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US 2018/0006572 A1Published application
Power harvesting circuit and applications thereof
AssigneeRFMicron, Inc.
InventorsBrian David Young, Shahriar Rokhsaz, Ahmed Younis, Marwan Hassoun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power harvesting circuit, a rectifier circuit and a capacitor. The rectifier circuit includes a diode circuit and a diode voltage reduction circuit. The diode circuit passes a current when a received RF signal has a first polarity and to substantially blocks the current when the received RF signal has a second polarity. The diode voltage reduction circuit is operably coupled to reduce a voltage drop of the diode circuit. The capacitor is operably coupled to convert the rectified signal into a DC supply voltage.
Claims20
A power harvesting circuit comprises:
- a rectifier circuit operably coupled to convert a received radio frequency (RF) signal into a rectified signal, the rectifier circuit includes:
- a diode circuit operable to pass a current when the received RF signal has a first polarity and to substantially block the current when the received RF signal has a second polarity, wherein the rectified signal is based on the passing and blocking of the current;
- a diode voltage reduction circuit operably coupled to the diode circuit, wherein the diode circuit has a first diode voltage drop and wherein the diode voltage reduction circuit reduces the first diode voltage drop to a second diode voltage drop;
- and
- a capacitor operably coupled to convert the rectified signal into a direct current (DC) supply voltage, wherein a magnitude of the DC supply voltage is based on a peak voltage of the received RF signal and a diode voltage drop.
2 more elements
A power harvesting circuit comprises:
- a rectifier circuit operably coupled to convert a received radio frequency (RF) signal into a rectified signal, the rectifier circuit includes:
- a diode circuit operable to pass a current when the received RF signal has a first polarity and to substantially block the current when the received RF signal has a second polarity, wherein the rectified signal is based on the passing and blocking of the current;
- and
- a start up current circuit operably coupled to the diode circuit, wherein the diode circuit has at least one of a first start up current and a first start up delay and wherein the start up current circuit reduces the at least one of a first start up current and a first start up delay to at least one of a second start up current and a second start up delay;
- and
- a capacitor operably coupled to convert the rectified signal into a direct current (DC) supply voltage, wherein a magnitude of the DC supply voltage is based on a peak voltage of the received RF signal and a diode voltage drop.
3 more elements
A wireless device comprises:
- an antenna structure operable to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal;
- a power harvesting circuit including:
- a rectifier circuit operably coupled to convert the RF signal into a rectified signal,
- the rectifier circuit includes:
- a diode circuit operable to pass a current when the received RF signal has a first polarity and to substantially block the current when the received RF signal has a second polarity, wherein the rectified signal is based on the passing and blocking of the current;
- a diode voltage reduction circuit operably coupled to the diode circuit, wherein the diode circuit has a first diode voltage drop and wherein the diode voltage reduction circuit reduces the first diode voltage drop to a second diode voltage drop;
- and
- a capacitor operably coupled to convert the rectified signal into a direct current (DC) supply voltage, wherein a magnitude of the DC supply voltage is based on a peak voltage of the received RF signal and a diode voltage drop;
- a processing module;
- memory;
- a transmitter;
- and
- a receiver, wherein the processing module, the memory, the transmitter, and the receiver are powered by the DC supply voltage.
10 more elements
A wireless device comprises:
- an antenna structure operable to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal;
- a power harvesting circuit including:
- a rectifier circuit operably coupled to convert the RF signal into a rectified signal,
- the rectifier circuit includes:
- a diode circuit operable to pass a current when the received RF signal has a first polarity and to substantially block the current when the received RF signal has a second polarity, wherein the rectified signal is based on the passing and blocking of the current;
- a start up current circuit operably coupled to the diode circuit, wherein the diode circuit has at least one of a first start up current and a first start up delay and wherein the start up current circuit reduces the at least one of a first start up current and a first start up delay to at least one of a second start up current and a second start up delay;
- and
- a capacitor operably coupled to convert the rectified signal into a direct current (DC) supply voltage, wherein a magnitude of the DC supply voltage is based on a peak voltage of the received RF signal and a diode voltage drop;
- a processing module;
- memory;
- a transmitter;
- and
- a receiver, wherein the processing module, the memory, the transmitter, and the receiver are powered by the DC supply voltage.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.