Sensor, method and device comprising piezoelectric antennas for RF identification (RFID)

Abstract

A sensor is described that includes an integrated circuit and a piezoelectric substrate. The piezoelectric substrate is adapted as an antenna for the integrated circuit. The antenna can be an RFID antenna, and the integrated circuit can be an RFID integrated circuit.

Description

1 / 16 SENSOR, METHOD AND DEVICE COMPRISING RF IDENTIFICATION (RFID) PIEZOELECTRIC ANTENNAS FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The device refers to radio frequency identification (RFID) devices that operate in the ultra-high frequency band. FUNDAMENTALS OF THE INVENTION

[002] This section aims to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technique, which may be related to embodiments described below. It is believed that this discussion will be of great help in giving the reader background information that will help him to better understand the various aspects of the present invention. Therefore, it is assumed that these expositions will be read in this light.

[003] Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. An RFID system uses tags or labels attached to the objects to be identified. Two-way radio transceivers called interrogators or readers send a signal to the tag and read its response. There are several types of RFID tags, depending on range, size, cost, and underlying technology.

[004] RFID tags can be passive, active, or battery-assisted passive (semi-passive). An active tag has a built-in battery and periodically transmits an ID signal. A battery-assisted passive (BAP) tag has a small built-in battery and is activated in the presence of an RFID reader. A passive tag is cheaper and smaller because it does not have a battery, but instead uses the radio energy transmitted by the reader as a power source. However, to operate a passive tag, it must be illuminated with an energy level approximately a thousand times stronger than for signal transmission. This influences interference and radiation exposure. A Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 7 / 46 2 / 16 energy conversion is performed by an RF energy collector that typically includes an antenna and a rectifier / multiplier tuned for the waves received from the RFID reader.

[005] Labels can be read-only, with a factory-assigned serial number that is used as a key in a database, or they can be read / write, where specific object data can be written to the label by the system user. Field-programmable labels can be single-write, multi-write; blank labels can be programmed with an electronic product code by the user.

[006] RFID tags contain at least two parts: an integrated circuit (IC, microchip, or chip) to store and process information, modulate and demodulate a radio frequency (RF) signal, collect DC power from the incident reader signal, and other specialized functions; and an antenna to receive and transmit the signal. Tag information is stored in non-volatile memory. RFID tags include fixed or programmable logic to process transmission and sensor data, respectively.

[007] An RFID reader transmits a coded radio signal to interrogate the tag. The RFID tag receives the message and then responds with its identification and / or other information. This may be merely the tag's unique serial number or it may be product-related information such as stock number, lot or batch number, production date, or other specific information. Because the tags have individual serial numbers, the RFID system concept can distinguish between multiple tags that lie within the RFID reader's range and read them simultaneously.

[008] RFID systems can be classified into two main classes that operate in different frequency bands. The difference between the two classes is based on the type of physical coupling between the reader and the tag, which Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 8 / 46 3 / 16 can be magnetic (inductive coupling) or electromagnetic (radiative coupling). Inductive or magnetic coupling (MC) occurs when there is a varying magnetic field between two parallel conductors typically less than one wavelength apart, thus inducing a change in electrical voltage along the receiving conductor. It generally applies to frequencies up to the Very High Frequency (VHF) range, around 100 MHz. In RFID systems based on inductive coupling, the tag obtains its energy from the closely coupled magnetic field and responds by charging its own antenna with different impedances.

[009] Radiative or electromagnetic coupling occurs when the source and the target (or victim) are separated by a long distance, typically more than one wavelength. The source and target act as radio antennas: the source emits or radiates an electromagnetic wave that propagates through the space between them and is picked up or received by the target. In general, radiative coupling applies to frequencies above 100 MHz. In RFID systems based on radiative coupling, the tag obtains its energy from the electromagnetic field radiated by the reader and reflects it back, thus modulating with its own impedances with a different Radar Cross Section (RCS). The RCS is a measure of the target's ability to reflect radar signals in the direction of the radar receiver.

