TW201436494A - Multi-layer-multi-turn structure for high efficiency wireless communication - Google Patents

Abstract

A structure for wireless communication having a plurality of conductor layers, an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers, and at least one connector connecting two of the conductor layers wherein an electrical resistance is reduced when an electrical signal is induced in the resonator at a predetermined frequency.

Description

Multi-layer multi-turn structure for high efficiency wireless communication

The subject matter of the present invention relates generally to methods, systems, and equipment for designing, operating, and manufacturing wireless power and/or data transmission and/or communication systems, and more particularly to design, operation, and manufacture. A method, system and apparatus for using a high efficiency structure in a near field wireless power and/or data transmission and/or communication system.

In recent years, applications using near field wireless power and/or data transmission and/or communication systems (such as commercial electronics, medical systems, military systems, high frequency transformers, microelectronics containing nanoscale power and/or data transmission) Or its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band receivers, wireless sensing, and the like) have had relatively low quality factors due to the antennas (also known as resonators) utilized in such systems. Limited in achieving optimal performance.

The relatively low quality factor of such wireless transmission and/or communication systems is primarily attributable to the higher resistive losses due to one of the phenomena known as the "skin effect." In general, the skin effect is an alternating current (AC) that distributes itself within a conductor such that the current density is more dominant near the surface of the conductor (where the remaining conductor body is "unused" relative to the current). The remaining conductor body is "unused" with respect to the current because the current density typically decays with its internal distance from the surface of the conductor. The current flows mainly near the surface and is called the "skin" of the conductor. The depth at which current flows from the surface is called the "skin depth". Skin Depth then defines an electrical signal path for transmission and/or communication, and the derivative system is defined as a body capable of conducting an electrical signal.

In systems employing wireless power and/or data transmission and/or communication, the skin effect phenomenon typically results in energy loss as current flows through the antenna wires and circuitry. Higher resistance losses at high frequencies are a problem for most electronic devices or appliances. The skin effect becomes more common as the operating frequency increases. At higher frequencies, the current that typically flows through the entire profile of the wires forming the antenna becomes trapped on its surface. Thus, the effective resistance of the wire is similar to a thinner wire than the effective resistance of the actual diameter through which the current can be distributed. One of the tolerable resistors exhibiting high efficiency at low frequencies converts the conductor into a conductor of unacceptable resistance at high frequencies. The transition from tolerable to unacceptable resistance translates into an inefficient power and/or data transmission and/or communication system that does not allow for the transmission of an electrical signal in a particular application. In addition, today's antenna designs do not address such inefficiencies and, in some cases, exacerbate the inefficiencies of a wireless power and/or data transmission and/or communication system. Although not exhaustive, typical applications limited by current antenna technology include, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID), battery charging and recharging, telemetry, sensing, communications, asset tracking, patient monitoring, data entry, and/or 撷Take and so on. Overheating of system components, rate and accuracy of data retrieval, rate of energy delivery, transmission distance constraints, and transmission misalignment are other serious problems in wireless power and/or data transmission and/or communication applications.

In applications such as implantable medical devices (IMDs), such as pacemakers, electric shocks, and neuromodulation or neuromuscular stimulation devices, it is desirable to minimize battery recharge time. Faster battery recharge time reduces (for example) the patient's uncomfortable duration, inconvenience, and the likelihood of injury. If the antenna has less resistive losses, battery recharging can be achieved over a greater distance without compromising performance and with a higher tolerance for antenna misalignment or loss of orientation. Especially for obese patients, precise orientation and alignment is known to be difficult to achieve. In addition and/or another option, if a smaller sized structure can be designed and actually manufactured while maintaining success The overall performance of the IMD can be reduced by the performance characteristics required for the operation.

In RFID applications such as supply chain management, product identification and asset tracking, there is a need to increase read range, increase read rates, improve system reliability, and improve system accuracy. For example, at high frequencies, the read range is up to three feet, which is generally not sufficient for pallet tracking. Ultra-high frequency readers achieve larger reading distances of eight to ten feet, however, they introduce other performance issues such as reflections by metal or water absorption or display of unreadable null points in the read column. Increasing the read range requires centralized power to facilitate back-reflecting signals for better performance, so a more efficient structure can help solve these problems.

In applications where high efficiency, low loss coils are required (requiring resonance to be maintained under severe conditions), conventional wire-based antennas are deformable. The following is well known: any deformation of the wire profile will result in a change in one of the inductance and possibly the resistance, which in turn will change the resonant frequency of the antenna and thus increase the overall system resistance. An improved method of fabricating such types of structures that reduce the likelihood of compromises can eliminate this problem. The teachings of the present invention encompass methods of manufacture having both a rigid structural design and a fixed flexible structural design.

The Litz wire was developed in part in an attempt to solve the problems discussed above. However, the Litz wire is generally not sufficient for use in high frequency applications and is therefore generally not suitable for applications with operating frequencies above about 3 MHz. A Litz wire consists of a number of individual insulated magnetic wires that are twisted or woven into a uniform pattern such that each wire strand tends to occupy all possible locations in the cross-section of the entire conductor. This multi-strand configuration or Liz construction is designed to minimize the power loss exhibited in the solid conductor due to the "skin effect." The Litz wire structure attempts to counteract this effect by increasing the amount of surface area without significantly increasing the size of the conductor. However, even a properly constructed Litz wire exhibits a skin effect due to the limitations of the plying. A wire intended for use in a higher frequency range is generally more uniform than an equal profile area but consists of fewer and larger strands. The provider of the Liz line provides the highest frequency system for the configuration that improves efficiency About 3 MHz. There is currently no solution for applications with operating frequencies that exceed this 3 MHz maximum frequency limit.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved high efficiency structural design and fabrication method that reduces the intrinsic resistive losses of the structure and, in particular, reduces the intrinsic resistive losses of the structure at high frequencies to achieve high quality factors.

The teachings herein mitigate one or more of the above-described problems of lower quality factors resulting in higher resistance losses at higher frequencies by increasing the conductance region within a structure using the multi-layer wire concept. The multilayer wire configuration results in a reduction in one of the conductor losses and an increase in the quality factor of the structure. The present teachings are directed to wireless transmission and/or communication for near field energy transfer, power transfer, data transfer, or a combination thereof. More specifically, the present teachings are directed to wireless transmission and/or communication for near field energy networks, power networks, or data networks, including any and all combinations of such networks.

Wireless energy transfer or wireless power transfer is the transfer of electrical energy from a power source to an electrical load without the use of interconnects. For wireless transmission of energy, electricity or data, efficiency is an important parameter because the transmitted signal must reach a receiver or receivers to make the system practical. The most common form of wireless transmission involving energy, power, or data transfer is performed using a direct inductor followed by a resonant magnetic inductor. Other methods of current consideration include electromagnetic radiation, such as but not limited to microwaves or lasers.

In addition, wireless energy reception or wireless power reception is the reception of electrical energy from a power source without the use of interconnects. For wireless reception of energy, power, or data, efficiency is an important parameter because reception of a signal must be received from a transmitter or transmitters to make the system practical. Thus, forms of wireless reception that embody energy, power, or data can be implemented using direct inductance, resonant magnetic inductance, and electromagnetic radiation in the form of microwaves or lasers.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention are capable of performing power without the aid of interconnects. Wireless communication of energy, electricity and/or data. Wireless communication represents the simultaneous or independent transmission and/or reception of electrical energy, power or data.

One aspect of the teachings of the present invention is a resonator for wireless power and/or data transfer or reception wherein the resistive losses within the resonator are minimized by maximizing the useful conductor cross-sectional area in a conductor profile. In one embodiment, the resonator mitigates undesirable high frequency skinning effects by introducing a non-conductive dielectric layer within its wires to create a structure comprising alternating layers of conductive material and non-conductive material. The structure effectively provides an increased number of surfaces each having its characteristic skin depth and all electrically or otherwise connected. The skin depth can range from about half of the depth of the conductor to about equal to the depth of the conductor. The conductor depth can be in the range of the skin depth to twice the skin depth. However, depending on the available technology, cost, and application, the conductor depth can be as large as twenty or twenty times as large as the skin depth.

The resonator includes a coil having at least one turn, wherein the coil is comprised of a plurality of wires. The multilayer wire can include a first and a second conductive layer separated by a layer of insulating material. The conductive layers can have substantially the same thickness and/or depth, wherein the thickness and/or depth can range from a skin depth to twice the skin depth. However, depending on the technology, cost, and application available, the thickness and/or depth of the conductor can be as large as twenty or twenty times as large as the skin depth. Each of the conductive layers can be electrically connected to each other using at least one interconnection method such as, but not limited to, a via, a solder, a tab, a wire, a pin, or a rivet.

One purpose of the non-conductive layer is to insulate two different conductive layers. The most basic design of the non-conductive layer would ideally be as thin as the manufacturing process, while still providing sufficient insulating properties. For example, in PCB technology, the layer thickness is defined by the "core thickness" and the thickness of the prepreg. In another design, the thickness of the non-conductive layer is selected to modify the electrical behavior of the structure.

The resonator can have a quality factor greater than one hundred. Preferably, the quality factor is greater than 350. More preferably, the quality factor is greater than 600. Those who are familiar with this technology will understand that they need two The system of resonators can have resonators with equal and even similar quality factors. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that systems that require two resonators can utilize a resonator in which one of the resonators has a quality factor that is substantially different from one of the other resonators. The quality factor selection for each resonator will depend on the application, the design specifications of each, and the intended use of each resonator. It should be understood that conventional inductively coupled systems utilize resonators having a quality factor of about 30. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the quality factor of a resonator may depend on the environment in which it is used, and thus, for example, one of the resonators having one of 100 quality factors in air may be implanted in humans. Or only one of the 50 quality factors in animal tissue. In any given environment, the MLMT structure described herein should outperform conventional resonators.

Therefore, the reduction in loss in the wire and the significant reduction in the internal resistance of the resonator enable high efficiency, long run times, and simplification of operation without concealing events such as overheating. Extended range, compact wireless system.

In one example, a structure for wireless transmission or wireless reception is disclosed. The structure is designed to wirelessly transmit and/or receive electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and/or power. In addition, the structure enables electronic data transmission. In addition, the structure can transmit and/or receive a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical power, and electronic data together or separately.

The structure can include: a plurality of conductor layers; an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers; and at least one connector connecting two or more of the conductor layers. Each of the plurality of conductor layers can have at least one turn and can be further placed in a parallel orientation. Each conductor layer may be formed of a conductive material. The conductive material may be composed of copper, titanium, platinum and platinum/rhodium alloy, yttrium, lanthanum, zirconium, hafnium, nickel-titanium alloy, Co-Cr-Ni alloy, stainless steel, gold, a gold alloy, palladium, carbon. , silver, a precious metal or a biocompatible material and any combination thereof. The conductor layer can have a cross-sectional shape such as, but not limited to, a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a square cross section, a triangular cross section, or an elliptical cross section. The connector connecting the conductor layers may be, but not limited to, a conductive body, Solder, a tab, a wire, a pin or a rivet.

The structure may have a structural shape such as, but not limited to, a circular solenoid configuration, a square solenoid configuration, a circular spiral configuration, a square spiral configuration, a rectangular configuration, A triangular configuration, a circular spiral-solenoid configuration, a square spiral-solenoid configuration, and a conformal solenoid configuration. Other configurations can be used to modify the electrical properties of the structure.

