METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY RECTIFICATION FOR VARIOUS LOADS

• US 20150214927A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powercast Corporation
• Original Assignee: Powercast Corporation
• Inventors: GREENE, Charles E., HARRIST, Daniel W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,454,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/08 arranged for operation in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/103 Containing passive elements (capacitively coupled) which are ordered in cascade on one source
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/28 Impedance matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits

Abstract

An apparatus for converting power includes at least one impedance matching network which receives an electrical signal. The apparatus includes at least one AC to DC converter in communication with the impedance matching network. Also disclosed is a method for powering a load and an apparatus for converting power and additional embodiments of an apparatus for converting power.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one impedance matching network configured to receive an input signal;

at least one AC-to-DC converter electrically connected to the at least one impedance matching network, the at least one AC-to-DC converter configured to receive an output of the at least one impedance matching network; and

a DC-to-DC converter operatively coupled to the at least one AC-to-DC converter, the DC-to-DC converter configured to regulate an output voltage of the at least one AC-to-DC converter such that the output voltage of the at least one AC-to-DC converter remains within a predetermined voltage range.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured to be operatively coupled to a load, the DC-to-DC converter is configured to provide the output of the at least one AC-to-DC converter to the load when the output voltage of the at least one AC-to-DC converter is within the predetermined voltage range.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the load is an LED.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured to be operatively coupled to a load, the DC-to-DC converter is configured to prevent the output of the at least one AC-to-DC converter from being provided to the load when the output voltage of the at least one AC-to-DC converter is outside the predetermined voltage range.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one impedance matching network includes at least one of a discrete element, an intrinsic element, or a parasitic element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one AC-to-DC converter includes a first AC-to-DC converter and a second AC-to-DC converter, the apparatus further comprising:

a switch electrically connected to the first AC-to-DC converter, the second AC-to-DC converter and the DC-to-DC converter, the switch configured to provide an output of the first AC-to-DC converter to the DC-to-DC converter when the switch selects the first AC-to-DC converter, the switch configured to provide an output of the second AC-to-DC converter to the DC-to-DC converter when the switch selects the second AC-to-DC converter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one impedance matching network includes a first impedance matching network and a second impedance matching network, the apparatus further comprising:

a selector operatively coupled to the first impedance matching network and the second impedance matching network, and configured to receive the input signal, the selector configured to direct the input signal to the first impedance matching network when the input signal has a power level within a first power range, the selector configured to direct the input signal to the second impedance matching network when the input signal has a power level within a second power range mutually exclusive from the first power range.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the selector includes a transistor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, during operation of the apparatus, at least two resonances occur with an SWR (standing wave ratio) of less than 2.0.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one AC-to-DC converter includes a first AC-to-DC converter and a second AC-to-DC converter, the apparatus further comprising:

a combiner electrically coupled to the first AC-to-DC converter and the second AC-to-DC converter, the combiner configured to combine an output of the first AC-to-DC converter with an output of the second AC-to-DC converter to produce a combined output,

the DC-to-DC converter configured to regulate a voltage level of the combined output such that the voltage level of the combined output remains within the predetermined voltage range.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the combiner is a switch.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a microchip;

at least one impedance matching network configured to receive an input signal;

at least one AC-to-DC converter formed on the microchip and electrically connected to the at least one impedance matching network, the at least one AC-to-DC converter configured to receive an output of the at least one impedance matching network; and

a DC-to-DC converter formed on the microchip and operatively coupled to the at least one AC-to-DC converter, the DC-to-DC converter configured to regulate an output voltage of the at least one AC-to-DC converter such that the at least one AC-to-DC converter maintains an output voltage within a predetermined voltage range.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one impedance matching network is connected to the microchip.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an antenna operatively coupled to the at least one impedance matching network, the antenna configured to wirelessly receive RF energy and to produce the input signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one impedance matching network includes a first impedance matching network and a second impedance matching network, the apparatus further comprising:

a selector formed on the microchip and operatively coupled to the first impedance matching network and the second impedance matching network, the selector configured to receive the input signal, the selector configured to direct the input signal to the first impedance matching network when the input signal has a power level within a first power range, the selector configured to direct the input signal to the second impedance matching network when the input signal has a power level within a second power range mutually exclusive from the first power range.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, during operation of the apparatus, at least two resonances occur with an SWR (standing wave ratio) of less than 2.0.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one AC-to-DC converter includes a first AC-to-DC converter and a second AC-to-DC converter, the apparatus further comprising:

a combiner formed on the microchip and electrically coupled to the first AC-to-DC converter and the second AC-to-DC converter, the combiner configured to combine an output of the first AC-to-DC converter with an output of the second AC-to-DC converter to produce a combined output,

the DC-to-DC converter configured to regulate a voltage level of the combined output such that the voltage level of the combined output remains within the predetermined voltage range.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one AC-to-DC converter includes a first AC-to-DC converter and a second AC-to-DC converter,

the first AC-to-DC converter defining a first signal path configured to receive a first output of the at least one impedance matching network having a power level within a first power range,

the second AC-to-DC converter defining a second signal path configured to receive a second output of the at least one impedance matching network having a power level within a second power range different from the first power range.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first signal path is substantially matched to a first predetermined impedance value, the second signal path is substantially matched to a second predetermined impedance value different from the first predetermined impedance value.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured to be operatively coupled to a LED, the DC-to-DC converter is configured to provide the output of the at least one AC-to-DC converter to the LED when the output voltage of the at least one AC-to-DC converter is within the predetermined voltage range.