U.S. patent application number 12/901752 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-10 for method and apparatus for implementation of a wireless power supply.
This patent application is currently assigned to Powercast Corporation. Invention is credited to Charles E. Greene, Daniel W. Harrist, John G. Shearer.
Application Number | 20110031821 12/901752 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38522756 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110031821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Greene; Charles E. ; et
al. |
February 10, 2011 |
Method and Apparatus for Implementation of a Wireless Power
Supply
Abstract
An apparatus, for wirelessly powering a device having an
enclosure for a charge storage component, includes a wireless power
supply which fits into the enclosure. The apparatus includes an
antenna connected to the wireless power supply. A battery. A cell
phone cover for a cell phone. A headphone. A wireless power adapter
for a DC jack. Alternatively, the apparatus includes a substrate
having discrete components and integrated circuits disposed in the
device. A method for wirelessly powering a device having an
enclosure for a charge storage component.
Inventors: |
Greene; Charles E.;
(Pittsburgh, PA) ; Harrist; Daniel W.; (Carnegie,
PA) ; Shearer; John G.; (Ligonier, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COOLEY LLP;ATTN: Patent Group
Suite 1100, 777 - 6th Street, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20001
US
|
Assignee: |
Powercast Corporation
Ligonier
PA
|
Family ID: |
38522756 |
Appl. No.: |
12/901752 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11494108 |
Jul 27, 2006 |
7812771 |
|
|
12901752 |
|
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|
|
60785078 |
Mar 22, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
307/154 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q 9/0407 20130101;
H01Q 1/2225 20130101; H02J 7/025 20130101; H02J 50/005 20200101;
H01Q 1/248 20130101; H01Q 1/44 20130101; H02J 7/0045 20130101; H01M
50/20 20210101; H02J 50/20 20160201; H02J 50/10 20160201; Y02E
60/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
307/154 |
International
Class: |
H02J 17/00 20060101
H02J017/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus, comprising: a substrate having energy harvesting
circuitry formed thereon, the energy harvesting circuitry
configured to convert electro-magnetic energy to a direct current,
the substrate configured to be disposed external to a device and to
be in electrical communication with the device to provide the
direct current to the device; and an antenna operatively coupled to
the energy harvesting circuitry via the substrate.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting
circuitry is configured to be electrically coupled to the device
via the substrate such that the energy harvesting circuitry, when
operating, provides the direct current to the device as operational
power.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting
circuitry includes at least one of discrete components or
integrated circuits.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting
circuitry is configured to receive the electro-magnetic energy via
the antenna.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is connected to
the substrate.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate is operatively
coupled to at least one of surface mounding pads or pins such that
the substrate is connectable to another substrate.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a housing within
which the substrate and the antenna are disposed, the housing
configured to be external to the device and in electrical
communication with the device such that the direct current is
provided to the device from the housing when the energy harvesting
circuitry is operational.
8. A system, comprising: a first substrate; a wireless power supply
formed on the first substrate, the wireless power supply configured
to convert electro-magnetic energy to a direct current; and a
second substrate configured to be disposed within a device and
electrically connected to components of the device, the second
substrate electrically connectable to the first substrate such that
the direct current is provided to the components of the device when
the second substrate is connected to the first substrate.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first substrate includes at
least one of discrete components or integrated circuits, the
wireless power supply configured to provide direct current to the
at least one of discrete components or integrated circuits of the
first substrate.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second substrate is
connected to the first substrate via at least one surface mounting
pads or pins.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first substrate is
configured to be disposed within the device when the first
substrate is connected to the second substrate.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second substrate is
electrically connected to a charge storage component of the device
such that the direct current is provided to the charge storage
component when the second substrate is connected to the first
substrate.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first
substrate or the second substrate is a printed circuit board.
14. The system of claim 8, further comprising: an antenna
configured to be disposed at least partially external to the device
and operatively coupled to the wireless power supply via the first
substrate, the wireless power supply configured to receive the
electro-magnetic energy from the antenna.
15. The system of claim 8, further comprising: an antenna
configured to be disposed within the device and connected to the
first substrate, the wireless power supply configured to receive
the electro-magnetic energy from the antenna.
16. An apparatus, comprising: a housing having a connection port,
the housing being electrically connectable to a device via the
connection port, the housing being external to the device when the
housing is electrically connected to the device; a wireless power
supply disposed within the housing, the wireless power supply
configured to provide operational power to the device via the
connection port when the housing is electrically connected to the
device; and an antenna disposed at least partially within the
housing, the antenna being operatively coupled to the wireless
power supply.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the connection port includes
a SMA connector.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the wireless power supply is
configured to convert electro-magnetic energy to direct current
power such that the wireless power supply provides the direct
current power to the device as the operational power via the
connection port.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wireless power supply is
configured to receive electro-magnetic energy from the antenna.
20. A system, comprising: a wireless power supply having a first
connector and a second connector, the wireless power supply being
electrically connectable to an external device via the first
connector, the wireless power supply configured to provide direct
current power to the external device via the first connector when
the wireless power supply is electrically connected to the external
device; and an antenna electrically connectable to the wireless
power supply via the second connector, the wireless power supply
configured to receive electro-magnetic energy from the antenna via
the second connector and convert the electro-magnetic energy to the
direct current power.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the antenna has a connector
configured to matingly couple with the second connector of the
wireless power supply such that the antenna is electrically coupled
to the wireless power supply via the connector of the antenna and
the second connector.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the wireless power supply is
an in-line coaxial wireless power supply.
23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first
connector or the second connector is a SMA connector.
24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the antenna is operatively
coupled to the external device via the wireless power supply.