[010] The nature of first-class coupling (inductive coupling) limits the reading range to an order of magnitude of the size of the reader or tag antenna (usually a few centimeters), whereas the range of second-class coupling (radiative coupling) can reach tens of meters depending on the nature of the tags (passive and active) and their sensitivity. In the case of long-range RFID systems operating in the Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) band or in microwave bands using passive tags, a Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 9 / 46 4 / 16 of the incoming RF signal (emitted by the remote RFID reader and coupled via the tag antenna) is converted to DC to power the chip. Once the chip is activated, the received signal is demodulated by the interface and reflected back (by backscatter) modulated by the information stored in the chip's memory. Chip activation is the limiting factor in the achievable range of RFID systems using passive tags. Typical ranges of 10 meters are currently achievable under Line of Sight (LOS) conditions using passive tags and state-of-the-art readers.

[011] The Electronic Product Code (EPC™) Generation 2 (Gen2) air interface protocol defines the physical and logical requirements for an RFID system of interrogators and passive tags, operating in the 860 MHz to 960 MHz UHF band (also called the 900 MHz band). Over the last decade, EPC Gen2 has established itself as the standard for UHF implementations in various sectors, and is at the heart of more and more RFID implementations.

[012] More recently, with the boom in wireless sensors, a new generation of RFID chips compliant with the EPC Gen2 standard has emerged with a power supply input for connection to a coin-sized battery, thus increasing the device's range by several tens of meters. The new devices are strictly passive, but can be considered semi-passive. However, battery life is not only inconvenient, but can also be fatal to the commercial success of these new generation devices due to the complexity and cost of battery replacement.

[013] Although RFID tags have now become the standard technology for object identification and tracking, research is still underway to expand the capabilities of RFID tags, including passive tags, beyond the identification function (RFID beyond ID). More specifically, RFID tags and systems are combining the function of Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, p. 10 / 46 5 / 16 Identification with the detection of physical or biological signals. In many of these systems, a sensing module (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.) is coupled to the RFID chip via a secondary wired interface to store / update the detected data in the chip's memory. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[014] The proposed device refers to an antenna that is enhanced with detection capabilities for use in a wireless system. It should be borne in mind that the proposed device is not limited to any specific type of device and can be applied to any wireless communication device, such as, for example, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

[015] According to a first aspect of the invention, a sensor is proposed comprising an integrated circuit and a piezoelectric substrate, wherein the piezoelectric substrate is adapted as an antenna of the integrated circuit.

[016] In another embodiment, the antenna is an RFID antenna, and the integrated circuit is an RFID integrated circuit.

[017] In another embodiment, the piezoelectric substrate is flexible.

[018] In another embodiment, the piezoelectric substrate is metallized.

[019] In another embodiment, the piezoelectric substrate is made of a material selected from the group composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) copolymers.

[020] In another mode, the antenna detects at least one vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy.

[021] In another embodiment, the piezoelectric substrate converts at least one of the detected vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy into electrical energy. Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 11 / 46 6 / 16

[022] In another embodiment, at least part of the converted electrical energy is used to power the integrated circuit and store detected signal information in a memory of the integrated circuit.

[023] According to a second aspect of the invention, a method is disclosed for detecting at least one vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy using a piezoelectric substrate with an antenna disposed on it; and then the at least one vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy detected is converted into electrical energy.

[024] In another embodiment, the method also involves using at least part of the converted electrical energy to power at least one integrated circuit coupled to the antenna and storing detected signal information in a memory of the integrated circuit.

[025] Some processes implemented by elements of the invention can be implemented by computer. Therefore, these elements can take the form of a fully hardware embodiment, a fully software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which can be generically referred to in this document as a circuit, module or system. Furthermore, these elements can take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression with computer-usable program code embodied in the medium.