When an electrical signal is induced at a frequency in the resonator, one of the resistances in the structure can be reduced. The frequency can be selected from a frequency range from about 100 kHz to about 10 GHz. Moreover, the frequency can range from about 100 kHz to about 10 GHz or from about 100 kHz to about 10 GHz. The electrical signal can be a current, a voltage, a digital data signal, or any combination thereof.

In another example, a structure for wireless communication is disclosed, comprising: a plurality of conductor layers; an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers; and at least one connector connecting the conductors Two or more of the layers such that a resistance can be reduced when an electrical signal is induced at a frequency within the structure. The conductor layer may comprise at least one of a conductive tape, a conductive strip, and a deposited metal. In some examples, the frequency can be selected from a frequency range from about 100 kHz to about 3 MHz. In other examples, the frequency can be in a frequency band ranging from about 100 kHz to about 3 MHz. In still other examples, the frequency can be selected from a frequency range from about 3 MHz to about 10 GHz. In still other examples, the frequency can be in a frequency band ranging from about 3 MHz to about 10 GHz.

Each of the plurality of conductor layers can be oriented in a parallel orientation. The number of the plurality of conductor layers may be less than or equal to the total number of layers and may be electrically connected in parallel. The plurality of parallel electrically connected conductor layers may be electrically connected in series with one or more of the second plurality of parallel electrically connected conductor layers. The electrical signal can include at least one of an energy signal, a power signal, and a data signal. The electrical signal can include at least one of a current, a voltage, or a digital data signal. The structure can have a quality factor greater than one hundred. The structure may also comprise selected from A circuit component of a group consisting of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor. The conductor layer may comprise a cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape is at least one of: a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a square cross section, a triangular cross section, and an elliptical cross section. The connector can include at least one of: a via, a solder, a tab, a wire, a pin, a rivet, and the like.

The structure may have a structural shape and the shape may include at least one of the following: a circular solenoid configuration, a square solenoid configuration, a circular spiral configuration, a square spiral configuration , a rectangular configuration, a triangular configuration, a circular spiral-solenoid configuration, a square spiral-solenoid configuration, and a conformal solenoid configuration. The plurality of conductor layers may have at least one turn. At least one of the conductor layers may be formed of a conductive material, which may include at least one of copper, titanium, platinum, and platinum/rhodium alloys, ruthenium, osmium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel titanium. Alloy, Co-Cr-Ni alloy, stainless steel, gold, gold alloy, palladium, carbon, silver, a precious metal and a biocompatible material. The at least one insulator layer is formed of an electrically insulating material, and the electrically insulating material may comprise at least one of: air, styrene foam, cerium oxide, a suitable biocompatible ceramic or have a low capacitance Any similar dielectric, a non-conductive dielectric with a high permittivity and a ferrite material. The structure can be incorporated into a device comprising at least one of: a resonator, an antenna, an RFID tag, an RFID transponder, and a medical device.

In another example, a resonator for wireless transmission or wireless reception is disclosed. The resonator is designed to wirelessly transmit and/or receive electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and power. In addition, the resonator is capable of electronic data transmission or reception. In addition, the resonator can transmit and/or receive a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical power, and electronic data together or separately.

The resonator can include a plurality of conductors each having a conductor length, a conductor height, a conductor depth, and a conductive surface having a skin depth. The skin depth can range from about half of the depth of the conductor to about equal to the depth of the conductor. guide The body depth can be in the range of the skin depth to twice the skin depth. However, depending on the available technology, cost, and application, the conductor depth can be as large as twenty or twenty times as large as the skin depth. The plurality of conductor layers may have at least one turn. Moreover, each of the plurality of conductor layers may or may not have substantially the same conductor length, conductor height, or conductor depth. The conductor layers may be formed of a conductive material. The conductive material may be composed of copper, titanium, platinum and platinum/rhodium alloy, yttrium, lanthanum, zirconium, hafnium, nickel-titanium alloy, Co-Cr-Ni alloy, stainless steel, gold, a gold alloy, palladium, carbon. , silver, a precious metal or a biocompatible material and any combination thereof.

The plurality of conductors can be configured to form a resonator body. The resonator body can have a resonator body length, a resonator body width, and a resonator body depth. When an electrical signal is induced through the body of the resonator, the electrical signal propagates through the conductive surface of the skin depth. The electrical signal can be a current, a voltage, a digital data signal, or any combination thereof.

The plurality of conductors in the resonator may include a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer separated by an insulator layer, wherein the first conductor layer is connected to the second conductor layer by at least one connector or More. The conductor may have a cross-sectional shape such as, but not limited to, a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a square cross section, a triangular cross section, or an elliptical cross section. The resonator may have a structural shape such as, but not limited to, a circular solenoid, a square solenoid configuration, a circular spiral configuration, a square spiral configuration, a rectangular configuration, A triangular configuration, a circular spiral-solen configuration, a square spiral-solen configuration or a conformal solenoid configuration.

At least one of the plurality of conductor layers can include at least one of a conductive tape, a conductive strip, and a deposited metal. The electrical signal can include at least one of an energy signal, a power signal, and a data signal. The electrical signal can also be at least one of a current, a voltage, and a digital data signal. The resonator can have a quality factor greater than one hundred. The at least one insulator layer may be formed of an electrically insulating material, the electrically insulating material comprising However, it is not limited to at least one of the following: air, styrene foam, cerium oxide, a suitable biocompatible ceramic or any similar dielectric having a low permittivity, and one of a high permittivity non-conductive Dielectric and a ferrite material.

The electrical signal can be induced through the resonator body using at least one frequency. In some examples, the frequency can be selected from a frequency range from about 100 kHz to about 3 MHz. In other examples, the frequency can be in a frequency band ranging from about 100 kHz to about 3 MHz. In still other examples, the frequency can be selected from a frequency range from about 3 MHz to about 10 GHz. In still other examples, the frequency can be in a frequency band ranging from about 3 MHz to about 10 GHz. In still other examples, the frequency can be selected from a frequency range from about 100 kHz to about 10 GHz. In still other examples, the frequency can be in a frequency band ranging from about 100 kHz to about 10 GHz. The resonator may further comprise one circuit element selected from the group consisting of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor, and may be incorporated in a device including at least one of: a resonator, An antenna, an RFID tag, an RFID transponder, and a medical device.

A circuit for wireless transmission or wireless reception is also disclosed. The circuit is designed to wirelessly transmit and/or receive electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and power. In addition, the circuit is capable of electronic data transmission. In addition, the circuit can transmit a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, power, and electronic data together or separately.

Passive components such as inductors, capacitors, and the like are widely used in circuits at high frequencies. Some examples of such circuit configurations include, but are not limited to, band pass, high pass, and low pass filters; mixer circuits (eg, Gilbert Cell); oscillators such as Kirbyz, Pierce, Hartley and Clap; and amplifiers such as differential, push-pull, feedback and radio frequency (RF). Specifically, the inductor acts as a source-downgrading component during matching and feedback in a low noise amplifier (LNA). The lumped inductor is also an essential component in RF circuits and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). The lumped inductor is used in a single-chip matching network in which the transmission line structure can have an excessive length. Usually, it is also used to allow bias voltage The stream is supplied to the circuit while providing a broadband high impedance RF choke at RF frequencies and above RF frequencies. High Q inductors are also required for RF MEMS switches, matching networks and varactors that are ideal for reconfigurable networks, antennas and subsystems. Note that passive circuit components and lumped components, such as lumped inductors, can be used interchangeably with the broader term passive circuit components. The passive circuit component can be an inductor, a capacitor, a resistor or only one wire. In almost all of the circuit examples mentioned above, it is desirable to have a passive component with minimal loss, which is not meant to be limiting.

Passive components (such as inductors and capacitors) are widely used in a given circuit at high frequencies, giving an embodiment using, but not limited to, an inductor. Specifically, consider an inductor that is designed to achieve the maximum Q while achieving the desired inductance. In other words, it is desirable to minimize the resistive losses in the inductor. Depending on the operating frequency, the available area on the substrate, the application and the technology, the inductor can be implemented as, but not limited to, a TEM/transmission line, a conductive loop, or one of several shapes of spiral/solen/combination structures, for example, However, it is not limited to a circle, a rectangle, an ellipse, a square or an irregular configuration. All such embodiments can be implemented using the multilayer structure of the present invention, which is not meant to be limiting.

In another example, a resonator is discussed as part of a larger circuit. A resonator exhibits a device or a system of resonance (i.e., oscillation) at a particular frequency, a number of frequencies, or a frequency band called a resonant frequency, a number of frequencies, or a frequency band. At the resonant frequency, several frequencies or frequency bands, there is a minimum impedance to oscillation. In the context of a circuit, there is a minimum electrical impedance at the resonant frequency, several frequencies or frequency bands. The MLMT structure of the present invention can function as a resonator under two basic conditions: (1) when the MLMT structure is designed to resonate at a particular frequency, frequencies or bands in an environment where it does not have any additional electrical components; (2) When the MLMT structure is designed to be at a specific frequency, several frequencies in an environment where it is combined with other components such as, but not limited to, a capacitor, a capacitor bank, a capacitor, and/or an inductor network. Or when the band is resonant. Thus, the resonator can be part of a larger circuit and the resonant behavior can be designed to be at a frequency, a number of frequencies or bands or There is a specific bandwidth or a frequency of one of a certain frequency, a number of frequencies or frequency bands. Additional components (for example, resistors) can also be added to change the bandwidth.

A system for wireless transmission or wireless reception is also disclosed. The system is designed to wirelessly transmit and/or receive electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and power. In addition, the system is capable of electronic data transmission. In addition, the system can transmit a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, electricity, and electronic data together or separately.

The system can include a first resonator, the first resonator including a plurality of first conductors, each of the first conductors having a first conductor length, a first conductor height, a first conductor depth, and a first conductive The surface, the first conductive surface has a first skin depth. The plurality of first conductors can be configured to form a first resonator body having a first resonator body length, a first resonator body width, and a first resonator body depth. The system can also include a second resonator, the second resonator including a plurality of second conductors, each second conductor having a second conductor length, a second conductor height, a second conductor depth, and a second a conductive surface having a second skin depth. The plurality of second conductors can be configured to form a second resonator body having a second resonator body length, a second resonator body width, and a second resonator body depth. The first skin depth and the second skin depth may be about half of the conductor depth to about equal to the conductor depth. The first and second conductors can have at least one turn and each of the plurality of first and second conductor layers may or may not have substantially the same conductor length, conductor height, and conductor depth. The first conductor depth and the second conductor depth may range from the skin depth to twice the skin depth. However, depending on the available technology, cost, and application, the first conductor depth and the second conductor depth may be as large as twenty or twenty times as large as the skin depth. The first and second conductor layers may be formed of a conductive material such as, but not limited to, copper, titanium, platinum, and platinum/rhodium alloy, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel titanium alloy, Co-Cr-Ni alloy, stainless steel. , gold, a gold alloy, palladium, carbon, silver, a precious metal or a biocompatible material and any combination thereof.

When an electrical signal is propagated through the first resonator body, the electrical signal propagates through the first conductive surface of the skin depth and further induces an electrical signal through one of the second resonator bodies. The induced electrical signal propagates through the second conductive surface at the skin depth. The electrical signal can be a current, a voltage, and a digital data signal, or a combination thereof.

The plurality of first conductors may include a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer separated by an insulator layer, wherein the first conductor layer is connected to the second conductor layer or more by at least one connector. The connector connecting the conductor layers may be, but not limited to, a conductive body, a solder, a tab, a wire, a pin or a rivet. The first conductor may have a first cross-sectional shape and the second conductor may have a second cross-sectional shape. The first and second cross-sectional shapes are non-limiting and may be one of: a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a square cross section, a triangular cross section, or an elliptical cross section.

The first resonator may have a first structural shape and the second resonator may have a second structural shape. The first and second structural shapes are non-limiting and can be a circular solenoid configuration, a square solenoid configuration, a circular spiral configuration, a square spiral configuration, a rectangular configuration , a triangular configuration, a circular spiral-solenoid configuration, a square spiral-solenoid configuration or a conformal solenoid configuration.

Additionally, a method for fabricating a structure for wireless transmission or wireless reception is disclosed. The manufacturing method forms a structure capable of wirelessly transmitting and/or receiving electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and electric power. In addition, the resulting structure enables electronic data transmission or reception. Moreover, the resulting structure can transmit and/or receive a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical power, and electronic data together or separately.

The method can include the steps of: forming a plurality of conductor layers having an insulator between each of the conductor layers; and forming at least one connection between the plurality of conductors. The connector connecting the conductor layers may be, but not limited to, a conductive body, a solder, a tab, a wire, a pin or a rivet. The conductor layers can be formed by deposition through a mask. Forming a plurality of conductor layers (each of the conductor layers) The step of having an insulator between the two may further comprise the steps of: placing a first conductive layer on top of a second conductive layer; and bonding the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer by means of a first insulator Layer separation. Additionally, the step of forming at least one connection between the plurality of conductors can include the step of connecting at least two of the conductive layers, including but not limited to a conductive body, a solder, a tab , a wire, a pin or a rivet. The conductor layers may be formed of a conductive material. The conductive material may be composed of copper, titanium, platinum and platinum/rhodium alloy, yttrium, lanthanum, zirconium, hafnium, nickel-titanium alloy, Co-Cr-Ni alloy, stainless steel, gold, a gold alloy, palladium, carbon. , silver, a precious metal or a biocompatible material and any combination thereof.

A method for operating a structure for providing wireless transmission or wireless reception is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a structure capable of wirelessly transmitting and/or wirelessly receiving electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and/or power. Additionally, the method provides the step of providing a structure capable of electronic data transmission or reception. Moreover, the method provides the step of providing one of a combination of one of a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical power, and electronic data that can be transmitted and/or received collectively or separately.

The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of conductors each having a conductor length, a conductor height, a conductor depth, and a conductive surface having a skin depth. Additionally, the method includes the step of providing the skin depth to range from about half of the conductor depth to about equal to the conductor depth. The conductor depth can be in the range of the skin depth to twice the skin depth. However, depending on the available technology, cost, and application, the conductor depth can be as large as twenty or twenty times as large as the skin depth. The plurality of conductors can be configured to form a resonator body having a resonator body length, a resonator body width, and a resonator body depth; and induced in at least one of the plurality of conductors An electrical signal causes the electrical signal to propagate through the conductive surface of the skin depth. The electrical signal can be a current, a voltage, a digital data signal, or any combination thereof.

The method may also include the steps of: providing a second plurality of conductors, the second leads Each of the bodies has a second conductor length, a second conductor height, a second conductor depth, and a second conductive surface, the second conductive surface having a second skin depth, wherein the plurality of second The conductor is configured to form a second resonator body having a second resonator body length, a second resonator body width, and a second resonator body depth. When an electrical signal is propagated through the body of the resonator, the electrical signal propagates through the conductive surface of the skin depth and further induces an electrical signal through one of the second resonator bodies, and the induced electrical signal is in the second skin The depth propagates through the second conductive surface.

The plurality of conductors can include a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer separated by an insulator layer, wherein the first conductor layer is coupled to the second conductor layer by at least one connector. Additionally, at least one connection connecting at least two of the conductive layers includes, but is not limited to, a conductive body, a solder, a tab, a wire, a pin, or a rivet. The conductor may have a cross-sectional shape that is not limited to one of a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a square cross section, a triangular cross section, and an elliptical cross section. The plurality of conductor layers can have at least one turn and each of the plurality of conductor layers may or may not have substantially the same conductor length, conductor height, and conductor depth. The conductor layer may be formed of a conductive material. The conductive material may be composed of copper, titanium, platinum and platinum/rhodium alloy, yttrium, lanthanum, zirconium, hafnium, nickel-titanium alloy, Co-Cr-Ni alloy, stainless steel, gold, a gold alloy, palladium, carbon. , silver, a precious metal or a biocompatible material or any combination thereof.

The resonator may have a structural shape that is not limited to one of the following: a circular solenoid configuration, a square solenoid configuration, a circular spiral configuration, a square spiral configuration, a rectangular configuration, and a Triangle configuration, a circular spiral-solenoid configuration, a square spiral-solenoid configuration, and a conformal solenoid configuration. Additional advantages and novel features will be set forth in part in the description which follows. The advantages of the teachings of the present invention can be realized and obtained by practicing or using various aspects of the methods, apparatus and combinations set forth in the Detailed Description.

10‧‧‧ Near Field Energy Network/Network

11 _a ‧‧‧Device/Transmission device/Receiver

11 _b ‧‧‧Device/Transmission device/Receiver

11 _c ‧‧‧ installation

11 _d ‧‧‧Device/Transmission/Receiver

12 _a to 12 _d ‧‧‧transmission unit

14 _a to 14 _d ‧‧‧ receiving unit

16 _b ‧‧‧load

18‧‧‧Repeat

20‧‧‧Antenna

100‧‧‧ coil / round coil

101‧‧‧Multilayer wire

102‧‧‧Circular solenoid configuration

103‧‧‧Square Solenoid Configuration

104‧‧‧Circular spiral configuration

105‧‧‧Square spiral configuration

106‧‧‧Multi-layer square spiral configuration

107‧‧‧Circular helix-solenoid configuration

108‧‧‧Square spiral-solenoid configuration

109‧‧‧Conformal solenoid configuration

110‧‧‧匝

111‧‧‧ coil

401‧‧‧Circular section

402‧‧‧Rectangular section

403‧‧‧ square profile

404‧‧‧Triangular section

405‧‧‧Oval profile

410‧‧‧First Conductive Layer/First Layer/Conductive Layer

420‧‧‧Second Conductive Layer/Second Layer/Conductive Layer

430‧‧‧Insulation materials

440‧‧‧Connected body

510‧‧‧Circular section

520‧‧‧Rectangular section

530‧‧‧Connected body

540‧‧‧ Conductive layer

550‧‧‧ mouth or input

A-A‧‧‧ line

B-B‧‧‧ line

C _ADDED ‧‧‧ capacitor

C _M ‧‧‧intrinsic capacitor

L _FEED ‧‧‧Feed Inductors

L _M ‧‧‧intrinsic inductance/inductance value

L _PICKUP ‧‧‧ pick up inductor

R _M ‧‧‧Intrinsic resistance

Z _input ‧‧‧Input impedance

The drawings are merely illustrative of one or more embodiments consistent with the teachings of the invention. In the various figures, like element symbols refer to the same or similar elements.

Figure 1 illustrates one of the AC current distributions that stabilizes the unidirectional current through one of the homogeneous conductors; Figure 2 illustrates one of the AC current distributions at the increased frequency due to the skin effect; Figure 3 is the skin depth versus frequency Figure 1 illustrates a high-order diagram of one of the structures for wireless power transfer; Figure 5A illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a circular solenoid configuration; Figure 5B illustrates a square spiral An example of one of the antenna configurations; Figure 5C illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a circular spiral configuration; Figure 5D illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a square spiral configuration; Figure 5E illustrates An example of one of the antennas of a multi-layer square spiral configuration; Figure 5F illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a circular spiral-solen configuration; Figure 5G illustrates a configuration of a square spiral-solenoid An example of one of the antennas; Figure 5H illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a conformal solenoid configuration; Figure 6A illustrates an example of a single circular coil with one of the N layers; Figure 6B illustrates N Layer of a double circular spiral-spiral pipeline One example; FIG. 7A illustrates an example of one of the antennas having a circular cross section; FIG. 7B illustrates an example of one of the antennas having a rectangular cross section; and FIG. 7C illustrates an example of one of the antennas having a square cross section; Figure 7D illustrates an example of one of the antennas having a triangular cross-section; Figure 7E illustrates an example of one of the antennas having an elliptical cross-section; Figure 7F illustrates a rectangular cross-section of a multi-layered conductor; Figure 8A illustrates having one a multilayer conductor of a circular cross section; Figure 8B illustrates a multilayer conductor having a rectangular cross section; Figure 9A shows a single turn antenna having one layer; Figure 9B shows a single turn antenna having 11 layers; Figure 9C shows a single turn antenna having 20 layers; Figure 9D shows a single-turn antenna with 26 layers; Figure 10 is a graph illustrating the value of the quality factor as a function of frequency; Figure 11A is a graph illustrating the relative change in resistance and inductance with the number of layers; Figure 11B A diagram illustrating one of the resulting quality factors for a given number of layers at 10 MHz; Figure 12A is a graph illustrating the quality factor as a function of frequency; Figure 12B illustrates the inductance versus frequency for a 16-layer coil Figure 12C is a graph illustrating the resistance of a 16-layer coil as a function of frequency; Figure 13A is a graph illustrating the quality factor as a function of frequency; Figure 13B illustrates the inductance versus frequency. Figure 13C is a graph illustrating resistance versus frequency; Figure 14A is a graph illustrating the quality factor of a coil having one metal strip width of 1 mm as a function of frequency; Figure 14B is a diagram Description A graph with a relative increase in the quality factor of one of the 1.5 mm metal width coils; Figure 14C is a graph illustrating the relative increase in the quality factor of a coil having a metal width of 2 mm; Figure 15 illustrates a A high-order block diagram of one of the near-field energy networks; FIG. 16A illustrates a graph showing one of the cases where the receiving unit and the transmitting unit have the same resonant frequency and the frequency band is narrow; FIG. 16B illustrates that the receiving unit and the transmitting unit have different Resonant frequency Figure 1C illustrates a graph showing one of the cases where the receiving unit and the transmitting unit have different resonant frequencies and the receiving unit has a wide resonance; FIG. 16D illustrates the receiving unit and A diagram in which the transmission unit has different resonance frequencies and the transmission device has a loss; FIG. 16E illustrates a case where the receiving unit and the transmission unit have a resonance frequency that is far apart and both the transmission unit and the reception unit are depleted. Figure 16F illustrates a graph showing one of the cases where the receiving unit and the transmitting unit have close resonant frequencies and both the transmitting unit and the receiving unit have losses; Figure 17 illustrates one of the near fields with repeaters High-order block diagram of one of the energy networks; Figure 18 illustrates a typical PCB stack; Figure 19 is a table of fabrication stacks of a 6-layer PCB board obtained from a manufacturer of PCBs; Figure 20 illustrates any MLMT One equivalent circuit diagram of the structure; FIG. 21 illustrates an equivalent circuit diagram of one of the MLMT structures operating as an inductor (Condition 1); FIG. 22A The explanation shows an equivalent circuit diagram of one of the MLMT structures of one of the self-resonators (type 1) in a circuit; FIG. 22B illustrates an equivalent circuit diagram of one of the MLMT structures operating as an independent self-resonator (type 1) Figure 23A illustrates an equivalent circuit diagram showing an MLMT structure with one capacitor addition in series; Figure 23B illustrates an equivalent circuit diagram showing an MLMT structure with one capacitor addition in parallel; Figure 24A illustrates operation as an circuit An equivalent circuit diagram of one of the MLMT structures of one of the resonators, wherein resonance is achieved by adding a capacitor in parallel; Figure 24B illustrates an equivalent circuit diagram of an MLMT structure operating as one of the independent resonators, wherein resonance is achieved by adding a capacitor in series to the circuit; Figure 24C illustrates one of the MLMT structures operating as one of the independent resonators An equivalent circuit diagram in which resonance is achieved by adding a capacitor in parallel to the circuit.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth, It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that the teachings of the present invention may be practiced without the details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuits are described in a relatively high level, rather than in detail, so as not to unnecessarily obscure the teachings of the present invention.

