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US 12,695,197 B2Granted
Radio frequency identification (RFID) with sensors
AssigneeRFMicron, Inc.
InventorsShahriar Rokhsaz, Brian David Young, Marwan Hassoun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a power harvesting circuit that operates generate power for the RFID tag from a continuous wave of a radio frequency (RF) signal. The RFID tag further includes a tuning circuit that is tuned based on a capacitance setting, where the capacitance setting is indicative of a power level of the power. The RFID tag further includes a processing module operably coupled to the tuning circuit, where the processing module operates to generate the capacitance setting to obtain a desired power level for the power.
Claims24
An integrated circuit for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the integrated circuit comprises:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to an external antenna wherein the antenna includes one or more radiating elements for electromagnetically transmitting outbound radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic signals and for electromagnetically receiving inbound RF electromagnetic signals;
- a power harvesting circuit operably coupled to the antenna port, wherein the power harvesting circuit is operable to generate an AC current from the inbound RF electromagnetic signals when the inbound RF electromagnetic signals are received via the antenna port;
- a regulator operably coupled to convert the AC current into a DC operating power;
- a shunt circuit coupled to shunt current of a DC voltage of the DC operating power based on a shunt threshold;
- an external element port operably coupled to an external sensor that senses an external condition;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the external element port and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed external condition that is sensed by the external sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generates an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the RF transmitter is further operably coupled to:
- transmit, based on the outbound signal and via the external antenna, an outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
9 more elements
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprises:
- a substrate;
- an external antenna mounted on the substrate, wherein the external antenna includes one or more radiating elements for electromagnetically transmitting outbound radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic signals and for electromagnetically receiving inbound RF electromagnetic signals;
- an external sensor mounted on the substrate, wherein, when operable, the external sensor senses an external condition;
- and
- an integrated circuit mounted on the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit includes:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to the external antenna;
- a power harvesting circuit operably coupled to the antenna port, wherein the power harvesting circuit is operable to generate an AC current from the inbound RF electromagnetic signals when the inbound RF electromagnetic signals are received via the antenna port;
- a regulator operably coupled to convert the AC current into a DC operating power;
- a shunt circuit coupled to shunt current of a DC voltage of the DC operating power based on a shunt threshold;
- an external element port operably coupled to the external sensor;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the external element port and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed external condition that is sensed by the external sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the RF transmitter is further operably coupled to:
- transmit, based on the outbound signal and via the external antenna, an outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
14 more elements
An integrated circuit for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the integrated circuit comprises:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to an external antenna, wherein the antenna includes one or more radiating elements for electromagnetically transmitting outbound radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic signals and for electromagnetically receiving inbound RF electromagnetic signals;
- a power harvesting circuit operably coupled to the antenna port, wherein the power harvesting circuit is operable to generate an AC current from the inbound RF electromagnetic signals when the inbound RF electromagnetic signals are received via the antenna port;
- a regulator operably coupled to convert the AC current into a DC operating power;
- a shunt circuit coupled to shunt current of a DC voltage of the DC operating power based on a shunt threshold;
- an on-chip sensor operable to sense a condition;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the on-chip sensor and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed condition that is sensed by the on-chip sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the RF transmitter is further operably coupled to:
- transmit, based on the outbound signal and via the external antenna, an outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
9 more elements
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprises:
- a substrate;
- an external antenna mounted on the substrate, wherein the external antenna, wherein the external antenna includes one or more radiating elements for electromagnetically transmitting outbound radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic signals and for electromagnetically receiving inbound RF electromagnetic signals;
- an integrated circuit mounted on the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit includes:
- an antenna port operable for coupling to an external antenna;
- a power harvesting circuit operably coupled to the antenna port, wherein the power harvesting circuit is operable to generate an AC current from the inbound RF electromagnetic signals when the inbound RF electromagnetic signals are received via the antenna port;
- a regulator operably coupled to convert the AC current into a DC operating power;
- a shunt circuit coupled to shunt current of a DC voltage of the DC operating power based on a shunt threshold;
- an on-chip sensor operable to sense a condition;
- a sensing engine operably coupled to the on-chip sensor and to the regulator, wherein, when operational, the sensing engine:
- generates a signal representative of a sensed condition that is sensed by the on-chip sensor;
- generates a digital value of the signal;
- generate an outbound signal that includes the digital value;
- and
- a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is operably coupled to the antenna port and to the regulator, wherein the RF transmitter is further operably coupled to:
- transmit, based on the outbound signal and via the external antenna, an outbound RF signal to an RFID reader.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.