Environmentally-Powered Wireless Sensor Module

• US 20100090655A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sapurast Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Feenex Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Raymond R., Keating, Joseph A., Narayan, Prativadi B., Bradow, Timothy N
• Granted Patent: US 8,508,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection

Abstract

A system that powers a wireless sensor mechanism from ambient sources without the need to replace a battery is disclosed. The present invention uses an energy harvesting mechanism built onto, for example, a substrate to recharge a rechargeable energy storage mechanism that is built on the same substrate. The energy storage mechanism provides power to a transmission/receiving mechanism and microprocessor that may also be arranged on said substrate. The energy-harvesting mechanism may be combined with a power management unit to enable efficient use and regulation of the harvested energy.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

an energy harvesting mechanism connected to said substrate;

an energy storage device connected to said energy-harvesting mechanism; and

a microprocessor located on said substrate and connected to said energy storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power management unit connected to said energy harvesting device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises any device selected from the group of:

rigid substrate, semi-rigid substrate and flexible substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises any material selected from the group of:

polyimide, polyester, polyethylene naphthalate, polyetherimide, aramid, and epoxy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor connected to said microprocessor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one signal transmitter connected to said microprocessor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one signal receiver connected to said microprocessor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said energy-harvesting mechanism comprises any device selected from the group of:

piezoelectric transducer, radio-frequency transducer, solar cell, wind turbine, vibration energy scavenger, water movement-to-electric energy converter, rotational movement-to-electric energy converter, and temperature variation-to-electric energy converter.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor comprises any device selected from the group of:

an altimeter, a pressure gauge, a thermometer, a barometer, a hygrometer, an accelerometer, and an anemometer.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said energy storage device comprises any device selected from the group of:

battery, thin-film battery, capacitor, thin-film capacitor, magneto-electric element, piezoelectric element, thermal mass container, flywheel, micro-flywheel, micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS), mechanical spring, hydrogen generator with hydrogen container, and ozone generator with ozone container.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an energy conversion component connected to the energy harvesting mechanism.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said energy storage device comprises a thin-film battery with a total thickness that does not exceed 1 centimeter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lateral area of said thin-film battery does not exceed 10 square inches.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lateral area of said thin-film battery does not exceed 0.25 square centimeters.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said thin-film battery contains a heat and pressure-resilient separation layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said thin-film battery contains a metallic lithium anode.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electroactive element within said thin-film battery comprises lithium.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said thin-film battery comprises a lithium-ion cell.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said thin-film battery is a lithium-free battery.

20. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said signal receiver receives a signal from a GPS satellite.

21. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said signal receiver comprises a ZigBee transceiver.

22. A method for communicating information comprising:

converting energy into a useful form;

storing said useful form of energy; and

powering a processing unit with said stored energy.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

monitoring at least one parameter with at least one sensor;

communicating monitored parameters to said processing unit; and

processing said parameters into user data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving GPS signals from one or more GPS satellites;

determining the location of the device from said GPS signals.