Abstract: A smartcard circuit for control of a near field RF communications chip (500) of a smartcard (2000) is described. The circuit comprises a primary inductive coupler (1003) for connection to a near field antenna (2002) of a smart card for obtaining an RF electrical signal from the antenna, and a secondary inductive coupler (1005) arranged for inductive coupling with the primary inductive coupler and connected to the chip for provision of the RF electrical signal from the primary inductive coupler to enable the chip to perform near field RF communications for the smartcard. The disclosure also provides switching circuitry (528) coupled to the secondary inductive coupler and comprising an RF conduction path selectively operable to disable said provision of the RF electrical signal thereby to inhibit the chip from performing near field RF communications.

Abstract: An RF power harvester comprising a dielectric substrate, having a first major surface and a second major surface, opposite to the first major surface; a connection for a rectifier on the first major surface; an antenna carried on the substrate for harvesting electrical power from a radio frequency electromagnetic field. The antenna comprising a first track of conductive material, carried on the first major surface and comprising a first end adjacent an edge of the substrate, a second end for connection to the rectifier, a first series of line sections between the first end and the second end and a first plurality of meanders, wherein a first line section of the series provides the first end and each subsequent line section is connected to its preceding line section by a meander and is of greater length than its preceding line section.

Abstract: An inductive power transfer coil and method for making the same for use in wireless power transfer systems. The inductive power transfer coil comprising an elongate member disposed around a looped path, wherein the elongate member is arranged in a helical form and the axis of the helical form is provided by the looped path so that the coil scaffold defines a toroidal void and each circuit of the looped path provides a coil turn. The elongate member is covered by a conductive layer to provide a coiled conductive tube.

Abstract: An RF energy harvesting apparatus comprising an energy harvesting antenna carried on a substrate for fixing the antenna to an electrical device, wherein the antenna comprises a coil of conductive material carried on the substrate, wherein the coil provides two loops of conductive material on the substrate, the coil comprising a second loop inside a first loop; and wherein the coil comprises at least one segment arranged to reduce spatial variations in the H-field in an area circumscribed by the first loop.

Abstract: A converter (200) for converting a received radio frequency signal into a DC signal for powering a load (300). The converter (200) comprises a first rectifying arm (207) for generating a DC signal based on a first RF voltage input obtained from the received RF signal. A second rectifying arm (209) generates a DC signal based on a second RF voltage input obtained from the received RF signal. The received RF signal provides the voltage difference between the first RF voltage input and the second RF voltage input.

Abstract: An inverter for inductive power transfer is disclosed.

Abstract: A rectifier for wireless power transfer is disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a converter for converting a received RF signal into a DC signal for powering a load, the converter comprising: a rectifier arranged to generate, based on the RF signal, the DC signal and one or more harmonics of the RF signal, and to output the DC signal and the one or more harmonics together with a component of the RF signal; a first planar transmission line arranged to guide the received RF signal to the rectifier; and a second planar transmission line arranged to receive from the rectifier the DC signal, the component of the RF signal and the one or more harmonics from the rectifier, and to reflect the one or more harmonics back towards the rectifier. The first planar transmission line is further arranged to reflect back towards the rectifier RF signals from the rectifier that are based on the reflected signals. The converter further comprises a low-pass filter for supplying the DC signal to the load, the low-pass filter comprising an inductor and a third planar transmission line that.

Abstract: There is provided a dual-band converter operable to convert a first RF signal in a first frequency band and a second RF signal in a second frequency band that is separate from the first frequency band into a DC signal for powering a load.

Abstract: Data generated by a portable processing device is processed to a) control the portable processing device to switch the portable processing device from a lower-energy data generating state to a higher-energy data generating state, and from the higher-energy data generating state to the lower-energy data generating state, b) determine the mode of transport, c) determine when the portable processing device has begun a journey and ended a journey, and/or d) determine whether the portable processing device has moved more than a threshold distance.

