Patent ID: 9385625
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: H02M

Claim Text:
1. A RF-to-DC converter comprising: a first Radio-Frequency (RF) input and a second RF input that receive a RF signal from an antenna; a buffer circuit for generating a first buffered RF signal and a second buffered RF signal from the first and second RF input, and for generating a first control signal and a second control signal; wherein the first control signal and the second control signal alternately indicate a pre-charge phase and a pumping phase; a first array of capacitors having bottom plates receiving the second buffered RF signal; a second array of capacitors having bottom plates receiving the first buffered RF signal; a first bank of L-switches, each L-switch coupled between an input capacitor in the second array of capacitors and an output capacitor in the first array of capacitors; a third array of capacitors having bottom plates receiving the first buffered RF signal; a fourth array of capacitors having bottom plates receiving the second buffered RF signal; a second bank of L-switches, each L-switch in the second bank coupled between an input capacitor in the fourth array of capacitors and an output capacitor in the third array of capacitors; wherein each L-switch comprises: a pre-charge transistor that charges the input capacitor during the pre-charge phase; a stage-transfer transistor that transfers charge from the input capacitor to the output capacitor during the pumping phase; wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are connected to the first bank of L-switches and to the second bank of L-switches to cause the first bank of L-switches to operate in the pre-charge phase when the second bank of L-switches operate in the pumping phase, whereby the first bank and the second bank operate in opposite phases.