Environmentally powered electronics network

Abstract

A method of operating a network of environmentally powered electronics is provided. The method includes transmitting a radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of a network of environmentally powered electronic devices, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a device selection component. The device selection component of the electromagnetic charging signal is configured such that the radiated electromagnetic charging signal selectively charges the environmental powered electronic device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the Internet of Things (IoT). In particular, the present disclosure relates to network-connected IoT electronic devices. Background Art

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) involves devices (IoT devices) with various sensing, processing, and communication technologies, which communicate with other devices and systems via a network.

[0003] For example, IoT devices can include objects such as lights, heating systems, air conditioning systems, media systems, camera systems, etc. IoT devices differ from their conventional counterparts in that they include at least some ability to communicate with other devices via a network (such as the Internet).

[0004] To provide network connectivity, IoT devices need to access some form of power source. For many IoT devices, it may be possible to connect the IoT device to a main power source. In cases where access to the main power source is not easily available, the IoT device can be provided with some form of battery to power the IoT device. In some applications, for example, where the IoT device is to be installed in a hard-to-reach location, the IoT device can be designed to have very low power consumption, such that the battery provided to the IoT device can power the IoT device for a long period of time (such as several months or even several years). It will be appreciated that incorporating a battery into an IoT device, especially where the battery is intended to power the device for several years, increases the cost, weight, and size of the IoT device.

[0005] Some IoT devices are not provided with a conventional battery, but rather with an alternative energy source. In particular, some battery-less IoT devices are configured to harvest energy from their surrounding environment. Typically, this involves harvesting energy from an electromagnetic radiation source, such as the electromagnetic radiation source provided by the network through which the IoT device communicates. Such IoT devices are effectively powered by their surrounding environment and can be referred to as ambient-powered electronic devices.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to improvements in methods for operating a network of ambient-powered electronic devices or at least alternative solutions of commercial importance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a network of ambient-powered electronic devices. The method includes transmitting a radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of the network of ambient-powered electronic devices, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a device selection component. The device selection component of the electromagnetic charging signal is configured such that the radiated electromagnetic charging signal selectively charges the ambient-powered electronic devices.

[0008] Accordingly, the method of the first aspect provides a method in which ambient-powered electronic devices within the scope of a network of ambient-powered electronic devices can be selectively charged. That is to say, there may be multiple ambient-powered electronic devices within the scope of the network, where the network is capable of selectively providing charging power to certain ambient-powered electronic devices at a given time, but not to other ambient-powered electronic devices. Accordingly, the charging of the ambient-powered electronic devices (and the subsequent operation of the ambient-powered electronic devices) is based on the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal. That is to say, the ambient-powered electronic device only harvests energy from the radiated electromagnetic charging signal when the device selection component indicates that the ambient-powered electronic device should be charged. In fact, the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal controls which ambient-powered electronic devices are selectively charged and which are not charged at any given time.

[0009] It will be appreciated that the ambient-powered electronic device is a battery-less electronic device. Accordingly, the ambient-powered electronic device is charged by harvesting energy from the radiated electromagnetic charging signal transmitted by the (one or more) transmitters of the network. The ambient-powered electronic device generally has to accumulate charge from the radiated electromagnetic charging signal for a period of time before they accumulate enough charge to perform functions. Accordingly, the ambient-powered electronic device may not be able to harvest enough energy from its surrounding environment to maintain continuous contact with the network.

[0010] For example, charging each ambient-powered electronic device connected to the network simultaneously may cause multiple ambient-powered electronic devices to attempt to communicate through the network simultaneously, resulting in network congestion. Since the ambient-powered electronic device may only harvest enough energy at one time to transmit a single communication, network congestion may be particularly undesirable because if the network is congested, the ambient-powered electronic device may not have enough power to re-transmit the communication.

[0011] In other applications, it may be desirable for the ambient-powered electronic device to be charged only at selected times or locations. For example, in certain hazardous locations, it may be desirable for the ambient-powered electronic device to operate / charge only for a limited period of time and not be powered / charged for a longer period of time. When not being powered / charged, the ambient-powered electronic device effectively has no electronic footprint, thus enabling the device to be safely used in certain hazardous locations where the continuous operation of the electronic device may pose a safety risk.

[0012] In another application, it may be desirable for an ambient-powered electronic device to be selectively charged as a security feature. Thus, the ambient-powered electronic device may only charge (and thus operate) when presented with a radiated electromagnetic charging signal that includes a device selection component associated with the ambient-powered electronic device. Accordingly, the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal can effectively be used as a security key to control the operation of the ambient-powered electronic device. It will be appreciated that when not presented with an appropriate radiated electromagnetic charging signal, such an ambient-powered electronic device will not be powered, such that the ambient-powered electronic device will have no electronic footprint when not operating.

