Recharging method and associated apparatus

• US 7,383,064 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• 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., Capelli, Christopher C., Swift, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US11/266,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 455572-574, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/333, 455/344, 455128-129, 455/343.1, 455/550.1, 455/127.1, 455/127.5, 455/343.5, 455/343.6, 455291-292, 343701-703, 343/722, 343/720, 320/107, 320/124, 320/127, 320/102, 320137-138
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy within frequencies of the wireless fidelity standards. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The invention may advantageously be used on wireless fidelity products which are energized by the power storage device.

Claims

1. A method of energizing a power storage device of a remote station, comprising:

providing said remote station with an energy receiving antenna for receiving ambient energy in the form of RF frequencies falling within the range of about 2.4 to 5.875 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz from the environment, said energy receiving antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

employing an LC tank circuit in said energy receiving antenna to establish said effective area of the antenna greater than said physical area, said LC tank circuit being formed by providing the energy receiving antenna with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and covering the energy receiving antenna with a film of material having a specific capacitance, thereby causing said LC tank circuit to be formed,

receiving said ambient energy by said energy receiving antenna and converting said energy to DC power, and

energizing said power storage device with said DC power.

2. The method of claim 1 including said remote station being a component of a wireless fidelity product.

3. The method of claim 1 including said remote station includes a wireless fidelity product.

4. The method of claim 1 including said remote station being operatively associated with a wireless fidelity product.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the DC power to cause information to be transmitted from said remote station through a transmit antenna provided on said remote station that is separate from said energy receiving antenna.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said remote station includes a microcontroller and wherein said step of using the DC power to cause information to be transmitted from said remote station comprises using the DC power to power said microcontroller, said microcontroller when powered causing said information to be transmitted from said remote station through said transmit antenna.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted energy in the form of RF frequencies falls within the range of about 2.4 to 5.0 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz.

8. A method of energizing a power storage device of a remote station, comprising:

providing said remote station with an energy receiving antenna for receiving ambient energy in the form of RF frequencies falling within the range of about 2.4 to 5.875 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz from the environment, said energy receiving antenna having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area,

employing an LC tank circuit in said energy receiving antenna to establish said effective area of the antenna greater than said physical area, said LC tank circuit being formed by providing the energy receiving antenna with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and depositing the energy receiving antenna on a substrate having a specific capacitance, thereby causing said LC tank circuit to be formed,

receiving said ambient energy by said energy receiving antenna and converting said energy to DC power, and

energizing said power storage device with said DC power.

9. The method of claim 8 including said remote station being a component of a wireless fidelity product.

10. The method of claim 8 including said remote station includes a wireless fidelity product.

11. The method of claim 8 including said remote station being operatively associated with a wireless fidelity product.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising using the DC power to cause information to be transmitted from said remote station through a transmit antenna provided on said remote station that is separate from said energy receiving antenna.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said remote station includes a microcontroller and wherein said step of using the DC power to cause information to be transmitted from said remote station comprises using the DC power to power said microcontroller, said microcontroller when powered causing said information to be transmitted from said remote station through said transmit antenna.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitted energy in the form of RE frequencies falls within the range of about 2.4 to 5.0 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz.

15. A remote station for energizing a power storage device of a wireless fidelity product, comprising:

one or more antennae for receiving transmitted energy in the form of RF frequencies falling within the range of about 2.4 to 5.875 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz from the environment;

circuitry for converting said transmitted energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device, and

at least one of said one or more antennae having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area, wherein the effective area of the at least one of said one or more antennae is made greater than its physical area through the use of an LC tank circuit in said at least one of said one or more antennae, wherein said LC tank circuit is formed by providing the at least one of said one or more antennae with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and covering the at least one of said one or more antennae with a film of material having a specific capacitance, thereby causing said LC tank circuit to be formed.

16. The remote station of claim 15, further comprising a transmit antenna that is separate from said one or more antennae, wherein the DC power is used to cause information to be transmitted from said remote station through said transmit antenna.

17. The remote station of claim 16, further comprising a microcontroller operatively coupled to said transmit antenna, wherein the DC power is used to power said microcontroller, said microcontroller when powered causing said information to be transmitted from said remote station through said transmit antenna.

18. The remote station of claim 15, wherein the transmitted energy in the form of RE frequencies falls within the range of about 2.4 to 5.0 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz.

19. A remote station for energizing a power storage device of a wireless fidelity product, comprising:

one or more antennae for receiving transmitted energy in the form of RF frequencies falling within the range of about 2.4 to 5.875 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz from the environment;

circuitry for converting said transmitted energy into DC power for energizing said power storage device, and

at least one of said one or more antennae having an effective antenna area greater than its physical area, wherein the effective area of the at least one of said one or more antennae is made greater than its physical area through the use of an LC tank circuit in said at least one of said one or more antennae, wherein said LC tank circuit is formed by providing the at least one of said one or more antennae with specific electrode and interelectrode dimensions and depositing the at least one of said one or more antennae on a substrate having a specific capacitance, thereby causing said LC tank circuit to be formed.

20. The remote station of claim 19, further comprising a transmit antenna that is separate from said one or more antennae, wherein the DC power is used to cause information to be transmitted from said remote station through said transmit antenna.

21. The remote station of claim 20, further comprising a microcontroller operatively coupled to said transmit antenna, wherein the DC power is used to power said microcontroller, said microcontroller when powered causing said information to be transmitted from said remote station through said transmit antenna.

22. The remote station of claim 19, wherein the transmitted energy in the form of RF frequencies falls within the range of about 2.4 to 5.0 gigahertz or about 10.0 to 66.0 gigahertz.