Energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter

• US 20030143963A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Original Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Inventors: Schmidt, Frank, Pistor, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46

Abstract

The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter has at least one electromechanical transducer with a rectifier circuit connected downstream and with a voltage converter circuit. A logic circuit configuration is connected to the voltage converter circuit. The logic circuit configuration has a sequence controller a memory in which an identification code is stored. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter also has a radiofrequency transmission stage that is connected to the logic circuit configuration and a transmission antenna.

Claims

1. An energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter, comprising:

at least one electromechanical transducer;

a rectifier circuit connected downstream from said transducer;

a voltage converter circuit;

a logic circuit configuration connected to said voltage converter circuit, said logic circuit configuration including a sequence controller and a memory for storing an identification code;

a radiofrequency transmission stage connected to said logic circuit configuration; and

at least one transmission antenna.

2. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said electromechanical transducer includes at least one piezoelectric element.

3. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 2, wherein said piezoelectric element is a bending transducer.

4. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said electromechanical transducer includes at least one induction coil.

5. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said voltage converter circuit includes an energy storage element.

6. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 5, wherein said voltage converter circuit can be operated in a clocked manner.

7. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, comprising at least one capacitor for storing energy;

said capacitor connected between said rectifier circuit and said voltage regulating circuit.

8. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit configuration includes at least one component selected from a group consisting of at least one microprocessor and an ASIC.

9. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, comprising at least one sensor connected to said logic circuit configuration.

10. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit configuration is embodied using ULP technology.

11. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit configuration has clock generator including an LC resonant circuit or an RC resonant circuit.

12. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said radiofrequency transmission stage is constructed for transmitting a radiofrequency signal having a frequency of greater than 1 MHz.

13. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 12, wherein said radiofrequency transmission stage is constructed for transmitting a radiofrequency signal having a frequency between 100 MHz and 30 GHz.

14. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the radiofrequency signal can have a bandwidth of more than 100 kHz.

15. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter according to claim 1, comprising a delay device connected between said logic circuit configuration and said transmission antenna.

16. A method for energy self-sufficiently transmitting a radiofrequency signal, which comprises:

using an electromechanical transducer to convert a mechanical movement into a voltage signal;

obtaining a rectified voltage signal by rectifying the voltage signal;

converting the rectified voltage signal to produce a voltage level that is constant at least in sections;

after converting the rectified signal, using the rectified voltage signal to supply energy to at least one logic circuit configuration;

using the logic circuit configuration to communicate at least one identification code to a radiofrequency transmission stage; and

using the radiofrequency transmission stage and a transmission antenna to radiate a radiofrequency signal containing the identification code.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of using the logic circuit configuration to communicate the identification code to the radiofrequency transmission stage includes:

reading out the identification code from a memory of the logic circuit configuration;

generating a transmission telegram including the identification code;

activating the radiofrequency transmission stage; and

modulating a radiofrequency oscillation with the transmission telegram.

18. The method according to claim 16, which comprises:

providing measurement data obtained from at least one sensor to the logic circuit configuration; and

impressing the measurement data on the radiofrequency signal.

19. The method according to claim 16, which comprises radiating a plurality of radiofrequency signals one after another;

each one of the plurality of the radiofrequency signals having a complete information content.

20. The method according to claim 19, which comprises variably setting a time interval of individual ones of the plurality of the radiofrequency signals with respect to one another.

21. The method according to claim 19, which comprises variably setting a frequency of individual ones of the plurality of the radiofrequency signals with respect to one another.

22. The method according to claim 16, which comprises encrypting information of the radiofrequency signal.

23. The method according to claim 22, which comprises differently encrypting a plurality of radiofrequency signals.

24. The method according to claim 16, which comprises radiating the radiofrequency signal in a time-delayed manner.

25. The method according to claim 16, which comprises transmitting the radiofrequency signal with a bandwidth greater than 100 kHz.

26. The method according to claim 16, which comprises transmitting the radiofrequency signal with a frequency of greater than 1 MHz.

27. The method according to claim 16, which comprises transmitting the radiofrequency signal with a frequency of between 100 MHz and 30 GHz.

28. A method of using an energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter, which comprises:

providing the energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter with;

at least one electromechanical transducer,

a rectifier circuit connected downstream from said transducer,

a voltage converter circuit,

a logic circuit configuration connected to said voltage converter circuit, said logic circuit configuration including a sequence controller and a memory for storing an identification code,

a radiofrequency transmission stage connected to said logic circuit configuration, and

at least one transmission antenna; and

using the energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter in a technology selected from a group consisting of traffic technology, automotive technology, building technology, and installation technology.