WIRELESS SYSTEMS HAVING MULTIPLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND EMPLOYING SIMPLIFIED FABRICATION AND MATCHING, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20130178158A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• 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., MATS, LEONID, PANUSKI, JUSTIN M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]

Abstract

A means and method to connect multiple IC chips to a single apparatus where the IC chips may function as a passive system or network in space. The collection of antennae and coupled near field devices form a pool of energy in which multiple devices may be introduced so as to provide a pool of energy and/or to function as a network or networks of devices including IC chips.

Claims

1. A wireless system, comprising:

a base station at a first location, said base station transmitting far field RF energy;

a local subsystem at a second location separate from said first location, said local subsystem including a parent antenna and a plurality of near field devices, said parent antenna receiving said far field RF energy and generating a near field in response thereto, wherein each of said near field devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a near field conductor, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through the near field conductor thereof, wherein the IC chip and the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is not directly physically connected to said parent antenna, wherein said local subsystem includes a substrate and wherein said near field devices are permanently or removeably attached to said substrate in a manner wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to receive energy from the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field that is sufficient to power the IC chip and wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to communicate with the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field.

2. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the received far field RF energy induces a current in said parent antenna, and wherein said parent antenna generates said near field in response to said current.

3. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices receives AC energy from said near field through the near field conductor of the near field device and converts said AC energy into a DC voltage.

4. The wireless system according to claim 3, wherein said near field devices are positioned relative to said parent antenna such that a total amount of DC energy generated by said near field devices is at a maximum.

5. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through inductive coupling between said parent antenna and the near field conductor thereof.

6. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through capacitive coupling between said parent antenna and the near field conductor thereof.

7. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said near field through a combination of inductive coupling and capacitive coupling between said parent antenna and the near field conductor thereof.

8. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said parent antenna is provided on a first surface of said substrate, and wherein said near field devices are permanently or removeably attached to said first surface.

9. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein each of said near field devices includes a non-conductive substrate on which the IC chip and the near field conductor thereof are provided.

10. The wireless system according to claim 9, wherein a first one or more of said near field devices are provided on a first surface of said substrate, and wherein the non-conductive substrate of each of said first one or more of said near field devices is positioned between the IC chip and near field conductor thereof and said parent antenna.

11. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said parent antenna is provided on a first surface of said substrate and wherein said near field devices are permanently or removeably attached to both said first surface of said substrate and a second surface of said substrate opposite said first surface.

12. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and permanently or removeably attached to a first surface of said substrate.

13. The wireless system according to claim 12, wherein said parent antenna is provided on said first surface of said substrate.

14. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein a first one or more of said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a first surface of said substrate, wherein a second one or more of said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a second surface of said substrate, and wherein said parent antenna is provided on said first surface of said substrate opposite said second surface.

15. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein a first one or more of said near field devices are stacked on top of one another and provided on a first surface of said substrate, wherein a second one or more of said near field devices are provided on and distributed along a second surface of said substrate opposite said first surface.

16. The wireless system according to claim 12, wherein the IC chip of each near field device is nether directly above nor directly below the IC chip of another one of said near field devices.

17. The wireless system according to claim 12, wherein said near field devices include a first near field device and a second near field device stacked on top of said first near field device, and wherein said second near field device is able to fit entirely within a boundary defined by the near field conductor and the IC chip of said first near field device.

18. The wireless system according to claim 16, wherein the near field devices are each shifted linearly with respect to one another such that the IC chip of each near field device is positioned adjacent to the IC chip of one another one of said near field devices.

19. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is a looped conductor.

20. The wireless system according to claim 19, wherein each looped conductor has a rectangular shape.

21. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to a reactive near field of said near field.

22. A wireless transmission method, comprising:

transmitting far field RF energy from a first location;

providing a parent antenna on a substrate at a second location separate from said first location;

permanently or removeably attaching a plurality of near field devices each having an IC chip operatively coupled to a near field conductor to said substrate in a manner wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to receive energy from the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field that is sufficient to power the IC chip and wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to communicate with the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field;

receiving said far field RF energy in said parent antenna at said second location and generating a near field in response thereto;

wirelessly coupling the IC chip of each of said near field devices to said near field through the near field conductor thereof, wherein the IC chip and the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is not directly physically connected to said parent antenna; and

receiving AC energy from said near field in said near field devices in response to said wirelessly coupling.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said wirelessly coupling comprises wirelessly coupling to a reactive near field of said near field.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising converting said AC energy into a DC voltage in said near field devices.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein said wirelessly coupling is performed using inductive coupling.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein said wirelessly coupling is performed using capacitive coupling.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein said wirelessly coupling is performed using a combination of inductive coupling and capacitive coupling.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is a looped conductor.

29. A wireless system, comprising:

a base station at a first location, said base station transmitting far field RF energy;

a local subsystem at a second location separate from said first location, said local subsystem including an antenna element and a plurality of near field devices, said antenna element receiving said far field RF energy, wherein each of said near field devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a near field conductor, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to said antenna element through the near field conductor thereof to create a network including said antenna element and said near field devices which enables the IC chip of each of said near field devices to communicate with one another, wherein the IC chip and the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is not directly physically connected to said antenna element, wherein said local subsystem includes a substrate and wherein said near field devices are permanently or removeably attached to said substrate in a manner wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to receive energy from the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field that is sufficient to power the IC chip and wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to communicate with the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field.

30. The wireless system according to claim 29, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is wirelessly coupled to the antenna element through capacitive coupling between the antenna element and the near field conductor thereof.

31. A local subsystem for use in a wireless system having a base station structured to transmit far field RF energy to the local subsystem, comprising:

a substrate;

a parent antenna provided on said substrate, said parent antenna being structured to receive said far field RF energy and generate a near field in response thereto; and

a plurality of near field devices permanently or removeably attached to said substrate, wherein each of said near field devices includes an IC chip operatively coupled to a near field conductor, wherein the IC chip of each of said near field devices is structured to be wirelessly coupled to said near field through the near field conductor thereof, wherein the IC chip and the near field conductor of each of said near field devices is not directly physically connected to said parent antenna, and wherein said near field devices are permanently or removeably attached to said substrate in a manner wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to receive energy from the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field that is sufficient to power the IC chip and wherein the IC chip of each of the near field devices is able to communicate with the base station through the wireless coupling to the near field.