Power supply device, and control method of power supply device

• US 10,230,275 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Noguchi, Koichiro, Nose, Koichi, Ikenaga, Yoshifumi, Yoshida, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Skibinski, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/826,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20180083494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 307 52, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A power supply device includes a plurality of power sources each including an antenna and an AC/DC conversion unit that converts an AC signal received by the antenna to a DC signal, a plurality of consolidating units each including a first consolidating circuit that selectively consolidates a plurality of DC signals supplied by the plurality of power sources, and a power supply unit that includes a second consolidating circuit that selectively consolidates DC signals output from the plurality of consolidating units, and a first voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal resulting from consolidation in the second consolidating circuit, to a predetermined voltage.

Claims

1. A power supply device comprising:

a plurality of power sources each including an antenna and an AC/DC conversion unit that converts an AC signal received by the antenna to a DC signal;

a plurality of consolidating units each including a first consolidating circuit to which a plurality of DC signals are supplied from the plurality of power sources, each of the first consolidating circuits including a plurality of first switches connected between the plurality of power sources and a first output node of the first consolidating circuit; and

a power supply unit that includes a second consolidating circuit and a first voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal resulting from consolidation in the second consolidating circuit, to a predetermined voltage,

wherein the second consolidating circuit is supplied with the DC signals output from the first output nodes of the first consolidating circuits, and the second consolidating circuit includes a plurality of second switches connected between the plurality of first output nodes and a second output node.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the consolidating units includes:

a second voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal resulting from consolidation in the first consolidating circuit, to a predetermined voltage; and

a first control circuit, to which power is supplied from the second voltage conversion circuit, the first control circuit controlling the first consolidating circuit, and

the power supply unit includes a second control circuit, to which power is supplied from the first voltage conversion circuit, the second control circuit controlling the second consolidating circuit.

3. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein quiescent power in the second voltage conversion circuit provided in each of the consolidating units is lower than quiescent power in the first voltage conversion circuit provided in the power supply unit.

4. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein

each of the consolidating units includes a first monitoring circuit that monitors the plurality of DC signals supplied by the plurality of power sources, and

the first control circuit controls the first consolidating circuit in accordance with a monitoring result in the first monitoring circuit.

5. The power supply device according to claim 4, wherein

in a case where voltage of the DC signal supplied by each of the power sources is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the first control circuit controls each of the first switches in such a manner that the power source and the first output node are connected.

6. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein

the power supply unit includes a second monitoring circuit that monitors the plurality of DC signals output from the plurality of consolidating units, and

the second control circuit controls the second consolidating circuit in accordance with a monitoring result in the second monitoring circuit.

7. The power supply device according to claim 6, wherein

in a case where voltage of the DC signal supplied by the first output node of each of the consolidating units is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the second control circuit controls each of the second switches in such a manner that the first output node of the consolidating unit and the second output node of the second consolidating circuit are connected.

8. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein

the first switch connects the power source and a third output node, in a case where voltage of the DC signal supplied by the power source is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and

the first switch connects the power source and a third output node, in a case where voltage of the DC signal supplied by the power source is smaller than the first threshold value.

9. The power supply device according to claim 8, wherein

the second switch outputs a DC signal having a voltage equal to or greater than a second threshold value, from among the plurality of DC signals that are respectively supplied by the first and third output nodes, to a fourth output node,

the second switch outputs a DC signal having a voltage smaller than a second threshold value, from among the plurality of DC signals that are respectively supplied by the first and third output nodes, to a fifth output node,

the first voltage conversion circuit includes:

a high voltage-side voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal output from the fourth output node, to a predetermined voltage; and

a low voltage-side voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal output from the fifth output node, to a predetermined voltage.

10. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the consolidating unit further includes a third consolidating circuit that selectively consolidates a plurality of DC signals respectively resulting from consolidation in the plurality of first consolidating circuits, and that outputs the respective consolidated DC signals to the power supply unit.

11. The power supply device according to claim 10, wherein the consolidating unit includes M first consolidating circuits and N (N<

M) third consolidating circuits.

12. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of power sources is disposed on a substrate,

a plurality of consolidating chips that respectively make up the consolidating unit is disposed on the substrate, and

a power source chip that makes up the power supply unit is disposed on the substrate.

13. A power supply device comprising:

a plurality of power sources, each including an antenna and an AC/DC (Alternating Current/Direct Current) conversion circuit that converts an AC signal received by the antenna to a DC signal;

a plurality of first consolidating circuits, to which a plurality of DC signals are supplied from the plurality of power sources, each of the first consolidating circuits including a plurality of first switches connected between the plurality of power sources and a first output node of each one of the first consolidating circuits; and

a second consolidating circuit and a first voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal resulting from consolidation in the second consolidating circuit, to a predetermined voltage,

wherein the second consolidating circuit is supplied with the DC signals output from the first output nodes of the first consolidating circuits, and the second consolidating circuit includes a plurality of second switches connected between the plurality of first output nodes and a second output node.

14. The power supply device according to claim 13, wherein

each of the first consolidating circuits includes:

a second voltage conversion circuit that converts a DC signal resulting from consolidation in the first consolidating circuit, to a predetermined voltage; and

a first control circuit, to which power is supplied from the second voltage conversion circuit, the first control circuit controlling the first consolidating circuit, and

a second control circuit, to which power is supplied from the first voltage conversion circuit, the second control circuit controlling the second consolidating circuit.

15. The power supply device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of first monitoring circuits, each of which monitors the plurality of DC signals supplied by the plurality of power sources, and

the first control circuit controls the first consolidating circuit in accordance with a monitoring result in one of the first monitoring circuits.

16. The power supply device according to claim 14, further comprising a second monitoring circuit that monitors the plurality of DC signals output from the plurality of first consolidating circuits, and

wherein the second control circuit controls the second consolidating circuit in accordance with a monitoring result in the second monitoring circuit.

17. The power supply device according to claim 13, wherein

one of the first switches connects at least one of the plurality of power sources and the first output node, when voltage of the DC signal supplied by the at least one of the power sources is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and

one of the first switches connects the at least one of power source and a third output node, when voltage of the DC signal supplied by the at least one of the power sources is less than the first threshold value.