[0013] Accordingly, there are various applications for a network of ambient-powered electronic devices, where the operation of the ambient-powered electronic devices can be controlled via selective charging of the ambient-powered electronic devices within the range of the network.

[0014] In some embodiments, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient-powered electronic device can be used to selectively charge a capacitor of the ambient-powered electronic device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the ambient-powered electronic device may be inoperable until a radiated electromagnetic charging signal is received.

[0016] In some embodiments, the network of ambient-powered electronic devices can be a cellular network, and the transmitter can be a transmitter of the cellular network.

[0017] In some embodiments, the method further includes using a device selection controller of the network of ambient-powered electronic devices to determine at least one ambient-powered electronic device to operate on the network of ambient-powered electronic devices. The device selection controller then instructs the transmitter to transmit the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal based on the determined at least one ambient-powered electronic device. Accordingly, the device selection controller can control the ambient-powered electronic devices to selectively charge and operate the ambient-powered electronic devices. The device selection controller can be configured to selectively charge a single ambient-powered electronic device or a group of ambient-powered electronic devices at a given time. For example, in some embodiments, the device selection controller instructs the transmitter to transmit a first radiated electromagnetic charging signal that includes a first device selection component configured to selectively charge a first group of ambient electronic devices, and subsequently the device selection controller instructs the transmitter to transmit a second radiated electromagnetic charging signal that includes a second device selection component configured to selectively charge a second group of ambient electronic devices, the second group of ambient electronic devices being different from the first group of ambient electronic devices.

[0018] In some embodiments, an ambient-powered electronic device network includes a plurality of transmitters, and radiated electromagnetic charging signals including a device selection component are transmitted from each of the plurality of transmitters of the ambient electronic device network. Accordingly, the plurality of transmitters of the ambient-powered electronic device network can be a radio access network (RAN) or a similar telecommunications network. By transmitting radiated electromagnetic charging signals from each transmitter of the network, any ambient-powered electronic device within the range of the network can be selectively charged. That is, any ambient-powered electronic device selected by the device selection component within the range of the network can be selectively charged. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a transmitter subgroup of the plurality of transmitters transmits radiated electromagnetic charging signals including a device selection component. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the device selection component can be implemented by selectively charging only ambient-powered electronic devices within the range of a transmitter subgroup of the plurality of transmitters. For example, in some embodiments, the device selection component can cause transmitters within a certain geographical location to transmit radiated electromagnetic charging signals while other transmitters of the network do not transmit the signals. Thereby, only devices within the range of a certain geographical location can be selectively charged. Such a device selection component may be particularly applicable in applications where it is desirable to record or track the location of ambient-powered electronic devices within the ambient-powered electronic device network.

[0019] In some embodiments, the transmitter(s) may transmit one or more communication signals in addition to the radiated electromagnetic charging signals. The one or more communication signals may be transmitted to communicate with ambient-powered electronic devices that are currently operating and within the range of the transmitter(s). The one or more communication signals may be different from the radiated electromagnetic charging signals. For example, the one or more communication signals may be transmitted at a frequency different from the radiated electromagnetic charging signals. Accordingly, in some embodiments, radiated electromagnetic charging signals can be transmitted by the ambient-powered device network specifically for selectively charging ambient-powered electronic devices while also transmitting separate communication signals to communicate with the charged ambient-powered electronic devices. In some additional embodiments, it will also be appreciated that an ambient-powered electronic device network can be provided for selectively charging ambient-powered electronic devices, where once charged, the ambient-powered electronic devices communicate via a different network (i.e., communicate with a different transmitter / receiver than the transmitter that transmits the radiated electromagnetic charging signals).

[0020] In some embodiments, the transmitter (or transmitters) can use the radiated electromagnetic charging signals to selectively charge and communicate with the (charged) ambient-powered electronic devices. Accordingly, the radiated electromagnetic charging signals may include one or more communication messages intended to be received by the (charged) ambient-powered electronic devices.

