ABSORPTIVE RF RECTIFIER CIRCUIT

• US 20150003131A1
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Werlatone, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Werlatone, Inc.
• Inventors: DO, Ky-Hien, KURING, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,077,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/126
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/06 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/00 Details of amplifiers with only discharge tubes, only semiconductor devices or only unspecified devices as amplifying elements

Abstract

A radio frequency rectifier circuit may include a resistive termination to circuit ground, a plurality of inductors, and at least a first pair of rectifier components. The plurality of inductors may be connected electrically in series between an input node for receiving an input RF signal and the resistive termination. Each pair of electrically adjacent inductors of the plurality of inductors may be connected together at a respective in-line node. The first pair of rectifier components may electrically couple a first one of the in-line nodes to a respective direct current output node. Each rectifier component may have a cathode and an anode. A first rectifier component of the first pair of rectifier components may have the cathode electrically connected to the first in-line node and a second rectifier component of the first pair of rectifier components may have the anode electrically connected to the first in-line node.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency (RF) rectifier circuit comprising:

a resistive termination to circuit ground;

a plurality of inductors connected electrically in series between an input node for receiving an input RF signal and the resistive termination, each pair of electrically adjacent inductors of the plurality of inductors being connected together at a respective in-line node;

a first pair of rectifier components electrically coupling at least a first one of the in-line nodes to a respective direct current (DC) output node, each rectifier component having a cathode and an anode, a first rectifier component of the first pair of rectifier components having the cathode electrically connected to the first in-line node and a second rectifier component of the first pair of rectifier components having the anode electrically connected to the first in-line node.

2. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 1, wherein inductances of the plurality of inductors increase successively from the input node to the resistive termination.

3. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 2, wherein inductances of the plurality of inductors are set to apply substantially uniform voltages across each of the rectifier components.

4. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inductors includes a terminal inductor electrically connected to the resistive termination at a further in-line node, the rectifier circuit further comprising a respective pair of the rectifier components electrically coupling each of the in-line nodes to respective ones of the DC output nodes, the respective pairs of rectifier components including the first pair of rectifier components, one rectifier component of each pair of the rectifier components having the cathode electrically connected to the associated in-line node and the other of the rectifier components of each pair of rectifier components having the anode electrically connected to the associated in-line node.

5. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 4, further comprising a voltage leveling circuit coupling at least one DC output node to circuit ground for reducing ripple in the output DC voltage.

6. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 5, wherein each voltage leveling circuit includes an electrically parallel combination of a resistor and a capacitor coupling each rectifier component to circuit ground.

7. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 4, wherein the inductors and rectifier components are selected to provide substantially uniform input impedance for the RF rectifier circuit over an operating bandwidth of at least an octave.

8. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 4, wherein the inductors and rectifier components are selected to provide substantially uniform input impedance for the RF rectifier circuit over an operating bandwidth of at least a decade.

9. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 4, further comprising a respective capacitor connected between each pair of rectifier components and the respective in-line node.

10. The RF rectifier circuit of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor connected between the pair of rectifier components and the in-line node.