Passive RFID tags with integrated circuits using sub-threshold technology

摘要

Systems and methods for operating an RFID transponder (102). The methods involve: performing energy harvesting operations by a voltage scavenging device (130) of the RFID transponder to collect energy from an RF field, magnetic field, heat, light or movement of the RFID transponder; increasing or decreasing, by a voltage converter of the RFID transponder, a voltage level of a signal received from the voltage scavenging device to a sub-threshold voltage level that is at least one order of magnitude below a normal operating range for the RFID transponder; and supplying an operating voltage at the sub-threshold voltage level to at least a transceiver circuit (124) of the RFID transponder.

主权项

1. A method for operating a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) transponder, comprising:
performing energy harvesting operations by a voltage scavenging device of the RFID transponder to collect energy from a Radio Frequency (“RF”) field and store the energy in an energy storage device of the voltage scavenging device; causing a switch to change positions, when the energy storage device is charged to a pre-determined voltage level, from
(A) a first position in which a closed circuit is formed between an antenna and the voltage scavenging device, and(B) a second position in which (i) an open circuit is formed between the antenna and the voltage scavenging device and (ii) a closed circuit is formed between the antenna and a transceiver circuit of the RFID transponder; increasing or decreasing, by a voltage converter of the RFID transponder, a voltage level of a signal received from the voltage scavenging device to a sub-threshold voltage level that is at least one order of magnitude below a normal operating range for the RFID transponder; and supplying an operating voltage at the sub-threshold voltage level to at least the transceiver circuit.