[0021] In some embodiments, the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal includes a frequency component selected from a set of frequency components, and wherein the frequency component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal is configured to select an ambient powered electronic device associated with that frequency component for charging. It will be appreciated that the ambient powered electronic device may be configured to receive electromagnetic signals of a certain frequency (or combination of frequencies), but not electromagnetic signals of other frequencies (e.g., a bandpass filter). In particular, the frequency filtering of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal may be implemented in the hardware of the ambient powered electronic device. Thus, each ambient powered electronic device can be selected for charging based on the frequency component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method further includes a receiver of the ambient powered electronic device network receiving communication from the ambient powered electronic device associated with the device selection component after the radiated electromagnetic charging signal is transmitted to the ambient powered electronic device. That is, the method can cause the ambient powered electronic device to be selectively charged, after which the ambient powered electronic device has sufficient power to perform some form of operation, which results in the ambient powered electronic device transmitting communication from the ambient powered electronic device to the receiver. As mentioned above, the selective operation of the ambient powered electronic devices on the ambient powered electronic device network means that the number of communications transmitted through the ambient powered electronic device network at any given time can be controlled by the number of ambient powered electronic devices selectively charged at any given time. In particular, in the case where the ambient powered electronic devices are intended to transmit communications intermittently (e.g., once every six hours, once every twelve hours, or once a day), the ambient powered electronic device network can distribute selective charging to different ambient powered electronic devices throughout the day. Thus, communications from different ambient powered electronic devices can be received at a stable rate throughout the day, rather than receiving a cluster of messages simultaneously (in the event that all ambient powered electronic devices are charged at the same time).

[0023] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a transmitter for an ambient powered device network. The transmitter is configured to perform the method of the first aspect. Thus, it will be appreciated that the transmitter may be configured to perform any of the optional features of the first aspect discussed above.

[0024] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating an ambient powered electronic device of an ambient powered electronic device network. The method includes receiving a radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of the ambient powered electronic device network, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a device selection component; and wherein the device selection component of the electromagnetic charging signal is configured to cause the radiated electromagnetic charging signal to selectively charge the ambient powered electronic device.

[0025] Accordingly, it will be appreciated that an ambient-powered electronic device can be selectively charged by a radiated electromagnetic charging signal. The radiated electromagnetic signal includes a device selection component that causes the ambient-powered electronic device to be selectively charged. That is, the ambient-powered electronic device does not require (e.g., via a battery or a main power supply) to be powered in order to determine whether to charge. Instead, the device selection component causes the ambient-powered electronic device to be selectively charged or not charged. In fact, the ambient-powered electronic device can passively determine whether to perform selective charging based on the device selection component.

[0026] In some embodiments, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient-powered electronic device can selectively charge a capacitor of the ambient-powered electronic device.

[0027] In some embodiments, the ambient-powered electronic device may be inoperable prior to receiving the radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0028] In some embodiments, the ambient-powered electronic device network can be a cellular network, and the ambient-powered electronic device can receive the radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of the cellular network.

[0029] In some embodiments, the ambient-powered electronic device receives a first radiated electromagnetic charging signal that includes a first device selection component associated with the ambient-powered electronic device, wherein the ambient-powered electronic device is selectively charged by the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal, and the ambient-powered electronic device receives a second radiated electromagnetic charging signal that includes a second device selection component associated with another ambient-powered electronic device, wherein the ambient-powered electronic device is not selectively charged by the second radiated electromagnetic charging signal. Accordingly, the ambient-powered electronic device can receive different radiated electromagnetic charging signals, where only some of the radiated electromagnetic charging signals can cause the ambient-powered electronic device to charge based on the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0030] In some embodiments, the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal includes the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, and when the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient-powered electronic device is above a predetermined threshold, the ambient-powered electronic device is selectively charged. In some embodiments, the amplitude of the received radiated electromagnetic charging signal can be used as the device selection component. It will be understood that the amplitude of the received signal is inversely proportional to the distance of the ambient-powered electronic device from the transmitter. Thereby, the amplitude of the received signal can be used to selectively charge ambient-powered electronic devices within a certain distance of the (one or more) transmitters transmitting the radiated electromagnetic signal. In such embodiments, the selective operation of the transmitters across the ambient-powered electronic device network can allow for the localization of ambient-powered electronic devices based on the proximity of the ambient-powered electronic device to one or more transmitters.

[0031] In some embodiments, the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal includes a frequency component selected from a set of frequency components, and wherein, when the frequency component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal corresponds to a frequency component associated with an ambient-powered electronic device, the ambient-powered electronic device is selectively charged. Thus, the ambient-powered electronic device can be selectively charged based on the frequency or combination of frequencies received as part of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0032] In some embodiments, the ambient-powered electronic device includes a device selection circuit that filters the radiated electromagnetic charging signal based on a frequency component associated with the ambient-powered electronic device to determine whether to selectively charge the ambient-powered electronic device. Thus, the device selection circuit can be configured to pass a frequency or combination of frequencies, which in turn allows the ambient-powered electronic device to be charged. It will be appreciated that the device selection circuit can be implemented in the hardware of the ambient-powered electronic device such that the filter circuit operates passively.

