Microradio design, manufacturing method and applications for the use of microradios

• US 8,010,048 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RadioFIDO LLC
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Brommer, Tracey H., Brommer, Karl D.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/578,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 455/39, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/127.1, 455/343.1, 455/73, 455/78, 455 82- 83, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

A microradio (10) is provided with a hysteretic switch (16) to permit an optimum range increasing charging cycle, with the charging cycle being long relative to the transmit cycle. Secondly, an ensemble of microradios permits an n2 power enhancement to increase range with coherent operation. Various multi-frequency techniques are used both for parasitic powering and to isolate powering and transmit cycle. Applications for microradios and specifically for ensembles of microradios include authentication, tracking, fluid flowing sensing, identification, terrain surveillance including crop health sensing and detection of improvised explosive devices, biohazard and containment breach detection, and biomedical applications including the use of microradios attached to molecular tags to destroy tagged cells when the microradios are activated. Microradio deployment includes the uses of paints or other coatings containing microradios, greases and aerosols.

Claims

1. A microradio, comprising:

a rectifier;

an oscillator;

a hysteretic switch coupled between said rectifier and said oscillator, wherein said hysteretic switch is a switch that allows conduction of electrical current when a threshold voltage is reached and which continues to allow conduction of electrical current until a second lower threshold voltage is reached, at which time conduction ceases; and

,

a radiative structure coupled both to said rectifier and said oscillator.

2. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said rectifier includes a final capacitor and wherein said hysteretic switch couples said final capacitor to said oscillator for the powering thereof.

3. The microradio of claim 2, wherein said hysteretic switch is operative to switch said capacitor to said oscillator when the voltage across said final capacitor is above a predetermined level and for maintaining the connection of said capacitor to said oscillator until such time as the charging on said capacitor drops below a predetermined level.

4. The microradio of claim 3, wherein said hysteretic switch prevents the coupling of said final capacitor to said oscillator for a relatively long time compared to the time after said hysteretic switch is activated, such that charge is built up on said final capacitor over a relatively long time, whereupon said final capacitor is coupled to said oscillator to discharge through said oscillator in a relatively short period of time, such that the power built up in said final capacitor over a relatively long period of time is discharged quickly through said oscillator to allow said oscillator to produce a microburst of energy.

5. The microradio of claim 1, and further including a modulator coupled to said oscillator for controlling said oscillator to produce a modulated output.

6. The microradio of claim 5, wherein said modulator is a BFSK modulator.

7. The microradio of claim 5, wherein said modulator includes two Colpitts oscillators, each operating at a different frequency, a Colpitts oscillator switch coupled between the outputs of said oscillators and said radiative structure, and a microcontroller, said microcontroller being coupled to said Colpitts oscillator switch to provide a BFSK modulation through the switching of said Colpitts oscillators to said radiative structure.

8. The microradio of claim 5, wherein said modulator includes a Taub and Schilling BPSK modulator for producing a BPSK signal, said Taub and Schilling BPSK modulator including a 180-degree phase shifter or inverter under the control of a microprocessor that switches between the inverted and uninverted signals, the output of said switch constituting said BPSK signal.

9. The microradio of claim 6, wherein said modulator is a BPSK modulator.

10. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said radiative structure is a naturally radiative structure, whereby it is not necessary to provide said microradio with an antenna.

11. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said radiative structure is an antenna.

12. The microradio of claim 11, wherein said antenna includes a dipole.

13. The microradio of claim 12, wherein the length of said dipole is commensurate with the size of said microradio.

14. The microradio of claim 11, wherein said antenna includes a microcoil.

15. The microradio of claim 14, and further including a high-μ

material inserted into the coils of said microcoil.

16. The microradio of claim 15, wherein said microcoil takes on a staircase configuration having between 10 and 20 turns about said high-μ

material.

17. The microradio of claim 1, and further including a receiver interposed between said hysteretic switch and said oscillator for receiving command signals.

18. The microradio of claim 17, wherein said hysteretic switch is used first to switch the output of said final capacitor to said receiver for activating said receiver and thence to power said oscillator.

19. The microradio of claim 18, wherein said hysteretic switch powers said oscillator after receipt of command signals by said receiver.

20. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said rectifier includes a final capacitor and wherein said hysteretic switch includes a first FET transistor coupled between the output of said final capacitor and ground through a pull-up resistor, the gate of said first transistor coupled to a voltage-dividing circuit coupled between the output of said final capacitor and ground, the connection between said pull-up resistor and said first transistor being coupled to the gate of a second FET transistor, said second FET transistor being coupled between the output of said final capacitor and a load, a third FET transistor coupled between the connection between said pull-up resistor and ground and to the gate of said second transistor, the gate of said third transistor being coupled to said load.

21. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said rectifier includes a voltage multiplier.

22. The microradio of claim 1, wherein the timeline for the charging of said final capacitor versus the timeline for the powering of said oscillator is such that the charging time exceeds the time that said oscillator emits a signal.

23. The microradio of claim 22, wherein said microradio includes a receiver and wherein said timeline includes a first charging period followed by a listening period for said receiver in which the charging time is greater than the time said receiver is powered and in which a second charging time follows the listening period for said receiver, with said oscillator being powered in a time interval that is shorter than said second charging time.

24. The microradio of claim 23, wherein said first and second charging times are on the order of 1 second, and wherein the times for which said receiver and said oscillator operate are on the order of 1 millisecond.

25. The microradio of claim 24, wherein each of said charging times includes storage of 1 microjoule and wherein the power dissipated by said radio and said oscillator are respectively in excess of 1 milliwatt and 1 milliwatt.

26. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said rectifier includes a final capacitor and further including a filter interposed between said radiative structure and said rectifier having a first frequency such that the final capacitor of said rectifier is charged at said one frequency;

and, wherein said oscillator is configured to operate at a second frequency different from said first frequency, such that information imparted by said oscillator exists at said second frequency, whereby the response of said microradio has a listening frequency different from the charging frequency.

27. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said rectifier includes a final capacitor, and further including a plurality of antennas having a plurality of antenna outputs, a like plurality of delay elements coupled to respective antenna outputs, each of said plurality of elements delaying signals at a different frequency by different amounts such that all pulses transmitted sequentially at different frequencies may be time aligned into a summing node for summing the outputs of said delay elements and means for coupling the output of said summing node to said rectifier, such that the final capacitor of said rectifier is charged by energy at said plurality of frequencies as received by said plurality of antennas.

28. The microradio of claim 1, wherein said radiative structure includes a metal structure.

29. The microradio of claim 28, wherein said metal structure has a radiative edge.

30. The microradio of claim 29, wherein said radiative edge includes a slot in said metal structure.

31. A microradio comprising:

a rectifier;

an oscillator;

a hysteretic switch coupled between said rectifier and said oscillator; and

,

a radiative structure coupled both to said rectifier and said oscillator, said rectifier including a final capacitor, and said hysteretic switch including a first FET transistor coupled between the output of said final capacitor and ground through a pull-up resistor, the gate of said first transistor coupled to a voltage-dividing circuit coupled between the output of said final capacitor and ground, the connection between said pull-up resistor and said first transistor being coupled to the gate of a second FET transistor, said second FET transistor being coupled between the output of said final capacitor and a load, a third FET transistor coupled between the connection between said pull-up resistor and ground and to the gate of said second transistor, the gate of said third transistor being coupled to said load.

32. A microradio, comprising:

a rectifier;

an oscillator;

a hysteretic switch coupled between said rectifier and said oscillator; and

,

a radiative structure coupled both to said rectifier and said oscillator, said rectifier including a final capacitor, said hysteretic switch coupling said final capacitor to said oscillator for the powering thereof, said hysteretic switch operative to switch said capacitor to said oscillator when the voltage across said final capacitor is above a predetermined level and for maintaining the connection of said capacitor to said oscillator until such time as the charging on said capacitor drops below a predetermined level, said hysteretic switch preventing the coupling of said final capacitor to said oscillator for a relatively long time compared to the time after said hysteretic switch is activated, such that charge is built up on said final capacitor over a relatively long time, whereupon said final capacitor is coupled to said oscillator to discharge through said oscillator in a relatively short period of time, such that the power built up in said final capacitor over a relatively long period of time is discharged quickly through said oscillator to allow said oscillator to produce a microburst of energy.