Apparatus to receive electromagnetic radiation that penetrates a housing formed of a conductive material

• US 8,032,486 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MicroStrain, Inc. (Spectris PLC)
• Inventors: Townsend, Christopher P., Arms, Steven W
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US12/721,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An apparatus includes a hermetically sealed housing formed of conductive material. The hermetically sealed housing contains a circuit that includes a power supply and a power using element. The power supply has a power receiving element within the hermetically sealed housing for receiving electromagnetic radiation having a frequency low enough to penetrate through the conductive material. The power supply is connected to provide electrical energy derived from the electromagnetic radiation for powering the power using element.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising a circuit, said circuit including a power receiving element, an energy storage device, a sensor, a memory, a transmitter, and a transmitter antenna, wherein said power receiving element is connected for receiving electromagnetic radiation and for providing electrical energy derived from said electromagnetic radiation to said energy storage device, wherein said energy storage device is connected for powering said memory for logging data derived from said sensor, and wherein said energy storage device is connected to said transmitter for powering transmission of data derived from said sensor, wherein said transmitter is connected to said transmitter antenna, wherein said transmitter antenna is different from said power receiving element.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said circuit is located in a hermetically sealed housing, wherein said hermetically sealed housing is formed of conductive material, wherein said power receiving element is tuned for receiving electromagnetic radiation having a frequency low enough to penetrate through said conductive material.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing includes titanium.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing is attached to at least one from the group consisting of an architectural structure and a vehicle.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising a network of said hermetically sealed housings attached to said at least one from the group consisting of an architectural structure and a vehicle.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing is for wearing.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing is embedded.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing is for implantation.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing includes an orthopedic implant.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said energy storage device is connected for recharging from electrical energy derived from said electromagnetic radiation that penetrates through said conductive material.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said circuit includes a charging circuit for recharging said energy storage device.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising a source of radiation having a frequency sufficiently low to penetrate through said conductive material.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said source of radiation is for providing radiation having a frequency of about 1.5 kHz.

14. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said hermetically sealed housing includes a hermetic feed through, wherein said transmitter antenna extends through said hermetic feed through.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor includes at least one from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a displacement sensor, a strain gauge, a pressure gauge, a thermometer, a flow monitor, a heart monitor, an electrocardiogram (EKG), an electromyogram (EMG), an electroencephalogram (EEG), a blood monitor, a force gauge, a humidity monitor, a growth rate monitor, a ripeness monitor, a light intensity gauge, a radiation detector, a chemical detector, a corrosion detector, a toxic monitor, an implant micro-motion sensor, an internal pressure sensor, a torque sensor, and a loading sensor.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an array of accelerometers.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a linear accelerometer.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a resistive accelerometer.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an angular accelerometer.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a piezoelectric accelerometer.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor detects vibration.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one from the group consisting of a microprocessor and a receiver.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprising said microprocessor wherein said microprocessor, said transmitter, said memory, and said sensor are connected for storing, processing and transmitting data from said sensor .

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein said circuit further comprises said receiver, wherein said receiver is for receiving information from external to said circuit.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said power receiving element includes a coil.

26. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory includes non-volatile memory.

27. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitter is an RF transmitter.

28. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said circuit further comprises a receiver, wherein said receiver is for receiving information from external to said circuit, wherein said transmitter and said receiver are included in a transceiver.

29. A method of powering an apparatus, comprising:

a) providing a circuit, said circuit including a power receiving element, an energy storage device, a sensor, a transmitter, a transmitter antenna, and a memory, wherein said power receiving element is connected for receiving electromagnetic radiation and for providing electrical energy derived from said electromagnetic radiation for charging said energy storage device, wherein said energy storage device is connected to said memory for powering logging data derived from said sensor and wherein said energy storage device is connected to said transmitter for powering transmission of data derived from said sensor, wherein said transmitter is connected to said transmitter antenna, wherein said transmitter antenna is different from said power receiving element;

b) providing said electromagnetic radiation;

c) receiving said electromagnetic radiation with said power receiving element;

d) providing electrical energy derived from said electromagnetic radiation for charging said energy storage device;

e) powering said memory with electrical energy derived from said energy storage device and logging data derived from said sensor in said memory; and

f) powering said transmitter with electrical energy derived from said energy storage device and transmitting data derived from said sensor.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said circuit further comprises a microprocessor further comprising processing said data in said microprocessor.

31. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said circuit is located in a hermetically sealed housing, wherein said hermetically sealed housing is formed of conductive material, wherein said power receiving element is tuned to receive electromagnetic radiation having a frequency low enough to penetrate through said conductive material.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising implanting said hermetically sealed housing.

33. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising attaching said hermetically sealed housing to at least one from the group consisting of an architectural structure and a vehicle.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, further comprising attaching a network of said hermetically sealed housings to said at least one from the group consisting of an architectural structure and a vehicle.

35. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising embedding said hermetically sealed housing.

36. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising recharging said energy storage device with electrical energy derived from said power supply from electromagnetic radiation that penetrates through said conductive material.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, further comprising providing said electromagnetic radiation having a frequency of about 1.5 kHz.

38. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein said hermetically sealed housing includes a hermetic feed through, wherein said transmitter antenna extends through said hermetic feed through.

39. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said circuit further comprises a receiver connected for receiving information from external to said circuit.

40. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said memory includes non-volatile memory.

41. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said transmitter is an RF transmitter.

42. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said transmitter and said receiver are included in a transceiver.