25. A system, comprising: an antenna; a wireless power supply
electrically coupled to the antenna, the wireless power supply
configured to receive electro-magnetic energy from the antenna and
convert the electro-magnetic energy to direct current; and a cable
configured to electrically and removably connect the wireless power
supply to a device separate from the wireless power supply and the
antenna, the wireless power supply configured to provide the direct
current to the device via the cable.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein the cable is configured to
transmit data signals from the device to the wireless power
supply.
27. The system of claim 25, wherein the wireless power supply is
configured to store at least a portion of the direct current.
28. The system of claim 25, wherein the cable is electrically
connectable to a charge storage component of the device such that
the cable provides the direct current from the wireless power
supply to the charge storage component when the wireless power
supply is operative and the cable is connected to the device.
29. An apparatus, comprising: a battery having a first connector
and a second connector, the first connector configured to
electrically connect the battery to an antenna, the second
connector configured to electrically connect the battery to a
device; and a wireless power supply embedded within the battery,
the wireless power supply configured to receive electro-magnetic
energy from the antenna via the first connector and convert the
electro-magnetic energy to direct current, the wireless power
supply configured to provide the direct current to the device via
the second connector.
30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the battery is configured to
removably fit within a portion of the device.
31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the battery is a cell phone
battery.
32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the battery is separate and
apart from the antenna.
33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first
connector or the second connector is a metallic pad.
34. An apparatus, comprising: a substrate having at least one
integrated circuit formed thereon; and a wireless power supply
formed on the substrate, the wireless power supply configured to
convert electro-magnetic energy to a direct current, the wireless
power supply configured to provide at least a portion of the direct
current to the at the least one integrated circuit of the
substrate.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the wireless power supply is
configured to provide at least a portion of the direct current to a
sensor formed on the substrate.
36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the wireless power supply is
a first wireless power supply, the apparatus further comprising: a
second wireless power supply formed on the substrate.
37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the substrate is connectable
to at least one external component.
38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the substrate is connectable
to an impedance matching network.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/494,108, filed Jul. 27, 2006,
entitled "Method and Apparatus for Implementation of a Wireless
Power Supply," which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/785,078, filed Mar. 22, 2006, entitled "Method
and Apparatus for Implementation of a Wireless Power Supply," both
of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention is related to wirelessly powering a
device. More specifically, the present invention is related to
wirelessly powering a device having an enclosure for a charge
storage component where a wireless power supply fits into the
enclosure.
[0003] As processor capabilities have expanded and power
requirements have decreased, there has been an ongoing explosion of
devices that operate completely independent of wires or power
cords. These "untethered" devices range from cell phones and
wireless keyboards to building sensors and active Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) tags.
[0004] Engineers and designers of these untethered devices continue
to have to deal with the limitations of portable power sources,
primarily using batteries as the key design parameter. While the
performance of processors and portable devices has been doubling
every 18-24 months driven by Moore's law, battery technology in
terms of capacity has only been growing at a measly 6% per year.
Even with power conscious designs and the latest in battery
technology, many devices do not meet the lifetime cost and
maintenance requirements for applications that require a large
number of untethered devices such as logistics and building
automation. Today's devices that need two-way communication require
scheduled maintenance every three to 18 months to replace or
recharge the device's power source (typically, a battery). One-way
devices that simply broadcast their status without receiving any
signals, such as automated utility meter readers, have a better
battery life typically requiring replacement within 10 years. For
both device types, scheduled power-source maintenance is costly and
can be disruptive to the entire system that a device is intended to
monitor and/or control. Unscheduled maintenance trips are even more
costly and disruptive. On a macro level, the relatively high cost
associated with the internal battery also reduces the practical, or
economically viable, number of devices that can be deployed.
[0005] The ideal solution to the power problem for untethered
devices is a device or system that can collect and harness
sufficient energy from the environment. This energy can be
harnessed from many different sources, such as sunlight, vibration,
heat, or electro-magnetic radiation. The harnessed energy would
then either directly power an untethered device or augment a power
supply. However, this ideal solution may not always be practical to
implement due to low energy in the environment. Therefore, site
restrictions may require the use of a dedicated energy supply. The
proposed invention takes these factors into account and provides a
solution for both the ideal situation and also for more restrictive
circumstances.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention pertains to an apparatus for
wirelessly powering a device having an enclosure for a charge
storage component. The apparatus comprises a wireless power supply
which fits into the enclosure. The apparatus comprises an antenna
connected to the wireless power supply.
[0007] The present invention pertains to a battery. The battery
comprises an energy portion. The battery comprises a first
connection through which energy from the energy portion is
distributed. The battery comprises a second connection for
connecting with an RF harvesting antenna.
[0008] The present invention pertains to a cell phone cover for a
cell phone. The cell phone comprises a wireless power supply for
powering the cell phone. The cell phone comprises an antenna
connected to the wireless power supply.
[0009] The present invention pertains to a headphone. The headphone
comprises a cord. The headphone comprises speakers connected to the
cord. The headphone comprises a jack connected to the cord. The
headphone comprises a wireless power supply attached to the cord.
The headphone comprises an antenna connected to the wireless power
supply.
[0010] The present invention pertains to a wireless power adapter
for a DC jack. The adapter comprises a wireless power supply. The
adapter comprises an antenna connected to the wireless power
supply. The adapter comprises a connector connected to the wireless
power supply that engages the DC jack.
[0011] The present invention pertains to an apparatus for
wirelessly powering a device. The apparatus comprises a substrate
having discrete components and integrated circuits disposed in the
device. The apparatus comprises a wireless power supply connected
to the substrate.
