MICRO-POWER RECTIFIER AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130155742A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Ming-Wei, Lin, Gao-Ching
• Application Number:
  US13/411,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155742A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/126
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/103 Containing passive elements (capacitively coupled) which are ordered in cascade on one source

Abstract

A micro-power rectifier including a plurality of charge pumps and a method of the micro-power rectifier are provided. The charge pumps respectively include an input capacitor, an output capacitor, a first diode and a second diode. Wherein, at least one of reference voltages of the output capacitors is greater than 0V, and other reference voltages of the output capacitors is/are a ground voltage. Therefore, the efficiency and the output voltage of the rectifier can be increased.

Claims

1. A micro-power rectifier, comprising:

a signal input terminal;

a signal output terminal; and

a plurality of charge pump units, wherein each of the charge pump units respectively comprises;

an input capacitor, having a first end coupled to the signal input terminal;

a first diode, having a cathode coupled to a second end of the input capacitor, wherein an anode of the first diode coupled to a first reference voltage if the first diode belongs in the first charge pump unit (CP_1), and the anode of the first diode coupled to an output terminal of a pre-stage charge pump unit of the charge pump units if the first diode belongs in the other charge pump unit (CP_i), wherein i is an integer greater than 1;

a second diode, having an anode coupled to the second end of the input capacitor, and a cathode serving as an output terminal of the charge pump unit; and

an output capacitor, having a first end coupled to the cathode of the second diode, and a second end coupled to a second reference voltage, wherein at least one of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltages is greater than 0V.

2. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein a level of at least one of the reference voltages is a bias voltage greater than 0V, and the others are a ground voltage.

3. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first reference voltage is a ground voltage, and the second reference voltages are all a bias voltage greater than 0V.

4. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein levels of the reference voltages are different.

5. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a direct current (DC)-DC converter, having an input terminal coupled to the signal output terminal of the micro-power rectifier, and an output terminal coupled to the charge pump units for providing the reference voltages.

6. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an energy storage device, coupled between the signal output terminal of the micro-power rectifier and the charge pump units for providing the reference voltages.

7. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 6, wherein the energy storage device comprises a rechargeable battery or a capacitor.

8. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an energy harvesting device, having an output terminal coupled to the charge pump units, wherein the energy harvesting device converts non-electrical energy into electrical energy, and provides the reference voltages to the charge pump units.

9. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the non-electrical energy is light energy, solar energy, vibration energy, thermal energy, biochemical energy or radio frequency energy.

10. The micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first diodes and the second diodes are Schottky barrier diodes, P-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistors or N-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistors.

11. A method of a micro-power rectifier, wherein the micro-power rectifier is as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving an input voltage by the signal input terminal;

providing a first reference voltage to the anode of the first diode of the first charge pump unit (CP_1);

providing a plurality of second reference voltages to the second ends of the output capacitors of the charge pump units; and

increasing at least one of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltages to be greater than 0V.

12. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 11, wherein a level of at least one of the reference voltages is a bias voltage greater than 0V, and the others are a ground voltage.

13. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first reference voltage is a ground voltage, and the second reference voltages are all a bias voltage greater than 0V.

14. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 11, wherein levels of the reference voltages are different.

15. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

using a DC-DC converter to convert an output voltage of the signal output terminal of the micro-power rectifier into the reference voltages for providing to the charge pump units.

16. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

using an energy storage device to convert an output voltage of the signal output terminal of the micro-power rectifier into the reference voltages for providing to the charge pump units.

17. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 16, wherein the energy storage device comprises a rechargeable battery or a capacitor.

18. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

using an energy harvesting device to convert non-electrical energy into electrical energy, and providing the reference voltages to the charge pump units.

19. The method of the micro-power rectifier as claimed in claim 18, wherein the non-electrical energy is light energy, solar energy, vibration energy, thermal energy, biochemical energy or radio frequency energy.