[026] As elements of the present invention can be implemented in software, the present invention can be embodied in the form of computer-readable code for provision to a programmable device on any suitable carrier medium. A tangible carrier medium may comprise a storage medium, such as a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, a magnetic tape device or a solid-state memory device, and Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 12 / 46 7 / 16 its counterparts. A transient carrier medium may include a signal, such as an electrical signal, an optical signal, an acoustic signal, a magnetic signal, or an electromagnetic signal, for example, a microwave signal or an RF signal.

[027] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[028] Hereafter, embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, including:

[029] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an exemplary RFID system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[030] a FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an exemplary RFID tag device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[031] a FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary flexible piezoelectric film with a metal layer placed over it;

[032] a FIG. 4A illustrates a plan view of the metallized piezoelectric film illustrated in FIG. 3;

[033] a FIG. 4B illustrates a schematic side view of the metallized piezoelectric film illustrated in FIG. 3; and

[034] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method according to an embodiment of the invention.

[035] It should be borne in mind that the drawings serve the purpose of illustrating the concepts of the invention and do not necessarily represent the only possible configuration for carrying it out.

[036] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[037] The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) device capable of detecting a mechanical impact, vibrational energy and / or acoustic signals. Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 13 / 46 8 / 16

[038] Fundamentally, a passive RFID device acts as an energy harvester. RF energy harvesting can be performed by an antenna and a rectifier / multiplier tuned to the waves received from the RFID reader. In fact, some of the energy from an incoming RF signal, transmitted by the RFID reader and coupled through the RF antenna, can be converted to DC by the rectifier / multiplier to power the RFID chip and is not used in the wireless communication link.

[039] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an exemplary RFID system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The RFID system 100 includes an RFID reader device 110 and an RFID tag device 150. The RFID reader device 110 includes an RFID reader circuit 120 coupled to an RFID reader antenna 130. The RFID tag device 150 includes an RFID tag circuit 160 coupled to an RFID tag antenna 170. The RFID tag device 150 can be attached to the object to be detected, using, for example, an adhesive film.

[040] The RFID reader device 110 generates and modulates a request message in the RFID reader circuit 120 to create a transmitter signal and radiates the transmitter signal via electromagnetic waves through the antenna 130. The RFID tag antenna 170 is tuned to receive the waves radiated from the RFID reader antenna 130. An antenna is a specialized transducer or converter that converts RF fields into Alternating Current (AC) or vice versa. The RFID tag antenna 170 converts the electromagnetic fields of the received waves into an electrical signal.

[041] The RFID tag device 150 draws energy from the electrical signal and uses it to power the RFID tag circuit 160. The electrical signal can power the entire RFID tag circuit 160, in a passive RFID tag, or partially power the RFID tag circuit 160, in the case of Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 14 / 46 9 / 16 a semi-passive RFID tag. The RFID tag circuit 160 also receives and demodulates the electrical signal to retrieve the request message. The RFID circuit 160 then generates and modulates a response message with its identification number(s) and / or other information. The modulated response message is radiated via electromagnetic waves through the RFID tag antenna 170.

[042] One aspect of passive and semi-passive RFID tags is the method of remodulating the electromagnetic wave from an RFID reader via backscatter. Since RFID tags are generally designed to have a reactive (i.e., capacitive) impedance, any incoming electromagnetic wave is reflected (re-radiated) by the antenna back to the source. Thus, when an RFID reader device 110 transmits an electromagnetic wave from an RFID tag device 150, the wave is reflected by the RFID tag device 150 back to the RFID reader device 110. Thanks to this reflective characteristic, the RFID tag device 150 is able to encode a message by modulating the re-radiated electromagnetic wave. The actual modulation of the wave can occur as a transistor in the RFID tag circuit 160 rapidly switches between two distinct impedance states.Since each impedance state can have both a resistive and a capacitive characteristic (real and imaginary impedance), the RFID 150 tag device can perform both phase modulation and amplitude modulation of the re-radiated signal.