Abstract: This application relates to a communications accessory (100) for an electronic device capable of harvesting energy from an electronic device to which it is attached in the field of wireless energy harvesting and communication. The accessory comprises a fixture, an energy store (10), an RF power harvester (12) comprising an electromagnetic field coupler, a data store (6), a wireless communication interface (8), a controller (4) and a user operable activator (2). The accessory can harvest RF energy which is then stored in the energy store (10). The accessory is also operable to communicate a message from the data store (6) in response to activation of the user operable activator (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to an inductive power transfer transmitter comprising class-E amplifier driver arranged to drive a primary tank circuit including a transmitter coil, in which the driver frequency is tuned to drive the primary tank circuit when the primary tank circuit is in an unloaded condition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a portable processing device comprising a journey type determining module, a journey length determining module and a communication module. The journey type determining module is operable to determine whether a journey undertaken by a person carrying the portable processing device is an environmentally-friendly journey comprising a journey undertaken in an environmentally-friendly vehicle, a journey undertaken using self-propelled means or a journey undertaken on foot. The journey length determining module is operable to determine a length of a said environmentally-friendly journey undertaken by the person carrying the portable processing device. The communication module is operable to transmit journey data to record management apparatus defining the length of the environmentally-friendly journey undertaken by the person carrying the portable processing device.

Abstract: A peripheral device capable of being worn, carried by a user, or used in an in-vehicle computer system operates in conjunction with an application to acquire, store, and present data relevant to a user's health, physical activity, environment, air quality, or other parameters of interest. For power efficient operation and enhanced performance, control parameters of the peripheral device such as duty cycle, sampling rate, and sleep state may be wirelessly and automatically controlled by the mobile device. Furthermore, the mobile application can provide a wireless energy signal to the peripheral device to recharge the battery of the peripheral device. The control parameters may be automatically controlled by the mobile application dependent on the user's location, activity, mode of transportation or other parameters without intervention from a user.

Abstract: A circuit board for use in wireless energy harvesting applications is disclosed. The circuit board comprises a first plane and ground plane parallel to the first plane. The ground plane has a substantially rectangular shape with a length less than 1.38 ?g and a width less than 0.92 ?g. The first plane comprises an antenna, a feedline and a rectifier. The antenna is configured to receive an RF signal with a wavelength of ?0. The feedline is arranged to filter the received RF signal. The rectifier is arranged to generate a DC voltage from the received RF signal. The antenna, the feedline and the rectifier are arranged substantially co-linear along the first plane, and (formula I) where ?eff is the relative permittivity of a material between the first plane and the ground plane.

Abstract: There is provided a converter for converting a received RF signal into a DC signal for powering a load, the converter comprising: a rectifier arranged to generate, based on the RF signal, the DC signal and one or more harmonics of the RF signal, and to output the DC signal and the one or more harmonics together with a component of the RF signal; a first planar transmission line arranged to guide the received RF signal to the rectifier; and a second planar transmission line arranged to receive from the rectifier the DC signal, the component of the RF signal and the one or more harmonics from the rectifier, and to reflect the one or more harmonics back towards the rectifier. The first planar transmission line is further arranged to reflect back towards the rectifier RF signals from the rectifier that are based on the reflected signals. The converter further comprises a low-pass filter for supplying the DC signal to the load, the low-pass filter comprising an inductor and a third planar transmission line that.

Abstract: There is provided a dual-band converter operable to convert a first RF signal in a first frequency band and a second RF signal in a second frequency band that is separate from the first frequency band into a DC signal for powering a load.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus for harvesting ambient radio frequency, RF, energy, comprises one or more RF antenna components arranged to receive RF energy. The antenna components comprise a plurality of frequency filtering components, each filtering a respective frequency band of the received RF energy. A rectifying circuit is arranged to convert a variable electrical signal received at an input from an associated antenna, into a direct current electrical signal for supplying to an electrical energy storage unit. A power management module has an input arranged to receive the direct current and control supply of the direct current to the electrical energy storage unit. The rectifying circuit comprises a plurality of transmission lines, and the input of the rectifying circuit and the input of the power management module are connected via the transmission lines. The power management module is arranged at least partially within a boundary defined by the transmission lines.

Abstract: An inductive power transfer system comprises a transmitter circuit comprising a transmitter coil and a receiver circuit comprising a receiver coil spaced from the transmitter coil. The transmitter circuit is in the form of a Class E amplifier with a first inductor and a transistor in series between the terminals of a power supply. A first transmitter capacitance is in parallel with the transistor between the first inductor and a power supply terminal, a primary tank circuit in parallel with the first transmitter capacitance, the primary tank circuit comprising the transmitter coil and a second transmitter capacitance arranged in parallel with the transmitter coil, and a third transmitter capacitance in series with the first inductor between the first transmitter capacitance and the primary tank circuit. The second transmitter capacitance is selected such that a resonant frequency of the primary tank circuit is not equal to the first frequency.

Abstract: A rectifier for wireless power transfer is disclosed.