WIRELESS SYSTEMS HAVING MULTIPLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND EMPLOYING SIMPLIFIED FABRICATION AND MATCHING, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20090033465A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Inventors: Panuski, Justin M., Mickle, Marlin H., Mats, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]

Abstract

A means and method to connect multiple IC chips to a single apparatus where the IC chips may function as a passive system or network in space. The collection of antennae and coupled near field devices form a pool of energy in which multiple devices may be introduced so as to provide a pool of energy and/or to function as a network or networks of devices including IC chips.

Claims

1. A wireless system, comprising:

a base station at a first location, said base station transmitting far field RF energy;

a local subsystem at a second location separate from said first location, said local subsystem including a parent antenna and a plurality of near field devices, said parent antenna receiving said far field RF energy and generating a near field in response thereto, wherein each of said near field devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a near field conductor, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through the near field conductor thereof, and wherein the IC chip and the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is not directly physically connected to said parent antenna.

2. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the received far field RF energy induces a current in said parent antenna, and wherein said parent antenna generates said near field in response to said current.

3. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices receives AC energy from said near field through the near field conductor of the near field device and converts said AC energy into a DC voltage.

4. The wireless system according to claim 3, wherein said near field devices are positioned relative to said parent antenna such that a total amount of DC energy generated by said near field devices is at a maximum.

5. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through inductive coupling between said parent antenna and the near field conductor thereof.

6. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through capacitive coupling between said parent antenna and the near field conductor thereof.

7. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through a combination of inductive coupling and capacitive coupling between said parent antenna and the near field conductor thereof.

8. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices receives power and communications from the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field.

9. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said local subsystem includes a substrate and wherein said near field devices are provided on and distributed along said substrate.

10. The wireless system according to claim 9, wherein said parent antenna is provided on a first surface of said substrate, and wherein said near field devices are provided on and distributed along said first surface.

11. The wireless system according to claim 10, wherein each of said near field devices includes a non-conductive substrate on which the IC chip and the near field conductor thereof are provided.

12. The wireless system according to claim 11, wherein a first one or more of said near field devices are provided on said first surface of said substrate, and wherein the non-conductive substrate of each of said first one or more of said near field devices is positioned between the IC chip and near field conductor thereof and said parent antenna.

13. The wireless system according to claim 9, wherein said parent antenna is provided on a first surface of said substrate and wherein said near field devices are provided on and distributed along both said first surface of said substrate and a second surface of said substrate opposite said first surface.

14. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said local subsystem includes a substrate, and wherein said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a first surface of said substrate.

15. The wireless system according to claim 14, wherein said parent antenna is provided on said first surface of said substrate.

16. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said local subsystem includes a substrate, and wherein a first one or more of said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a first surface of said substrate, wherein a second one or more of said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a second surface of said substrate, and wherein said parent antenna is provided on said first surface of said substrate opposite said first surface.

17. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said local subsystem includes a substrate, and wherein a first one or more of said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a first surface of said substrate, wherein a second one or more of said near field devices are provided on and distributed along a second surface of said substrate opposite said first surface.

18. The wireless system according to claim 14, wherein the IC chip of each near field device is nether directly above nor directly below the IC chip of another one of said near field devices.

19. The wireless system according to claim 14, wherein said near field devices include a first near field device and a second near field device stacked on top of said first near field device, and wherein said second near field device is able to fit entirely within a boundary defined by the near field conductor and the IC chip of said first near field device.

20. The wireless system according to claim 18, wherein the near field devices are each shifted linearly with respect to one another such that the IC chip of each near field device is positioned adjacent to the IC chip of one another one of said near field devices.

21. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is a looped conductor.

22. The wireless system according to claim 21, wherein each looped conductor has a rectangular shape.

23. the wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to a reactive near field of said near field.