[043] The RFID reader device 110 can receive the waves re-radiated through the RFID reader antenna 130 and convert them into digital data containing the response message. It should be borne in mind that the RFID reader circuit 120 can be any RFID reader circuit or IC familiar to those skilled in the relevant art. Furthermore, the RFID reader antenna 130 can be any antenna. Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 15 / 46 10 / 16 familiar to those skilled in the relevant art, for example, dipole antennas, loop antennas, inverted F antennas, monopole antennas, flat or printed antennas, etc.

[044] FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an exemplary RFID tag device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The RFID tag device 200 may be similar to the RFID tag device 150. The RFID tag device 200 includes an RFID antenna 210. The RFID tag device 200 also includes an analog front end (AFE) 220, a digital processor 270 and a memory 280, which together are similar to the RFID tag circuit 160.

[045] The antenna 210 operates preferentially in the Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) band. The antenna 210 is enhanced with the ability to detect any mechanical impact, vibration or acoustic signal. In one aspect of the invention, the antenna 210 is formed on a piezoelectric film. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary flexible piezoelectric film 305 with a metal layer 315 disposed over it.

[046] FIG. 4A illustrates a plan view of the metallized piezoelectric film illustrated in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4A, the metal layer 315 is arranged over the piezoelectric film 305. FIG. 4B illustrates a schematic side view of the metallized piezoelectric film illustrated in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4B, both sides of the piezoelectric film 305 have a metal layer 315 arranged over them. The metal layer shown in FIGS. 4A to 4B has a quadrangular shape. However, various antenna topologies and shapes are contemplated, it being only a matter of design choice.

[047] Piezoelectric films typically have a relative permittivity in the range of 12 to 13. This relative permittivity allows the construction of smaller antennas compared to antennas placed on conventional substrates. The relative permittivity of conventional substrates is typically in the range of 2 to 4. Thus, for example, a substrate with a relative permittivity of about Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 16 / 46 11 / 16 four (4) times higher than a conventional substrate can have antennas with sizes about two (2) times smaller than those arranged on a conventional substrate with the same performance.

[048] In addition to operating in the UHF frequency band, antenna 210 is also an efficient mechanical-to-electrical transducer for detecting and / or receiving an impact, vibration, or acoustic signal thanks to its arrangement on the piezoelectric film. Suitable examples of piezoelectric film include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylidene fluoride copolymers.

[049] The AFE 220 is coupled to the antenna 210 and includes a rectifier 230, a regulator 240, a demodulator 250, a modulator 260, and an integrated circuit for vibration / impact / acoustic signals 290. The rectifier 230 performs the function of rectifying / multiplying the received electrical signal and emits Direct Current (DC) energy to the regulator 240. An RF energy collector is built around the RF rectifier, which is an electrical circuit that converts RF energy from a lower electrical voltage to a higher DC electrical voltage using a network of capacitors and diodes. The input of the RFID antenna 210 connects to a diode rectifier through a corresponding network, and, for given diode characteristics and fixed RF input energy, the load is optimized to obtain maximum efficiency of the RF-to-DC converter.For example, the Avago™ HSMS-286 family of RF detector diodes is well suited for use in energy harvesting in the frequency range from 900 MHz to 5.8 GHz.

[050] The regulator 240 couples to the rectifier 230 and regulates the input power to the desired levels through the other components of the RFID tag device 200, which couple to the regulator 240. The demodulator 250 couples to the regulator 240 and the antenna 210 and receives and demodulates the input electrical signal to receive the request message and possibly control signals from the RFID reader (e.g., RF reader device 110). The modulator Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, p. 17 / 46 12 / 16 260 couples to regulator 240 and antenna 210 and modulates a response message that includes its identification number(s) and / or other information and possibly control signals. The modulated response message is radiated via electromagnetic waves through RFID tag antenna 210.

[051] The vibration / impact / acoustic signal integrated circuit (IC) 290 couples to the antenna 210 and receives the detected impact, vibration, or acoustic signals from it. The vibration / impact / acoustic signal IC 290 converts the mechanical, vibratory, or acoustic signals into electrical energy, part of which can be used to power, detect, and store the detected signal information in the chip's memory 280. Preferably, the vibration / impact / acoustic signal IC 290 includes an amplifier and an Analog-to-Digital circuit (not shown) that are used in post-processing from the digital processor 270 or to store the information in memory 280. For example, in the case of impact detection, the vibration / impact / acoustic integrated circuit 290 can be a simple state machine-based IC that outputs two states depending on the level of the analog input signal compared to a programmable threshold value.Alternatively, a battery (not shown) can be used to power a high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) or a microcontroller when needed, while the 210 antenna would only emit the impact, vibration, or acoustic signal information to be stored.

[052] The digital processor 270 is coupled to the regulator 240, demodulator 250, and modulator 260. The digital processor 270 receives and interprets a digital request message and control signals from the demodulator 250 and requests the identification number(s) and / or other information. Memory 280 may be non-volatile memory, including read-only memory (ROM) or read-write memory. Memory 280 provides the necessary information to Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 18 / 46 13 / 16 Digital processor 270 upon request. The digital processor 270 may also include clock management operations, data encoding (e.g., error correction encoding), data decoding (e.g., error correction decoding), data encryption, data decryption, anti-fraud, etc. The digital processor 270 may include a digital logic circuit, including, for example, finite state machine(s) (FSM) and registers. The digital processor 270 may include a controller or processor that controls the operation of the RFID tag device 200. The processor 270 may also generate suitable control signals and send the response message including the identification number(s) and / or other information and possibly control signals to the modulator 260.

[053] It should be borne in mind that the various components of the RFID tag device 200 may be circuits well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail. It should be borne in mind that other familiar components may be present in the RFID tag device 200, for example, a frequency oscillator. It should be borne in mind that the RFID tag device 200 and the corresponding RF reader (e.g., RFID reader device 110) may be compliant with at least one RFID standard, for example, EPC Gen2, the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 18000 series standards, etc.

[054] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, more than one RF rectifier / multiplier or collector circuit may be included in the RFID tag device 200 (not shown), the various rectifiers / multipliers collecting energy from a plurality of frequency bands.

[055] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method according to another aspect of the invention. In step 405, at least one of energy Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 19 / 46 Vibrational, acoustic, and impact energy is detected using an antenna placed on a piezoelectric substrate. The 210 antenna, which preferably operates in the UHF frequency band, is an efficient mechanical-to-electrical transducer for detecting and / or capturing an impact, vibration, or acoustic signal thanks to its placement on the piezoelectric film. Suitable examples of piezoelectric films include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylidene fluoride copolymers.

[056] At least one vibrational energy, acoustic energy, and impact energy detected is then converted into electrical energy, as shown in step 415. The IC for vibration / impact / acoustic signals converts the mechanical, vibrational, or acoustic signals detected during step 405 into electrical energy. Some of the converted energy can be used to power, detect, and store the detected signal information in a memory. Alternatively, a battery (not shown) can be used to power a high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) or a microcontroller when needed, while the antenna would only emit the impact, vibration, or acoustic signal information to be stored.

[057] It should be borne in mind that the elements illustrated in the figures may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, or combinations thereof. Preferably, these elements are implemented in a combination of hardware and software in one or more suitably programmed general-purpose devices, which may include a processor, memory, and input / output interfaces. In this document, the phrase “coupled” means connected directly or indirectly by one or more intermediate components. These intermediate components may include both hardware-based and software-based components. Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 20 / 46 15 / 16

[058] The present description elucidates the principles of the present invention. Therefore, it is estimated that those skilled in the art will be able to discern various combinations which, although not explicitly described or illustrated in this document, embody the principles of the invention and are contained within its scope.

