POWERING DEVICES USING RF ENERGY HARVESTING

• US 20140111032A1
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powercast Corporation
• Original Assignee: Powercast Corporation
• Inventors: Shearer, John G., Greene, Charles E., Harrist, Daniel W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for an application including a core device for the application. The apparatus includes a power (preferably RF energy) harvester connected to the core device to power the core device. Also disclosed is a method for an application. The method includes the steps of converting RF energy into usable energy. There is the step of powering the core device with the usable energy.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first antenna configured to wirelessly receive energy from a source, the source being remote from the apparatus;

a second antenna different from and electrically isolated from the first antenna, the second antenna configured to wirelessly communicate with the source;

a power harvester electrically coupled to the first antenna and configured to convert the energy received at the first antenna to a DC voltage;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device electrically coupled to the power harvester and to the second antenna, the RFID device configured to wirelessly communicate with the source via the second antenna;

an integrated circuit configured to operate based on the DC voltage; and

a sensor electrically coupled to the integrated circuit, the sensor configured to operate based on the DC voltage and to detect at least one of an environmental condition associated with a location of the apparatus or a physical condition associated with an item coupled to the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a regulator coupled to the power harvester and configured to regulate the DC voltage to produce a regulated DC voltage, the sensor configured to operate based on the regulated DC voltage received from the regulator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform an application associated with the at least one of the environmental condition or the physical condition detected by the sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic display configured to operate based on the DC voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor, an orientation sensor, or a position sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID device does not operate based on a battery, and the sensor does not operate based on a battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a RFID tag.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna configured to wirelessly receive energy from a source, the source being remote from the apparatus;

a power harvester electrically coupled to the antenna and configured to convert the energy received at the antenna to a DC voltage;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device electrically coupled to the antenna and configured to wirelessly communicate with the source via the antenna, the RFID device operatively coupled to the power harvester and including an integrated circuit configured to operate based on the DC voltage; and

a sensor electrically coupled to the RFID device and the power harvester, the sensor configured to operate based on the DC voltage and to detect at least one of an environmental condition associated with a location of the apparatus or a physical condition associated with an item coupled to the apparatus,

the integrated circuit configured to perform an application associated with the at least one of the environmental condition or the physical condition detected by the sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power harvester is configured to wirelessly communicate with the source via the antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensor is electrically coupled to the antenna and is configured to wirelessly communicate with the source via the antenna.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a regulator coupled to the power harvester and configured to regulate the DC voltage to produce a regulated DC voltage, the integrated circuit configured to operate based on the regulated DC voltage received from the regulator.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an electronic display configured to operate based on the DC voltage.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor, or a position sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the RFID device does not operate based on a battery, and the sensor does not operate based on a battery.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna configured to wirelessly receive energy from a source, the source being remote from the apparatus;

a power harvester electrically coupled to the antenna and configured to convert the energy received at the antenna to a DC voltage to produce a power associated with the DC voltage;

a regulator coupled to the power harvester and configured to regulate the power associated with the DC voltage to produce a regulated power;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device electrically coupled to the antenna and configured to wirelessly communicate with the source via the antenna, the RFID device electrically coupled to the power harvester and the regulator, the RFID device including an integrated circuit configured to operate based on at least one of the power received from the power harvester or the regulated power received from the regulator; and

an electronic display electrically coupled to the RFID device and configured to operate, at least in part, based on the regulated power received from the regulator.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electronic display is electrically coupled to the regulator, the electronic display is configured to operate based on the regulated power received from the regulator and the power received from the power harvester.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electronic display is one of a liquid-crystal display (LCD) or a light-emitting diode (LED) display.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a sensor configured to operate, at least in part, based on the regulated power received from the regulator, the sensor including at least one of a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor, or a position sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the power harvester is configured to wirelessly communicate with the source via the antenna.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID device does not operate based on a battery, and the electronic display does not operate based on a battery.