Energy Harvesting device
First Claim
1. An energy harvesting device for harvesting energy from an energy source that outputs an alternating current (AC) supply voltage, said energy harvesting device comprising:
- a rectifier circuit having a first input terminal and a second input terminal that are used to be coupled to the energy source for cooperatively receiving the AC supply voltage therefrom, a first output terminal and a second output terminal, said rectifier circuit rectifying the AC supply voltage to generate a direct current (DC) rectified voltage between said first and second output terminals thereof;
a converter circuit coupled to said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit for receiving the DC rectified voltage therefrom, used to be coupled further to a load, and for further receiving a control signal, said converter circuit performing DC-to-DC conversion upon the DC rectified voltage based on the control signal to generate a DC output voltage for receipt by the load; and
a control circuit coupled to said rectifier circuit and said converter circuit, for receiving the DC rectified voltage between said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit, and for receiving a difference voltage between one of said first and second input terminals of said rectifier circuit and one of said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit;
said control circuit generating a first to-be-compared voltage correlated to the DC rectified voltage, generating a second to-be-compared voltage correlated to the difference voltage, and comparing the first and second to-be-compared voltages to generate the control signal for receipt by said converter circuit;
said control circuit generating the control signal in such a way that said converter circuit stores energy from said rectifier circuit during a time period where the first to-be-compared voltage is higher than the second to-be-compared voltage, and that said converter circuit releases energy stored therein to the load during at least a portion of a time period where the first to-be-compared voltage is lower than the second to-be-compared voltage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An energy harvesting device includes: a rectifier circuit rectifying an AC supply voltage received between first and second input terminals thereof to generate a DC rectified voltage between first and second output terminals thereof; a converter circuit performing DC-to-DC conversion upon the DC rectified voltage based on a control signal to generate a DC output voltage; and a control circuit comparing a first to-be-compared voltage (correlated to the DC rectified voltage) and a second to-be-compared voltage (correlated to a difference voltage between one of the first and second input terminals of the rectifier circuit and one of the first and second output terminals of the rectifier circuit) to generate the control signal.
14 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An energy harvesting device for harvesting energy from an energy source that outputs an alternating current (AC) supply voltage, said energy harvesting device comprising:
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a rectifier circuit having a first input terminal and a second input terminal that are used to be coupled to the energy source for cooperatively receiving the AC supply voltage therefrom, a first output terminal and a second output terminal, said rectifier circuit rectifying the AC supply voltage to generate a direct current (DC) rectified voltage between said first and second output terminals thereof; a converter circuit coupled to said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit for receiving the DC rectified voltage therefrom, used to be coupled further to a load, and for further receiving a control signal, said converter circuit performing DC-to-DC conversion upon the DC rectified voltage based on the control signal to generate a DC output voltage for receipt by the load; and a control circuit coupled to said rectifier circuit and said converter circuit, for receiving the DC rectified voltage between said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit, and for receiving a difference voltage between one of said first and second input terminals of said rectifier circuit and one of said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit; said control circuit generating a first to-be-compared voltage correlated to the DC rectified voltage, generating a second to-be-compared voltage correlated to the difference voltage, and comparing the first and second to-be-compared voltages to generate the control signal for receipt by said converter circuit; said control circuit generating the control signal in such a way that said converter circuit stores energy from said rectifier circuit during a time period where the first to-be-compared voltage is higher than the second to-be-compared voltage, and that said converter circuit releases energy stored therein to the load during at least a portion of a time period where the first to-be-compared voltage is lower than the second to-be-compared voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An energy harvesting device for harvesting energy from an energy source that outputs an alternating current (AC) supply voltage, said energy harvesting device comprising:
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a rectifier circuit having a first input terminal and a second input terminal that are used to be coupled to the energy source for cooperatively receiving the AC supply voltage therefrom, a first output terminal and a second output terminal, said rectifier circuit rectifying the AC supply voltage to generate a direct current (DC) rectified voltage between said first and second output terminals thereof; a converter circuit coupled to said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit for receiving the DC rectified voltage therefrom, used to be coupled further to a load, and for further receiving a control signal, said converter circuit performing DC-to-DC conversion upon the DC rectified voltage based on the control signal to generate a DC output voltage for receipt by the load; and a control circuit coupled to said rectifier circuit and said converter circuit, for receiving the DC rectified voltage between said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit, and for receiving a difference voltage between one of said first and second input terminals of said rectifier circuit and one of said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit; said control circuit generating a first to-be-compared voltage correlated to the DC rectified voltage, generating a second to-be-compared voltage correlated to the difference voltage, and comparing the first and second to-be-compared voltages to generate the control signal for receipt by said converter circuit; said control circuit including; a voltage divider coupled to said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit for receiving the DC rectified voltage therefrom, and dividing the DC rectified voltage to generate a divided voltage, a first buffer coupled to said voltage divider for receiving the divided voltage therefrom, and buffering the divided voltage to generate the first to-be-compared voltage, a second buffer coupled to said one of said first and second input terminals of said rectifier circuit and said one of said first and second output terminals of said rectifier circuit for receiving the difference voltage therefrom, and buffering the difference voltage to generate a buffered voltage, a variable gain amplifier coupled to said second buffer for receiving the buffered voltage therefrom, for further receiving a control voltage, and amplifying the buffered voltage by a gain variable according to the control voltage to generate the second to-be-compared voltage, and a comparator coupled to said first buffer and said variable gain amplifier for receiving the first and second to-be-compared voltages respectively therefrom, coupled further to said converter circuit, and comparing the first and second to-be-compared voltages to generate the control signal for receipt by said converter circuit.
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Specification