending on the optimum power control mode for energy transmission, said power controller adjusts the output power to obtain a compensated output power depending on the compensation power, and transmitting the compensated output power to said first wireless radio frequency interface circuit in order to drive said flexible annular antenna to emit energy; and

an internal implanted module implanted inside the living body and comprising an energy transmission antenna, a second wireless radio frequency interface circuit, a feedback modulation control circuit and an electrical stimulating control circuit, wherein said energy transmission antenna receives the energy emitted by said flexible annular antenna, said second wireless radio frequency interface circuit converts the received energy into a second electronic signal and then sends said second electronic signal to said feedback modulation control circuit, said feedback modulation control circuit depends on said second electronic signal to determine whether to drive electrical stimulating control circuit or generate a feedback signal to electrical stimulating signal control module.

10. The device for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device of claim 9, wherein said output control circuit is a digital control circuit.

11. The device for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device of claim 9, wherein said feedback modulation control circuit has an energy-storing capacitor, an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter), a MCU (Micro Central Unit) and a load modulation circuit, wherein said energy-storing capacitor converts said second electronic signal into a voltage level, said ADC detects said voltage level, said MCU depends on said voltage level to determine said feedback signal to be transmitted, and said load modulation circuit is activated to transmit said feedback signal.

12. The device for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device of claim 9, wherein said adjustable power control circuit depends on said feedback signal to determine an inclination angle and a distance of said energy transmission antenna and said flexible annular antenna in order to determine said optimum power control mode for energy transmission.

13. A method for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device, comprising:

providing a flexible annular antenna on a living body'"'"'s outer portion;

adjusting the size of said flexible annular antenna to conform the living body'"'"'s outer portion;

detecting a deformation of said flexible annular antenna; and

providing a compensation power to an external energy transmission module depending on the deformation of said flexible annular antenna;

activating said external energy transmission module to drive said flexible annular antenna to emit energy;

receiving the energy by an internal implanted module and accordingly determining whether to drive said implanted device or generate a feedback signal;

receiving said feedback signal by said external energy transmission module to determine an optimum power control mode for energy transmission; and

driving said flexible annular antenna to emit energy by said external energy transmission module depending on said optimum power control mode for energy transmission and said compensation power.

14. The method for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device of claim 13, wherein further comprising adjusting an output power for driving said flexible annular antenna when said feedback signal has not been received by said external energy transmission module until said feedback signal is received.

15. The method for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device of claim 13, wherein said external energy transmission module receives said feedback signal and accordingly determines the inclination angle and the distance between said implanted element and said flexible annular antenna in order to determine the optimum power control mode for energy transmission.

16. The method for optimizing energy transmission for an implanted device of claim 13, wherein said implanted element is an implanted electrical stimulator.