24. A wireless transmission method, comprising:

transmitting far field RF energy from a first location;

receiving said far field RF energy at a second location separate from said first location and generating a near field in response thereto;

wirelessly coupling to said near field; and

receiving AC energy from said near field in response to said wirelessly coupling.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said wirelessly coupling comprises wirelessly coupling to a reactive near field of said near field.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising converting said AC energy into a DC voltage.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said wirelessly coupling is performed using inductive coupling.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein said wirelessly coupling is performed using capacitive coupling.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein said wirelessly coupling is performed using a combination of inductive coupling and capacitive coupling.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein said wirelessly coupling comprises:

providing a plurality of near field devices, wherein each of said near field devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a near field conductor; and

wirelessly coupling the IC chip of each of said near field devices to said near field through the near field conductor thereof, wherein the IC chip and the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is not directly physically connected to said parent antenna.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is a looped conductor.

32. A transponder apparatus, comprising:

a main antenna element having a plurality of conductor elements, each of said conductor elements being direct connection coupled to one another; and

a plurality of devices;

wherein each of said devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a conductor, wherein each of said devices is positioned adjacent to a terminal end of a respective one of said conductor elements, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, wherein the conductor and the IC chip of each of said devices is not physically connected to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, and wherein each of said conductor elements has a slot provided therein which provides an inductive reactance.

33. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein each of said devices is a looped conductor device and wherein the conductor of each of said devices is a looped conductor.

34. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein each of said conductor elements is direct connection coupled to one another at a central DC coupling point.

35. The transponder apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said DC coupling point comprises a patch antenna.

36. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the slot provided in each of said conductor elements begins adjacent to a terminal end of the conductor element.

37. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives AC energy from the conductor element adjacent to which it is positioned through the conductor of the device and converts said AC energy into a DC voltage.

38. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives power and communications through the capacitive coupling to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned.

39. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein each of said conductor elements has a similar shape.

40. The transponder apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the similar shape is a square spiral shape.

41. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said main antenna element is provided on a first substrate, wherein each of said devices includes a non-conductive substrate on which the IC chip and the conductor thereof are provided, and wherein each non-conductive substrate is positioned on top of said first substrate.

42. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said conductor elements adjacent to which the device is positioned at two points located on opposite sides of the slot of the one of said conductor elements.

43. The transponder apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the inductive reactance provided by each slot is selected to maintain a matching between the associated conductor element and the associated IC chip and to balance a capacitance provided by the associated capacitive coupling.

44. A transponder apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of separate antenna elements; and

a plurality of devices;

wherein each of said devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a conductor, wherein each of said devices is positioned adjacent to a terminal end of a respective one of said antenna elements, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, wherein the conductor and the IC chip of each of said devices is not physically connected to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned, and wherein each of said conductor elements has a slot provided therein which provides an inductive reactance.

45. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein each of said devices is a looped conductor device and wherein the conductor of each of said devices is a looped conductor.

46. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the slot provided in each of said antenna elements begins adjacent to a terminal end of the antenna element.

47. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives AC energy from the antenna element adjacent to which it is positioned through the conductor of the device and converts said AC energy into a DC voltage.

48. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the IC chip of each of said devices receives power and communications through the capacitive coupling to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned.

49. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein each of said antenna elements has a similar shape.

50. The transponder apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the similar shape is a square spiral shape.

51. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said antenna elements are provided on a first substrate, wherein each of said devices includes a non-conductive substrate on which the IC chip and the conductor thereof are provided, and wherein each non-conductive substrate is positioned on top of said first substrate.

52. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said devices are each positioned in a central portion of said transponder apparatus and are surrounded by said antenna elements.

53. The transponder apparatus according to claim 52, wherein each of said antenna elements has a square spiral shape.

54. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the conductor of each of said devices is capacitively coupled to the one of said antenna elements adjacent to which the device is positioned at two points located on opposite sides of the slot of the one of said antenna elements.

55. The transponder apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the inductive reactance provided by each slot is selected to maintain a matching between the associated antenna element and the associated IC chip and to balance a capacitance provided by the associated capacitive coupling.