Energy Harvesting Systems and Methods for Vehicles

• US 20070205881A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David
• Application Number:
  US11/565,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20070205881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals

Abstract

Vehicular on-board energy generating system includes a coil and a magnet movable in a passage of the coil during movement of the vehicle such that the movement of the magnet relative to the coil causes generation of electricity. The coil may be wrapped around a cylinder, and its passage may include a chamber defined by the cylinder. An energy storage device is coupled to the coil and arranged to receive and store the generated electricity. One or more sensors can additionally or alternatively be coupled to the coil and arranged to receive and use the generated electricity. A control module can also be coupled to the sensor and arranged to control a component in the vehicle based at least in part on data provided by the sensor.

Claims

1. An energy-supply module for supplying energy to operate a component derived from movement of the vehicle, comprising:

an energy-storage and supply device arranged to supply energy to the component;

at least one movable mass;

at least one mechanical-electrical converter coupled to said at least one mass to convert the movement of the mass into electric signals; and

a rectifier coupled to each converter, said energy-supply and storage device being coupled to said rectifier to enable charging of said energy-storage and supply device during movement of said at least one mass.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one mass comprises two masses arranged in different directions.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one mass comprises a plurality of masses and said at least one converter comprises a number of converters equal to the number of masses and each of said converters being connected to a respective one of said masses.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the component is a sensor comprising a surface-acoustic-wave device.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the component is a radio-frequency identification tag.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein said energy-storage and supply device comprises at least one capacitor.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein said energy-storage and supply device comprises a rechargeable battery.

8. A vehicle including an on-board energy generating system, comprising:

at least one coil defining a passage; and

at least one magnet arranged to move in said passage of a respective one of said at least one coil during movement of the vehicle such that the movement of said at least one magnet relative to said at least one coil causes generation of electricity.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising an energy storage device coupled to said at least one coil and arranged to receive and store the generated electricity.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a sensor coupled to said at least one coil and arranged to receive and use the generated electricity.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein said sensor is a door status sensor arranged in a door of the vehicle, a weight sensor arranged in a seat in the vehicle, an occupant presence sensor, a vibration sensor, or a trunk status sensor arranged in a trunk of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising a control module coupled to said sensor and arranged to control a component in the vehicle based at least in part on data provided by said sensor.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a tire and a housing mounted to said tire, said at least one coil and said at least one magnet being situated in said housing.

14. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising at least one cylinder, each of said at least one coil being wrapped around a respective one of said at least one cylinder and said passage of each of said at least one coil including a chamber defined by the respective one of said at least one cylinder.

15. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising at least one device arranged to aid reciprocal movement of said at least one magnet in said passage of the respective one of said coils.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein said at least one device comprises a spring engaging with said at least one magnet.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein said at least one device comprises a pair of magnets fixed relative to said coil such that a space between said fixed magnets at least partly overlaps said passage defined by said coil, each of said pair of magnets being arranged to have a pole facing said at least one magnet and which is opposite in polarity to the adjacent pole of said at least one magnet.

18. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising an electric-powered component connected to said energy storage device.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, further comprising a tire and a housing mounted to said tire, said at least one coil and said at least one magnet being situated in said housing, said electric-powered component being a pump arranged to pump air into said tire.

20. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising:

a housing in which said at least one coil is arranged; and

a cantilevered cradle attached to said housing and being arranged to vibrate upon movement of the vehicle and thus said housing, said cradle supporting said at least one magnet in a position in said passage of said at least one coil such that upon vibration of said cradle, said at least one magnet moves in said passage.

21. A vehicle including an on-board energy generating system, comprising:

a housing;

a cantilever member attached to said housing in a position in which it vibrates during movement of the vehicle;

a piezoelectric crystal arranged between said cantilever member and a portion of said housing and arranged to be compressed by said cantilever member during its vibration and generate electricity upon compression; and

a wire connecting said piezoelectric crystal to an electricity-consuming device for supplying electricity to the electricity-consuming device.