The various techniques disclosed herein relate generally to methods, systems, and equipment for designing, operating, and manufacturing wireless transmission and/or wireless receiving systems, and more particularly to design, operation, and manufacture. A method, system and apparatus for using a high efficiency structure in near field wireless transmission and/or reception.

Wireless transmission may embody wireless transmission of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and power, such as in an embodiment. In addition, wireless transmission can reflect the transmission of digital data and information. In another embodiment, a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical power, electronic data, and information may be transmitted together or separately, such as the embodiments discussed in the energy network. The invention further encompasses that this wireless transmission can occur simultaneously or over a period of time. Other embodiments of wireless transmission are discussed below in the Energy Network, Power Network, Data Network, and Near Field Power and Data Transfer Systems sections.

Wireless reception may embody wireless reception of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and power, such as in an embodiment. In addition, wireless reception can reflect the receipt of digital data and information. In another embodiment, a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, power, electronic data, and information may be received or separately received, such as the embodiments discussed in the energy network. The invention further encompasses that this wireless reception can occur simultaneously or over a period of time. Below in the energy network, power network Other embodiments of wireless reception are discussed in the Road, Data Network, and Near Field Power and Data Transfer Systems sections.

Wireless communication can embody wireless transmission and reception of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and power, such as in an embodiment. In addition, wireless communication can reflect the transmission and reception of digital data and information. In another embodiment, a combination of electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, power, electronic data, and information may be transmitted and received or received separately, such as the embodiments discussed in the energy network. The invention further encompasses that the wireless transmission and reception can occur simultaneously or over a period of time. Other embodiments of wireless communication are discussed in the Energy Network, Power Network, Data Network, and Near Field Power and Data Transfer Systems sections below.

An antenna is generally used to emit or receive one of the electromagnetic waves. An antenna may be composed of a wire or a group of wires, but is not limited to a wire or a group of wires. A resonator is generally any device or material that resonates, including any system of resonance. A resonator can be used to detect the presence of a particular frequency by means of resonance, and can be any circuit having this frequency characteristic. In addition, a resonator can be one of a combination of capacitance and inductance in such a way that a periodic electrical oscillation will reach a maximum amplitude. As is known to those skilled in the art, an antenna typically acts as a resonator when, for example, it self-resonates or when it is coupled to another reactive component, such as a capacitor, to achieve resonance. Thus, the terms antenna and resonator are used interchangeably herein and are also generically referred to as a structure (e.g., a multilayer multi-turn structure).

The "skin effect" is generally a tendency for an alternating current to concentrate around a portion of the conductor or near the "skin". As illustrated in Figure 1, for stabilizing a unidirectional current through one of the homogeneous conductors, the current distribution is generally uniform across the profile; that is, the current density is the same at all points in the profile.

In the case of an alternating current, the current is increasingly displaced to the surface as the frequency increases. This current does not effectively utilize the full profile of the conductor. The effective profile of the conductor is thus reduced, so the value of resistance and energy dissipation is increased compared to a uniformly distributed current. In other words, such as As illustrated in Figure 2, due to the skin effect, the current density is greatest near the surface of the conductor (also known as "skin") and exponentially decays to the center of the profile.

The effective resistance of a wire increases significantly with frequency. In a preferred embodiment, this frequency can range from about 100 kHz to about 3 MHz and more preferably from about 3 MHz to about 10 GHz. In one embodiment of a large antenna configuration that requires operation at 120 KHz, it may even be beneficial to form an MLMT structure that uses large gauge wires/materials to achieve high efficiency.

For a copper wire of 1 mm (0.04 inch) diameter, for example, the resistance at one of the frequencies of 1 MHz is almost four times the value of dc. The Skin Depth or Penetration Depth δ is usually used to evaluate the results of the skin effect. Generally, the current density has been reduced to about 1/ e (about 37%) of its value at the surface, which is lower than the depth of the conductor surface. The term "skin depth" is thus stated as the depth in the profile where the current density has dropped to approximately 37% of the maximum. This concept applies to flat solids, but can extend to other shapes, with the constraint that the radius of the curvature of the conductor surface is significantly larger than δ. For example, the penetration depth in copper at one frequency of 60 Hz is 8.5 mm (0.33 inch); at 10 GHz it is only 6.6 × 10 ^-7 m. The skin depth is a strong function of the frequency and decreases with increasing frequency. This phenomenon is shown in the graph shown in Figure 3.

The basic concept of multilayer conductors is to maximize the available current density within the complete conductor profile, thereby reducing the intrinsic resistance of the conductor. By using a conductive layer having a thickness of about twice the skin depth, it is ensured that the current density at all points in the wire is greater than or equal to about 37% of the maximum possible current density (at the surface). By using other layer thicknesses, a different basic current density will be obtained. For example, by using a layer thickness of about 4 times the skin depth, it will ensure that the current density is greater than or equal to about 14% of the maximum possible current density (at the surface). Similarly, for a conductor depth of about 6 times the skin depth, the current density is greater than or equal to 5%.

Although it is important to maintain a high current density in the conductive layer, it is necessary at the same time The unused cross-sectional area (i.e., the insulating layer) is as small as possible overall. Using the above theory, one of the proposed multilayer configurations desirably includes several conductive layers having a thickness/depth of about twice the skin depth and one of the technically thinner insulating layers. For those skilled in the art, it will be appreciated that the MLMT structure can produce embodiments in which the skin depth of the conductive regions acting in the wireless communication ranges from about one-half of the depth of the conductor to approximately equal to the depth of the conductor. On the other hand, in view of the limitations imposed by some fabrication methods, the design of the MLMT structure can also produce a conductor depth in which the region can conduct a signal but does not necessarily fully utilize as the operating frequency increases, from the depth of the skin to about twice An embodiment within the range of skin depth.

The waveguide and cavity internal surfaces for use at microwave frequencies are therefore typically plated with a high conductivity material such as silver to reduce energy loss due to the concentration of almost all current at the surface. Assuming that the plating material is relatively thick with δ, the conductor is as good as one of the solid conductors of the coating material. The "quality factor" is generally considered to measure one of the efficiencies (measurements) of an equipment (such as an antenna, a circuit, or a resonator). A conductive body is defined herein as an electrically conductive connection from one layer to another.

A Litz wire is typically constructed from one of a plurality of individual film insulated wires that are bundled or woven together in a uniform pattern of twisted and stranded strand lengths.

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and 4 illustrates a high level diagram of one of a resonator (such as an antenna) for wireless power and/or data transfer. The resonator includes a coil 100 and a multilayer conductor 101. The shape of the coil 100 can be circular, rectangular, triangular, some other polygon or conformal to fit within a constrained volume. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coil in the form of a circular coil 100. The configuration of the coil 100 can be a solenoid, a spiral or a spiral-solenoid. A solenoid coil follows a spiral curve that can have multiple turns (where each turn has the same radius). A spiral coil configuration can have a number of turns with a gradually increasing or decreasing radius. A spiral-solenoid coil configuration is a combination of a spiral and a solenoid configuration. The coils can also be formed using other configurations known to those skilled in the art.

Figures 5A through 5H illustrate examples of different antenna configurations that may be utilized. FIG. 5A illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a circular solenoid configuration 102. FIG. 5B illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a square solenoid configuration 103. FIG. 5C illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a circular spiral configuration 104. FIG. 5D illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a square spiral configuration 105. It should be understood that other spiral configurations (such as rectangular or triangular shapes) may also be utilized. FIG. 5E illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a multi-layer square spiral configuration 106. It should be noted that although only two layers are illustrated in Figure 5E, it should be understood that any number of layers may be used. As will be explained below, when multiple layers are used, multiple layers can be joined using, but not limited to, a via, solder, tab, wire, pin or rivet. In one embodiment, the plurality of conductor layers less than or equal to the total number of layers can be electrically connected in parallel. In addition, in another embodiment, the plurality of parallel electrically connected conductor layers may be electrically connected in series with one or more of a plurality of parallel electrically connected conductor layers. The connectors serve at least two purposes: (1) the connectors connect the conductor layers of the plurality of conductors; and (2) the connectors connect one of the plurality of conductors to the second of the plurality of conductors. For example, if there is one or two antennas, at least one via will exist from the first to the second. These connectors can also serve other purposes.

For each antenna, there is an optimal number of connectors and one of the best locations for each connector. Since there is no closed form analysis solution for these cases, the best position can be optimally obtained by iterative modeling. However, the basic guiding principles for optimization are given in this article:

. Preferably, there are at least 2 connectors that connect all of the layers forming a single conductor. These two connectors will ideally be at the ends of the multilayer conductor (input and output of the multilayer conductor).

. Preferably, the total number of connectors should be chosen to be commensurate with the needs of a particular application. More than the optimal number of connectors will increase the current path, which can result in increased capacitance, increased resistance, reduced quality factor, and higher bandwidth. It should also be noted that parasitic effects can be The overall length (height, depth) of the connector becomes more pronounced when it is greater than the optimum value at a particular operating frequency. The length of the connector is essentially the height of the connector, and this should be kept less than about (effective wavelength) / 20, but it can also create a workable environment depending on the application. The reason for these limitations is that the increased connector length will introduce a significant phase difference between the different layers of the multilayer conductor used. These phase differences between the different layers will introduce undesirable capacitive effects, which will effectively reduce the self-resonant frequency and increase losses. It should be mentioned that for embodiments in which no additional components (eg, capacitors) are utilized and the structure is used as a self-resonant resonator, a connector such as, but not limited to, a via having a depth greater than (effective wavelength)/10 ) can be incorporated into the design of the antenna.

The vias can be in the form commonly used in printed circuit board (PCB) technology (eg, via, buried, concealed) or in the form utilized in semiconductor or MEMS technology. Alternatively, the conductive body can be, but is not limited to, laser welded, soldered, printed, soldered, brazed, sputter deposited, warp bonded, and the like to electrically connect at least two layers and/or Or any conductive material of all layers.

FIG. 5F illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a circular spiral-solenoid configuration 107. FIG. 5G illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a square spiral-solenoid configuration 108. FIG. 5H illustrates an example of one of the antennas in a conformal solenoid configuration 109. An antenna in a conformal configuration may take the form of, but not limited to, a circular or rectangular solenoid or a circular or rectangular spiral. Any of the antenna configurations shown in Figures 5A through 5H can be used with the system of the present invention.

The coil 100 of FIG. 4 can have a plurality of turns 110. One can be, but is not limited to, one of the wires bent, folded, or curved until the wire completes rotating about one of the central axis points of the coil 111. The stack may be in the same or similar coil configuration shape, such as, for example, but not limited to, a circle, a rectangle, a triangle, some other polygonal shape, or conformal to fit within a bound volume. Figure 6A illustrates a single-turn circular coil having one of the N layers, wherein "N" is equal to or greater than one of the number of ones. Figure 6B illustrates a double 匝 circular spiral of the N layer Tube coil.

In general, for any inductive antenna, the inductance increases with T ^x , and the resistance increases with T ^y , where T is the number of turns. In an ideal conductor, x and y are 2 and 1, respectively. There are other factors that affect the inductance and resistance (and hence the quality factor) that require x and y to be less than 2 and 1, respectively. Referring to Figure 13, three performance examples are given. The chart compares a 32-layer-2匝 antenna with a 32-layer-1匝 antenna and a 64-layer-1匝 antenna. In the frequency range of 1 MHz to 200 MHz, the inductance and resistance of the 32-layer-2匝 antenna increase between 3 and 3.5 times and between 1.7 and 3 times, respectively, over 32-layer-1匝 antennas. This increases the resistance in close proximity based system wherein about T; T and the inductor line about the expected value of ² to simplify the analysis of the relationship.

The multilayer wire 101 of Figure 4 can have, but is not limited to, a circular, rectangular, square or triangular cross-sectional shape. In addition, other shapes known to those skilled in the art may also be utilized. 7A-7E illustrate an example of a cross section of a wire that can be used in the design of an antenna. FIG. 7A illustrates an example of an antenna having one circular section 401. FIG. 7B illustrates an example of an antenna having one rectangular section 402. FIG. 7C illustrates an example of an antenna having one square section 403. FIG. 7D illustrates an example of an antenna having one triangular profile 404. FIG. 7E illustrates an example of one of the antennas having an elliptical profile 405. FIG. 7F illustrates a rectangular cross-section of a multilayer conductor having a first conductive layer 410 and a second conductive layer 420. In addition to the embodiments discussed above, the multilayer wire 101 can be constructed from a rigid wire structure, a fixed flexible wire structure, or a combination thereof.

An insulating material 430 separates the first layer 410 from the second layer 420. The first layer 410 and the second layer 420 are connected by a via 440 that traverses the insulating material 430. The conductive layers 410, 420 can be conductive tapes/strips/sheets/sheets or layers of deposited metal having a metal thickness and metal strip width. The metal thickness of the first layer 410 is identified by line A-A and the metal strip width of the first layer 410 is identified by line B-B. In one example, the metal thickness of one layer can be approximately twice the skin depth. The skin depth can range from about half of the depth of the conductor to about equal to the depth of the conductor. Each of the layers will have substantially the same metal thickness and metal strip width.

The thickness of the insulating material may be sufficient to meet the needs of the application or to be equal to the minimum thickness possible by available fabrication techniques. In addition, the overall structural feasibility depends on the operating frequency (as shown in the graph of Figure 1), the associated costs, and the manufacturing techniques utilized. Generally in PCB technology, the thickness of the layer is defined by the "core thickness" and the thickness of the prepreg. In other designs, the thickness of the non-conductive layer is selected to modify the electrical behavior of a structure. A typical PCB stack includes alternating layers of core and prepreg. The core generally comprises a thin piece of dielectric bonded to one of the copper foils on both sides. The core dielectric is typically a cured fiberglass epoxy. The prepreg is generally an uncured fiberglass epoxy resin. The prepreg will cure (i.e., harden) upon heating and pressing. The outermost layer is generally a prepreg having a copper foil (surface foil) bonded to the outside. The laminate is generally symmetrical about the center of the plate along the vertical axis to avoid mechanical stresses of the plate under thermal cycling, as shown in FIG.

One embodiment is given for one application at 13.56 MHz where the conductor and insulating layer thicknesses are equal to the minimum thickness possible by available fabrication techniques. At 13.56 MHz, the skin depth is about 17.8 microns. Ideally, the conductor depth should be about 35.6 microns and the insulation thickness should be as small as possible. However, as shown in FIG. 19, in practice, a PCB fabrication method using a standard, established, low-cost technique produces a laminate of about 71 microns for a 6-layer PCB, which is almost four times larger than the skin. depth. Further, the insulating layer is 3 times or more larger than the conductive layer. Advanced PCB technology at the expense of a significantly higher cost allows for a lower conductor and insulation depth. For example, current PCB technology in the research phase can allow conductive materials (eg, copper) as low as 5 microns and insulating dielectrics of approximately 39 microns. Other technologies, such as semiconductor fabrication and MEMS fabrication techniques, can allow for much thinner layer thicknesses, resulting in closer to ideal performance. If fabricated using semiconductor or MEMS, the thickness of both the conductive layer and the insulating layer can be as thin as a few hundred nanometers or even thinner. In a preferred embodiment, the dielectric layer is less than 200 microns thick and as completely insulated as possible, and has a permittivity of less than one of ten.

Similarly, the dielectric layer can be made from several materials and can be in a variety of configurations. For example, some applications may require very low parasitic capacitance. In these cases, the lowest possible electricity One of the capacitive non-conductive dielectrics is preferred. Additionally, it may be desirable to increase the thickness of the insulating layer to minimize parasitic effects. Another example would be for applications where a ferrite material may be needed to increase inductance and/or increase magnetic shielding. In such cases, the dielectric layer may be replaced by a ferrite film/block or a configuration/material of similar nature.

Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the insulating material will be a thickness such that the thickness is within the practical capabilities of the fabrication technique used to fabricate the resonator and is compatible with the efficiency of the application for which the resonator is intended for use. Rong.

The material of the conductive layer may be copper or gold, however, other materials are possible. To enhance conductivity, copper or gold having a deposited silver layer can also be used. In the case where the antenna is implanted and may be exposed to body fluids, then generally known biocompatible materials should be utilized, including additives for enhancing conductivity. Such biocompatible materials may include, but are not limited to, conductive materials from the group consisting of titanium, platinum, and platinum/rhodium alloys, ruthenium, osmium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel titanium alloys, Co-Cr-Ni alloys (such as MP35N, Havar®, Elgiloy®), stainless steel, gold and its various alloys, palladium, carbon or any other precious metal. Depending on the application, the insulating material may be (i) air, (ii) a dielectric having a low permittivity (such as, for example, styrene foam, ceria or any suitable biocompatible ceramic), ( Iii) a non-conductive dielectric having a high permittivity, (iv) a ferrite material or (v) a combination of one of the materials listed above. The choice of material or combination of materials can result from factors such as manufacturing process, cost, and technical needs. For example, if a high capacitance effect is required to affect one of the lower self-resonant frequencies of an antenna, a high permittivity dielectric may be preferred or comprise a ferrite film or a ferrite block material. A combination may be preferred to increase the self inductance of the antenna. Additionally, the use of a ferrite core can be used to provide increased performance.

8A-8B illustrate examples of different multilayer wire profile configurations. FIG. 8A illustrates a multilayer wire having a circular cross section 510. FIG. 8B illustrates a multilayer wire having a rectangular cross section 520. In FIG. 8B, the via 530 connecting the conductive layer 540 is positioned at the beginning of the tie or at the input 550. Depending on the specific application, the conductive layer is connected The positioning of the body 530 can affect the performance of the antenna. For example, insufficient conductive bodies can result in phase differences between different layers. Conversely, a large number of vias can result in an additional circulating current path that can increase resistive losses. The conductive body can be located at the beginning of the wire (eg, port, input, etc.) or at one or more locations along the wire. Additionally, a conductive body between a set of two or more conductive layers can be at a location different from one of the other two or more conductive layers. It should be understood that several variations are possible depending on the application and system design. The conductors can be made using techniques that meet the standards of the techniques used to make the multilayer multi-turn structure. In other cases, the conductive body can be implemented using soldering techniques, such as by using electrical soldering at the location of the conductive body, via solder tabs, laser spot welding, or other commonly known electrical connection techniques to connect the layers.

As will be explained herein, the antenna is preferably designed with a high quality factor (QF) to achieve efficient transmission of power that reduces the intrinsic resistance loss of the antenna at high frequencies. The quality factor is the ratio of the energy stored by a device to the energy lost by the device. Therefore, the QF of an antenna is the rate of energy loss of the antenna relative to the stored energy. A source device carrying one-time variable current (such as an antenna) has energy that can be divided into three components: 1) resistance energy (W _res ), 2) radiant energy (W _rad ), and 3) reactance energy (W _rea ). In the case of an antenna, the stored energy is the reactance energy and the energy loss is the resistance and the radiant energy, wherein the antenna quality factor is represented by the equation Q=W _rea /(W _res +W _rad ).

In near field communication, the radiated and resistive energy is released by the device (in this case, the antenna) to the surrounding environment. Excessive power loss can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the device when it is necessary to transfer energy between devices with limited power storage (eg, battery-powered devices with size constraints). Therefore, near field communication devices are designed to maximize reactive energy by minimizing both resistance and radiant energy. In other words, near field communication benefits from maximizing Q.

By way of example, the efficiency of energy and/or data transfer between devices in an inductively coupled system is based on the quality factor (Q1) of the antenna in the transmitter, the quality factor (Q2) of the antenna in the receiver, and two Coupling coefficient (κ) between the antennas. The efficiency of energy transfer varies according to the following relationship: eff κ ² . Q ₁ Q ₂ . A higher quality factor indicates a lower rate of energy loss of the antenna relative to one of the stored energy. Conversely, a lower quality factor indicates a higher rate of energy loss of the antenna relative to one of the stored energy. The coupling coefficient (κ) expresses the degree of coupling between the two antennas.

Furthermore, by way of example, the quality factor of an inductive antenna varies according to the following relationship: Where f is the operating frequency, L is the inductance and R is the total resistance (ohm + radiation). Since QF is inversely proportional to resistance, a higher resistance translates into a lower quality factor.

A higher quality factor can be achieved using multiple layers of one of the multilayer wires of a single turn coil. Increasing the number of turns in a coil can also be used to increase the quality factor of the structure. For one design at a constant frequency, there may be an optimal number of layers to achieve a maximum quality factor. Once this maximum is reached, the quality factor can be reduced as more layers are added. Design variables that can be used for multi-layer multi-turn structures include:

a. metal strip width w _n (eg, w ₁ : width of the first conductive layer, w _k : width of the kth conductive layer). Also known as metal width or belt width

b. the number N _{n of} conductive layers per turn (for example, the number of layers in the first turn N ₁ )

c. the thickness d _{n of} each conductive layer (for example, d ₁ : thickness of the first layer, d _k : thickness of the kth layer)

d. the thickness of the insulation di _n (for example, di ₁ : the thickness of the insulation under the first layer, di _k : the thickness of the insulation under the kth layer)

e. Number of turns T

f. number of conductive bodies connecting different conductive layers in each turn

g. the location of the conductive body connecting the different conductive layers in each turn

h. shape (circular, rectangular, a certain polygon; depending on the application; for example, conformable to fit only external or internal only to a device or component)

i. Configuration: solenoid, spiral, spiral-solen, etc.

j. Dimensions (length, width, inner diameter, outer diameter, diagonal, etc.)

An exemplary multilayer multi-turn design based on the above parameters will be set forth below.

In one example, the antenna can be a single turn circular coil with multiple layers of wires, as illustrated in Figures 9A-9D. The single turn coil includes a single turn and may comprise a metal strip width of about 1.75 mm, a metal thickness of about 0.03 mm, an insulating layer of about 0.015 mm, and an outer diameter of about 5 mm. The wire may have between 5 and 60 layers, such as 5, 11, 20, 26, 41 or 60 layers. For example, FIG. 9A shows a single-turn antenna having one layer, FIG. 9B shows a single-turn antenna having 11 layers, FIG. 9C shows a single-turn antenna having 20 layers, and FIG. 9D shows a single one with 26 layers.匝 Antenna. While specific examples are shown in Figures 9A-9D, it should be understood that the wires can have less than 5 layers or more than 60 layers in order to achieve a high quality factor. The corresponding coil thickness in the range of 5 to 60 layers may be between about 0.2 mm and 3 mm, such as, for example, 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.25 mm, 2.05 mm, or 3 mm, respectively. As mentioned above, it should be understood that a higher quality factor can be obtained by varying the number of layers in the wire, the number of turns, the thickness of the metal, and the width of the metal strip. For example, for a 1-layer single-turn coil having one metal thickness of 0.03 mm and one metal strip width of 1.75 mm, the quality factor at 10 MHz is about 80. The number of layers is increased from 1 to 11 and a metal thickness of 0.03 mm and a metal strip width of 1.75 mm are maintained, and the quality factor is increased to approximately 210. In general, one of the number of layers per layer increases to produce one of the quality factors until the maximum is reached, and the quality factor begins to decrease after reaching the maximum. This reduction can occur when the total height of the antenna becomes comparable to its radius. In the case of electrical components, the degradation of parasitic effects due to the large increase in multiple layers (e.g., capacitance and proximity effects) begins. In the present example, increasing the layers to 20, 26, 41, and 60 yields quality factors of approximately 212, 220, 218, and 188, respectively.

To demonstrate the benefits of the teachings of the present invention as opposed to prior art solutions, the model of the teachings of the present invention was developed to compare with known coils. It is assumed that the prior art model is made using solid lines. For having a radius r, the radius of the wire a, one of the circular coil turns N, inductance (L) and a resistor (R _ohmic and R _radiation) as given by the following equation:

Consider two antenna configurations, the specific details of which are provided in Tables 1 and 2 below. The results indicate that the teachings of the present invention allow a QF that is significantly higher than the solid line. The performance improvements presented herein are applicable when utilizing other known construction methods.

It should also be understood that the width of the metal strip can be increased to achieve a higher quality factor. Figure 10 provides a graph of the quality factor values as a function of frequency. Figure 11A is a graph illustrating the relative change in resistance and inductance as a function of the number of layers. Figure 11B illustrates the resulting quality factor at 10 MHz. It should be noted that, with respect to FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B, the data points on the graph correspond to data point 1 for 1 layer, data point 2 for 11 layers, data point 3 for 20 layers, and data point 4 for 26 layers, data Point 5 is for 41 layers and data point 6 is for 60 layers. To ensure that the signal flows through all of the layers of the structure, any multilayer conductor and/or structure comprising at least two conductors may be preferred. The two vias are preferably located at the mouth of the wire/structure. As can be seen from Figure 10 and Figures 11A through 11B, an optimum performance for 10 MHz is achieved for an antenna configuration having 26 layers and 1 。. For this antenna configuration, the peak quality factor is obtained at approximately 35 MHz and is approximately 1100.

In another example, the antenna can be a single turn of a multi-layer wire and can have a metal strip width of about 1 mm, a metal thickness of about 0.01 mm, an insulating layer of about 0.005 mm, and about 5 mm. An outer diameter. The wires may have between 16 and 128 layers, such as 16 layers, 32 layers, 64 layers, or 128 layers. However, it should be understood that the wires may have less than 16 layers or more than 128 layers in order to achieve a high quality factor. Corresponding coil thicknesses in the range of 16 to 128 layers may be between about 0.25 mm and 2 mm, such as, for example, 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, or 2 mm, respectively. In this example, the quality factor is improved with the number of layers added, with a higher quality factor being achieved at higher frequencies. For example, at one frequency of 10 MHz, the quality factors of the 16th, 32nd, 64th, and 128th layers are approximately 127, 135, 140, and 185, respectively. The peak quality factor increases to almost 2900 at approximately 450 MHz under these design parameters. The relative resistance can be lowest at a frequency at which the thickness of the conductor is about twice the depth of the skin. In this example, the frequency is 160 MHz.

12A through 12C are graphs illustrating performance parameters and trends. Figure 12A is a graph illustrating the quality factor as a function of frequency. Figure 12B is a graph illustrating the inductance versus frequency as a function of a 16 layer coil. Figure 12C is a graph illustrating the resistance versus frequency as a function of the 16 layer coil. As can be seen in Figure 12A, the quality factor is improved as the number of layers increases, with a relatively large quality factor at higher frequencies. This is further illustrated in Figures 12B-12C, where the inductance is shown to be relatively constant with frequency (compared to a 16 layer 1 turn coil) and the resistance decreases with increasing frequency (as shown by the valley of about 100 MHz in Figure 12C). ) The situation. The peak quality factor rises to approximately 2900 at approximately 450 MHz.

In yet another example, all of the design parameters are the same as in the previous example of a 32-layer wire, except that the number of turns is doubled, resulting in a double-turn circular coil. In the frequency range of 1 MHz to 200 MHz, the inductance and resistance of this 32-layer double-turn antenna are increased between 3 and 3.5 times and between 1.7 and 3 times, respectively, over 32-layer single-turn antennas. 13A to 13C illustrate performance parameters of the 32-layer bi-antenna antenna compared to the 32- and 64-layer single-turn antennas in the previous example. And a chart of trends. Figure 13A is a graph illustrating a quality factor as a function of frequency. Figure 13B is a graph illustrating inductance as a function of frequency. Figure 13C is a graph illustrating resistance as a function of frequency. As can be seen in Figures 13A-13C, for a 32-layer bi-span antenna, at frequencies below about 200 MHz, the inductance is almost constant and the resistance follows a trend similar to a single-turn antenna. At frequencies greater than 200 MHz, both the inductor and the resistor rise rapidly due to the contribution of parasitic capacitance, as explained below. Although the quality factor remains high at frequencies greater than 200 MHz, there may be significant electric fields due to capacitive effects, which may be unacceptable in some applications.

As mentioned above, an antenna can show parasitic effects. The system associated with the antenna is frequency dependent and its contribution to the overall impedance increases with parasitic capacitance. As a result of one of the parasitic capacitances, there is a self-resonant frequency of the antenna beyond which the antenna behaves like a capacitor. To prevent the onset of parasitic capacitance, the antenna can be designed such that the inductance hardly changes at about the operating frequency. Preferably, the slope of the reactance versus frequency graph is almost linear (at about the operating frequency), wherein the slope is X/ Ω~L (where the X-series reactance and the inductance of the L-system). Operating the antenna in this configuration ensures that the parasitic coupling via the electric field is maintained at a minimum. It should be understood that X versus ω may not be completely linear due to other effects such as current crowding, proximity, and skin effect.

The invention also encompasses that other designs can be used for the antenna to achieve higher quality factors. For example, for a single turn circular coil that can have between 16 layers and 128 layers (such as 16 layers, 32 layers, 64 layers, or 128 layers), the coil can comprise a metal strip of about 1 mm. Width, a metal thickness of approximately 0.01 mm, an insulation of approximately 0.01 mm, and an outer diameter of approximately 10 mm. Increasing the width of the metal reduces the resistance and inductance, resulting in a higher quality factor. Due to the overall large size of the antenna (outer diameter of about 10 mm), a relatively small increase in width (w) does not reduce inductance. It should be noted that the same increase in metal width for a smaller antenna (such as, for example, having an outer diameter of about 5 mm) will result in a higher inductance drop. 14A to 14C are diagrams illustrating a quality factor as a function of frequency, for this The examples have metal strip widths of approximately 1 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2 mm, respectively. In this example, for a metal strip width of 1 mm, the quality factor at 379 MHz is approximately 1425. Increasing the metal strip width to 1.5 mm and 2 mm increased the quality factor to approximately 1560 and 1486, respectively.

It should be noted that all of the QF values mentioned above for the inductor are in free space (conductivity = 0, relative permittivity = 1). It is expected that the existence of a real world environment will affect QF. For example, an antenna having one of the QFs of about 400 in free space can change the QF to about 200 to 300 when placed next to the human body. In addition, the QF can be further changed to less than 200 if the antenna is placed inside the human body with little or no insulating coating. Applying a sufficiently thick coating or enclosing it in a sufficiently large package prior to placement in the human body can reduce the QF of the antenna. It is expected that similar changes in QF characteristics will occur in any medium and in close proximity to any material, where the deviation from free space depends on the electrical properties of the material/medium and its distance.

As will be discussed herein, the use of near field communication for wireless transmission and/or reception may be applicable to an energy, power or data network.

Energy network

An energy transfer network can be developed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. FIG. 15 illustrates a high level block diagram of a near field energy network 10. Network 10 includes a plurality of devices _11a through _11d (generally referred to as devices 11). Each device 11 can include a transceiver. The transceiver may comprise 14 _a to 14 _d for one of the wireless communication transmission unit 12 _a through 12 _d, and a receiving unit. Although each transceiver may include a transmission unit 12 and a receiving unit 14, it should be understood that the transceiver may include only one transmission unit 12 or only one receiving unit 14. Moreover, it should be understood that the transmission unit 12 and the receiving unit 14 in the transceiver may share a particular or all of the circuit elements or may have separate and distinct circuit elements. Additionally, transmission unit 12 and/or receiving unit 14 may be coupled to a load 16. Load 16 may be comprised of a combination of components within device 11, external to device 11, or components within and outside device 11.

Each transmission unit 12 includes a transmission antenna 13. The transmission antenna 13 has a resonance frequency ω and preferably has a minimum resistance and radiation loss. The load 16 can include a driver circuit for generating a signal to drive the transmit antenna 13. Based on the received signal, the transmit antenna 13 can produce a near field in all directions (omnidirectional) or can produce a near field toward a particular direction (directional). The guided near field can be created by shielding, such as by a ferrite material. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other materials may be used to provide a guided near field.

Each receiving unit 14 includes a receiving antenna 15. A single antenna can be used for both the receiving antenna 15 and the transmitting antenna 13 or a separate antenna can be used for the receiving antenna 15 and the transmitting antenna 13. Each antenna 13, 15 has a resonant frequency (referred to as ω _a to ω _d ). If separate transmission and reception antennas are used, preferably, the resonant frequency of the receiving antenna 15 is equal to the resonant frequency of the transmitting antenna 13.

