Rectifier circuit

1. A data transmission unit comprising:

a data transmission interface having a controlled rectifier,

wherein the controlled rectifier comprises first, second, third, and fourth transistors which are arranged in the form of a full-wave bridge rectifier, wherein the first and second transistors are arranged to operate as diodes, and the third and fourth transistors are arranged to be actuated by a rectifier actuation unit.

2. The data transmission unit of claim 1 , wherein the controlled rectifier is actuated on the basis of a voltage which is available in the data transmission unit.

3. The data transmission unit of claim 1 , wherein the data transmission interface is of a contactless design.

4. The data transmission unit of claim 1 , wherein

upon a voltage which is available in the data transmission unit exceeding a predetermined value, the third and fourth transistors being actuated, whereby current flows through the first transistor and through the third and fourth transistors for a positive half-cycle of the input voltage on the controlled rectifier and flows through the second transistor and through the third and fourth transistors for a negative half-cycle, and wherein

upon a voltage which is available in the data transmission unit falling below the predetermined value, the third and fourth transistors being actuated, whereby current flows through the first transistor and through the fourth transistor for a positive half-cycle of the input voltage on the controlled rectifier and flows through the second transistor and through the third transistor for a negative half-cycle.

5. The data transmission unit of claim 4 , wherein the third and fourth transistors are actuated on the basis of a voltage present at the output of the controlled rectifier.

6. The data transmission unit of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth transistors are designed using NMOS technology.

7. The data transmission unit of claim 1 , wherein the third and fourth transistors are actuated on the basis of the data to be transmitted by a data interface.

8. The data transmission unit of claim 7 , wherein the ratio of the voltages which are present on the controlled rectifier, in the case of the high and low states for the data to be transmitted, is independent of the voltage which is present on the output of the controlled rectifier.

9. The data transmission unit of claim 7 , wherein the ratio of the voltages which are present on the controlled rectifier, in the case of the high and low states, for the data which are to be transmitted is predetermined.

10. A method for operating the data transmission unit of claim 1 , wherein the controlled rectifier performs one or more of the operations selected from the group consisting of rectifier, shunt element and modulation elements.

11. A method for regulating the output voltage at an output line of a circuit, the circuit comprising an antenna, a rectifier bridge circuit with first, second, third and fourth transistors which are arranged in the form of a full-wave bridge rectifier, and the third and fourth transistors are arranged to operate as diodes, and an actuation unit, the method comprising:

receiving electromagnetic energy at the antenna;

inducing a voltage between first and second points coupled to opposite ends of the antenna; and

actuating the first and second transistors of the rectifier bridge circuit,

wherein the actuation unit performs the actuating step.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rectifier bridge circuit is disposed between the antenna and the output line.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second transistors are actuated simultaneously.

14. A method for changing the value of an output voltage line of a combination electromagnetic/rectifier bridge circuit, the rectifier bridge circuit comprising a plurality of transistors, and an actuation unit being connected to one or more of the transistors, the method comprising:

inducing a voltage at the antenna; and

actuating current flow by the action of an actuating unit in one or more of the plurality of transistors of the rectifier bridge circuit if a present value of the output voltage line exceeds a predetermined value.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inducing step produces a voltage imbalance and, wherein the imbalance causes the activation of one of the plurality of transistors different from the one or more of the plurality of transistors actuated in the actuating step.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of transistors are NMOS transistors.