[0033] In some embodiments, once the ambient-powered electronic device is selectively charged, the ambient-powered electronic device performs a computational routine, where optionally, the computational routine includes determining information from sensors of the ambient-powered electronic device. For example, the sensor can be a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a global positioning sensor (GPS), a light sensor, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, or a charge-coupled device image sensor. The computational routine can include taking measurements from the sensors and determining one or more monitoring parameters from the measurements. Then, the monitoring parameters can be stored in the memory of the ambient-powered electronic device and / or transmitted over the ambient-powered electronic device network.

[0034] In some embodiments, once the ambient-powered electronic device is selectively charged, the ambient-powered electronic device transmits a communication to a receiver of the ambient-powered electronic device network over the ambient-powered electronic device network. In some embodiments, the ambient-powered electronic device can transmit a communication including one or more monitoring parameters that have been determined by the ambient-powered electronic device. Thus, the ambient-powered electronic device can be used for long-term remote monitoring of parameters without any user maintenance or connection to a main power source.

[0035] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided an ambient-powered electronic device configured to perform the method of the third aspect. Thus, it will be appreciated that the ambient-powered electronic device can be configured to perform any of the optional features of the third aspect described above.

[0036] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ambient-powered electronic device. The ambient-powered electronic device includes the transmitter of the second aspect and the ambient-powered electronic device of the fourth aspect.

[0037] In some embodiments, it will be appreciated that the ambient-powered electronic device network includes a plurality of transmitters according to the second aspect, wherein the plurality of transmitters are controlled by the device selection controller described above. It will also be appreciated that a plurality of ambient-powered electronic devices according to the fourth aspect may be provided within the scope of the ambient-powered electronic device network such that they can be selectively charged (and thus operated) via the ambient-powered electronic device network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting figures. Additional advantages of the present disclosure are apparent when considered in conjunction with the figures, in which:

[0039] - Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an ambient-powered electronic device network; and

[0040] - Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an ambient-powered electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] According to the present disclosure, there is provided an ambient-powered electronic device network 1. Figure 1 A block diagram of the ambient-powered electronic device network 1 is shown. As Figure 1 shown therein, the ambient-powered electronic device network 1 includes a plurality of transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c, a device selection controller 20, and a plurality of ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b.

[0042] Each of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c is configured to transmit a radiated electromagnetic charging signal. For example, each of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c may be provided as part of a wireless access network (such as a cellular network (i.e., the ambient-powered electronic device network 1)). In some embodiments, one or more of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c may be transceivers that are also configured to receive communications from the ambient-powered electronic devices 10a, 10b, 10c. For example, in some embodiments, the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c of the cellular network may transmit a radiated electromagnetic charging signal in an RF band of approximately 600 MHz to 6 GHz. In some embodiments, the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c may use a 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) network protocol to transmit communications to and receive communications from the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b.

[0043] While in some embodiments, transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c may form part of a cellular network, other wireless networks may also be used. For example, the transmitters may each be configured to transmit WiFi signals or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. For example, an RF band from 3 KHz to 300 GHz, or more preferably a subset of this band, a microwave band from 1 GHz to 110 GHz (as specified in IEEE 521-1984), may provide a frequency range on which radiative electromagnetic charging signals may be transmitted, which provides ambient energy suitable for energy harvesting. In particular, IEEE standards 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g and WiFi routers / transceivers used in homes, enterprises, warehouses, stores, and towns transmit at known wavelengths (or frequencies) in the S band (2 GHz to 4 GHz) and the C band (4 GHz to 8 GHz).

[0044] Each of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b is configured to be selectively charged by a radiative electromagnetic charging signal. That is, each of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b is capable of harvesting energy from the radiative electromagnetic charging signal in order to charge the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b.

[0045] For example, each of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b may be provided with an antenna (not shown) and circuitry, the antenna being configured to receive the radiative electromagnetic charging signal, the circuitry being configured to convert the energy in the received electromagnetic charging signal into electrical power (i.e., power having an appropriate voltage and current level and an appropriate waveform, such as DC power) that is usable by the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b. Each of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b may also have a device selection circuit that is configured to select whether to selectively charge the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b based on a device selection component of the radiative electromagnetic charging signal. For example, the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b may be provided in accordance with the wireless electronic devices described in US2007 / 0109121 A1.

[0046] The device selection controller 20 may be configured to determine at least one of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b to operate on the ambient-powered electronic device network 1. For example, the device selection controller 20 may access a database 40 that includes information identifying a plurality of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b. For each of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b in the database, the database may include device selection information associated with each of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b.

[0047] In some embodiments, database 40 may include information identifying each of the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b within the scope of the ambient power supply electronic device network 1. In some embodiments, database 40 may also include information identifying ambient power supply electronic devices that are currently not within the scope of the ambient power supply electronic device network 1.

[0048] Once the device selection controller 20 determines the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b to be selectively charged, the device selection controller 20 is configured to instruct one or more of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c to transmit a radiated electromagnetic charging signal and a device selection component based on the at least one ambient power supply electronic device determined to be selectively charged.

[0049] The ambient power supply electronic device network 1 can generally be operated by using one or more of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c to transmit a radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a device selection component. For example, in Figure 1 an embodiment, the transmitter 10a can transmit a radiated electromagnetic charging signal. The ambient power supply electronic device 30a within the range of the transmitter 10a can receive the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, and the ambient power supply electronic device 10a is selectively charged based on the device selection component of the signal.

[0050] Next, a method of operating the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 and the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b will be described.

[0051] In some embodiments, the device selection component transmitted by one or more of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c may include a frequency component. Thus, when the device selection controller 20 determines the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a to be selectively charged, the device selection controller 20 can access the database 40 to identify the frequency component associated with the determined first ambient power supply electronic device 30a. Therefore, this frequency component is associated with the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a but not with the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b.

[0052] Then, the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c can transmit a radiated electromagnetic charging signal including the frequency component to the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b within the range of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c. The first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b receive the radiated electromagnetic charging signal. The frequency component causes the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a to be selectively charged through the radiated electromagnetic charging signal. The frequency component is not associated with the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b, so that the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is not selectively charged through the radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0053] In some embodiments, each ambient power supply electronic device 30a, 30b includes a device selection circuit that determines whether a device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal is associated with the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b. For example, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a includes a first device selection circuit that may be configured to determine whether the radiated electromagnetic charging signal includes a frequency component associated with the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a. For example, the first device selection circuit may use one or more band-pass filters to filter the radiated electromagnetic charging signal. Thus, if the radiated electromagnetic charging signal includes a frequency component corresponding to the (one or more) passbands of one or more band-pass filters of the first device selection circuit, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a is selectively charged.

[0054] The second ambient power supply electronic device 30b includes a second device selection circuit. Similar to the first device selection circuit, the second device selection circuit may use one or more band-pass filters to filter the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, where the (one or more) passbands of the band-pass filters are different from the passbands of the first device selection circuit. Thus, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal may not include a frequency component corresponding to the (one or more) passbands of one or more band-pass filters of the second device selection circuit. Accordingly, the frequency components of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal may cause the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a to be selectively charged while the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is not charged. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the first device selection circuit and the second device selection circuit may be implemented as passive filter circuits. Thus, it will be appreciated that it is not required to power the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b to determine whether to selectively charge. That is, a passive device selection circuit may be used to determine the selective charging of the ambient power supply electronic device instead of using an active power supply electronic circuit (e.g., a circuit including a processor, etc.).

[0055] In some embodiments, the device selection circuit of each ambient power supply electronic device 30a, 30b may allow the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b to be selectively charged only through certain frequencies rather than other frequencies. In other embodiments, the device selection circuit may be configured to detect the presence of a specific frequency component (e.g., a specific frequency or frequency combination), in which case the device selection circuit allows the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b to be selectively charged through electromagnetic radiation with a wider frequency range. That is, the device selection circuit may be configured to allow the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b to collect energy only from specific frequencies associated with the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b. Alternatively, the device selection circuit may be configured to detect the presence of an associated frequency component, in which case the device selection circuit allows the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b to collect energy having, for example, any frequency.

[0056] As an example, the device selection controller 20 may instruct the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c to transmit a first radiated electromagnetic charging signal having a first frequency component (device selection component) with a frequency range of 1 GHz to 5 GHz. After transmitting the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal for a period of time, the device selection controller 20 may instruct the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c to transmit a second radiated electromagnetic charging signal having a second frequency component (device selection component) different from the first frequency component. The second frequency component may have a frequency range of 10 GHz to 15 GHz.

[0057] In some embodiments, the device selection component transmitted by one or more of the transmitters 10a, 10b, 10c may include the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal. That is, when the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient power supply electronic device is higher than a predetermined threshold, the ambient power supply electronic device is selectively charged. The amplitude-based device selection component may be particularly suitable for selectively charging ambient power supply electronic devices in certain areas of the ambient power supply device network while not charging ambient power supply electronic devices located in other areas of the ambient power supply electronic device. Compared with other computing location tracking technologies (e.g., the Global Positioning System GPS), such a method may allow the ambient power supply electronic device to be located within the ambient power supply electronic device network in a direct and energy-saving manner.

[0058] In some embodiments, each ambient power supply electronic device 30a, 30b may have a device selection circuit configured to detect the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal. If the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the device selection circuit allows selective charging of the radiated electromagnetic device. If the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal is lower than the predetermined threshold, the device selection circuit does not allow selective charging of the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b.

[0059] For example, in Figure 1 the embodiment of Figure 1 , the first transmitter 10a may transmit a first radiated electromagnetic charging signal, while the second transmitter 30b and the third transmitter 30c of the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 do not transmit the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0060] As Figure 1 shown in Figure 1 , the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a is located closer to the first transmitter 10a than the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b. Each of the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b includes a device selection circuit configured to selectively charge the corresponding ambient power supply electronic device based on the amplitude of the received radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0061] In this embodiment, each of the device selection circuits of the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b has the same predetermined threshold. Of course, in other embodiments, different ambient power supply electronic devices within the scope of the ambient power supply electronic device network may have different predetermined thresholds.

[0062] The amplitude of the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a is greater than the predetermined threshold of the device selection circuit of the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a. Thus, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a is selectively charged by the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

[0063] Once charged, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a may be configured to execute a computational routine. For example, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a may be configured to transmit a message to the receiver of the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 through the ambient power supply electronic device network 1. The message transmitted by the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a may include a unique identifier for the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a.

[0064] The amplitude of the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b may be lower than the amplitude received by the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a because the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is located farther from the first transmitter 10a than the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a. Accordingly, the amplitude of the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b may be lower than the predetermined threshold of the device selection circuit of the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b. Accordingly, the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is not selectively charged by the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal. Thus, the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b does not transmit a message through the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 in response to the first electromagnetic charging signal.

[0065] Thus, in some embodiments, the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 can determine which ambient power supply electronic devices (e.g., the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a) are located near the first transmitter 10a based on the messages received in response to the first electromagnetic charging signal. That is, the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 can infer that the ambient power supply electronic device 30a is within a certain range of the first transmitter 10a based on a predetermined threshold and the power used to transmit the first radiative electromagnetic charging signal.

[0066] Next, the second transmitter 10b can transmit a second radiative electromagnetic charging signal while the first transmitter 10a and the third transmitter 10b do not transmit radiative electromagnetic charging signals. The second radiative electromagnetic charging signal can be received by the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b. In some embodiments, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b are located far enough from the second transmitter 10b such that the amplitude of the second radiative electromagnetic charging signal received by each of the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is below a predetermined threshold. Thus, in response to the second radiative electromagnetic charging signal, no ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b are selectively charged. Thus, the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 can determine that no ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b are located near the second transmitter 10b.

[0067] Next, the third transmitter 10c can transmit a third radiative electromagnetic charging signal while the first transmitter 10a and the second transmitter 10b do not transmit radiative electromagnetic charging signals. When the amplitude of the third radiative electromagnetic charging signal received by the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is greater than a predetermined threshold, the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b can be selectively charged by the third radiative electromagnetic charging signal. Once charged, the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b can transmit a message through the ambient power supply electronic device network 1, thereby allowing the ambient power supply electronic device network to determine that the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b is located near the third transmitter 10c.

[0068] In the above embodiments, the first ambient power supply electronic device 30a and the second ambient power supply electronic device 30b are selectively charged based on a device selection component that is only the amplitude of the radiative electromagnetic charging signal. In some embodiments, it will be appreciated that the device selection component can include more than one device selection component. That is, the device selection component can include, for example, the amplitude and frequency components of the radiative electromagnetic charging signal.

[0069] As discussed above, in accordance with the present disclosure, the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b are configured to be selectively charged by a radiated electromagnetic charging signal. The radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient-powered electronic devices can be used to selectively charge the capacitors 36 of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b. That is, the energy collected from the radiated electromagnetic charging signal can be stored in the capacitors 36 of the ambient-powered electronic devices.

