Sensor Tunable Offset Removal Circuit Passive Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Analog to digital converters in passive energy harvesting tags face challenges in converting sensor output voltages that include negative components, as these converters typically operate within a positive range and cannot handle negative voltage inputs.
Innovation Solution
A diode is biased in its active region using a resistor to modify the operating voltage, allowing the combination of the output voltage and operating voltage to create a positive range for the analog to digital converter, enabling the conversion of sensor data and subsequent transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional analog to digital converter is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the converter cannot handle negative voltage inputs from the sensor
Solution Approach 1:
A diode is introduced as an intermediary component between the sensor and the analog to digital converter. The diode, when biased in its active region through a resistor, provides a fixed voltage offset that shifts the sensor's output voltage range into the positive domain, enabling the conventional ADC to process the signal without requiring a specialized negative-voltage-capable converter.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage parameter of the sensor output is modified by adding a DC offset voltage through the diode-resistor biasing circuit. This parameter change transforms the voltage range from including negative values to being entirely positive, making it compatible with standard ADC operation requirements while preserving the original sensor data information.
2Reliability
If the output voltage is shifted by adding operating voltage, then the negative voltage portion becomes handleable, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex active circuitry to condition the signal, the patent employs a simple passive diode-resistor biasing network that consumes minimal energy. The diode is biased in its active region to provide just enough voltage offset to shift the signal into the positive range, using only a portion of the available energy from the power supply rather than continuously consuming maximum power.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for the effective conversion and transmission of sensor data by shifting the output voltage into a positive range, ensuring that both positive and negative components of the sensor reading are incorporated, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional analog to digital converters.
Implementation Method 1
an energy-harvesting component configured to generate an energy amount via a received magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
a diode biased in its active region via a resistor may be provided. The resistor may be configured to modify an operating voltage of the diode by using a portion of the energy amount
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a method for and a device configured to generate an energy amount via a received magnetic field. A sensor may be configured to generate an output voltage based on a sensor reading by using a portion of the energy amount and a diode biased in its active region via a resistor may generate an operating voltage to shift the output voltage into a positive region. The resistor may be configured to modify an operating voltage of the diode by using a portion of the energy amount. An analog to digital converter may be configured to receive a combined voltage or to combine received voltages to convert a combined voltage such that a combined voltage is the output voltage shifted by or added to the operating voltage. A transmitter may transmit a sensor output based on the combined voltage by using a portion of the energy amount.