E-WEHP: A Batteryless Embedded Sensor-Platform Wirelessly Powered From Ambient Digital-TV Signals

Author

Vyas, Rushi J. ; Cook, B.B. ; Kawahara, Yuki ; Tentzeris, Manos M.

Author_Institution

ATHENA Res. Group, Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta, GA, USA

Volume

61

Issue

6

fYear

2013

fDate

Jun-13

Firstpage

2491

Lastpage

2505

Abstract

The use of digital television broadcasting standards has resulted in transmission of perpetually on wireless digital-TV signals over the air at wider bandwidths in ultrahigh-frequency bands for high-definition video and audio broadcasts to TV and smart phones. This paper presents a unique embedded wireless energy-harvesting prototype (E-WEHP) that exploits the unique makeup of ambient digital-TV signals, and scavenges wireless power from them at distance of over 6.3 km from the TV broadcast source. The harvested wireless power is successfully used to power and sustain a 16-bit embedded microcontroller for sensing and machine-to-machine applications without the use of batteries. The E-WEHP uses a miniaturized planar log-periodic antenna and RF-dc charge-pump circuit with maximum sensitivities of - 14.6 and -18.86 dBm and an embedded firmware-based power management scheme to power microcontroller peripherals from different types of ambient digital-TV signals.

Keywords

digital television; energy harvesting; inductive power transmission; intelligent sensors; microwave power transmission; E-WEHP; TV broadcast source; ambient digital-TV signals; audio broadcast; batteryless embedded sensor; digital television broadcasting standard; distance 6.3 km; embedded microcontroller; embedded wireless energy harvesting prototype; high definition video; machine-to-machine application; ultrahigh frequency bands; wireless power transfer; Antenna; RF-dc; autonomous sensors; charge-pump; digital TV; embedded microcontroller; energy harvesting; power scavenging; ultrahigh-frequency (UHF); voltage multiplier; wireless power;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2013.2258168

Filename

6513298