Wireless electrostatic charging and communicating system

• US 6,879,809 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vega, Victor Allen, Rolin, John Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/678,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/39, 455/73, 455/76, 455/91, 455/343.1, 455/344, 455572-573, 340/10.1, 340/10.5, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/455
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07788 the antenna being of the capacitive type
• 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: G06K 7/10069 the collision being resolved in the frequency domain, e.g. by hopping from one frequency to the other frequency hopping or spread spectrum techniques H04B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/2176 comprising a passive stage to generate a rectified sinusoidal voltage and a controlled switching element in series between such stage and the output
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

The wireless electrostatic charging and communicating system includes an electrostatic reader, an electrostatic charger and an electrostatic rechargeable device or electrostatic transceiver such as such as a smart card or radio frequency identification (RFID) card without requiring physical contact to electrodes. The electrostatic system is capacitance based and the charging and communicating occurs over capacitively coupled electrostatic electrodes or electrostatic electrodes. The electrostatic rechargeable device or transceiver includes a charge receiver and an energy storage means, for being charged or communicated with in the electrostatic system. The energy storage means may be any energy storage device including a rechargeable battery or capacitor. In a second embodiment, the electrostatic rechargeable device or transceiver includes an electrostatic charge receiver and an electromagnetic charge receiver with the energy storage means so that it may be alternatively charged or communicated with in an electrostatic system or an electromagnetic system for compatibility in either system.

Claims

1. A wireless electrostatic rechargeable device for being electrically charged by an electrostatic charge, the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device comprising:

an energy storage means with a capacity to store energy to operate the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device;

an electrostatic charge receiver, for receiving an electrostatic charge and converting it into an AC signal; and

a rectifier, coupled to the electrostatic charge receiver and the energy storage means, for receiving the AC signal and providing a DC signal and for storing energy in the energy storage means,

whereby the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device may be electrically charged by the electrostatic charge.

2. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 1, wherein the energy storage means is selected from a group consisting of:

a rechargeable battery, and a capacitor.

3. A wireless electrostatic rechargeable device for being electrically charged by an electrostatic charge, the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device comprising:

an energy storage means with a capacity to store energy to operate the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device;

an electrostatic charge receiver, for receiving an electrostatic charge and converting it into a first AC signal;

a rectifier, coupled to the electrostatic charge receiver, for receiving the first AC signal and providing a DC signal;

a voltage regulator, coupled to the rectifier, for receiving the DC signal and for regulating the DC signal to a DC voltage at a DC supply node; and

a charge controller, coupled to the voltage regulator and the energy storage means, for storing energy in the energy storage means when the DC voltage is provided by the voltage regulator and preventing degradation of the energy storage means when the DC voltage is not sufficiently provided by the voltage regulator,

whereby the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device may be electrically charged by the electrostatic charge.

4. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 3, wherein the energy storage means is selected from a group consisting of:

a rechargeable battery, and a capacitor.

5. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 3, wherein the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device further comprises:

an electromagnetic charge receiver, for receiving an electromagnetic charge and converting it into a second AC signal.

6. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 5, wherein the electromagnetic charge receiver comprises:

a coil for receiving the electromagnetic charge and converting it into the second AC signal.

7. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 6, wherein the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device further comprises:

a second rectifier, coupled to the electromagnetic charge receiver, for receiving the second AC signal and providing the DC signal.

8. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 3, wherein the electrostatic charge receiver comprises:

a first electrostatic electrode, coupled to the rectifier; and

a second electrostatic electrode, coupled to the rectifier,

wherein at least one of the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode receive the electrostatic charge.

9. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 8, wherein the rectifier is selected from a group consisting of:

a full-wave rectifier, and a half-wave rectifier.

10. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 3, wherein the charge controller is selected from a group consisting of:

a non-controllable type charge controller, and a variable type charge controller.

11. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 3 further comprising:

a power manager, coupled to the voltage regulator and the energy storage means, for performing an analysis of the energy supplied by the voltage regulator and the energy storage means, and for selectively coupling the energy storage means or the voltage regulator to circuitry within the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device responsive to the analysis,

whereby the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device can operate with or without the energy storage means.

12. The wireless electrostatic rechargeable device of claim 11, wherein the power manager comprises:

a power analyzer, coupled to the voltage regulator and the energy storage means, for analyzing the energy supplied by the voltage regulator and the energy storage means and for generating a control signal; and

a multiplexer, coupled to the power analyzer, the voltage regulator, the energy storage means and circuitry within the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device, for receiving the energy supplied by the voltage regulator and the energy storage means, and for selectively coupling the energy supplied by the voltage regulator or the energy storage means to circuitry within the wireless electrostatic rechargeable device in response to the control signal.

13. A rechargeable device, comprising:

an energy storage means with a capacity to store energy to operate the rechargeable device;

a charge receiver, for receiving an excitation signal and converting it into an AC signal;

a rectifier, coupled to the charge receiver, for receiving the AC signal and providing a DC signal;

a voltage regulator, coupled to the rectifier, for receiving the DC signal and providing a DC voltage; and

a charge controller, coupled to the voltage regulator and the energy storage means, for storing energy in the energy storage means when the DC voltage is provided by the voltage regulator and preventing degradation of the energy storage means when the DC voltage is not sufficiently provided by the voltage regulator,

whereby the rechargeable device may be electrically charged by the excitation signal;

whereby the charger may recharge the electrostatic rechargeable device.

14. The rechargeable device of claim 13, wherein the rechargeable device is selected from a group consisting of:

an electrostatic rechargeable device having, a electromagnetic rechargeable device, and a combination electrostatic/electromagnetic rechargeable device.

15. The rechargeable device of claim 13 wherein the energy storage means is selected from a group consisting of:

a rechargeable battery, and a capacitor.

16. The rechargeable device of claim 13, wherein the charge receiver comprises:

a first electrostatic electrode, coupled to the rectifier; and

a second electrostatic electrode, coupled to the rectifier,

wherein at least one of the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode receive an electrostatic charge.