[0012] The present invention pertains to an apparatus for
wirelessly powering a device. The apparatus comprises a wireless
power supply which is disposed external to the device and is in
electrical communication with the device to provide power to the
device. The apparatus comprises an antenna connected with the
wireless power supply.
[0013] The present invention pertains to a method for wirelessly
powering a device having an enclosure for a charge storage
component. The method comprises the steps of fitting into the
enclosure a wireless power supply. There is the step of receiving
energy wirelessly through an antenna connected to the wireless
power supply.
[0014] The present invention pertains to a method for wirelessly
powering a device. The method comprises the steps of electrically
connecting a wireless power supply to the device. There is the step
of receiving energy wirelessly through an antenna connected to the
wireless power supply. There is the step of powering the device
with the received energy.
[0015] The present invention pertains to a method for providing
energy to a cell phone. The method comprises the steps of powering
the cell phone with a wireless power supply. There is the step of
receiving energy wirelessly through an antenna connected to the
wireless power supply.
[0016] The present invention pertains to an apparatus for
wirelessly powering a device having an enclosure for a charge
storage component. The apparatus comprises means for supplying
power wirelessly which fits into the enclosure. The apparatus
includes an antenna connected to the supplying means.
[0017] The present invention pertains to a wireless power supply
having a connection for electrically connecting the wireless power
supply to a device to be powered. The wireless power supply is
configured to receive energy wirelessly. The wireless power supply
looks like and has a configuration of at least one battery.
[0018] The present invention pertains to an apparatus for
wirelessly powering a device having an enclosure for a
charge-storage component from energy received from a remote
wireless power transmitter. The apparatus comprises a wireless
power supply which fits into the enclosure. The apparatus comprises
an antenna connected to the wireless power supply and remote from
the power transmitter.
[0019] The present invention pertains to a method for wirelessly
powering a device having an enclosure for a charge-storage
component. The method comprises the steps of transmitting energy
from a wireless power transmitter. There is the step of receiving
the energy at a wireless power supply which fits into the enclosure
through an antenna connected to the wireless power supply of the
device when the device is remote from the power transmitter when
the wireless power supply is receiving power from the power
transmitter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] In the accompanying drawings, the preferred embodiment of
the invention and preferred methods of practicing the invention are
illustrated in which:
[0021] FIG. 1a shows battery pack schematics for the wireless
sensor.
[0022] FIG. 1b shows an illustration of the wireless sensor battery
pack.
[0023] FIG. 2a shows a schematic of the battery pack with a
WPS.
[0024] FIG. 2b shows an illustration of a WPS replacing two
batteries in a battery pack.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows a WPS manufactured to resemble a AA battery
with an internal antenna.
[0026] FIG. 4 shows a WPS manufactured to resemble a AA battery
with an external antenna.
[0027] FIG. 5 shows a WPS manufactured to resemble a AA battery,
containing battery chemicals and an internal antenna.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows a WPS manufactured to resemble a AA battery,
containing battery chemicals and an external antenna.
[0029] FIG. 7 shows a WPS in a battery using the case as an RF
harvesting antenna.
[0030] FIG. 8 shows a WPS in a battery using the case as an RF
harvesting antenna with an insulating portion in order to form a
dipole antenna.
[0031] FIG. 9 shows a WPS in a battery using the case as an RF
harvesting antenna with RF isolation using a Low Pass Filter.
[0032] FIG. 10 shows a WPS in a battery with an RF harvesting
antenna formed on the outside of the battery case.
[0033] FIG. 11 shows a WPS in a battery with an RF harvesting
antenna formed on the outside of the battery case with a dielectric
in between.
[0034] FIG. 12 shows a WPS in a battery with an RF harvesting
antenna recessed into the outside of the battery case.
[0035] FIG. 13 shows a WPS in a battery with an RF harvesting
antenna formed on the outside of the battery case.
[0036] FIG. 14 shows a WPS in a battery with an external RF
harvesting antenna connected to specialized terminals.
[0037] FIG. 15 shows a WPS in a battery with an external RF
harvesting antenna connected through a connector.
[0038] FIG. 16 shows a metallic battery case used as the ground
plane for a patch antenna with a coaxial feed and an internal
WPS.
[0039] FIG. 17 shows a WPS external to a battery using the battery
case as the antenna.
[0040] FIG. 18 shows a WPS using two floating AA battery cases as a
dipole antenna.
[0041] FIG. 19 shows a WPS battery recharging unit with AA
batteries located within the antenna structure.
[0042] FIG. 20 shows a cellular phone being recharged by an
external WPS and RF harvesting antenna connected through the
cellular phone battery recharging receptacle.
[0043] FIG. 21 shows a WPS and RF harvesting antenna attached to
the headphone cord of an iPOD supplying recharging power to the
iPOD.
[0044] FIG. 22a shows the typical construction of a sleeve
dipole.
[0045] FIG. 22b shows a sleeve dipole with an integrated WPS.
[0046] FIG. 23 shows an in-line coaxial WPS connected to a sleeve
dipole antenna.
[0047] FIG. 24 shows a WPS implemented as a module formed on a
PCB.
[0048] FIG. 25 shows a WPS and RF power harvesting antenna formed
inside a battery pack.
[0049] FIG. 26 is block diagram of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0050] Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference
numerals refer to similar or identical parts throughout the several
views, and more specifically to FIG. 26 thereof, there is shown an
apparatus 10 for wirelessly powering a device 12 having an
enclosure 14 for a charge storage component 50. The apparatus 10,
as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a wireless power supply 16 which fits
into the enclosure 14. The apparatus 10 comprises an antenna 18
connected to the wireless power supply 16.
