Multiband Radio Frequency (RF) Energy Harvesting With Scalable Antenna
First Claim
1. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device comprising:
- a substrate having a substantially planar surface;
a metamaterial resonator antenna including at least one metal element that is conformally fixedly disposed on the surface of the substrate, said at least one metal element including;
a first primary antenna segment extending from a first antenna end point to a first midpoint,a second primary antenna segment extending from a second antenna end point to a second midpoint,at least one secondary antenna segment disposed parallel to and spaced from the first and second primary antenna segments by a uniform gap distance, said at least one secondary antenna segment having a first end disposed at a third midpoint and an opposing second end disposed at a fourth midpoint,a first linking segment connected between the first and third midpoints, anda second linking segment connected between the second and fourth midpoints,wherein the first and second primary antenna segments and said at least one secondary antenna segment are configured to resonate at RF frequencies that are within an associated bandwidth range such that a first captured RF signal is generated on the first antenna end point and a second captured RF signal is generated on the second antenna end point, said first capture RF signal being 180°
out-of-phase from the second captured RF signal; and
a rectifying circuit coupled to the first and second antenna end points, said rectifying circuit including circuit elements configured to pass positive voltage pulses from said first and second captured RF signals to an output node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device including a scalable metamaterial resonator antenna and a rectifying circuit formed on a flexible plastic substrate. The metamaterial resonator antenna includes a metal (e.g., silver) structure that is conformally fixedly disposed (i.e., either printed or deposited/etched) on the flexible substrate and configured to resonate at RF frequencies using primary and secondary antenna segments connected by linking segments such that captured RF signals are generated at two antenna end points that are 180° out-of-phase with each other. The rectifying circuit including additional metal structures that are also printed or otherwise formed on the flexible substrate, and one or more circuit elements that are configured to pass positive voltage pulses from the captured RF signals to an output node. Various metamaterial resonator antenna configurations are disclosed.
28 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device comprising:
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a substrate having a substantially planar surface; a metamaterial resonator antenna including at least one metal element that is conformally fixedly disposed on the surface of the substrate, said at least one metal element including; a first primary antenna segment extending from a first antenna end point to a first midpoint, a second primary antenna segment extending from a second antenna end point to a second midpoint, at least one secondary antenna segment disposed parallel to and spaced from the first and second primary antenna segments by a uniform gap distance, said at least one secondary antenna segment having a first end disposed at a third midpoint and an opposing second end disposed at a fourth midpoint, a first linking segment connected between the first and third midpoints, and a second linking segment connected between the second and fourth midpoints, wherein the first and second primary antenna segments and said at least one secondary antenna segment are configured to resonate at RF frequencies that are within an associated bandwidth range such that a first captured RF signal is generated on the first antenna end point and a second captured RF signal is generated on the second antenna end point, said first capture RF signal being 180°
out-of-phase from the second captured RF signal; anda rectifying circuit coupled to the first and second antenna end points, said rectifying circuit including circuit elements configured to pass positive voltage pulses from said first and second captured RF signals to an output node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting system including a plurality of RF energy harvesting devices, each RF energy harvesting device comprising:
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a metamaterial resonator antenna including at least one metal element that is conformally fixedly disposed on the surface of a substrate, said at least one metal element including; a first primary antenna segment extending from a first antenna end point to a first midpoint, a second primary antenna segment extending from a second first antenna end point to a second midpoint, at least one secondary antenna segment disposed parallel to and spaced from the first and second primary antenna segments by a uniform gap distance, said at least one secondary antenna segment having a first end disposed at a third midpoint and an opposing second end disposed at a fourth midpoint, a first linking segment connected between the first and third midpoints, and a second linking segment connected between the second and fourth midpoints, wherein the first and second primary antenna segments and said at least one secondary antenna segment are configured to resonate at RF frequencies that are within an associated bandwidth range such that a first captured RF signal is generated on the first antenna end point and a second captured RF signal is generated on the second antenna end point, said first capture RF signal being 180°
out-of-phase from the second captured RF signal; anda rectifying circuit coupled to the first and second antenna end points, said rectifying circuit including circuit elements configured to pass positive voltage pulses from said first and second captured RF signals to an output node, wherein the plurality of RF energy harvesting devices are coupled together to generate a combined system output voltage. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A metamaterial resonator antenna comprising at least one metal element including:
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a first primary antenna segment extending from a first antenna end point to a first midpoint, a second primary antenna segment extending from a second antenna end point to a second midpoint, at least one secondary antenna segment disposed parallel to and spaced from the first and second primary antenna segments by a uniform gap distance, said at least one secondary antenna segment having a first end disposed at a third midpoint and an opposing second end disposed at a fourth midpoint, a first linking segment connected between the first and third midpoints, and a second linking segment connected between the second and fourth midpoints, wherein the first and second primary antenna segments and said at least one secondary antenna segment are configured to resonate at frequencies that are within an associated bandwidth range such that a first captured signal is generated on the first antenna end point and a second captured signal is generated on the second antenna end point, said first capture signal being 180°
out-of-phase from the second captured signal. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification