Claims
- 1. A rectifying charge storage device, comprising:
a rectifier structure fabricated with a common conductor forming a side of the rectifier structure; and a capacitor structure fabricated as a single unitary structure with the rectifier structure such that the capacitor structure incorporates the common conductor of the rectifier structure as a side of the capacitor structure, the capacitor structure to receive the rectified current from the rectifier structure over the common conductor; one of said rectifier structure and said capacitor structure comprising a sensor responsive to an environmental parameter for altering the electrical characteristics of the device.
- 2. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is incorporated into said rectifier structure.
- 3. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is incorporated into said capacitor structure.
- 4. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a pressure sensor.
- 5. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a light sensor.
- 6. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is responsive to a target chemical agent.
- 7. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said capacitor structure comprises said common conductor, a second conductor, and a dielectric material therebetween, said sensor being incorporated into said dielectric material.
- 8. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 7, wherein said sensor is responsive to the environmental parameter for altering the electrical resistance between said common and second conductors.
- 9. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 8, wherein said sensor comprises an insulated polymer incorporating a matrix of conductive particles therein.
- 10. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 7, wherein said sensor is responsive to the environmental parameter for altering the dielectric constant of said capacitor structure.
- 11. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 7, wherein said sensor is responsive to the environmental parameter for altering the dimensional spacing between said common and second conductors.
- 12. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 11, wherein said sensor comprises a swellable elastomer.
- 13. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a photosensitive diode.
- 14. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a light emitting diode.
- 15. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a break diode.
- 16. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a break capacitor.
- 17. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is adapted for irreversible state change in response to detection of the environmental parameter.
- 18. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, further including an amplifier circuit coupled to said common conductor for providing an output signal representative of the environmental parameter.
- 19. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 18, wherein said amplifier circuit includes an FET transistor.
- 20. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 18, wherein said output signal is a parameter-responsive variable voltage output signal.
- 21. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 18, wherein said output signal is a parameter-responsive variable frequency output signal.
- 22. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 1, further including a substrate supporting the rectifier and capacitor structures.
- 23. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 22, wherein said capacitor structure comprises said common conductor, a second conductor, and a dielectric material therebetween, said substrate being incorporated into said dielectric material.
- 24. A rectifying charge storage device, comprising:
a rectifier; a common conductor connected to one side of said rectifier; a capacitor incorporating said common conductor; said rectifier, common conductor and capacitor comprising a unitary element; and a sensor responsive to an environmental parameter for altering the electrical characteristics of the unitary element.
- 25. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor in incorporated into one of said rectifier said capacitor.
- 26. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor comprises a pressure sensor.
- 27. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor comprises a light sensor.
- 28. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor is responsive to a target chemical agent.
- 29. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said capacitor comprises said common conductor, a second conductor, and a dielectric material therebetween, said sensor being incorporated into said dielectric material.
- 30. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 29, wherein said sensor is responsive to the environmental parameter for altering the electrical resistance between said common and second conductors.
- 31. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 30, wherein said sensor comprises an insulated polymer incorporating a matrix of conductive particles therein.
- 32. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 29, wherein said sensor is responsive to the environmental parameter for altering the dielectric constant of said capacitor.
- 33. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 29, wherein said sensor is responsive to the environmental parameter for altering the dimensional spacing between said common and second conductors.
- 34. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises a swellable elastomer.
- 35. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor comprises a photosensitive diode.
- 36. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor comprises a light emitting diode.
- 37. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor comprises a break diode.
- 38. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor comprises a break capacitor.
- 39. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, wherein said sensor is adapted for irreversible state change in response to detection of the environmental parameter.
- 40. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, further including an amplifier circuit coupled to said common conductor for providing an output signal representative of the environmental parameter.
- 41. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 40, wherein said amplifier circuit includes an FET transistor.
- 42. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 40, wherein said output signal is a parameter-responsive variable voltage output signal.
- 43. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 40, wherein said output signal is a parameter-responsive variable frequency output signal.
- 44. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 24, further including a substrate supporting the rectifier and capacitor structures.
- 45. The rectifying charge storage device of claim 44, wherein said capacitor structure comprises said common conductor, a second conductor, and a dielectric material therebetween, said substrate being incorporated into said dielectric material.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. Ser. No. 10/155,518, filed May 24, 2002, and published as Publication No. U.S. 2002/0140500 A1 on Oct. 3, 2002, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/723,897, filed Nov. 28, 2000, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,543 on Jul. 2, 2002.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09723897 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
10155518 |
May 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10155518 |
May 2002 |
US |
Child |
10713913 |
Jul 2003 |
US |