[0051] The present invention pertains to a battery 20, as shown in
FIG. 14. The battery 20 comprises an energy portion 28. The battery
20 comprises a first connection 32 through which energy from the
energy portion 28 is distributed. The battery 20 comprises a second
connection 34 for connecting with an RF harvesting antenna 18.
[0052] The present invention pertains to a cell phone cover 54 for
a cell phone, as shown in FIG. 20. The cell phone comprises a
wireless power supply 16 for powering the cell phone. The cell
phone comprises an antenna 18 connected to the wireless power
supply 16.
[0053] The present invention pertains to a headphone 56, as shown
in FIG. 21. The headphone 56 comprises a cord. The headphone 56
comprises speakers connected to the cord. The headphone 56
comprises a jack connected to the cord. The headphone 56 comprises
a wireless power supply 16 attached to the cord. The headphone 56
comprises an antenna 18 connected to the wireless power supply
16.
[0054] The present invention pertains to a wireless power adapter
38 for a DC jack, as shown in FIG. 22b. The adapter 38 comprises a
wireless power supply 16. The adapter 38 comprises an antenna 18
connected to the wireless power supply 16. The adapter 38 comprises
a connector 36 connected to the wireless power supply 16 that
engages the DC jack.
[0055] The present invention pertains to an apparatus 10 for
wirelessly powering a device 12, as shown in FIG. 24. The apparatus
10 comprises a substrate 40 having discrete components 42 and
integrated circuits 44 disposed in the device 12. The apparatus 10
comprises a wireless power supply 16 connected to the substrate
40.
[0056] The present invention pertains to an apparatus 10 for
wirelessly powering a device 12, as shown in FIG. 4. The apparatus
10 comprises a wireless power supply 16 which is disposed external
to the device 12 and is in electrical communication with the device
12 to provide power to the device 12. The apparatus 10 comprises an
antenna 18 connected with the wireless power supply 16.
[0057] The present invention pertains to a method for wirelessly
powering a device 12 having an enclosure 14 for a charge storage
component 50. The method comprises the steps of fitting into the
enclosure 14 a wireless power supply 16. There is the step of
receiving energy wirelessly through an antenna 18 connected to the
wireless power supply 16.
[0058] The present invention pertains to a method for wirelessly
powering a device 12. The method comprises the steps of
electrically connecting a wireless power supply 16 to the device
12. There is the step of receiving energy wirelessly through an
antenna 18 connected to the wireless power supply 16. There is the
step of powering the device 12 with the received energy.
[0059] The present invention pertains to a method for providing
energy to a cell phone. The method comprises the steps of powering
the cell phone with a wireless power supply 16. There is the step
of receiving energy wirelessly through an antenna 18 connected to
the wireless power supply 16.
[0060] The present invention pertains to an apparatus 10 for
wirelessly powering a device 12 having an enclosure 14 for a charge
storage component 50. The apparatus 10 comprises means for
supplying power wirelessly which fits into the enclosure 14. The
apparatus 10 includes an antenna 18 connected to the supplying
means.
[0061] The present invention pertains to a wireless power supply 16
having a connection 64 for electrically connecting the wireless
power supply 16 to a device 12 to be powered, as shown in FIG. 3.
The wireless power supply 16 is configured to receive energy
wirelessly. The wireless power supply 16 looks like and has a
configuration of at least one battery 20.
[0062] The present invention pertains to an apparatus 10 for
wirelessly powering a device 12 having an enclosure 14 for a
charge-storage component from energy received from a remote
wireless power transmitter, as shown in FIG. 2. The apparatus 10
comprises a wireless power supply 16 which fits into the enclosure
14. The apparatus 10 comprises an antenna 18 connected to the
wireless power supply 16 and remote from the power transmitter.
[0063] Preferably, the device 12 is at least a space of one inch
from the power transmitter when the wireless power supply 16 is
receiving power from the power transmitter; although the device 12
can be at least three inches, or at least seven inches, or at least
twelve inches or even at least twenty inches from the power
transmitter when the wireless power supply 16 is receiving power
from the power transmitter.
[0064] The present invention pertains to a method for wirelessly
powering a device 12 having an enclosure 14 for a charge-storage
component. The method comprises the steps of transmitting energy
from a wireless power transmitter. There is the step of receiving
the energy at a wireless power supply 16 which fits into the
enclosure 14 through an antenna 18 connected to the wireless power
supply 16 of the device 12 when the device 12 is remote from the
power transmitter when the wireless power supply 16 is receiving
power from the power transmitter. Preferably, the receiving step
includes the step of receiving the energy at the wireless power
supply 16 when the device 12 is at least a space of one inch from
the power transmitter when the wireless power supply 16 is
receiving power from the power transmitter; although the device 12
can be at least three inches, or at least seven inches, or at least
twelve inches or even at least twenty inches from the power
transmitter when the wireless power supply 16 is receiving power
from the power transmitter.
[0065] In the operation of the invention, the design of a wireless
power supply 16 has been described in detail in U.S. Pat. No.
7,027,311, "Method and Apparatus for a Wireless Power Supply," U.S.
Patent Publication No. 2006-0281435, "Powering Devices using RF
Energy Harvesting," and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007-0178857,
"Method and Apparatus for High Efficiency Rectification for Various
Loads," all of which are incorporated by reference herein. The
referenced patents give great detail on how a wireless power supply
or RF energy harvester can be designed and constructed for various
applications, such as supplying operational power to a multitude of
devices that are either wireless, such as, but not limited to,
cellular phones, or have wires for communication or power or both,
such as, but not limited to, industrial sensors. It, however, also
becomes advantageous, and the focus of the invention, to describe
how the wireless power supply (WPS) or RF energy harvester is
integrated or implemented with both new and existing devices. It
should be noted that the term wireless power supply or WPS may be
used to describe the circuitry for RF energy harvesting or the
circuitry for RF energy harvesting used in conjunction with an RF
harvesting antenna 18. The WPS may be used to harvest RF energy and
convert the RF energy into a usable form such as, but not limited
to, Direct Current (DC) power.
