Miniature fiber radio transceiver and related method

• US 20100097292A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Peczalski, Andrzej M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,503,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/904
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

A miniature fiber radio transceiver is disclosed that has an elongated form factor. In some embodiments, the form factor has the dimensions of one half of a millimeter by one half of a millimeter by fifty millimeters to give the transceiver an elongated shape similar to the shape of a single strand of hair. The miniature fiber radio transceiver may also include an energy source in the form of a piezoelectric fiber composite transducer having a plurality of elongated elastic piezoelectric fibers embedded in a composite material. The piezoelectric fibers can scavenge electrical energy from mechanical energy to generate charge pulses that provide the electrical energy for the operation of the transceiver.

Claims

1. A miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver having an elongated form factor.

2. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elongated form factor has a shape of a single hair.

3. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elongated form factor has dimensions in which a height of transceiver is approximately one half of a millimeter, a width of the transceiver is approximately one half of a millimeter, and a length of the transceiver is approximately fifty millimeters.

4. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises electronic devices, an energy source, and an antenna.

5. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein the energy source comprises a battery.

6. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein the energy source area comprises a fuel cell.

7. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein the energy source area comprises a piezoelectric fiber transducer.

8. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric fiber transducer comprises a plurality of piezoelectric fibers configured to generate a charge pulse when the fibers are bent with respect to a straight line position.

9. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein the electronics area of the transceiver comprises:

a direct sequence spread spectrum transmitter; and

a sixty five microwatt, one and nine tenths Gigahertz radio frequency to digital baseband wakeup receiver.

10. A miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver having an elongated form factor, the miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver comprising:

an electronics area that comprises one of;

a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver;

an energy source area that comprises a source of electrical energy; and

an antenna area that comprises an antenna for one of;

transmitting and receiving radio frequency waveforms.

11. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 10, wherein the electronics area, the energy source area, and the antenna area each have an elongated form factor.

12. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 11, wherein the electronics area has a form factor that has dimensions of one half of a millimeter by one half of a millimeter by six millimeters.

13. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 10, wherein the source of electrical energy in the energy source area is a piezoelectric fiber transducer.

14. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 13, wherein the antenna overlays the piezoelectric fiber transducer.

15. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 14 wherein the antenna that overlays the piezoelectric fiber transducer comprises one of:

a straight antenna and a folded dipole antenna.

16. The miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver as set forth in claim 13, wherein the piezoelectric fiber transducer is configured to generate electrical energy for each bending of the piezoelectric fibers.

17. A method for manufacturing a miniature fiber radio frequency transceiver, the method comprising:

providing an energy source structure in the form of a fiber or mat of fibers;

creating metal traces of interconnects on a top and a bottom of the energy source structure; and

forming an antenna of the metal traces on the energy source structure.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

sawing the mat of fibers into a plurality of hair shaped filaments.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further comprising:

mounting electronic components of a radio frequency transceiver on the interconnect pattern of metal traces; and

applying passivation material to cover the electronics components, the antenna, and the energy source structure of the radio frequency transceiver.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising:

operating the miniature fiber radio transceiver using electrical energy from the energy source structure.