Adaptive power system

• US 20040257047A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rice University
• Original Assignee: Rice University
• Inventors: Ganier, Carroll J. II, Frantz, Jeremy P., Welsh, Erik J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/138
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A power system having an extended life and a system and method for extending the life of a battery powered device. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a plurality of power sources and an alternate energy source. The method also comprises measuring the voltage of the power sources and the alternate energy source. The method further comprises selecting a power source to provide voltage to the device, wherein the selected power source provides voltage to the device. In addition, the method comprises optionally charging any power source that is providing voltage to the device. Moreover, the method is repeated after a variable delay. Further embodiments include switching to providing the voltage to the device from a power source while charging another power source.

Claims

1. A system for extending a device life, comprising:

a plurality of power sources, wherein each power source is disposed to be charged when one of the power sources is providing voltage to the device;

an alternate energy source, wherein the alternate energy source is disposed to charge power sources that are not providing voltage to the device; and

a processing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power sources are batteries.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device reads the voltages of the power sources and the alternate energy source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processing device compares the read voltage to historical voltage data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device determines which power source provides the voltage to the device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing device determines whether a power source is to be charged.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternate energy source charges the power sources that are not providing voltage to the device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternate energy source provides voltage to the device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternate energy source does not charge the plurality of power sources.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises a microcontroller, a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, or a general purpose processor.

11. A method for extending a device life, comprising:

(A) providing a plurality of power sources and an alternate energy source;

(B) measuring the voltage of the power sources and the alternate energy source;

(C) selecting a power source to provide voltage to the device, wherein the selected power source provides voltage to the device;

(D) optionally charging any power source that is not providing voltage to the device in step (C); and

(E) repeating steps (B)-(D) after a variable delay.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the power sources are batteries.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein step (B) further comprises saving the voltages.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein step (C) further comprises comparing the voltage of a first power source to a first power source minimum threshold voltage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first power source provides the voltage to the device when the voltage of the first power source is greater than the first power source minimum threshold voltage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage of the alternate energy source is compared to an alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alternate energy source charges the any power source that is not providing voltage to the device when the voltage of the alternate energy source is greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the alternate energy source does not charge the any power source that is not providing voltage to the device when the voltage of the alternate energy source is not greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the any power source that is not providing voltage to the device comprises a second power source, wherein the voltage of the second power source is compared to a second power source minimum threshold voltage when the voltage of the first power source is less than the first power source minimum threshold voltage.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second power source provides the voltage to the device when the voltage of the second power source is not less than a second power source minimum threshold voltage.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the voltage of the alternate energy source is compared to an alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the alternate energy source charges the first power source in step (D) when the voltage of the alternate energy source is greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first power source is not charged by the alternate energy source when the voltage of the alternate energy source is not greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein a low power mode is selected for the device when no power source has a voltage greater than a minimum threshold voltage.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the voltage of the alternate energy source is compared to an alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the alternate energy source charges the plurality of power sources in step (D) when the voltage of the alternate energy source is greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein the alternate energy source provides voltage to the device.

28. A method for extending a device life, comprising:

(A) providing a plurality of power sources and an alternate energy source, wherein the plurality of power sources are capable of being charged;

(B) measuring the voltage of the plurality of power sources and the alternate energy source;

(C) comparing the voltage of a first power source to a first power source minimum threshold voltage, wherein the plurality of power sources includes the first power source;

(D) optionally comparing the voltage of at least one other power source to at least one power source minimum threshold voltage;

(E) optionally selecting a low power mode for the device; and

(F) optionally comparing the voltages of the alternate energy source to an alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the power sources are batteries.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein step (B) further comprises saving the voltages.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein step (C) further comprises the first power source providing voltage to the device when the voltage of the first power source is not less than the first power source minimum threshold voltage.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the voltage of the alternate energy source is compared to an alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the alternate energy source charges the at least one other power source when the voltage of the alternate energy source is greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one other power source is not charged by the alternate energy source when the voltage of the alternate energy source is not greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein step (D) is accomplished when the voltage of the first power source is not greater than the first power source minimum threshold voltage.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein at least one of the at least one other power source provides voltage to the device when the voltage of the at least one of the at least one other power source is not less than a power source minimum threshold voltage.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the voltage of the alternate energy source is compared to an alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the alternate energy source charges the first power source when the voltage of the alternate energy source is greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the first power source is not charged by the alternate energy source when the voltage of the alternate energy source is not greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

40. The method of claim 28, wherein step (E) is accomplished when the voltages of the plurality of power sources is less than at least one minimum threshold voltage.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein step (F) is accomplished when the low power mode of step (E) is selected.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the alternate energy source charges the plurality of power sources when the voltage of the alternate energy source is greater than the alternate energy minimum threshold voltage.

43. The method of claim 28, wherein the alternate energy source provides voltage to the device.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising

(G) repeating steps (B)-(F) after a variable delay.