[0066] The present invention may be used with a pulsing RF or other
energy transmitter, for example, as described in U.S. Patent
Publication No. 2006-0199620, entitled "Method, Apparatus and
System for Power Transmission", which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0067] For devices containing a charge storage component 50, such
as, but not limited to, a battery 20, it is possible to implement
or integrate a wireless power supply 16 in numerous ways. The WPS
may be designed to fit into the enclosure 14, compartment, or space
used to hold the battery 20, batteries, or charge storage
component(s) 50. This may include any battery 20 or charge storage
component 50 size and/or shape including, but not limited to, the
batteries described in ANSI C18.1M, Part 1-2001, incorporated by
reference herein. The WPS may completely replace the battery 20,
battery pack 30, or charge storage component 50 in direct powering
applications or may replace one or more batteries 20 or charge
storage components 50 in battery 20 and charge storage component 50
recharging. As an example, a wireless temperature and humidity
sensor was retrofitted with a WPS in order to obtain a longer
battery 20 life due to battery 20 recharging by the WPS and antenna
18 capturing and converting RF energy. The wireless sensor
contained a 3-volt battery 20 pack 30 that was constructed using
four AAA alkaline batteries, whose schematic and drawing is shown
in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, respectively. The WPS was retrofitted into
the wireless sensor by replacing two of the batteries with a WPS or
energy harvester. The WPS printed circuit board 62 (PCB) had
dimensions of 0.83 by 1.84 inches and was designed to fit into the
space left by the two removed batteries. The RF harvesting antenna
18 was connected to the WPS PCB using an end-launch SMA connector
36 that exited the wireless sensor enclosure 14 allowing the RF
harvesting antenna 18 to be external to the wireless sensor. A
schematic of the WPS used with two AAA batteries can be seen in
FIG. 2a. FIG. 2b illustrates how the WPS was configured in order to
replace two of the AAA batteries and keep the same size and/or
dimensions as the original battery 20 pack 30 of the wireless
sensor when used with two AAA batteries. It should be noted that
the WPS may be placed in series or parallel to a battery 20 or
batteries if found to be advantageous for the application.
[0068] In a similar embodiment to that previously described
(replacing one or all of the batteries), the WPS may be
manufactured in such a way that it resembles or takes the size and
shape of any battery type or combination of batteries, such as, but
not limited to, those described in ANSI C18.1M, Part 1-2001 or
custom sized batteries. As an example, the WPS may be designed with
a size and shape allowing it to fit into the case or shell of a
standard AA battery 20, as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, there
would be no need for battery 20 chemicals and the WPS in the shape
of a battery 20 may contain a WPS circuit, PCB, charge storage
component 50, and/or an RF harvesting antenna 18. The antenna 18
may also be external to the WPS if found to be advantageous. A
charge storage component 50 includes, but is not limited to, a
capacitor, super-capacitor, or any other component capable of
storing charge.
[0069] As previously described, the WPS may replace one or all of
the batteries in the device 12, whether in the form of a battery 20
or not. If all batteries are replaced, the WPS provides direct
power to the device 12, while, if only one or some batteries in the
device 12 are replaced, the WPS may provide current for recharging
or augmenting the remaining batteries, therefore eliminating the
need for the batteries to be removed for replacement or for
recharging, or have the device 12 plugged into a power grid to
recharge the batteries. It should be noted that this embodiment
will work with rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries. For
non-rechargeable batteries, a protection circuit must be added to
insure that no charging current is supplied to the non-rechargeable
batteries meaning any energy supplied by the WPS is used to
directly power the device 12. As an example, consider a wireless
sensor powered by two non-rechargeable AA batteries. Two WPSs
manufactured to resemble AA batteries may replace both
non-rechargeable batteries. However, if only one WPS manufactured
to resemble a AA battery is desired, the other non-rechargeable
would have to be replaced with a rechargeable AA or be protected or
configured (in series) to ensure that the non-rechargeable battery
was not charged by the WPS. The rechargeable battery chemistries
used with the invention may be, but are not limited to,
Nickel-Metal Hydrid (NiMH), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Lithium Ion,
Lithium Polymer, Rechargeable Alkaline, Lead Acid, Lithium Thin
Film, or any other type of rechargeable battery chemistry 25.
[0070] The RF power receiving antenna 18 may be located internally,
as shown in FIG. 3, or externally, as shown in FIG. 4, to the
battery 20 or battery 20 sized component.
