Passive over/under voltage control and protection for energy storage devices associated with energy harvesting
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- at least one input charge device having a charge potential energy;
at least one blocking circuit comprising an input terminal and an output terminal, said blocking circuit input terminal connected to said at least one input charge device;
at least one energy storage device connected to said output terminal of said at least one blocking circuit, said at least one energy storage device having a voltage and a predetermined safe voltage level;
at least one voltage monitor circuit comprising an input terminal, a reference terminal, and an output terminal, said first voltage monitor circuit input terminal being connected to said blocking circuit input terminal; and
at least one power dissipation circuit adapted to be electrically connected to said at least one energy storage device when charge energy from said at least one input charge device exceeds the voltage in said at least one energy storage device and the voltage of said energy storage device exceeds a predetermined over-charge value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein is, for example, a battery or capacitor over voltage (overcharge) and under-voltage protection circuit, that, for example, is adapted to not draw current from the battery or capacitor to be charged unless charge energy is detected and to not charge an energy storage device when an over-charge condition is sensed. The protection circuit may, for example, not be turned on unless an over voltage condition is present. Incoming energy to the system can be shunted to ground via a shunt load of various types including resistive loads and active components such as a zener diode. In some embodiments, no switching of the inbound power is required. Within limits, no regulation of inbound power is needed. When inbound power is sufficient to charge the battery or capacitor, regulation can occur via the applied shunt regulator if overcharge voltage conditions exist. Either type of charge source, voltage or current, can be used to provide charge energy. Combining said battery or capacitor over voltage (overcharge) and under-voltage protection circuit with electronic loads, such as wireless sensors, may lead to autonomously-powered wireless sensor systems.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one input charge device having a charge potential energy; at least one blocking circuit comprising an input terminal and an output terminal, said blocking circuit input terminal connected to said at least one input charge device; at least one energy storage device connected to said output terminal of said at least one blocking circuit, said at least one energy storage device having a voltage and a predetermined safe voltage level; at least one voltage monitor circuit comprising an input terminal, a reference terminal, and an output terminal, said first voltage monitor circuit input terminal being connected to said blocking circuit input terminal; and at least one power dissipation circuit adapted to be electrically connected to said at least one energy storage device when charge energy from said at least one input charge device exceeds the voltage in said at least one energy storage device and the voltage of said energy storage device exceeds a predetermined over-charge value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus comprising:
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a first node; at least one voltage monitor circuit comprising an input terminal and an output terminal, said at least one voltage monitor circuit input terminal connected to said first node; at least one blocking circuit comprising an input terminal and an output terminal, said blocking circuit input terminal electrically connected to said first node; a second node electrically connected to said blocking circuit output terminal; at least one power dissipation circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal said input terminal of said at least one power dissipation circuit electrically connected to said second node; and a third node electrically connected to said output terminal of said at least one power dissipation circuit. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An ambient energy powered system comprising:
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at least one input charge device electrically connected to a first node, said input charge device comprising an energy harvesting device; a passive power management unit comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, said first terminal electrically connected to said first node, said passive power management unit comprising; at least one voltage monitor circuit, said at least one voltage monitor circuit comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal of said voltage monitor circuit electrically connected to said first terminal of said passive power management unit; at least one blocking circuit, said at least one blocking circuit comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal of said at least one blocking circuit electrically connected to said first terminal of said passive power management unit and said second terminal of said at least one blocking circuit electrically connected to said second terminal of said passive power management unit; at least one power dissipation circuit comprising an input terminal, an output terminal, and a signal terminal, said power dissipation circuit input terminal electrically connected to said second terminal of said passive power management unit and said power dissipation circuit output terminal electrically connected to said third terminal of said passive power management unit; and at least one energy storage device electrically connected to said second terminal of said passive power management unit; wherein said at least one power dissipation circuit is adapted to electrically connect said second terminal of said passive power management unit to said third terminal of said passive power management unit when the voltage level of said at least one energy storage device exceeds a predetermined over-charge value. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. An autonomously-powered energy system comprising:
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at least one input charge device electrically connected to a first node, said input charge device comprising an energy harvesting device; a passive power management unit comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, said first terminal electrically connected to said first node, said passive power management unit comprising; at least one voltage monitor circuit, said at least one voltage monitor circuit comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal of said voltage monitor circuit electrically connected to said first terminal of said passive power management unit; at least one blocking circuit, said at least one blocking circuit comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal of said at least one blocking circuit electrically connected to said first terminal of said passive power management unit and said second terminal of said at least one blocking circuit electrically connected to said second terminal of said passive power management unit; at least one power dissipation circuit comprising an input terminal, an output terminal, and a signal terminal, said power dissipation circuit input terminal electrically connected to said second terminal of said passive power management unit and said power dissipation circuit output terminal electrically connected to said third terminal of said passive power management unit; at least one energy storage device electrically connected to said second terminal of said passive power management unit, said energy storage device comprising a thin film battery; at least one wireless system connected to said energy storage device, said wireless system comprising at least one wireless sensor; and wherein said at least one power dissipation circuit is adapted to electrically connect said second terminal of said passive power management unit to said third terminal of said passive power management unit when the voltage level of said at least one energy storage device exceeds a predetermined over-charge value. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one input charge device having a charge voltage; at least one blocking circuit comprising an input terminal and an output terminal, said blocking circuit input terminal connected to said at least one input charge device; at least one energy storage device connected to said output terminal of said at least one blocking circuit, said at least one energy storage device having a voltage and a predetermined safe voltage level; at least one voltage monitor circuit comprising an input terminal, a reference terminal, and an output terminal, said first voltage monitor circuit input terminal being connected to said blocking circuit input terminal; and at least one power dissipation circuit connected in parallel to said at least one energy storage device.
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Specification