Hybrid energy harvesting systems and devices incorporating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10566844-B2
Application number	US-201916276943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A system including: a photovoltaic (PV) cell; a radio frequency (RF) rectifier; a DC-DC converter connected to an output of the RF rectifier; and a control circuit configured to control an operation of the DC-DC converter, and configured to receive operating power from the PV cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a photovoltaic (PV) cell;
a radio frequency (RF) rectifier;
a DC-DC converter connected to an output of the RF rectifier; and
a control circuit configured to:
control an operation of the DC-DC converter; and
receive operating power from the PV cell;

wherein the control circuit comprises:
an oscillator configured to signal activation of the DC-DC converter; and
a timer configured to control the oscillator.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit further comprises a switch electrically deposed between the PV cell and the oscillator, the switch being activated by the timer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit further comprises a capacitor.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a matching circuit configured to provide input to the RF rectifier.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an antenna configured to:
capture ambient RF signals; and
send the captured RF signals to the RF rectifier.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the antenna is a dual-band antenna.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the antenna is configured to simultaneously harvest energy over one port and communicate over a second port.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the antenna comprises a reflector configured to increase a gain of the antenna.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the antenna comprises an omnidirectional antenna.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the antenna comprises a rectangular short slot antenna.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the PV cell is disposed within a conductive surface of the antenna.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the PV cell is configured to produce high-voltage energy;
the RF rectifier is configured to produce low-voltage and high-density energy; and
the DC-DC converter is configured to convert energy produced by the RF rectifier into a high-voltage energy.

13. A device comprising:
a solar cell;
a radio-frequency (RF) converter configured to convert RF signals to electrical power;
a power converter connected to an output of the RF converter;
a control circuit configured to:
control an operation of the power converter; and
receive operating power from the solar cell; and

a microcontroller configured to receive operating power from the power converter;
wherein the control circuit comprises:
an oscillator configured to signal activation of the power converter; and
a timer configured to control the oscillator.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising a power storage configured to receive power from at least one of the power converter and the solar cell.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising a power switch connected to the power storage and the power converter, the power switch being configured to select a power source for the microcontroller from between the power storage and the power converter.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the power storage comprises at least one of a battery and a capacitor.

17. The device of claim 13 further comprising:
an antenna; and
a transceiver connected to the microcontroller and the antenna;
wherein the transceiver is configured to control the antenna to simultaneously communicate over a first port of the antenna while harvesting energy over a second port of the antenna.

18. The device of claim 13 further comprising:
an antenna; and
a matching circuit electrically disposed between the RF converter and the antenna.

19. The device of claim 13 further comprising an antenna;
wherein the RF converter is configured to convert RF signals captured by the antenna to electrical power.

20. The device of claim 13 , wherein:
the solar cell is configured to produce high-voltage energy;
the RF converter is configured to produce low-voltage and high-density energy; and
the power converter is configured to convert energy produced by the RF converter into a high-voltage energy.

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Bito Jo
• Tentzeris Emmanouil

Classifications

• H02J7/35 Primary

  with light sensitive cells · CPC title

• H04B1/1607

  Supply circuits (converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46) · CPC title

• H02J50/20 Primary

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• H02J50/30

  using light, e.g. lasers · CPC title

• H04M19/08

  with current supply sources at the substations (generating ringing current H04M19/04) · CPC title