Microelectronic device with integrated energy source

• US 7,989,936 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David R. Hofman
• Original Assignee: Joseph Harry Mccain
• Inventors: McCain, Joseph Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): POTTER, ROY KARL
• Application Number:
  US12/467,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20090221925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 257/678, 257/E23.002, 257/414, 257/225, 257/245, 257/491, 257/679, 257/778, 600/509, 600/176, 310/321, 340/767, 340/572.7, 290/1
• US Class Current: 257/678
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49593 Battery in combination with a leadframe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12044 OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/04 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices testing thereof during manufacture H01L22/00; testing thereof after manufacture H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

An apparatus including an electronic device having a plurality of substantially collocated components, the plurality of components including an antenna, an energy supply and an integrated circuit chip. The integrated circuit chip is electrically coupled to the antenna and the energy supply. A material substantially encloses the electronic device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device having a plurality of substantially collocated components, the plurality of components comprising;

an antenna;

an integrated circuit chip comprising networking circuitry associated with the antenna;

an energy supply electrically coupled to the integrated circuit chip; and

an energy harvesting device configured to convert non-electrical energy to electrical energy supplied to the energy supply; and

a material substantially enclosing the electronic device;

wherein the integrated circuit chip comprises wireless communications circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate via the antenna with at least one of a similarly configured wireless communication device and apparatus that is physically separated from the electronic device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the electronic device is configured for substantially autonomous operation;

the integrated circuit chip is configured to be operationally reconfigured in response to electrical signals wirelessly communicated via the antenna; and

the energy supply comprises a multi-layered, electrochemical battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit chip comprises environmental sensory circuitry configured to perform at least one of detection and communication of a characteristic associated with an environment that is external to the material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the environmental sensory circuitry comprises biometric sensory circuitry configured to detect a biometric characteristic of a living animal proximate the apparatus; and

the integrated circuit chip further comprises means for communicating and transferring the biometric characteristic between the environmental sensory circuitry and the wireless communications circuitry.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is one of a plurality of substantially similar electronic devices, wherein the apparatus further comprises a base station located remote from each of the electronic devices, and wherein each of the electronic devices is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the electronic devices is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station directly and via another of the electronic devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the apparatus further comprises an intermediary unit located remote from the base station and each of the electronic devices, wherein the intermediary unit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station and at least one of the electronic devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the intermediary unit comprises:

an intermediary unit antenna;

an intermediary unit integrated circuit chip comprising intermediary unit networking circuitry associated with the intermediary unit antenna;

an intermediary unit energy supply electrically coupled to the intermediary unit integrated circuit chip; and

an intermediary unit energy harvesting device configured to convert non-electrical energy to electrical energy supplied to the intermediary unit energy supply.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the base station is configured to communicate with a telecommunications network.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the electronic device is configured for substantially autonomous operation;

the integrated circuit chip is configured to be operationally reconfigured in response to electrical signals wirelessly communicated via the antenna;

the energy supply comprises a multi-layered, electrochemical battery; and

the integrated circuit chip further comprises means for communicating and transferring the characteristic between the environmental sensory circuitry and the wireless communications circuitry.

11. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

a location within the environment;

a orientation within the environment;

a composition of the environment;

a temperature of the environment;

a pressure of the environment;

a voltage of an electrical feature associated with the environment;

a current of an electrical feature associated with the environment;

a resistance of an electrical feature associated with the environment;

a concentration of the environment; and

a viscosity of the environment.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a telecommunications device comprising;

an antenna;

an integrated circuit chip comprising circuitry associated with the antenna;

an energy supply electrically coupled to the integrated circuit chip; and

an energy harvesting device configured to convert non-electrical energy to electrical energy supplied to the energy supply; and

a material enclosing the integrated circuit chip and at least a portion of at least one of the antenna, the energy supply and the energy harvesting device;

wherein the integrated circuit chip comprises wireless communications circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate via the antenna with at least one of a similarly configured wireless communication device and apparatus that is physically separated from the electronic device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the antenna, the integrated circuit chip, the energy supply and the energy harvesting device are substantially collocated;

the energy harvesting device comprises at least one photovoltaic cell;

the integrated circuit chip is configured to be operationally reconfigured in response to electrical signals wirelessly communicated via the antenna;

the energy supply comprises a multi-layered, electrochemical battery;

the integrated circuit chip comprises environmental sensory circuitry configured to perform at least one of detection and communication of a characteristic associated with an environment that is internal or external to the material; and

the material substantially encloses the antenna, the integrated circuit chip, the energy supply and the energy harvesting device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the energy harvesting device comprises at least one energy generator.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the environmental sensory circuitry comprises biometric sensory circuitry configured to detect a biometric characteristic of a living animal proximate the apparatus; and

the integrated circuit chip further comprises means for communicating and transferring the biometric characteristic between the environmental sensory circuitry and the wireless communications circuitry.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

a location within the environment;

a orientation within the environment;

a composition of the environment;

a temperature of the environment;

a pressure of the environment;

a voltage of an electrical feature associated with the environment;

a current of an electrical feature associated with the environment;

a resistance of an electrical feature associated with the environment;

a concentration of the environment; and

a viscosity of the environment.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices each comprising;

an antenna;

an integrated circuit chip comprising networking circuitry associated with the antenna;

an energy supply electrically coupled to the integrated circuit chip;

an energy harvesting device configured to convert non-electrical energy to electrical energy supplied to the energy supply; and

a material enclosing the integrated circuit chip and at least a portion of at least one of the antenna, the energy supply and the energy harvesting device; and

a base station located remote from each of the electronic devices, wherein each of the electronic devices is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one of the electronic devices is configured for substantially autonomous operation.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the integrated circuit chip of at least one of the electronic devices is configured to be operationally reconfigured in response to electrical signals wirelessly communicated via the antenna of the at least one of the electronic devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein, for at least one of the electronic devices, the integrated circuit chip comprises environmental sensory circuitry configured to perform at least one of detection and communication of a characteristic associated with an environment that is external to the material.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein each of the electronic devices is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station directly and via another of the electronic devices.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus further comprises an intermediary unit located remote from the base station and each of the electronic devices, wherein the intermediary unit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station and at least one of the electronic devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the intermediary unit comprises:

an intermediary unit antenna;

an intermediary unit integrated circuit chip comprising intermediary unit networking circuitry associated with the intermediary unit antenna;

an intermediary unit energy supply electrically coupled to the intermediary unit integrated circuit chip; and

an intermediary unit energy harvesting device configured to convert non-electrical energy to electrical energy supplied to the intermediary unit energy supply.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the base station is configured to communicate with a telecommunications network.