Platform energy harvesting

• US 20110156406A1
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Naeimi, Helia, Ma, Qing
• Application Number:
  US12/657,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters

Abstract

Presented herein are approaches for using mother boards and/or other masses, already in a platform

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a computing platform having one or more energy harvesting devices to generate electrical charge responsive to the motion of one or more mass sources of the platform.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the one or more mass sources comprise a motherboard.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the one or more energy harvesting devices are mechanically linked to the motherboard to move and thereby generate electrical energy from the energy harvesting devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, in which the one or more energy harvesting devices comprises electromechanical devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the electromechanical energy harvesting devices comprise coils mounted to the motherboard.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, in which the electromechanical devices comprise a permanent magnet mounted to an interior housing portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, in which the one or more energy harvesting devices comprises piezoelectric devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the one or more piezoelectric devices comprise beams made from piezoelectric material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the beams are mounted to the motherboard.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the computing platform is a portable tablet computer.