DEVICE AND RELATIVE METHOD FOR SCAVENGING ENERGY
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An energy scavenging device includes an electromagnetic transducer adapted to generate a current in response to accelerations impressed thereto. The device also includes a power switching stage input with the current generated by the electromagnetic transducer, having a network of controlled switches adapted to alternately deliver on output nodes of the switching stage an output current that does not invert its sign and to short-circuit the transducer. There is an output capacitor coupled between the output nodes of the power stage. A controller having a sensor coupled to the electromagnetic transducer is to sense the current flowing therethrough, the controller being adapted to drive the switches of the power stage in order to either short-circuit the electromagnetic transducer or to direct the current flowing through the transducer to charge the output capacitor.
14 Citations
21 Claims
-
1-7. -7. (canceled)
-
8. An energy scavenging device, comprising:
-
an electromagnetic transducer configured to generate a current in response to accelerations impressed thereto; a power switching stage to be input with current generated by said electromagnetic transducer, and comprising a network of controlled switches and output nodes coupled thereto; said network of controlled switches configured to alternately deliver to said output nodes an output current that does not invert its sign, and to short-circuit said electromagnetic transducer; an output capacitor coupled between said output nodes; and a controller having a sensor coupled to said electromagnetic transducer configured to sense current flowing therethrough, said controller configured to drive said network of controlled switches to either short-circuit said electromagnetic transducer or direct the current flowing through said electromagnetic transducer to charge said output capacitor. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
10. An energy scavenging device, comprising:
-
an electromagnetic transducer responsive to accelerations; a power switching stage coupled to said electromagnetic transducer; an output capacitor coupled to said power switching stage; and a controller coupled to said electromagnetic transducer and configured to either short-circuit said electromagnetic transducer or direct current flowing through said electromagnetic transducer to charge said output capacitor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 16)
-
-
13. A method of scavenging energy using a device comprising an electromagnetic transducer configured to generate a current in response to accelerations impressed thereto, a power switching stage input with current generated by the electromagnetic transducer, a network of controlled switches configured to alternately deliver on output nodes of the power switching stage an output current that does not invert its sign and to short-circuit the electromagnetic transducer, an output capacitor coupled between the output nodes, a controller having a sensor coupled to the electromagnetic transducer to sense current flowing therethrough, the controller being configured to drive the switches of the power switching stage, the method comprising:
-
monitoring the current flowing through the electromagnetic transducer using the controller; and driving the switches of the power switching stage, using the controller, to short-circuit the electromagnetic transducer, and depending on the current, either continuing to short-circuit the electromagnetic transducer or directing the current flowing through the electromagnetic transducer to charge the output capacitor until the current through the electromagnetic transducer nullifies. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 17)
-
-
18. A method of operating an energy scavenging device, comprising:
-
configuring an electromagnetic transducer to generate a current in response to accelerations; inputting a power switching stage with current generated by the electromagnetic transducer; configuring a controller coupled to the electromagnetic transducer to either short-circuit the electromagnetic transducer or direct current flowing through the electromagnetic transducer to charge an output capacitor coupled to the power switching stage. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
Specification