Recharging method and apparatus

• US 7,567,824 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• 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: Mi, Minhong, Matts, Leonid, Mickle, Marlin H., Greene, Charles E., Capelli, Christopher C., Swift, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US11/265,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 455572-574, 455/575.1, 455 901- 903, 455 411- 412, 455/90.32, 455/333, 455/343.1, 455/344, 455128-129, 455/550.1, 455/127.1, 455/127.5, 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 base station and a remote station having said power storage device,

transmitting from said base station in space to said remote station energy employing ultra-wide band frequency,

employing on said remote station at least one antenna for receiving said ultra-wide band frequency transmitted energy to energize power storage devices on said remote station, wherein said at least one antenna has an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

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

converting said ultra-wide band frequency transmitted energy on said remote station into DC power, and

delivering said DC power to said power storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, including employing as said at least one antenna at least one antenna formed on an electronic chip.

3. The method of claim 2, including employing as said at least one antenna a conductive antenna printed onto a nonconductive substrate.

4. The method of claim 1, including employing as said remote station a remote station that is printed on a substrate having conductive and insulating portions.

5. The method of claim 1, including employing as said remote station a monolithic chip assembly which contains said at least one antenna and the circuitry employed to effect said energy receipt and conversion.

6. The method of claim 1, including employing as said remote station a station having printed circuitry wherein said at least one antenna is printed.

7. The method of claim 6, including employing a layer of material having a specific capacitance and electrical insulative properties on top of said at least one antenna.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one antenna is a plurality of antennas, and wherein each of said antennas is tuned to a separate frequency within said ultra-wide band frequency.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each antenna from the plurality of antennas has a physical area and an effective antenna area greater than the physical area of that antenna.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each antenna from the plurality of antennas has a physical area and an effective area, each antenna from the plurality of antennas includes an LC tank circuit such that the effective area is greater than the physical area of that antenna.

11. The method of claim 1, including said LC tank circuit being formed by an inter-electrode capacitance and inductance of said at least one antenna.

12. The method of claim 1, including said LC tank circuit being formed by a parasitic capacitance and inductance of the substrate on which said at least one antenna is formed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said LC tank circuit in said at least one antenna is formed without any additional discrete circuitry being electrically connected to said at least one antenna.

14. The method of claim 1, including said LC tank circuit being formed by the parasitic capacitance and inductance of the substrate on which said at least one antenna is formed and an inter-electrode capacitance and inductance of said at least one antenna.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the DC power delivered to the power storage device to cause information to be transmitted to said base station through a transmit antenna provided on said remote station that is separate from said at least one antenna.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said remote station includes a microcontroller and wherein said step of using the DC power delivered to the power storage device to cause information to be transmitted to said base station comprises using the DC power delivered to the power storage device to power said microcontroller, said microcontroller when powered causing said information to be transmitted to said base station through said transmit antenna.

17. A method of energizing a power storage device, comprising:

providing a base station and a remote station having said power storage device,

transmitting from said base station in space to said remote station energy employing ultra-wide band frequency,

employing on said remote station at least one antenna for receiving said ultra-wide band frequency transmitted energy to energize said power storage device on said remote station, wherein said at least one antenna has an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

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

18. The method of claim 17, including employing as said at least one antenna at least one antenna formed on an electronic chip.

19. The method of claim 17, including employing as said remote station a remote station that is printed on a substrate having conductive and insulating portions.

20. The method of claim 17, including employing as said remote station a monolithic chip assembly which contains said at least one antenna and circuitry employed to effect said energy receipt and conversion.

21. The method of claim 17, including employing as said remote station a station having printed circuitry wherein said at least one antenna is printed.

22. The method of claim 17, including employing as said at least one antenna a conductive antenna printed onto a nonconductive substrate.

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

24. The method of claim 17, including said LC tank circuit being formed by a parasitic capacitance and inductance of a substrate on which said at least one antenna is formed.

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

26. The method of claim 17, including said LC tank circuit being formed by the parasitic capacitance and inductance of a substrate on which said at least one antenna is formed and an inter-electrode capacitance and inductance of said at least one antenna.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the DC power delivered to the power storage device to cause information to be transmitted to said base station through a transmit antenna provided on said remote station that is separate from said at least one antenna.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said remote station includes a microcontroller and wherein said step of using the DC power delivered to the power storage device to cause information to be transmitted to said base station comprises using the DC power delivered to the power storage device to power said microcontroller, said microcontroller when powered causing said information to be transmitted to said base station through said transmit antenna.