DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HARVESTING, COLLECTING OR CAPTURING AND STORING AMBIENT ENERGY

• US 20150048682A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Raffe Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Raffe Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Murley, Alan Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/386,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/52
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/62 using bucking or boosting dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/10 arranged for operation in series, e.g. for multiplication of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/103 Containing passive elements (capacitively coupled) which are ordered in cascade on one source

Abstract

An ambient energy collector for use in AC/DC applications is described. The ambient energy collector has at least one ambient energy collecting antenna system and a master control unit for operational control of the at least one ambient energy collecting antenna system. The ambient energy collector has a DC voltage boosting circuit for increasing an input voltage, a DC primer power source for powering up the voltage boosting circuit via the input voltage, at least one antenna system for collecting ambient energy, an energy collection circuit for converting and amplifying an AC voltage collected by the antenna of the at least one antenna system into a DC voltage, and an output circuit for providing a load with the DC voltage.

Claims

1. A device for collecting ambient energy comprising:

at least one antenna system (10) comprising;

at least one antenna (11) for collecting ambient energy,

a primary start-up boost circuit (PSUBC) (12) for increasing an input voltage,

at least one DC primer source (15) for powering up the primary start-up boost circuit (12) via the input voltage, and

an energy collection circuit (ECC) (14) for converting and amplifying an AC voltage collected by the antenna (11),

a master controller unit (20) for operational control of the at least one antenna system (10), and

an output for providing a load (30) with an output voltage.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna system (10) further comprises an RF frequency sensor circuit (RFFSC) (13) for determining an optimum frequency for the at least one antenna (11) to collect ambient energy.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna system (10) further comprises a regulator recovery circuit (21) for recovering an excess capacitance energy and via the micro controller unit (20) provides the excess capacitance energy to the energy collection circuit (14).

4. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the antenna system (10) further comprises a regulator recovery circuit (21) for recovering an excess capacitance energy and via the micro controller unit (20) provides the excess capacitance energy to the RF frequency sensor circuit (13) and/or the energy collection circuit (14).

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one DC primer source (15) is a solar panel, a battery, a thermal device, and/or an AC to DC wall plug.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one antenna (11) is tunable.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the tuning of the at least one antenna (11) is provided by at least one variable capacitor and/or at least one programmable capacitor circuit (PCC).

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one antenna (11) is a wire loop type antenna, a patch type antenna, an aperture type antenna, a micro strip type antenna, and/or a reflector type antenna.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each of the at least one antenna (11) of each of the at least one antenna system (10) have a same and/or different antenna type.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each of the at least one antenna system (10) operates independently.

11. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the primary start-up boost circuit (12) is a boost converter, a step-up converter, and/or a buck-boost converter circuit.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the RF frequency sensor circuit (13) is an RF detector.

13. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the energy collection circuit (14) is a combination of a dickson charge pump and an AC to DC conversion circuit.

14. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the energy collection circuit (14) is a combination of a dickson charge pump and a rectifier circuit.

15. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the energy collection circuit (14) is a combination of a multi-stage charge pump circuit and an AC to DC conversion circuit.

16. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the energy collection circuit (14) is a combination of a multi-stage charge pump circuit and a rectifier circuit.

17. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the master controller unit (20) is a programmable logic controller and/or a microcontroller.

18. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the load (30) is a battery.

19. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the load (30) is an electronic device.