Recharging method and apparatus

• US 7,440,780 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• 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: Mickle, Marlin H., Greene, Charles E., Capelli, Christopher C., Mi, Minhong, Swift, Harold, Matts, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US11/021,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/822, 455/872, 455/873, 455/874, 455 411- 412, 455 901- 903, 455/343.1, 455/344, 455/454, 455128-129, 455572-574, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 455/127.1, 455/127.5, 455/333, 455/343.5, 455/343.6, 455291-292, 343701-703, 343/722, 343/720, 320101-102, 320/124, 320/127, 320137-138
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.

Claims

1. A method of energizing a power storage device comprising:

providing a remote station with an energy receiving antenna for receiving ambient energy from the non-cooperating environment, said antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

employing an LC tank circuit in said antenna to establish said effective area of the antenna greater than said physical area, said LC tank circuit being formed by providing the antenna with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and covering the antenna with a film of material having a specific capacitance,

providing on said remote station circuitry for converting said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device, and

employing said antenna and said circuitry to deliver said DC power to said power storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said antenna an antenna formed on an electronic chip.

3. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said remote station a remote station that is printed on a substrate using conductive and insulating portions.

4. The method of claim 3, including

employing as said antenna a conductive antenna printed onto a nonconductive substrate.

5. The method of claim 1, including

employing RF power as said ambient energy.

6. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said remote station a monolithic chip assembly which contains said antenna and the circuitry employed to effect said energy receipt and conversion.

7. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said remote station a station comprising said circuitry and said antenna printed on a substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 including

said LC tank circuit being formed by an inter-electrode capacitance and an inter-electrode inductance of the antenna.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said LC tank circuit is formed without any additional discrete circuitry being electrically connected to said antenna.

10. The method of claim 1 including

said LC tank circuit also being formed by a parasitic capacitance and inductance of a chip or other substrate on which the antenna is formed.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said LC tank circuit is formed without any additional discrete circuitry being electrically connected to said antenna.

12. Apparatus for remote energizing of a power storage device comprising:

a remote station being structured to receive ambient energy from the non-cooperating environment for energizing said power storage device,

said remote station having one or more antennae for receiving said ambient energy with at least one antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area, wherein the effective area of the at least one antenna is made greater than its physical area through the use of an LC tank circuit in said at least one antenna, said LC tank circuit being formed by providing the at least one antenna with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and covering the at least one antenna with a film of material having a specific capacitance, and

said remote station being structured to convert said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein

the remote station having an electronic chip on which said one or more antennae are formed.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein

the remote station is printed on a substrate using conductive and insulating compositions.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 including

said remote station having a monolithic chip assembly which contains said at least one antenna and circuitry employed to effect said energy receipt and conversion.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 including

said remote station having said circuitry and said at least one antenna printed on a substrate.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 including said LC tank circuit being formed by an inter-electrode capacitance and an inter-electrode inductance of the at least one antenna.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said LC tank circuit is formed without any additional discrete circuitry being electrically connected to said at least one antenna.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 including said LC tank circuit also being formed by a parasitic capacitance and inductance of a chip or other substrate on which the at least one antenna is formed.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said LC tank circuit is formed without any additional discrete circuitry being electrically connected to said at least one antenna.

21. A method of energizing a power storage device comprising:

providing a remote station with an energy receiving antenna for receiving ambient energy from the non-cooperating environment, said antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

employing an LC tank circuit in said antenna to establish said effective area of the antenna greater than said physical area, said LC tank circuit being formed by providing the antenna with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and depositing the antenna on a substrate having a specific capacitance, and

providing a circuitry on said remote station for converting said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device, and

employing said antenna and said circuitry to deliver said DC power to said power storage device.

22. Apparatus for remote energizing of a power storage device comprising:

a remote station being structured to receive ambient energy from the non-cooperating environment for energizing said power storage device,

said remote station having one or more antennae for receiving said ambient energy with at least one antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area, wherein the effective area of the at least one antenna is made greater than its physical area through the use of an LC tank circuit in said at least one antenna, said LC tank circuit being formed by providing the at least one antenna with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and depositing the at least one antenna on a substrate having a specific capacitance, and

said remote station being structured to convert said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device.