When the unit 11 receives a one device 14 (e.g., the device 11 of the receiving unit _B 14 _B) placed on the other transfer apparatus 11 of the unit 12 (e.g., the device 12 _a 11 _a transmission unit) of the near-field, one is produced by the transmission unit 12 _a will interact with the electromagnetic field receiving unit 14 _b. If a receiving unit 14 (e.g., a device having a resonant frequency ω _b to 11 _b of the receiving unit 14 _B) of the resonance frequency of the transmission unit 12 (e.g., a transmission apparatus having a resonance frequency ω _a of 11 _a of the unit 12 _A) of the resonator same, the electrical transmission unit 12a of the receiving unit in the field of anti-induced alternating current within a 14 _b. The induced current can be used to provide power to the load _16b or to deliver the data to the load _16b . Thus, the device 11 _b 11 _a capable of absorbing energy from the apparatus. It should be understood that any number of devices having a resonant frequency equal to one of the resonant frequencies of the transmitting device (e.g., ω _b ) may be added to the near field energy network and draw energy from the transmitting device, the limiting condition being that the resonant frequency of the transmitting unit 12 _a is not Significant changes due to the loading effect of the added device.

If a receiving unit 14 (e.g., a reception unit 11 _c of the apparatus the resonance frequency ω _c of 14 _C) is different from the resonant frequency of the transmission unit 12 (e.g., a device having a resonant frequency ω _a of the transfer unit 11 _a 12 _A) of resonance, the receiving unit 14 _c will have a high impedance and the transmission unit 12 _a drawn from the minimum one energy transfer unit 12 _a.

It should be understood, since the amount of transmitted to the receiving unit 14 _c of the energy of a transmission unit 12 _a depends on many factors, 12 _a transmission unit and receiving unit 14 _c comprises in essence loss of up other means (such as receiving means 14 _b) of the energy Transfer. Also important are the close proximity of ω _a and ω _c and the width of the resonant frequency band in each device. 16A-16F illustrate graphs showing how various factors affect energy transfer.

Fig. 16A illustrates a case where ω _a is the same as ω _c and the frequency band is narrow. This represents an ideal scenario and maximum power transfer efficiency. Fig. 16B illustrates a case in which ω _a is different from ω _c and the frequency band is narrow. There is no energy transfer in this scenario. Fig. 16C illustrates a case where ω _a is different from ω _c and the receiving unit 14 _c has a wide resonance. A wider resonant frequency band occurs when an antenna has higher resistance and radiation loss. The receiving unit 14 _c has more impedance ratio ω _a case shown in FIG. 16B, the still can be absorbed from the transmission apparatus 11 _a certain energy. Fig. 16D illustrates a case where ω _a is different from ω _c and the transmission device 11 _a has a loss. In the transmission apparatus 11 _a resistor and a radiation loss leads to a wide resonance frequency band. A smaller portion of the antenna energy can be used to transmit to the receiving unit _14c . Fig. 16E illustrates a case where ω _a is far from ω _c and both transmission unit 12 _a and reception unit 14 _c are lossy. Here, no energy transfer to the receiving unit 14 _c from the transmission unit 12 _a. Fig. 16F illustrates a case where ω _a is close to ω _c and both the transmission unit 12 _a and the reception unit 14 _c are lossy. Energy between the transmission unit and the reception unit 12 _a 14 _c to send, but due to the high losses and inefficient system.

Based conductive many common everyday objects (e.g., automobiles and steel cabinet) and the receiving unit has a similar frequency response of FIG. 16C 14 _c of (but wider because of the larger resistive losses). These objects can be absorbed from the transmission unit 12 _a certain energy loss and contribute to the system. So far, only general energy transfer has been discussed, however, the use of energy can vary by application, but is widely available for power transfer or data transfer.

Power network

A power transfer network can be developed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. When a receiving unit 14 _b is placed in the near field of a transmission unit and the reception unit 12 _a 14 _b of the resonant frequency (i.e., ω _b) is about equal to the transmission unit 12a of the resonant frequency (ω _a), the energy from the 12 _a transmission unit to the receiving unit 14 _b. If all having a resonant frequency equal to the transmission unit 12 _a of (i.e., ω _a) a plurality of receiving means, one resonance frequency (e.g., 11 _b to 11 _d) is placed in the near field, then each receiving device ( For example, 11 _b to 11 _d ) will draw energy from the transmission unit 12 _{a in} the form of an alternating current. The receiving devices _11a through _11d may comprise _a sensor that can store energy in a power storage device, such as a battery or capacitor, using the induced alternating current. Alternatively, the sensor can use the induced alternating current to directly power the electronic components within the receiving device (e.g., _11b to _11d ) or coupled to the receiving device.

It should be understood, that all transmitting and receiving means (e.g., 11 _b to 11 _d) is placed in the near field of the transmission unit 12 _a of the system may be impossible. As illustrated in Figure 17, one or more repeaters 18 may be used in order to deliver energy to the receiving device 11 (e.g., receiving unit _11e ) external to the near field. One or more repeaters 18 may contain an antenna 20 tuned to ω _a . The repeater 18 can draw energy from the transmission unit 12 via the antenna 20 in the form of an induced current. One or more repeaters 18 may use the induced current to generate a second energy field using antenna 20. Alternatively, a second antenna (not shown) can be used to generate the second energy field. The second energy field may be used to induce an AC current in the receiving unit 14 _e. The receiving unit _14e can include a sensor that can store energy in a power storage device, such as a battery or capacitor, using the induced alternating current. Alternatively system, the sensor may use an alternating current induced by the power supply to the reception of electronic components within the unit 14 _e. It should be understood that the antenna 20 or the second antenna (not shown) may produce a near field in all directions (omnidirectional) or may produce a near field toward a particular direction (directional).

Data network

A data transfer network can be developed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. A network designed for data transfer will be similar to the power network previously described except that the signal transmitted by the transmission device in the network can be adjusted to become a time-varying signal carrying data. For a data network There are several possible general layouts.

An example of a data distribution network comprising or placed in the near field of one of a plurality of receiving units of a transmission unit 12 _a (14 _b to 14 _d). Each receiving unit (14 _B to 14 _D) may be capable of communicating with the transmission unit 12a and / or other receiving unit 14. It should be understood that a receiving unit that may be external to the transmission unit 12 may arrive using one or more repeaters 18 in the manner set forth above. In another example, a receiving unit 14 can be placed in the far field of the transmission unit 12 and utilizes the radiation field of the transmission unit 12 for communication. This far field communication is achieved in a manner similar to one of the far field communication techniques known to those skilled in the art.

The device 11 within the network can be designed to handle data transfer in several ways. For example, device 11 and its antennas 13, 15 may be designed to receive data using only one dedicated antenna for receiving and transmitting or for receiving and transmitting, and (2) transmitting data only; Or (3) receiving and transmitting data. Additionally, device 11 can be designed to handle both data transfer and power transfer. In such cases, each device 11 can be designed to (1) transmit only data; (2) transmit only power; (3) transmit data and power, each device 11 can use transmit/receive data and send / In any combination of received power, each device 11 has a shared antenna for data and power transmission, or each device 11 has a separate dedicated antenna for data and power transmission.

Each receiving unit 14 may have an electronic identification (ID) that is specific to one of the receiving units 14 on the network 10. The ID acts as an identifier for one of the particular receiving units 14 on the network and allows one of the receiving units 14 on the network to identify other receiving units 14 on the network 10 for communication. To initiate a data transfer session, a transmitting device will identify a receiving device by its ID and initiate communication using a start command. Data transfer will occur using a defined modulation scheme. A security protocol can be used to ensure that the data transmitted by the device and stored in the device is secure and cannot be accessed by unauthorized devices that are not present in the designed network 10.

Periodic data transfer can occur between a transmission unit 12 and one or more receiving units 14 or between a receiving unit 14 and one or more other receiving units 14. In the transmission unit - In receiving unit communication, a transmitting unit 12 can identify a particular receiving unit 14 based on its ID and initiate a communication session. Alternatively, a receiving unit 14 can identify a transmission unit 12 based on its ID and initiate a communication session. The communication session can be terminated by the transmission unit 12 or the receiving unit 14.

In the receiving unit-receiving unit communication, the two receiving units 14 can be directly connected to each other in direct communication. Alternatively, the two receiving units 14 can be connected to each other using the transmission unit 12 as an intermediate device. In such a scenario, each receiving unit 14 can be connected to the transmitting unit 12, and the transmitting unit 12 will receive information from one receiving unit 14 and transmit it to the other receiving unit 14. In another alternative, the two receiving units 14 can communicate using one or more repeaters 18, wherein one or more repeaters 18 can receive a signal from a receiving unit 14 and transmit it to another receiving Unit 14. One or more repeaters 18 may be one or more independent resonant antennas and may be independent of any circuit.

The systems and methods illustrated in Figures 15 and 17 for efficiently transferring energy between two or more devices can be used in a variety of applications to operate household appliances (such as vacuum cleaners, irons, televisions, computer peripherals). Mobile devices; military applications (such as monitoring equipment, night vision devices, sensor nodes and devices); transportation applications (such as sensors designed to monitor the performance and safety of cars or trains); aerospace applications (such as controls) Wings, rudders or landing gear); space technology; naval applications (such as applications for powering unmanned vehicles); traffic control applications (such as road-embedded sensors); industrial applications; asset tracking (such as RFID tags and Transponder); robotic network; and medical devices.

General near field power and data transmission system

As understood by the teachings of the present invention, near field power and data transfer are derived from the same physical principles. When used together, near-field power and data transfer provide an opportunity to form a variety of systems. The general system for near field power and data transfer is described below.

A near field power and data network (also referred to herein as an "NF-PDAT") may be comprised of multiple transmission and reception units. For the sake of simplicity, consideration is given to a single transmission unit 12 and a A single receiving unit 14 is composed of a simpler network. The following description follows the path of energy as it is transmitted from the transmission unit 12 to the receiving unit 14 and to one of the receiving units 14.

Initially, the energy required to drive a PDAT network must be obtained from a major source. The primary source can be a primary 50/60 Hz wall outlet, a standard battery, a rechargeable battery that can be connected to a wall outlet, or a rechargeable battery with indirect recharging. A wall socket is a preferred method of obtaining energy due to its abundance in this form. A battery can be used if a device cannot be connected to a wall socket or a portable system. In addition, a rechargeable battery can be used. Rechargeable batteries can be replenished when their stored energy is below a capacity. Recharge is known to allow the battery to be requested in a device that would otherwise drain the battery too quickly, have too little space for a properly sized battery, or have limited access to replace the battery. A primary power source, such as a wall socket or another battery, can be used to supplement battery life in a rechargeable battery. In most devices, recharging is typically accomplished by connecting the battery to a wall outlet for a short period of time (eg, a laptop and a mobile phone). In some applications (eg, implantable medical devices), direct attachment to a power line is not possible. In such cases, an indirect recharging method (such as inductive coupling to an external power source) has been used. It should be understood that recharging can be achieved by other methods. For example, if there is a clear line of sight between the energy source and the device, an optical link, laser or high pilot RF beam can be used to transfer energy.

