SENSOR DEVICE POWERED THROUGH RF HARVESTING

1 . A sensor device for a wireless system, comprising:

a receiver that receives a signal;

an energy harvester that converts said signal into usable energy; and

a transmitter that utilizes said usable energy to selectively actuate a load.

2 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensor device is continuously powered by a dedicated source transmitter located external from said sensor device.

3 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensor device is a component of a lighting system.

4 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensor device is a component of a security system.

5 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said energy harvester includes a charge boosting device that converts said signal into said usable energy, and an energy storage device that stores said usable energy.

6 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said receiver includes an antenna that receives said signal.

7 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said signal includes radio frequency (RF) energy.

8 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said transmitter transmits a data string to communicate with said load.

9 . A wireless system, comprising:

a building structure;

a transmitter located within said building structure;

a sensor device in communication with said transmitter, wherein said sensor device is constantly powered by a signal received from said transmitter; and

an electrically powered device actuated by said sensor device.

10 . The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said signal includes RF energy.

11 . The system as recited in claim 9 , comprising a receiver in wireless communication with said sensor device, and said receiver receives a second signal from said sensor device to actuate said electrically powered device.

12 . The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said building structure includes a plurality of floors and said transmitter includes a plurality of transmitters, and each of said plurality of floors includes at least one of said plurality of transmitters.

13 . The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said sensor device includes a plurality of sensor devices, and at least one of said plurality of sensor devices is positioned on each of said plurality of floors.

14 . The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said electrically powered device includes a plurality of electrically powered devices, and at least one of said plurality of electrically powered devices are positioned on each of said plurality of floors.

15 . A method for use with a wireless system having at least one sensor device, comprising the steps of:

a) constantly powering the at least one sensor device with a signal received external from the at least one sensor device.

16 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the wireless system includes a dedicated source transmitter, and comprising the steps of:

b) positioning the dedicated source transmitter within a building structure; and

c) communicating a signal from the dedicated source transmitter to the at least one sensor device to constantly power the at least one sensor device.

17 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the signal includes RF energy.

18 . The method as recited in claim 15 , comprising the step of:

b) converting the signal received by at least one sensor device into useable energy.

19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , comprising the step of:

c) storing the usable energy within the at least one sensor device.

20 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the wireless system includes a receiver and an electrically powered device in electrical communication with the receiver, and comprising the steps of:

c) utilizing the useable energy to communicate a signal to the receiver; and

d) actuating the electrically powered device in response to receiving the signal from the at least one sensor device.