美科学家从无线电信号中获得电能 手机电池续航时间可延长30%

据科技网站Computerworld报道，手机无时无刻不在发射无线电信号，无线电信号的能量可以被用来提升手机电池续航时间。

美国俄亥俄州立大学研究人员已经开发出能把手机发射的无线电信号转化成电能的电路，然后把电能充到电池中。研究人员称，这一技术能使手机电池续航时间延长至多30%。

俄亥俄州立大学在与创业公司尼古拉实验室(Nikola Labs)合作，实现商业化。他们称，该技术能方便地部署在手机壳内。

在科技博客网站TechCrunch本月早些时候举办的Disrupt会议上，尼古拉实验室展示了一款能收集能量的iPhone 6外壳。尼古拉实验室估计这款外壳的价格为99美元。

电池的限制使得能源收集技术受到关注，能源收集技术可以为可穿戴设备、传感器等设备提供电能。大学和科技公司的研究人员纷纷研究把人体散发的热量、运动、射频信号和环境光转化成能源的技术。

俄亥俄州立大学的技术需要一个天线收集无线电信号，一个整流器把收集到的信号由交流电转换为直流电，然后给电池充电。俄亥俄州立大学称，这一技术从无线电信号中获得电能的功率可以达到数微瓦。

俄亥俄州立大学指出，其技术能从无线电信号中获得电能延长电池续航时间，但不会影响手机通话质量或数据连接速度。(编译/霜叶)

原文参考：

Radio signals can be used to boost cell-phone battery life

Ohio State University researchers are working with startup Nikola Labs to commercialize the technology

By Agam Shah

Cell phones are constantly transmitting radio signals, whose energy can also be used to boost the battery life of mobile devices.

Researchers at Ohio State University have developed circuitry that converts radio signals from a handset into energy, which is then fed back to the device's battery. The researchers say the technology can increase the battery life of mobile devices by up to 30 percent.

The OSU researchers are working with startup Nikola Labs to commercialize the technology, which they say can be easily implemented in cell-phone cases, and in June will launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund its continued development.

Nikola Labs pitched the concept of an energy-harvesting iPhone 6 case based on the technology at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference earlier this month. Nikola Labs estimates the case will be priced at $99.

Limitations in batteries have sparked an interest in energy-harvesting technologies to power battery-free wearables, sensors, implants and other devices. Researchers at universities and technology companies are looking for ways to convert body heat, motion, RF signals and ambient light to energy.

The technology developed by OSU has an antenna to capture the radio signals and a rectifier to convert them from AC into DC power, which is used to recharge a battery. OSU claims the circuitry can squeeze microwatts of power out of radio signals.

The technology kicks into action when signals are transmitted from a mobile device's radio, which itself can be a battery hog because a certain amount of energy is needed to maintain a high-quality signal with a cell-phone tower. However, OSU says its technology siphons off enough power to boost battery life without hurting the quality of phone conversations or data connections.