[0071] Another embodiment of the WPS that is very similar to what
was described previously and shown in FIG. 3 is to include the WPS
in the packaging of a standard sized or custom sized rechargeable
battery 20 while keeping the battery 20 functionality. This
rechargeable battery chemistry 25, or the energy portion 28 of the
battery 20, may be, but is not limited to, NiMH, NiCd, Lithium Ion,
Lithium Polymer, Rechargeable Alkaline, Lead Acid, Lithium Thin
Film or any other type of rechargeable battery chemistry 25. This
would require displacing some of the chemicals in the battery 20 to
make space for the WPS, PCB and/or possibly the RF harvesting
antenna 18. This embodiment can be seen in FIG. 5. The battery 20
would function normally, but would have a slightly smaller capacity
of charge because of the removal of some chemicals. The WPS may, in
this case, recharge or augment the battery 20 chemicals that are
present in the case with the WPS, while the battery 20 chemicals in
the case may supply operational power for the device 12 being
retrofitted with the WPS. This is a more attractive embodiment than
that shown in FIG. 3 for devices that have a chance of not being in
an RF power field, such as, but not limited to, cellular phones,
PDAs or any other mobile battery 20 powered device. In the previous
case, a WPS that resembles a battery 20 but does not have battery
20 functionality, the device 12 using only the WPS for power would
not function if the WPS was not receiving power from an RF power
transmitter or RF power network. But, for the case shown in FIG. 5,
and in the previous case where only one or some batteries of the
device 12 are replaced, the WPS-battery 20 combination still has
the ability to provide operational power to the device 12 while not
in an RF power field. As an example, it is desired to retrofit a
cellular phone with a WPS that replaces the battery 20. Most
cellular phones have only one battery 20 pack 30 that can be
modified. For this example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 may not
be the best choice because the cellular phone would only work when
in an RF power field or while there is charge stored within a
charge storage component 50, such as a capacitor, from a time
period in an RF power field. Because cellular phones are made to go
anywhere, even where there may not be an RF power field, the best
choice for retrofitting this cellular phone is to include the
rechargeable battery chemistry 25 in with the WPS to provide
operational power to the cellular phone when not in an RF power
field.
[0072] As was the case with the previous embodiment, the RF power
receiving antenna 18 may be located internally, as shown in FIG. 5,
or externally, as shown in FIG. 6, to the battery 20 or battery 20
sized component containing battery 20 chemicals.
[0073] For an internal RF harvesting antenna 18, the antenna 18 may
be formed inside the battery casing 26 as long as the case is
composed of a material that has very low or no attenuation to the
RF field at the frequency or frequencies of interest, such as, but
not limited to, plastic. For a non-attenuating case, the antenna 18
may be formed as part of the case. As an example, the case may be
made of a plastic material with a metal dipole disposed within the
plastic. For a case that is composed of a material that is
attenuating, such as metal, it may also be possible to resonate the
metallic case of the battery 20 in order to form the RF harvesting
antenna 18. Resonating the case can be done whether or not the case
of the battery 20 is electrically connected to one of the battery
20 terminals. For the situation where the case is floating, or not
electrically connected to a battery 20 terminal, the WPS may be
connected to a metallic, or other suitable antenna 18 material,
case through an impedance matching network in order to impedance
match the metallic case to the WPS. Additionally, the point of
contact between the WPS and/or impedance matching circuit and the
case may be used to aid in impedance matching and also to help
shape and/or improve the radiation characteristics of the battery
case 22 RF harvesting antenna 18. An example of this can be seen in
FIG. 7, where the antenna 18 is formed as a hollow cylinder and
wraps around the WPS and/or battery chemistry 25 as the case. It
may be necessary, for any of the embodiments, to divide the battery
case 22 into two or more electrically insulated or isolated
portions in order to resonate the battery case 22. As an example,
the battery case 22 may be formed as a dipole antenna 18 by placing
an insulating material or dielectric between the two portions of
the dipole (antenna 18 formed as hollow cylinders), as shown in
FIG. 8. This example shown in FIG. 8 has two antenna 18 feed lines
due to the balanced nature of a dipole antenna 18. The number of
feed points will be dependent on the type of antenna 18 used with
the WPS.
[0074] It should be noted that any of the embodiments herein may be
formed as a WPS or as a WPS including battery chemistry 25, whether
shown in the illustrative figures or not.
[0075] Additionally, a WPS may contain or have external impedance
matching to insure maximum power transfer from the antenna 18 to
the WPS. A WPS may be designed to match the antenna 18, or vice
versa, without the need for impedance matching. The resulting WPS
and antenna 18 system, therefore, may or may not have a standard
impedance such as 50 ohms.
[0076] For the situation where the battery case 22 is electrically
connected to one of the battery 20 terminals, isolation may need to
be added to the electrically connected battery 20 terminal to
insure that RF noise is not injected into the device 12 receiving
power from the WPS and/or battery 20 and to insure that the device
12 does not load the battery case 22 RF harvesting antenna 18 and
cause the characteristics of the antenna 18, such as impedance, to
change. The isolation may be a simple low pass filter (LPF), which
would allow the DC energy from the battery 20 to flow to the device
12 while blocking the RF energy. An example of this can be seen in
FIG. 9. It should be noted that the LPF may be located internal or
external to the battery 20 depending on the application.
[0077] For an external RF harvesting antenna 18, the antenna 18 may
be formed on the battery 20 or away from the battery 20. The RF
harvesting antenna 18 may be formed on the outside of a
non-attenuating case as shown in FIG. 10 or may be formed on a
metallic or attenuating case by placing a dielectric between the
metallic or attenuating case and the antenna 18, as shown in FIG.
11. A metallic case may act as a reflector or ground plane to help
increase the gain of the antenna 18. For a metallic case, it is
also possible to include a recess in which the antenna 18 can be
formed while insuring a flush surface, as seen in FIG. 12. The
recess may be confined to one side of the case or may include the
entire battery 20 cylinder. Additionally, the metallic case may
have an electrically isolated or insulated region where the antenna
18 may be formed. In certain applications, it may be possible to
form the antenna 18 using a battery 20 label, which may be
partially or completely metallic such as a foil. An example of this
can be seen in FIG. 13.
