Abstract: An 8.1 nJ/bit 2.4 GHz receiver with integrated digital baseband supporting Q-QPSK DSSS modulation compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is presented that targets short-range, Internet of Things applications (IoTs). The sensitivity of a wireless communication receiver in general trades with power consumption. This receiver exploits this tradeoff to achieve a total power consumption of 2.02 mW including ADCs and digital baseband processing, at a sensitivity of ?52.5 dBm at 250 Kbps. The energy-efficiency of the radio frequency (RF) front-end alone is nearly two times better than the prior art. The receiver was fabricated in 65 nm CMOS with an area of 0.86 mm2.

Abstract: An innovative software-defined backchannel communication scheme is provided for use in ultra-low power devices. The technique enables interconnecting heterogeneous devices through a WiFi backchannel that can be realized with existing infrastructure without any hardware modifications. The backchannel communication scheme can also be extended to other OFDM based communication systems, such as cellular 4G LTE.

Abstract: A low power radio is provided with automatic interference rejection. The radio is comprised generally of: an antenna, a rectifier, a comparator, and a correlator. The comparator receives an input signal from the rectifier, compares the input signal to a reference signal and outputs a digital signal. The correlator in turn receives the digital signal from the comparator, correlates the digital signal to a wake-up code and outputs a wake-up signal having a high value when the digital signal is highly correlated with the wake-up code. The radio further includes an automatic threshold controller which adjusts sensitivity of the comparator. Of note, the rectifier, the comparator, the correlator and the automatic threshold controller are comprised in part by circuits having transistors operating only in subthreshold region.

Abstract: An all digital phase-locked loop (PLL) and a method of controlling the PLL is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a reference signal (fREF) at a controller and a time-to-digital converter (TDC), the controller and TDC being coupled to multiple tunable delay elements; receiving at the multiple tunable delay elements a first signal input via the controller and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) circuit; providing an PLL output (fDCO) to the TDC at least partially based on the first signal input; and generating a phase error output (?ERR) based on the reference signal (fREF) and the PLL output (fDCO), wherein the phase error output (?ERR) is provided as feedback to the controller to control the PLL output (fDCO).

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit such as a system on chip that operates in part from harvested power and that uses information about power harvesting conditions to alter a power-on sequence or boot sequence based on that information. In some embodiments, a method uses information about power harvesting and energy harvesting conditions to alter a power-on sequence or boot sequence.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods and apparatus for wireless network communication between a device that operates a radio in compliance with a wireless communication standard and another device that may not be capable of complying with the wireless communication standard. In an embodiment the non-complaint device is a receiver only. Information is broadcast or advertised or otherwise transmitted by the compliant device according to the protocol and embodiments encode information on top of the protocol for decoding by the receiving device, which does not decode the protocol.

Abstract: An integrated ultra wideband transceiver. The transceiver comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and at least one on-chip monopole antenna electrically connected to at least one of the transmitter or receiver for transmitting and/or receiving electrical signals. The transceiver further comprises a clock generator comprising a temperature-compensated relaxation oscillator, a baseband controller electrically connected to, and configured to exert a measure of control over, at least one the transmitter, receiver, or clock generator, and a micro-battery operative to provide operating power to each of the transmitter, receiver, clock generator, and baseband controller.

Abstract: An 8.1 nJ/bit 2.4 GHz receiver with integrated digital baseband supporting Q-QPSK DSSS modulation compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is presented that targets short-range, Internet of Things applications (IoTs). The sensitivity of a wireless communication receiver in general trades with power consumption. This receiver exploits this tradeoff to achieve a total power consumption of 2.02 mW including ADCs and digital baseband processing, at a sensitivity of ?52.5 dBm at 250 Kbps. The energy-efficiency of the radio frequency (RF) front-end alone is nearly two times better than the prior art. The receiver was fabricated in 65 nm CMOS with an area of 0.86 mm2.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a system on a chip (SoC). In some embodiments, the SoC includes a power supply circuit, a power management circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit, a first wireless communications circuit and a second wireless communications circuit. The first wireless communications circuit is configured to receive an RF signal and is operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit. The first wireless communications circuit has a net radio frequency (RF) power gain no more than unity before at least one of downconversion of the RF signal or detection of the RF signal. The second wireless communications circuit is operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit.

Abstract: A wake-up function is provided for a low power radio. The radio includes: an antenna, a rectifier, and a comparator. The rectifier is configured to receive an RF signal from the antenna and generates an output having a magnitude that decreases in the presence of the RF signal. The comparator compares the output from the rectifier to a reference signal and outputs an activation signal for another radio component. In response the activation signal, the radio component will transition from a low power consumption mode to a higher power consumption mode. In this way, the rectifier and comparator cooperatively operate to perform a wake-up function in the presence of an RF signal.

Abstract: A low power radio is provided with automatic interference rejection. The radio is comprised generally of: an antenna, a rectifier, a comparator, and a correlator. The comparator receives an input signal from the rectifier, compares the input signal to a reference signal and outputs a digital signal. The correlator in turn receives the digital signal from the comparator, correlates the digital signal to a wake-up code and outputs a wake-up signal having a high value when the digital signal is highly correlated with the wake-up code. The radio further includes an automatic threshold controller which adjusts sensitivity of the comparator. Of note, the rectifier, the comparator, the correlator and the automatic threshold controller are comprised in part by circuits having transistors operating only in subthreshold region.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a wireless receiver circuit that can receive a wireless signal from a wireless communication device that is (1) separate from the wireless receiver circuit and (2) can encode a first information according to a protocol. The wireless receiver circuit can detect a predefined sequence of changes of a characteristic within the wireless signal to decode, from the wireless signal, a second information mutually exclusive from the first information without decoding the first information. In such embodiments, the wireless receiver circuit can send the second information.

Abstract: A wake-up function is provided for a low power radio. The radio includes: an antenna, a rectifier, and a comparator. The rectifier is configured to receive an RF signal from the antenna and generates an output having a magnitude that decreases in the presence of the RF signal. The comparator compares the output from the rectifier to a reference signal and outputs an activation signal for another radio component. In response the activation signal, the radio component will transition from a low power consumption mode to a higher power consumption mode. In this way, the rectifier and comparator cooperatively operate to perform a wake-up function in the presence of an RF signal.