[0070] It will be appreciated that the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b store energy in the capacitors 36 rather than in a battery. The ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b of the present disclosure are configured to collect energy from the radiated electromagnetic charging signal until sufficient energy is stored in the capacitors 36 to allow the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b to perform a computational routine. When performing the computational routine, the capacitors 36 discharge, and the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b must be selectively charged again in order to operate the device. Thus, unless the capacitors 36 of the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b are being selectively charged or are being used to power the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b, the capacitors 36 are generally in an uncharged state.

[0071] As mentioned above, the capacitors 36 power the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b to perform a computational routine. In order to limit the size of the required capacitors 36 and the time it takes to charge the capacitors 30 from the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, it is preferable to limit the energy required to perform the computational routine.

[0072] For example, in one embodiment, the computational routine to be performed can include transmitting a message to a receiver of a wireless access network (e.g., the ambient-powered electronic device network 1). As an example, operating the processor 38, the receiver 32, and the transmitter 39 to connect to the network and send a communication including a data packet may require a power consumption of approximately 370 mW (i.e., an ambient-powered device operating at 3.7 V has a current consumption of approximately 100 mA). The entire computational routine may take approximately 2 seconds to 10 seconds to complete, depending on the network and the communication to be sent. Thus, the total energy required to perform the computational program is approximately 0.02 mWh to 1 mWh.

[0073] The computational routine can include, for example, using a Global Positioning System (GPS) module (not shown) to determine the location of the ambient-powered electronic device. The entire computational routine may take approximately 5 minutes to complete and require a power consumption of approximately 185 mW (i.e., an ambient-powered device operating at 3.7 V has a current consumption of approximately 50 mA). Thus, the total energy required to perform the computational routine is approximately 15.41 mWh.

[0074] In some embodiments, a computational routine may include taking measurements from sensors and transmitting the measurements over a network. The entire computational routine may take approximately 5 seconds to complete and require a power consumption of approximately 10 mW (i.e., an ambient-powered device operating at 3.3 V has a current consumption of approximately 3 mA). Thus, the total energy required to execute the computational routine is approximately 0.014 mWh.

[0075] It will be appreciated that the above embodiments are examples of computational routines that may be executed by ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b. The indicated power requirements are also examples of the possible power requirements for the indicated computational routines. It will be appreciated that various modifications to the computational routines, the ambient-powered electronic devices that execute the routines, and any associated power requirements are contemplated by the present disclosure.

[0076] The capacitor 36 may be selected to provide sufficient energy storage to allow the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b to execute the computational routine once appropriately charged. For example, to provide approximately 185 mW of power to the ambient-powered electronic device for approximately 10 seconds, a capacitor having a capacitance of approximately 1.6 F would be required. For example, in some embodiments, the capacitor 36 may be a supercapacitor (ultracapacitor). Examples of such supercapacitors include electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs), electrochemical pseudocapacitors, or hybrid capacitors. Supercapacitors may be particularly suitable for embodiments in which the ambient-powered device requires a capacitor 36 having a capacitance of at least: 0.5 F, 1 F, 2 F, 5 F, or 10 F. For example, a supercapacitor (e.g., an EDLC) may have a capacitance not greater than: 10 F, 20 F, 50 F, 100 F, 200 F, or 400 F.

[0077] As described above, the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b may be selectively charged by a radiated electromagnetic charging signal. As an example, the ambient-powered electronic device 30a may be configured to collect energy from a radiated electromagnetic charging signal having an associated device selection component at a rate of approximately 0.1 gW or approximately 1 pW. It will be appreciated that the rate of charging will depend on the power density of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, the size of the receiver 32 of the ambient-powered electronic device, and the efficiency of the receiver 32 and the device selection circuitry.

[0078] In the case where the ambient-powered electronic devices 30a, 30b are selectively charged at a rate of approximately 0.1 pW, the ambient-powered electronic device 30a may collect energy at a rate of 0.36 mW / h. Thus, in the case where the computational routine requires approximately 0.014 mWh of energy (e.g., taking measurements from sensors and transmitting the measurements over a network as described above), the ambient-powered devices 30a, 30b charged at a rate of approximately 0.1 pW may collect sufficient energy within a few minutes.

[0079] In the case where the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b are selectively charged at a rate of about 1 pW, the ambient power supply electronic device 30a can collect energy at a rate of 3.6 mW / h. Thus, it will be appreciated that such ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b can be selectively charged for about five hours in order to store sufficient energy to perform computational routines, including, for example, determining the location of the ambient power supply electronic device using a Global Positioning System (GPS) module.

