Rectifying circuit for multiband radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting
First Claim
1. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device comprising:
- an antenna including a first antenna end point, a second antenna end point, and at least one elongated conductive structure connected to the first and second antenna end points and configured to resonate at RF frequencies within an associated bandwidth;
a first RF signal is generated on the first antenna end point, and a second RF signal is generated on the second antenna end point, the second RF signal being 180°
out-of-phase with the first RF signal; and
a rectifying circuit including;
a first diode coupled between the first antenna end point and a first node;
a first capacitor coupled between the second antenna end point and the first node; and
a second diode coupled between the first node and a second node,wherein the first diode has a lower forward voltage than the second diode, and the first diode has a lower peak inverse voltage than the second diode, whereby a first intermediate voltage generated at the first node comprises a sum of positive voltage pulses of the first RF signal that are passed through the first diode and the second AC signal passed through the first capacitor, and whereby a second intermediate voltage is generated at the second node in accordance with positive voltage pulses that are passed from the first node through the second diode.
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Abstract
A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device (rectenna) includes an antenna structure configured to resonate at RF frequencies, and a rectifying circuit that facilitates harvesting multiband RF signals having low energy levels (i.e., tens of mW and below) by utilizing two Zero Bias Schottky diodes having different forward voltage and peak inverse voltage values. Positive voltage pulses from a captured RF signal generated on a first antenna end point are passed by the first diode to a first internal node where they are summed with a second RF signal generated on the second antenna end point (i.e., after being passed through a capacitor), thereby producing a first intermediate voltage having a substantially higher voltage level. Positive voltage pulses are then passed from the first internal node through the second diode to an output control circuit for conversion into a usable DC output voltage.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device comprising:
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an antenna including a first antenna end point, a second antenna end point, and at least one elongated conductive structure connected to the first and second antenna end points and configured to resonate at RF frequencies within an associated bandwidth; a first RF signal is generated on the first antenna end point, and a second RF signal is generated on the second antenna end point, the second RF signal being 180°
out-of-phase with the first RF signal; anda rectifying circuit including; a first diode coupled between the first antenna end point and a first node; a first capacitor coupled between the second antenna end point and the first node; and a second diode coupled between the first node and a second node, wherein the first diode has a lower forward voltage than the second diode, and the first diode has a lower peak inverse voltage than the second diode, whereby a first intermediate voltage generated at the first node comprises a sum of positive voltage pulses of the first RF signal that are passed through the first diode and the second AC signal passed through the first capacitor, and whereby a second intermediate voltage is generated at the second node in accordance with positive voltage pulses that are passed from the first node through the second diode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting system including a plurality of RF energy harvesting devices, each RF energy harvesting device comprising:
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an antenna including a first antenna end point, a second antenna end point, and at least one elongated conductive structure connected to the first and second antenna end points and configured to resonate at RF frequencies within an associated bandwidth range; and a rectifying circuit including; a first diode coupled between the first antenna end point and a first node; a first capacitor coupled between the second end point and the first node; a second diode coupled between the first node and a second node, wherein the first diode has a lower forward voltage than the second diode, and the first diode has a lower peak inverse voltage than the second diode; and an output control circuit coupled between the second node and an output node, said output control circuit being configured to convert a second intermediate voltage generated on the second node into a direct current (DC) output voltage, and wherein the plurality of RF energy harvesting devices are coupled together to generate a combined system output voltage. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting device comprising:
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a flexible substrate; an antenna including at least one elongated antenna structure conformally disposed on said flexible substrate and configured to resonate at RF frequencies within an associated bandwidth range, said antenna including a first antenna end point and a second antenna end point; and a rectifying circuit including; a plurality of conductive line segments conformally disposed on said flexible substrate; a first diode coupled by way of a first said conductive line segment to the first antenna end point; a first capacitor coupled by way of a second said conductive line segment to the second antenna end point; a second diode coupled to the first capacitor and to the first diode by way of a third said conductive line segment, wherein the first diode has a lower forward voltage than the second diode, and the first diode has a lower peak inverse voltage than the second diode. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification