Battery-operated wireless-communication apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a thin-film battery affixed to at least one surface of a substrate;
a bonding pad located on the substrate and at a position outside of a footprint of the thin-film battery on said at least one surface, the bonding pad being electrically coupled to the thin-film battery;
a protective coating located on the thin-film battery;
a device affixed to said thin-film battery via the protective coating, the protective coating being located between the thin-film battery and the device, said device being electrically coupled to the thin-film battery by a conductor coupled to the bonding pad at said position outside of the footprint of the thin-film battery; and
an encapsulant to encapsulate the device, the thin-film battery, the external conductor, and the bonding pad,wherein said device has a lower surface affixed to a portion of said protective coating that overlies an upper portion of said thin-film battery, wherein no conductor between said device and said thin-film battery is present between said lower surface of said device and said upper portion of said thin-film battery that is overlied by said portion of said protective coating having affixed thereto said lower surface of said device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A combined battery and wireless-communications apparatus and method. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a support, a first conductive layer deposited on a first surface area of the support, a thin-film battery including a cathode layer, a solid-state electrolyte layer, and an anode layer deposited such that either the anode layer or the cathode layer is in electrical contact with the first conductive layer, an antenna mounted to the support structure, and an electronic communications circuit mounted to the support and electrically coupled to the battery and the antenna to transceive radio communications. Other embodiments include an energy-receiving device mounted to the support structure, and an electronic communications circuit mounted to the support structure and including a recharging circuit, the recharging circuit electrically coupled to the battery and the energy-receiving device to recharge the battery using energy received by the energy-receiving device.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a thin-film battery affixed to at least one surface of a substrate; a bonding pad located on the substrate and at a position outside of a footprint of the thin-film battery on said at least one surface, the bonding pad being electrically coupled to the thin-film battery; a protective coating located on the thin-film battery; a device affixed to said thin-film battery via the protective coating, the protective coating being located between the thin-film battery and the device, said device being electrically coupled to the thin-film battery by a conductor coupled to the bonding pad at said position outside of the footprint of the thin-film battery; and an encapsulant to encapsulate the device, the thin-film battery, the external conductor, and the bonding pad, wherein said device has a lower surface affixed to a portion of said protective coating that overlies an upper portion of said thin-film battery, wherein no conductor between said device and said thin-film battery is present between said lower surface of said device and said upper portion of said thin-film battery that is overlied by said portion of said protective coating having affixed thereto said lower surface of said device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus, comprising:
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a thin-film battery affixed to a substrate; a bonding pad located on the substrate and at a position outside of a footprint of the thin-film battery on said substrate, the bonding pad being electrically coupled to the thin-film battery; a protective coating located on the thin-film battery; an integrated circuit affixed to and overlying said thin-film battery via the protective coating, the protective coating being located between the thin-film battery and the integrated circuit, said integrated circuit being electrically coupled to the thin-film battery by a conductor coupled to the bonding pad at said position outside of the footprint of the thin-film battery; and an encapsulant to encapsulate the integrated circuit, the thin-film battery, the external conductor, and the bonding pad, wherein said integrated circuit has a lower surface affixed to a portion of said protective coating that overlies at least one upper surface of said thin-film battery, wherein no conductor between said integrated circuit and said thin-film battery is present between said lower surface of said integrated circuit and said upper surface of said thin-film battery that is overlied by said portion of said protective coating having affixed thereto said lower surface of said integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus, comprising:
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a thin-film battery affixed to at least one surface of a substrate; a protective coating located on the thin-film battery; a device affixed to the thin-film battery via the protective coating, and electrically coupled to the thin-film battery at a position lateral to said device and to said thin-film battery through a conductor external to the thin-film battery and to the device; and an encapsulant to encapsulate the device and the external conductor, wherein said device has a lower surface affixed to a portion of said protective coating that overlies an upper portion of said thin-film battery, wherein no conductor between said device and said thin-film battery is present between said lower surface of said device and said upper portion of said thin-film battery that is overlied by said portion of said protective coating having affixed thereto said lower surface of said device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification