ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO BE POWERED BY ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCE

• US 20140184160A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Krishnan Ravichandran, Lilly Huang, Wayne L. Proefrock
• Inventors: HUANG, Lilly, PROEFROCK, Wayne L., RAVICHANDRAN, Krishnan
• Granted Patent: US 9,281,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A mobile device may be provided that includes an input port, an adjusting device, and a voltage regulator. The input port may receive power from an alternative power source or a DC power supply. The mobile device may receive the power from the input port, adjust a power characteristic of the power, and provide the power having the adjusted power characteristic. The voltage regulator may receive the adjusted power and provide a regulated voltage to a load.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an input port to receive power from a power source;

an adjusting device to receive the power from the input port, and to adjust a power characteristic of the power; and

a component to receive the power having the adjusted power characteristic.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the component is a voltage regulator to receive the power having the adjusted power characteristic and to provide a regulated voltage.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device includes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) device.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the adjusting device further includes a controller to control the MPPT device based at least in part on a control algorithm.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device includes a charger to receive power from any one of a plurality of different power sources.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the charger to determine a type of the received power and to adjust the characteristic of the received power based at least in part on the determined type of the received power.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the power source is one of a solar power source, a mechanical power source, a photovoltaic power source, a thermal power source, a radio frequency power source, a vibration power source, a biomechanical power source or a fuel cell.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is directly coupled to the power source.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the component includes a plurality of voltage regulators, each voltage regulator to provide a separate regulated voltage to a different load of the mobile device.

10. A mobile device comprising:

an input port to receive power from an alternative power source, the alternative power source being one of a solar power source, a mechanical power source, a photovoltaic power source, a thermal power source, a radio frequency power source, a vibration power source, a biomechanical power source or a fuel cell;

an adjusting device to receive the power from the input port, and to adjust a power characteristic of the received power; and

at least one voltage regulator to receive the power having the adjusted power characteristic and to provide a regulated voltage.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the adjusting device includes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) device.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the adjusting device further includes a controller to control the MPPT device based at least in part on a control algorithm.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the adjusting device includes a charger to receive power from the alternative power source.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the charger to determine a type of the received power and to adjust the characteristic of the received power based at least in part on the determined type of the received power.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the alternative power source is directly coupled to the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the at least one voltage regulator includes a plurality of voltage regulators, each to separately provide a regulated power to a different load of the mobile device.

17. A system comprising:

a power source to provide a power; and

a mobile device to couple to the power source and to directly receive the power from the power source, the mobile device including;

an input port to directly receive the power from the power source,

an adjusting device to receive the power from the input port, and to adjust a power characteristic of the received power, and

a voltage regulator to receive the power having the adjusted power characteristic from the adjusting device and to provide a constant voltage to a load of the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the adjusting device includes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the adjusting device further incudes a controller to control the MPPT device based at least in part on a control algorithm.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the adjusting device includes a charger to receive power from any one of a plurality of different power sources.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the charger to determine a type of the received power and to adjust the characteristic of the received power based at least in part on the determined type of the received power.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the power source is one of a solar power source, a mechanical power source, a photovoltaic power source, a thermal power source, a radio frequency power source, a vibration power source, a biomechanical power source or a fuel cell.

23. A method comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, power of a power source;

adjusting a power characteristic of the power; and

receiving, at a component of the electronic device, the power having the adjusted characteristic.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving power from any one of a plurality of different power sources.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising determining a type of the received power and adjusting the characteristic of the received power based at least in part on the determined type of the received power.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the component receives the power having the adjusted power characteristic and provides a regulated voltage.