POWER CIRCUIT AND METHOD

• US 20080164838A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Maher
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Maher
• Inventors: Maher, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/620,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20080164838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries

Abstract

A power circuit (102) for producing a trickle charge for a power storage device (219) in association with a electronic device includes at least one inductive element (201) having a first coil (203) that is made of a conductive material and has a first set of terminals (209), and a second coil (205) that is made of a conductive material and has a second set of terminals (213). An antenna (211) is operably connected to the first set of terminals (209) of the first coil (203). A rectifier (217) is operably connected to the second set of terminals (213) of the second coil (205). The rectifier (217) has a set of output terminals (217C and 217D), and a power storage device (219) is connected to the set of output terminals (217C and 217D) of the rectifier (217). Radiation from the environment (108) is capable of being sensed by the antenna (211) and transformed into a charging voltage for the power storage device (219).

Claims

1. A power circuit for producing a trickle charge for a power storage device in association with a electronic device, the power circuit comprising:

at least one inductive element that includes a first coil that is made of a conductive material and has a first set of terminals, a second coil that is made of a conductive material and has a second set of terminals;

an antenna operably connected to the first set of terminals of the first coil;

a rectifier operably connected to the second set of terminals of the second coil;

wherein the rectifier has a set of output terminals, and wherein a power storage device is connected to the set of output terminals of the rectifier.

2. The power circuit of claim 1, further comprising an additional inductive element that includes an additional first coil that is connected to the antenna in a parallel configuration with the first element.

3. The power circuit of claim 2, wherein the additional inductive element includes an additional second coil, wherein the additional second coil is connected to the second coil in a parallel configuration.

4. The power circuit of claim 1, further comprising at least one core disposed between the first coil and the second coil of the at least one inductive element.

5. The power circuit of claim 1, wherein the power storage device is at least one of a rechargeable battery, a capacitor, and any device capable of storing electrical power.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a transformer having a first coil, and a second coil;

an additional transformer having an additional first coil, and an additional second coil;

an antenna connected in a parallel configuration to the first coil and the additional first coil;

wherein the second coil and the additional second coil are connected in series to yield a charging node, wherein a rectifier is operably connected to the charging node, and wherein a power storage device is operably connected to a set of output terminals of the rectifier.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising a core disposed between the first coil and the second coil.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising an additional core disposed between the additional first coil and the additional second coil.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the power storage device is at least one of a rechargeable battery and a capacitor.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising a microcontroller operably connected to the power storage device, and a sensor element arranged for operable communication with the microcontroller.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising an output antenna operably connected to the microcontroller.

12. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising a protective cocoon disposed at least in part around the transformer and the additional transformer.

13. A method of charging a power storage device comprising the steps of:

placing the electronic device in an environment that is exposed to electromagnetic radiation;

sensing at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation with an antenna that is operably associated with the electronic device;

transferring an incremental amount of electrical power from the antenna into a first coil of at least one inductive element;

transforming the incremental amount of electrical power into an incremental voltage difference across a second coil of the at least one inductive element;

accumulating a plurality of incremental voltage differences across a plurality of second coils that are connected in series to yield a charging voltage difference;

transmitting the charging voltage difference to a set of input terminals of a rectifier;

using a charging current from a set of output terminals of the rectifier to trickle charge a power storage device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a random configuration and comprises at least one of radio signals, television signals, lightning radiation, and cellular telephone radiation.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of powering a microcontroller with electrical power from the power storage device.