APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING POWER TO A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) TAG USING A MICROSTRUCTURE POWER DEVICE, SUCH AS A MICROELECTROMECHANICAL STRUCTURE (MEMS)-BASED POWER DEVICE
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a wireless data carrier that can be placed in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present; and
at least one microstructure power device coupled to the wireless data carrier, the microstructure power device being adapted to harvest energy from the mechanical vibrations and to provide the harvested energy to the wireless data carrier, the wireless data carrier being adapted to apply the harvested energy provided by the microstructure power device to power operations, independently of and without using a discrete power source that provides power different from power derived from the energy harvested by the microstructure power device.
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Abstract
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is powered by a microstructure power device. The microstructure power device can be a microelectromechanical structure (MEMS)-based device that derives power from energy harvested from mechanical vibrations. The RFID tag having the microstructure power device coupled thereto is affixed to an item and placed in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present. The mechanical vibrations provide sufficient power to allow the RFID tag to be read and/or written to by an automatic data collection device.
19 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a wireless data carrier that can be placed in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present; and at least one microstructure power device coupled to the wireless data carrier, the microstructure power device being adapted to harvest energy from the mechanical vibrations and to provide the harvested energy to the wireless data carrier, the wireless data carrier being adapted to apply the harvested energy provided by the microstructure power device to power operations, independently of and without using a discrete power source that provides power different from power derived from the energy harvested by the microstructure power device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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an RFID tag that can be affixed to an item and that can be placed in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present; at least one microstructure power device coupled to the RFID tag and adapted to harvest energy from the mechanical vibrations and to provide the harvested energy to power the RFID tag; and an antenna coupled to the RFID tag to send and receive signals, the antenna being adapted primarily for communication of said signals or being adapted for both said communication and power acquisition to power the RFID tag additionally to said harvested energy. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A system to communicate with one or more wireless data carriers, the system comprising:
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an automatic data collection device; a wireless data carrier that can be affixed to an item and that can be placed in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present; at least one microstructure power device electrically coupled to the wireless data carrier and adapted to harvest energy from the mechanical vibrations and to provide the harvested energy to power the wireless data carrier; a substrate on which the wireless data carrier and microstructure power device are located; and an antenna coupled to the wireless data carrier to communicate signals with the automatic data collection device, the antenna being adapted primarily for communication of said signals or being adapted for both said communication and power acquisition to power the wireless data carrier additionally to said harvested energy. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method, comprising:
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affixing an unpowered RFID tag having a microstructure power device coupled thereto to an item; placing the item having the unpowered RFID tag affixed thereon in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present; harvesting energy from the mechanical vibrations using the microstructure power device, without using a discrete power source that provides power different from power derived from the harvested energy; and using the power derived from the harvested energy to power operations associated with the RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for wirelessly communicating with RFID tags, the system comprising:
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means for electrically coupling an RFID tag to a microstructure power device, said RFID tag having the microstructure power device coupled thereto being capable of being affixed to an item that can be placed in an environment where mechanical vibrations are present; means for harvesting energy from the mechanical vibrations using the microstructure power device, without using a discrete power source that provides power different from power derived from the harvested energy; and means for using the power derived from the harvested energy to power operations associated with the RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification