Semiconductor energy harvest and storage system for charging an energy storage device and powering a controller and multi-sensor memory module

• US 10,193,377 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ping, Zhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John
• Application Number:
  US14/194,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 320101, 361728
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/80 Constructional details

Abstract

An embodiment includes a system, comprising: a circuit; an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy from the circuit to electrical energy; an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and a power supply configured to supply power from the energy storage device, and multi-sensor module including such a system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a power source;

a circuit board;

a first integrated circuit disposed on the circuit board;

a second integrated circuit separate from the first integrated circuit and disposed on the circuit board;

an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy from the first integrated circuit to electrical energy;

an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and

a power supply configured to, while supplying power to the first integrated circuit from the power source, switch between supplying power from the energy storage device to the second integrated circuit and supplying power from the power source to the second integrated circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy is thermal energy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises a thermoelectric material disposed on the first integrated circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor configured to store the electrical energy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second integrated circuit is a controller configured to manage an operation of the first integrated circuit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to cause the first integrated circuit to perform a shutdown function based on a loss of power from the power source.

7. A system, comprising:

a memory module including;

a circuit board;

a plurality of semiconductor memory devices disposed on the circuit board; and

a plurality of sensors disposed on the circuit board;

wherein a type of at least one of the sensors is different from a type of another sensor of the sensors;

an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy from the semiconductor memory devices to electrical energy;

an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and

a power supply configured to supply power to at least part of the memory module from the energy storage device;

the power supply, while supplying power to the semiconductor memory devices from a power source, switch between supplying power from the energy storage device to the at least part of the memory module and supplying power from the power source to the at least part of the memory module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory module is a dual in-line memory module (DIMM).

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least part of the memory module includes the sensors.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the power supply is configured to supply power to the sensors only from the energy storage device.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a controller separate from the memory module and configured to receive information from the sensors.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the controller includes a wireless communication interface; and

the controller is configured to receive the information from the sensors through the wireless communication interface.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an amount of cooling provided to the memory module in response to the information from the sensors.

15. A method, comprising:

harvesting energy from a semiconductor memory device on a circuit board of a memory module;

storing the harvested energy in an energy storage device on the circuit board of the memory module; and

powering at least part of the memory module from only the energy storage device;

wherein the at least part of the memory module includes a plurality of sensors on the circuit board of the memory module;

while supplying power to the semiconductor memory devices from a power source, switch between supplying power from the energy storage device to the at least part of the memory module and supplying power from the power source to the at least part of the memory module.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing the harvested energy in the energy storage device until a state of the energy storage device reaches a first threshold; and

powering the at least part of the memory module from the energy storage device after the state of the energy storage device reaches the first threshold.