System and Method for Using Capacitors in Security Devices

• US 20130016212A1
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Battery-Free Outdoors LLC
• Original Assignee: Battery-Free Outdoors LLC
• Inventors: Laceky, William P., Akins, Marty, Bryant, William, Lee, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US13/352,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19636 pertaining to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A battery-free security system is provided with one or more series or parallel capacitive networks. One or more solar panels are used to charge the capacitive networks and one or more charging circuits are used to control the charging of the capacitive networks. One or more DC-DC converters may be used to provide a voltage to a load, the timer/clock circuitry, and a user interface. In those instances when it is desired that the timer/clock circuitry remain powered at all times, the timer/clock circuitry is preferentially preserved at the expense of the load such that if, for any reason, the capacitive network is drained after running the load, there will still be sufficient power stored in the capacitive network to maintain the timer/clock circuitry.

Claims

1. A method of operating a security camera comprising:

providing one or more solar panels;

storing energy from the one or more solar panels in one or more capacitors;

providing control circuitry operatively coupled to the security camera and to the one or more capacitors;

using the energy stored in the one or more capacitors to provide power to the security camera; and

configuring the control circuitry to prevent the security camera from depleting energy stored in the one or more capacitors below a critical level so that the control circuitry will have enough energy available to sustain full circuit operation, including critical logic operation and timekeeping operation, during time periods when the energy stored in the one or more capacitors is insufficient to maintain operation of both the control circuitry and the security camera during a period of time in which there may be limited amounts of solar energy for charging the capacitors back to a fully operational level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging of the one or more capacitors is at least partially disabled when the voltage of the one or more capacitors reaches a threshold voltage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the security camera is powered without using power from a non-photovoltaic power source such as a chemical battery.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a DC-DC converter to step the capacitor voltage up or down to provide a desired steady voltage level to the security camera, even as the capacitor voltages fall.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is programmable by a user to activate the security camera at predetermined intervals and durations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more capacitors comprises first and second separate capacitive networks, wherein the first capacitive network provides power to the control circuitry, and the second capacitive network provides power to the security camera.

7.