[0078] It may be beneficial in certain applications to have the
antenna 18 located away from the battery 20 or charge storage
component 50. In these situations, the antenna 18 may connect to
specialized terminals located on the battery 20. As an example, the
body of the battery 20 may contain two metallic pads 48 or rings
around the outside of the battery 20, as shown in FIG. 14, where
the antenna 18 or transmission line 60 may connect using
spring-loaded contacts. It may also be possible to include a
connector 36, jack, plug, or adaptor depending on the size and
shape of the battery 20 and battery enclosure 14, as shown in FIG.
15.
[0079] It may be advantageous in certain applications to use the
case of the battery 20 as part of the antenna 18. As an example, a
metallic (or other conducting material) battery case 22 may be used
as a ground plane for a patch antenna 18. The patch may be formed
above the metallic (or other conducting material) battery case 22
and separated by a non-conductive material. The WPS may be located
internally or externally to the battery 20 and may feed the patch
antenna 18 with a coax, microstrip, or any other feed technique. An
example of a coaxial fed patch antenna 18 using the metallic
battery case 22 as the ground plane can be seen in FIG. 16. It
should be noted that the battery case 22 may be floating or
connected to one of the battery 20 terminals.
[0080] It should be noted that the antenna 18 configurations
described herein may be implemented with any type and number of
antennas. As an example, a WPS may be connected to more than one RF
harvesting antenna 18 where each antenna 18 may be, but is not
limited to, a dipole, monopole, patch, microstrip, or any other
antenna 18 type or configuration. It may also be advantageous in
certain applications to have multiple WPS which may be connected to
one or more antennas.
[0081] In the previous embodiments, the WPS was integrated into a
battery 20 or battery 20 sized enclosure 14 while the antenna was
either internal or external. It may be advantageous in certain
applications to have the WPS external to the battery 20 or battery
20 sized enclosure 14 while the antenna may be internal or external
to the enclosure 14. As an example, the WPS may be formed on the
case of the battery 20 while the antenna may be externally
connected or formed as part of the battery case 22 as previously
described. An example of an external WPS using the battery case 22
as the antenna 18 can be seen in FIG. 17.
[0082] In certain applications, multiple battery cases 22 may be
used to form the antenna 18 for a WPS. As an example, two AA
batteries with floating cases may be used to form a dipole antenna
18, as shown in FIG. 18. It may be necessary depending on the
frequency or frequencies of the RF power to be harvested to include
an impedance matching network to match the dipole antenna 18 to the
WPS.
[0083] In the previous embodiment, multiple battery cases 22 were
used to form the RF harvesting antenna 18. It may not always be
advantageous to use the battery cases 22 to form the antenna 18 due
to the power connections to the battery 20 which may cause
undesirable effects to the radiation characteristics of the antenna
18. Therefore, the RF power harvesting antenna 18 may be formed
around the battery 20 or batteries to enable wired connections that
do not affect the radiation characteristics of the antenna 18. As
an example, two hollow cylinders made of electrically conducting
material such as, but not limited to, metal, each containing a AA
battery 20, may be used to form a dipole antenna 18. The WPS may be
mounted in between the two hollow cylinders with electrical
connections to both. Additionally, wires from the WPS may pass
inside the cylinder to the ends of the batteries in order to make
electrical connection for battery 20 recharging. The wires have no
effect on the radiation characteristics of the antenna 18 because
they are located inside the cylinders and the RF currents are all
present on the surface of the cylinder due to the skin effect.
Additionally, isolation may be added at each end of the antenna 18
structure to isolate the power terminals of the WPS battery 20
recharging unit from the RF power harvesting antenna 18 structure.
An example of the WPS battery 20 recharging unit can be seen in
FIG. 19.
[0084] In certain applications, it may not be advantageous to
retrofit or redesign a product to contain a WPS and/or RF
harvesting antenna 18. Therefore, the WPS and RF harvesting antenna
18 may be designed to be external to the device 12 and the output
of the WPS may connect to the device 12 through a connector 36,
jack, plug, or adaptor in order for the energy captured by the WPS
to be transferred to the device 12 for direct powering applications
or to the rechargeable battery 20 or charge storage component 50 in
battery 20 recharging or augmenting applications. The WPS may be
designed in a manner to connect to an existing port, connector 36,
jack, plug or adaptor that was designed for connection of a
recharging apparatus 52 obtaining its power from means other than
RF power harvesting such as, but not limited to, the AC power grid
or DC power in an automobile. As an example, a cellular phone may
be recharged with a WPS and RF harvesting antenna 18 using the
battery 20 recharging receptacle built into the phone for battery
20 recharging by wired connection to a wall or car outlet. The WPS
may be assembled on a PCB with an integrated antenna 18, as shown
in FIG. 20. It is also possible to include either the WPS or RF
harvesting antenna 18 inside the device 12 while the other is
located externally to the device 12 and connected to the device 12
through a connector 36, jack, plug, or adaptor. As an example, the
WPS may be small enough to fit into a cellular phone. However, the
antenna 18 may be too large or may have better RF power harvesting
characteristics when located outside the cellular phone. Therefore,
the WPS may be placed inside the cellular phone while the RF power
harvesting antenna 18 is located external to the cellular phone.
The external RF power harvesting antenna 18 may be connected using
an existing or specialized connector 36.
