Recharging method and apparatus

• US 20040053584A1
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Inventors: Mickle, Marlin H., Greene, Charles E., Capelli, Christopher C., Mi, Minhong, Swift, Harold, Matts, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.

Claims

1. A method of energizing a power storage device comprising

providing a base station and a remote station having an antenna for receiving power and a power storage device,

transmitting energy in space from the base station to said remote station,

employing as said antenna an antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

receiving said transmitted energy by said antenna and converting to said energy to DC power, and

energizing said power storage device with said DC power.

2. The method of claim 1, including

employing a said antenna formed on an electronic chip.

3. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said remote station a remote station that is printed on a substrate using conductive and insulating portions.

4. The method of claim 1, including

employing an LC tank circuit in said antenna to establish an effective area of the antenna greater than its physical area.

14. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said remote station a monolithic chip assembly which contains an antenna and the circuitry employed to effective said energy receipt and conversion.

17. The method of claim 1, including

employing as said remote station a station having printed circuitry and an antenna which is printed.

20. The method of claim 3, including

employing a said printed antenna a conductive antenna printed onto a nonconductive substrate.

23. The method of claim 20, including

employing a layer of material having a specific capacitance and electrical insulative properties on top of said antenna.

5. A method of energizing power storage devices of small remote stations comprising

providing said remote station with an energy receiving antenna for receiving ambient energy from the environment,

providing on said remote station circuitry for converting said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device,

employing as said antenna an antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area, and

employing said antenna and said circuitry to deliver said DC power to said energy storage device.

6. The method of claim 5, including

employing a said antenna formed on an electronic chip.

7. The method of claim 5, including

employing as said remote station a remote station that is printed on a substrate using conductive and insulating portions.

8. The method of claim 5, including

employing an LC tank circuit in said antenna to establish an effective area of the antenna greater than its physical area.

15. The method of claim, 5, including

employing as said remote station a monolithic chip assembly which contains an antenna and the circuitry employed to effective said energy receipt and conversion.

18. The method of claim 5, including

employing as said remote station a station having printed circuitry and an antenna which is printed.

21. The method of claim 7, including

employing a said printed antenna a conductive antenna printed onto a nonconductive substrate.

24. The method of claim 21, including

employing a layer of material having a specific capacitance and electrical insulative properties on top of said antenna.

9. The method of claim 9, including

employing RF power as said ambient energy.

10. A method of energizing a power storage device comprising

providing a base station and a remote station having a power storage device transmitting from said base station in space to said remote station energy employing ultra-wide band frequency,

employing on said remote station antennas for receiving said ultra-wide band frequency transmitted energy to energize power storage devices on said remote station,

employing as said antennas multiple discrete antennas with at least one said antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area,

converting said ultra-wide band frequency transmitted energy on said remote station into DC power, and

delivering said DC power to said power storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, including

employing a said antenna formed on an electronic chip.

12. The method of claim 10, including

employing as said remote station a remote station that is printed on a substrate having conductive and insulating portions.

13. The method of claim 10, including

employing an LC tank circuit in said antenna to establish an effective area of the antenna greater than its physical area.

16. The method of claim 10, including

employing as said remote station a monolithic chip assembly which contains an antenna and the circuitry employed to effective said energy receipt and conversion.

19. The method of claim 10, including

employing as said remote station a station having printed circuitry and an antenna which is printed.

22. The method of claim 12, including

employing a said printed antenna a conductive antenna printed onto a nonconductive substrate.

25. The method of claim 22, including

employing a layer of material having a specific capacitance and electrical insulative properties on top of said antenna.

26. Apparatus for remote energizing of power storage devices comprising

a base station for transmitting energy in space to said remote station,

a remote station having a means for receipt of said transmitted energy energizing power storage devices,

said remote station having one or more antennae with at least one antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area, and

said remote station being structured to convert said transmitted energy into DC power for energizing said power storage devices.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 including

said base station is structured to transmit energy in space to said remote station in the form of RF energy.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein

the remote station having an electronic chip on which said antenna means is formed.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein

the remote station is printed on substrate using conductive and insulating compositions.

30. The remote station of claim 26 wherein,

the effective area of the antenna is made greater than its physical area through the use of an LC tank circuit in said antenna.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 including

said remote station having a monolithic chip assembly which contains at least one antenna and circuitry employed to effect said energy receipt and conversion.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 including

said remote station having printed circuitry and an antenna which is printed.

33. The apparatus of claim 26 including

said remote station antenna being structured to receive ambient energy from the environment.

34. The apparatus of claim 26 including

said remote station antenna being structured to receive ultra-wide band frequency energy.