Alternative energy sources can be used to power the system or to power components within the system (such as recharging a battery). Such may include converting one form of energy into electrical energy. One such example is the conversion of kinetic energy into electrical energy. This can be achieved by converting the motion into energy. For example, a device attached to a body can use a body movement to rotate a rotor that causes a generator to generate an alternating current. Another example is the conversion of light energy into electrical energy. For example, a photovoltaic cell placed externally converts sunlight or ambient light into energy. In another example, the pressure change can be converted to electrical energy. For example, a piezoelectric body suitably placed on a device can be used to turn a pressure change (eg, a change in air pressure or a direct pressure through contact) Switch to current. In another example, the thermal gradient can be converted to electrical energy. For example, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) placed in a device can be used to convert a temperature gradient across one of the devices into electrical energy. This TEG can be used in devices that generate heat during operation because a portion of the thermal energy can be converted to electrical energy.

The present teachings also include a method for designing one of a multi-layer multi-turn antenna for use in a high efficiency wireless power and data telemetry system. Given a specific operating frequency, one or more of the following steps can be followed to design a special application antenna:

1. Perform analytical calculations and system level simulations to obtain the minimum required inductance for sufficient coupling coefficients.

2. Based on analytical calculations (eg, for coupling coefficients, induced voltages, etc.), select the number of turns required for the appropriate inductance.

3. Select the thickness of the conductor layer to be about 2 times the skin depth or the minimum allowable based on the fabrication technique; choose the higher one.

4. The insulation thickness is selected to be the minimum allowable by fabrication techniques or a large thickness to achieve the desired performance.

5. Select the largest possible surface area (depending on the application). This area does not have to be square or circular. It can be shaped in any shape of the overall system and can surround other components.

6. Depending on the production technology and application choices, the maximum number of layers possible.

7. Design a multi-layer multi-turn antenna with one of the steps according to steps 1 and 2 with a digital modeling tool (for example, based on MoM or FDTD or FEM or MLFMM or some other tool or a combination of these) The number of layers (steps 3 to 6) and other parameters.

a. Ensure that the quality factor peak is obtained where the selected frequency is located

b. Ensure that the inductance of this quality factor is greater than or equal to the minimum allowable (depending on system level constraints)

c. As needed, ensure that the electric field is minimized by keeping the parasitic capacitance effect low (refer to the previous section)

The teachings of the present invention also include a method of fabricating an antenna after designing the antenna. The multilayer multi-turn antenna utilizes a metal strip that can be deposited through a particular mask, for example, but not limited to, in a PCB/ceramic/metal printing process or in a semiconductor foundry. An alternative to fabricating an antenna may utilize conductive tape/strips/sheets/sheets in which one or more tapes/strips/sheets/sheets are placed one upon another by an insulating layer, and by specifying the position of the vias Soft soldering to make multiple strips shorter. Another method of making an antenna would be to cut a particular shape from a conductive sheet or "sheet" (eg, gold or copper) and follow steps similar to the steps for conductive tape/strip. In addition to metal deposition processes (such as physical vapor deposition, thin film deposition, thick film deposition, and the like), a three dimensional printing process (such as that provided by Eoplex technology) can also be used.

The teachings of the present invention are applicable to the integration of current fabrication techniques for multilayer printed wiring boards, printed circuit boards, and semiconductor fabrication techniques by means of multilayer interconnections. With advances in fabrication technology, multi-layer multi-turn antennas are expected to greatly benefit from these improvements. This compatibility with conventional fabrication techniques will allow such antennas to be relatively easily incorporated into conventional circuit boards. These advancements can also provide accurate repeatability and small feature sizes (i.e., high resolution).

As described above, the design and construction of the system of the present invention allows for an extended range (i.e., a separation distance between a transmission and a receiving wireless antenna). The increase in range enables power to be transmitted across a large distance, allowing the transmitter to move further away from the receiver. For example, in applications such as RFID, the high frequency interrogator has a tag reading range of no more than 3 feet, which is inadequate for a particular application, such as tray tracking. The wireless antenna of the system of the present invention provides an improvement in this particular application by delivering the concentrated power required for tray tracking via RFID to facilitate the interpreter signal required to reflect better extended read range performance. In other applications, such as military systems, the extended range provided by the present invention enables power to be delivered to devices that are difficult to reach in a location or in a harsh environment. In consumer electronics, the extended range allows the user to charge a device or transfer energy to a device from a more convenient location.

The system of the present invention also achieves multiple operational needs in accordance with a single design concept (i.e., a multi-layer multi-turn antenna). The system of the present invention also functions as a receiver antenna, a source antenna, a transceiver (serving as a source and a receiver), and a repeater antenna. Alternatively, the design can be used as an inductor design that is only a lumped element of one of the circuits (eg, in an RF filter circuit, RF matching circuit).

The MLMT antenna structure of the present invention can be represented in various circuit design embodiments. An equivalent circuit diagram of an MLMT antenna structure is shown in FIG. It includes the following parameters: L _M = intrinsic inductance C _M = intrinsic capacitance R _M = intrinsic resistance

The characteristics of the MLMT antenna embodiment depend on the design values of L _M , R _M and C _M ; the operating center frequency and additional components placed across terminal 1 and terminal 2.

Let the angular operating frequency be ω. The input impedance Z _{input of the} MLMT antenna embodiment is generally given by Equation 1(c) based on 1(a) and 1(b).

Z 2= R _M + j . ω . L _M Equation 1(b)

The MLMT antenna structure of the present invention can then be represented in various circuit design embodiments. For example, the MLMT antenna structure can operate in the following three modes:

Mode 1: When Condition 1 given by Equation 2(a) is satisfied, it acts as an inductor (such as embodied in a lumped circuit element), thereby generating Equation 2(b). An equivalent circuit diagram is shown in FIG.

Z 1>> Z 2 Equation 2(a)

Mode 2: acting as a resonator (such as embodied in a separate storage tank circuit or embodied in In an HF and / or RF circuit), wherein the resonator can be one of the following two types

Type 1: When a condition 2 given by Equation 3 is satisfied, it is used as a self-resonator. The equivalent circuit diagram is shown in Fig. 22A and Fig. 22B

Type 2: As a resonator, resonance is achieved by adding a capacitor C _{ADDED in} series or in parallel. An equivalent circuit diagram showing the addition of series and parallel capacitors is given in Figures 23A and 23B. A mode 2 type 2 circuit diagram is shown in Figs. 24A, 24B, and 24C.

In both Type 1 and Type 2, L _Pickup and L _feed refer to a pickup inductor and a feed inductor, respectively. These are coils having an inductance that is less than the inductance value L _M of the MLMT structure and having a specific coupling to one of the MLMT structures. The coupling can be varied to achieve the desired matching conditions for power transfer to or from the MLMT structure to or from the rest of the system. For simplicity and proof of the concepts, the embodiments set forth herein provide an example of a single capacitor C _ADDED for achieving resonance for illustrative purposes. In a practical circuit, a more complex circuit comprising a plurality of capacitors and/or one of the inductors and/or resistors can be used. All of the embodiments shown in Figures 22 and 24 can be used on the transmitter side and/or the receiver side of the system.

Mode 3: When a condition 3 given by Equation 4 is satisfied, as a capacitor

ω ² , L _M , C _M >1 Equation 4

Compared with the existing design techniques, the unique configuration of the layers in the system of the present invention and the customized wire segmentation demonstrate similar improved system performance in a smaller package volume, such as by a quality factor of more than 2 times higher than that according to the prior art. Their quality factors are displayed. By combining materials having specific properties, defining shape, length and thickness, and defining layer order, the system of the present invention permits matching of inductance and quality factors to a particular application to best achieve a desired response, including but not limited to wireless tissue stimulation, Wireless telemetry, wireless component recharging, wireless non-destructive testing, wireless sensing and wireless energy or power management.

Another particular advantage of the system of the present invention is that it is associated with increased frequency by reduction. The conductor loss (due to the phenomenon known as skin effect) enables a more efficient way of one of the near field magnetic coupling (NFMC) for power and/or data transfer in an equivalent or smaller design volume. The proposed system also provides a solution that can be achieved relatively easily by existing manufacturing techniques (for example, multilayer printed wiring boards) and can thus be combined with other circuit components (such as ICs, resistors, capacitors, surface mount components, etc.) Integration. Other advantages of the system of the present invention include reduced power consumption thereby resulting in longer battery life (where appropriate), reduced one of the Joule heating of the antenna, reduced environmental resource consumption of the appliance/device, and derived from a more energy source. Any other benefit of the efficiency device.

Other applications that can benefit from such wireless systems include, but are not limited to, geographic sensing, oil detection, error detection, portable electronics, military, defense, and medical devices, as well as other medical implantable, medically non-implantable, commercial , military, aerospace, industrial and other electronic equipment or device applications. It should be understood that the scope of the present invention encompasses not only any application that would benefit from increased efficiency, but also any application that may require the use of an inductive component.

While the foregoing has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and other examples of the invention, it is understood that various modifications can be made herein and the subject matter disclosed herein can be implemented in various forms and examples, and the teachings of the present invention can be applied. In many applications, only some of these applications are covered in this article. The scope of the following claims is intended to claim any and all applications, modifications, and variations in the true scope of the invention.

102‧‧‧Circular solenoid configuration

103‧‧‧Square Solenoid Configuration

104‧‧‧Circular spiral configuration

105‧‧‧Square spiral configuration

106‧‧‧Multi-layer square spiral configuration

107‧‧‧Circular helix-solenoid configuration

108‧‧‧Square spiral-solenoid configuration

109‧‧‧Conformal solenoid configuration

Claims (16)

A structure for wireless communication, comprising: a plurality of conductor layers; an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers; and at least one connector connecting two or two of the conductor layers Above; wherein a resistance can be reduced when an electrical signal is induced within the structure at a frequency. The structure of claim 1, wherein the conductor layer comprises at least one of a conductive tape, a conductive strip, and a deposited metal. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the frequency is selected from a frequency range from 100 kHz to 10 Ghz. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the frequency is in a frequency band in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the plurality of conductor layers is in a parallel orientation. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of the plurality of conductor layers is less than or equal to the total number of layers, and is electrically connected in parallel. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of parallel electrically connected conductor layers and the second plurality of parallel electrically connected conductor layers are electrically connected in series. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrical signal comprises at least one of: an energy signal, a current, a voltage, a power signal, and a data signal. As with the structure of claim 1 or 2, it has a quality factor greater than 100. The structure of claim 1 or 2, further comprising one of the circuit elements selected from the group consisting of: a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor. The structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductor layer has a cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape is at least one of: a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a square cross section, a triangular cross section, and a Oval profile. The structure of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises at least one of: a via, a solder, a tab, a wire, a pin, a rivet, and the like. The structure of claim 1, which has a structural shape, wherein the structural shape comprises at least one of the following: a circular solenoid configuration, a square solenoid configuration, and a circular spiral configuration. , a square spiral configuration, a rectangular configuration, a triangular configuration, a circular spiral-solen configuration, a square spiral-solenoid configuration, and a conformal solenoid configuration. The structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor layers have at least one turn. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductor layers is formed of a conductive material, and at least one of the insulator layers is formed of an electrically insulating material. The structure of claim 1 can be further incorporated in a device comprising at least one of: a resonator, an antenna, an RFID tag, an RFID transponder, and a medical device.