[0085] It may be advantageous in certain applications to build the
WPS and RF power harvesting antenna 18 into or onto an existing
accessory or external component of a device such as, but not
limited to, protective covers, protective cases, belt clips,
holsters, holders, faceplates, docking stations, necklace holders,
armband holders, headphones, carrying cases, or any other device
accessory. As an example, cellular phones are frequently protected
with a leather case to avoid damage and scratches to the phone. The
WPS and RF harvesting antenna 18 may be designed into the cellular
phone cover 54 where the cover is made to plug into the battery 20
recharging receptacle built into the phone and connect to the
output of the WPS in order to recharge the cellular phone battery
20. The cellular phone cover 54 may also have the ability to accept
or pass through a connection from a standard recharging apparatus
52 with a wired connection to a wall or car outlet. As another
example, an iPOD or other music device may be recharged in a
similar manner as the cellular phone. However, in the case of the
iPOD, the WPS and RF harvesting antenna 18 may be located away from
the device 12 and attached to the cord of the headphones 56. The
output of the WPS may be supplied to the iPOD by a cord, which may
attach to the iPOD recharging receptacle through a connector 36,
jack, plug, or adaptor as is shown in FIG. 21. It is also possible
to integrate the WPS and antenna 18 into the existing headphone 56
cord to eliminate the second wire and connector 36 required.
[0086] In certain applications, it may be beneficial to have the
WPS integrated into the antenna 18 or antenna 18 structure.
Therefore, the output of the antenna 18 would not be RF power, but
rather a form of power usable by the device 12, such as, but not
limited to, DC power. The integration of the WPS into the antenna
18 eliminates source of loss caused by connectors 36 and lengths of
transmission line 60. The resulting WPS and RF harvesting antenna
18 may therefore have a higher efficiency. As an example, a sleeve
dipole is an unbalanced antenna 18 designed for direct connection
to coaxial cable. The two axial elements of the dipole meet in the
center of the dipole and the two conductors exit to the end of the
dipole through the lower axial element, which is formed as a hollow
cylinder. A typical sleeve dipole can be seen in FIG. 22a. As FIG.
22b shows, a WPS may be integrated into the antenna 18 and the DC
power passed to the bottom of the dipole by two conductors
connected to a DC connector 36, jack, plug, or adaptor.
[0087] It may also be advantageous in certain applications to have
the WPS implemented as a coaxial (or other transmission line 60)
in-line apparatus 58. The output of the antenna 18 may connect to
the WPS and the WPS passes the DC power to the device 12 connected
to the WPS by a connector 36, jack, plug, or adaptor. As an
example, a sleeve dipole with an SMA connector 36 may be connected
to an opposite gender SMA connector 36 on a WPS. The WPS would
accept the RF power provided by the RF harvesting antenna 18 and
the WPS would output the DC power to the device 12 connected by a
connector 36, jack, plug, or adaptor in order to directly power the
device 12 or to recharge the device's 12 charge storage component
50. An example of an in-line coaxial WPS can be seen in FIG.
23.
[0088] The WPS can be formed in numerous ways. For new designs, the
WPS may be integrated onto an existing or newly designed PCB with
an integrated or external antenna 18 for harvesting the RF energy.
The WPS may be in the form of discrete components 42 and/or an
integrated circuit. In the case of an integrated circuit, it may be
necessary to use one or more external components in order to
minimize the loss to the conversion efficiency of the WPS caused by
parasitic elements inherent to an integrated circuit such as, but
not limited to, finite resistance of conductors, semiconductors,
and metal-semiconductor junctions, low quality factor inductors,
capacitance to the substrate 40, capacitance to other components,
and other parasitic elements.
[0089] The WPS may also be implemented as a PCB (or other substrate
40) containing discrete components 42 and integrated circuits 44.
The PCB may contain thru-hole pins or surface mount pads 48 for
connection to another PCB or substrate 40. As an example, the WPS
shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007-0178857, "Method and
Apparatus for High Efficiency Rectification for Various Loads," was
implemented as a module with four surface mount pads. The RF input
pad was connected to the antenna 18, the output pad was connected
to the device 12 for direct powering and to the battery 20 or
charge storage component 50 for recharging applications, and the
other two pads were connected to ground. The module was designed to
be soldered onto another PCB to insure a proper layout and ease of
use by the user. FIG. 24 shows the dimensions of the WPS
module.
[0090] The WPS may be implemented as or in a battery 20 pack 30
when found to be advantageous. As an example, the WPS and RF power
harvesting antenna 18 may be formed within or on the external
packaging of the battery 20 or batteries while remaining outside
the battery casing 26. As a specific example, a cellular phone
battery is typically incased in a plastic case in order to provide
protection, give support, and offer an aesthetically pleasing size
and shape. The battery and possibly the battery recharging or
protection circuitry are formed within the plastic case. The WPS
and RF power harvesting antenna 18 may also be formed within the
plastic case making it part of the battery pack 30. In certain
applications, it may be beneficial to form the RF power harvesting
antenna 18 as an external component or form the RF power harvesting
antenna 18 on the outside of the plastic, or other material, case
used to incase the battery 20. An example of a WPS incased with a
battery 20 or batteries is shown in FIG. 25.
[0091] The invention should not be confused with power transfer by
inductive coupling, which requires the device 12 to be relatively
close to the power transmission source. The RFID Handbook by the
author Klaus Finkenzeller defines the inductive coupling region as
distance between the transmitter and receiver of less than 0.16
times lambda where lambda is the wavelength of the RF wave. The
invention can be implemented in the near-field (sometimes referred
to as inductive) region as well as the far-field region. The
far-field region is distances greater than 0.16 times lambda.
[0092] In any embodiment of the present invention, the RF power
transmitted may be limited to include power only, that is, data is
not present in the signal. If data is required by the application,
the data is, preferably, transmitted in a separate band and/or has
a separate receiver.
[0093] Although the invention has been described in detail in the
foregoing embodiments for the purpose of illustration, it is to be
understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that
variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it
may be described by the following claims.
* * * * *