[0080] In some embodiments, the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b can determine whether they have sufficient energy to perform computational routines based on the voltage across the capacitor 36. Thus, when the capacitor reaches a predetermined voltage threshold, the ambient power supply electronic device can be configured to power the processor 38 and perform computational routines.

[0081] Thus, it will be appreciated that the embodiments of the present disclosure provide the ambient power supply electronic devices 30a, 30b, the transmitter of the ambient power supply electronic device network 1 and the ambient power supply electronic device network 1, and methods of operating the foregoing.

Claims

1. A method of operating an ambient powered electronic device network, include: transmitting a radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of the ambient powered electronic device network, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a device selective component; as well as Wherein, the device selection component of the electromagnetic charging signal is configured to cause the radiated electromagnetic charging signal to selectively charge ambient powered electronic devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient powered electronic device is used to selectively charge a capacitor of the ambient powered electronic device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Prior to receiving the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, the ambient-powered electronic device is inoperable.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The ambient powered electronic device network is a cellular network, and the transmitter is a transmitter of the cellular network.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a device selection controller of the ambient powered electronic device network determining at least one ambient powered electronic device to be operated on the ambient powered electronic device network, and The device selection controller instructs the transmitter to transmit the device selection component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal based on the determined at least one ambient powered electronic device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the device selection controller instructs the transmitter to transmit a first radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a first device selection component configured to cause selective charging of a first group of ambient electronic devices, and Subsequently, the device selection controller instructs the transmitter to transmit a second radiated electromagnetic charging signal, the second radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a second device selection component configured to cause selective charging of a second group of ambient electronic devices, the second group of ambient electronic devices being different from the first group of ambient electronic devices.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The ambient powered electronic device network includes a plurality of transmitters, and The radiated electromagnetic charging signal including the device selection component is transmitted from each of the plurality of transmitters of the ambient electronic device network.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The ambient powered electronic device network includes a plurality of transmitters, and The radiated electromagnetic charging signal including the device-selective component is transmitted from a subset of transmitters of the plurality of transmitters.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device-selective component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal comprises a frequency component selected from a set of frequency components, and in, The frequency component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal is configured to select an ambient powered electronic device associated with the frequency component for charging.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising After transmitting the radiated electromagnetic charging signal to the ambient powered electronic device, a receiver of the ambient powered electronic device network receives a communication from the ambient powered electronic device associated with the device selection component.

11. A transmitter for an ambient powered device network, configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A method of operating an ambient powered electronic device of an ambient powered electronic device network, include: receiving a radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of the ambient powered electronic device network, the radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a device selection component; as well as Wherein, the device selection component of the electromagnetic charging signal is configured to cause the radiated electromagnetic charging signal to selectively charge the ambient-powered electronic device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein The radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient powered electronic device selectively charges a capacitor of the ambient powered electronic device.

14. A method according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein Prior to receiving the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, the ambient-powered electronic device is inoperable.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein The ambient powered electronic device network is a cellular network, and the ambient powered electronic device receives the radiated electromagnetic charging signal from a transmitter of the cellular network.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the ambient powered electronic device receiving a first radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a first device selective component associated with the ambient powered electronic device, in, The ambient powered electronic device is selectively charged by the first radiated electromagnetic charging signal, and The ambient powered electronic device receives a second radiated electromagnetic charging signal including a second device selective component associated with another ambient powered electronic device, wherein the ambient powered electronic device is not selectively charged by the second radiated electromagnetic charging signal.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the device selective component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal comprises an amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal, and The ambient powered electronic device is selectively charged when the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal received by the ambient powered electronic device is above a predetermined threshold.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the device-selective component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal comprises a frequency component selected from a set of frequency components, and in, When the frequency component of the radiated electromagnetic charging signal corresponds to a frequency component associated with the ambient powered electronic device, the ambient powered electronic device is selectively charged, wherein optionally The ambient powered electronic device includes a device selection circuit that filters the radiated electromagnetic charging signal based on a frequency component associated with the ambient powered electronic device to determine whether to selectively charge the ambient powered electronic device.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein Once the ambient powered electronic device is selectively charged, the ambient powered electronic device performs a computational routine, wherein optionally the computational routine includes determining information from a sensor of the ambient powered electronic device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein Once the ambient powered electronic device is selectively charged, the ambient powered electronic device transmits communications over the ambient powered electronic device network to a receiver of the ambient powered electronic device network.

21. An ambient powered electronic device configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 12 to 20.

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