[059] All examples and conditional language presented in this document are designed for educational purposes to help the reader understand the principles of the invention and the concepts with which the inventors contributed to advance the technique, and should therefore be interpreted without restricting the invention to these specifically presented examples and conditions.

[060] Furthermore, all statements in this document that describe principles, aspects and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples of the invention, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Moreover, it is intended that these equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents that may be developed in the future, that is, any elements developed in the future that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

[061] Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will realize that the block diagram presented in this document represents conceptual views of an illustrative circuit system that embodies the principles of the invention. Similarly, it will be estimated that any flowcharts, data flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, among others, represent various processes that can be substantially reproduced in computer-readable media and, therefore, executed by a computer or processor, whether such computer or processor is explicitly illustrated or not.

[062] The functions of the various elements illustrated in the figures can be performed using dedicated hardware, as well as hardware capable of running software in conjunction with the appropriate software. When performed by a Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 21 / 46 16 / 16 processor, the functions can be performed by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by several individual processors, some of which may be shared. Furthermore, the explicit use of the term processor or controller should not be interpreted as referring exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without restriction, digital signal processing (DSP) hardware, read-only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile storage.

[063] Other types of hardware, conventional and / or customized, may also be included. Furthermore, any keys or buttons illustrated in the figures are merely conceptual. Their function may be performed by program logic operation, by dedicated logic, by interaction between program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the specific technique being selectable by the implementer as understood more specifically based on the context.

[064] In the claims of this document, it is intended that any element expressed as a means to perform a specific function encompasses any way of performing that function, including, for example: a) a combination of circuit elements that perform that function or b) software in any format, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with a circuit system suitable for executing that software to perform the function. The invention, as defined by these claims, resides in the combination and assembly of the functionalities offered by the various means cited in the manner prescribed by the claims. Therefore, any means capable of offering these functionalities is considered equivalent to those illustrated in this document. Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 22 / 46

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Sensor comprising: an integrated circuit (220); and a piezoelectric substrate (305), the piezoelectric substrate (305) being configured as an antenna (210) of the integrated circuit; the antenna (210) being configured to detect at least one of vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy; the integrated circuit (220) being configured to convert said at least one of the detected vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy into electrical energy; CHARACTERIZED in that at least a portion of the converted energy is used to store detected signal information in a memory (280) of the integrated circuit (220).

2. Sensor, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the antenna (210) is a radio frequency identification (RFID) device antenna and the integrated circuit (220) is an RFID integrated circuit.

3. Sensor, according to any of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that the piezoelectric substrate (305) is flexible.

4. Sensor, according to any of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that the piezoelectric substrate (305) is metallized.

5. Sensor, according to any of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that the piezoelectric substrate (305) is made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PVDF copolymers. Petition 870250072345, dated 08 / 15 / 2025, page 23 / 46 2 / 3 6. Sensor, according to any of the preceding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that less a portion of the converted electrical energy is used to power the integrated circuit (220).

7. Method comprising: detecting (405) at least one of vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy using a piezoelectric substrate (305) configured as an antenna (210) of an integrated circuit (220); and converting (415) the at least one of the detected vibrational energy, acoustic energy and impact energy into electrical energy; CHARACTERIZED by further comprising using at least a portion of the converted electrical energy to store detected signal information in a memory (280) of the integrated circuit (220).

8. Method according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED by further comprising: using at least part of the converted electrical energy to power the integrated circuit (220).

9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, CHARACTERIZED in that the antenna (210) is a radio frequency identification (RFID) device antenna and the integrated circuit (220) is an RFID integrated circuit.

10. Method, according to any one of claims 7 to 9, CHARACTERIZED in that the piezoelectric substrate (305) is made of a material selected from the group composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PVDF copolymers.

11. Device CHARACTERIZED by comprising a sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

12. Computer-readable media for a programmable device, said computer-readable media being CHARACTERIZED by comprising a sequence of instructions to implement a method according to any of claims 7 to 10, when loaded into the programmable device and executed by it.

Images