Abstract: An energy harvesting circuit is disclosed and comprises one or more electrical loads that consume direct current (DC) power, a rectifier, and a hybrid acoustic absorber. The rectifier comprises one or more active switching elements that are driven by a gate drive voltage. The hybrid acoustic absorber comprises a diaphragm and a voice coil. The diaphragm is constructed at least in part of a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material is configured to generate a diaphragm voltage in response to sound waves deforming the diaphragm. The diaphragm voltage is at least equal to the gate drive voltage to drive the one or more active switching elements of the rectifier. The voice coil is attached to the diaphragm and configured to generate a voice coil voltage that is less than the gate drive voltage of the one or more active switching elements.

Abstract: An energy harvesting circuit is disclosed and comprises one or more electrical loads that consume direct current (DC) power, a rectifier, and a hybrid acoustic absorber. The rectifier comprises one or more active switching elements that are driven by a gate drive voltage. The hybrid acoustic absorber comprises a diaphragm and a voice coil. The diaphragm is constructed at least in part of a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material is configured to generate a diaphragm voltage in response to sound waves deforming the diaphragm. The diaphragm voltage is at least equal to the gate drive voltage to drive the one or more active switching elements of the rectifier. The voice coil is attached to the diaphragm and configured to generate a voice coil voltage that is less than the gate drive voltage of the one or more active switching elements.

Abstract: Described is a technology in which Bluetooth® devices, e.g., navigation devices, are enhanced with additional power amplification to allow long range radio communication links between moving vehicles and/or between moving vehicles and roadside hubs. In one example, collection and dissemination of traffic information, including aggregation and filtering, is facilitated via a Bluetooth® vehicle-to-vehicle and/or vehicle-to-roadside hub ad-hoc network. Also described is efficient connection establishment and data transfer for vehicle to vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside hubs via the enhanced Bluetooth® radio. The ad-hoc network comprising a mesh of vehicles/a supernode also facilitates the exchange of information that originated at an Internet source.

Abstract: Described is a technology in which Bluetooth® devices, e.g., navigation devices, are enhanced with additional power amplification to allow long range radio communication links between moving vehicles and/or between moving vehicles and roadside hubs. In one example, collection and dissemination of traffic information, including aggregation and filtering, is facilitated via a Bluetooth® vehicle-to-vehicle and/or vehicle-to-roadside hub ad-hoc network. Also described is efficient connection establishment and data transfer for vehicle to vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside hubs via the enhanced Bluetooth® radio. The ad-hoc network comprising a mesh of vehicles/a supernode also facilitates the exchange of information that originated at an Internet source.

Abstract: A mobile electronic device, such as a smart personal object includes an antenna system for emitting and receiving signals. The antenna system includes at least two antennas electrically connected in parallel to define an equivalent circuit having a reduced inductance with a substantially unaffected induced voltage for the equivalent circuit.