Impinj, Inc.

Charles J T Peach

John D Hyde

Theron Stanford

Jay A Kuhn

Christopher J Diorio

Harley K Heinrich

Amita Patil

Matthew Robshaw

Tan Mau Wu

Ronald A Oliver

Alberto Pesavento

Jaskarn Johal

Embodiments are directed to rectifiers using a single bias current or bias current path to bias multiple rectifying elements. A rectifier that has multiple rectifier stages coupled together serially includes a bias current path coupled to each of the rectifier stages. Thee bias current path is configured to simultaneously bias rectifying elements in each of the rectifier stages by using a bias current to bias a first rectifying element and reusing the bias current to bias other rectifying elements.

RFID tag rectifiers with bias current reuse

RFID ICs sense and indicate changes in their surrounding environment, such as changes in temperature, humidity, chemical presence, RF signals, and similar. An RFID IC indicates when a significant environmental change has occurred, for example by adjusting the value of a flag, writing data to memory, transmitting a message to an external entity, exiting a sleep state, and/or responding repeatedly to an inventorying reader. In some cases, RFID IC actively notifies an external entity that a significant environmental change has been sensed. For example, RFID IC may alert the external entity by participating in a special inventory process meant for RFID ICs sending environmental change. The RFID IC may alert the external entity by interjecting itself into an inventory round, re-participating in an inventory round, refraining from entering a sleep state after inventorying, and/or adjusting timing of a scheduled reply to communicate with an RFID reader ahead of schedule.

Environment-based RFID IC behavior

Backflow in rectifiers may be reduced via biasing. Upon determining that backflow within a rectifier is likely, one or more rectifying elements in the rectifier may be debiased, via analog or digital means. The debiased rectifying elements become less conductive or nonconductive, thereby reducing or preventing backflow. The determination of backflow likelihood may be performed based on a signal to be backscattered or the amplitude-modulated envelope of an incident RF wave, and may be digital or analog in nature.

Rectifier backflow reduction via biasing

Embodiments are directed to rectifiers using a single bias current or bias current path to bias multiple rectifying elements. A rectifier that has multiple rectifier stages coupled together serially includes a bias current path coupled to each of the rectifier stages. The bias current path is configured to simultaneously bias rectifying elements in each of the rectifier stages by using a bias current to bias a first rectifying element and reusing the bias current to bias other rectifying elements.

Embodiments are directed to mitigating power-based impedance changes in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The intrinsic impedance of components in an RFID tag front-end may change as incident RF power on the tag changes, causing the input impedance of the front-end to change and altering the RF properties of the RFID tag. A number of approaches can be used to mitigate input impedance variations due to power variations. One approach involves adjusting the operating point of one or more components in the RFID tag front-end to change their intrinsic impedances so as to counteract or mitigate the RF-power-based input impedance variation.

Impedance-change mitigation in RFID tags

The present disclosure provides a power rectifier for a Radio Frequency Identification tag circuit. The rectifier is constructed from a pair of complementary MOS transistors. Gates of the transistors have predetermined voltages applied to them. The applied voltages bias the transistors to near their active operating region. During the same time additional control signals are applied to the gates of the transistors, the control signals are synchronous, but out of phase, with each other.

RFID tags with synchronous power rectifier

The present disclosure provides a power rectifier for a Radio Frequency Identification tag circuit. The power rectifier is constructed from a pair of complementary MOS transistors. Gates of the transistors have predetermined voltages applied to them. The applied voltages bias the transistors to near their active operating regions, while an additional RF control signal is being applied to only one of the gates of the transistors in the complementary pair.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Charles J T Peach