ELECTRICITY STORAGE DEVICE FOR SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING DEVICE

• US 20150115866A1
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Da-Wei Lin, Yun-Shan Chang
• Original Assignee: Da-Wei Lin, Yun-Shan Chang
• Inventors: CHANG, YUN-SHAN
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

An electricity storage device for a solar energy harvesting device comprising at least a first electricity storage unit, at least a second electricity storage unit, a battery monitoring unit and a power converter. The second electricity storage unit is for coupled to an exterior power supply system which charges/discharges the second electricity storage unit in a predetermined voltage. The battery monitoring unit controls the power converter according to the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit for converting the electricity of the first electricity storage unit to the second electricity unit. When the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit is larger than a start voltage, the electricity of the first electricity storage unit is converted to the second electricity storage unit. When the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit is less than a stop voltage, the battery monitoring unit disables the power converter.

Claims

1. An electricity storage device for a solar energy harvesting device:

at least a first electricity storage unit, receiving and storing electricity from the solar energy harvesting device;

at least a second electricity storage unit, for coupling to an exterior power supply system, wherein the exterior power supply system charges/discharges the second electricity storage unit in a predetermined voltage;

a battery monitoring unit, coupled to the first electricity storage unit, sensing an output voltage of the first electricity storage unit, and generating a control signal according to the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit; and

a power converter, having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the first electricity storage unit, the output terminal is coupled to the second electricity storage unit, the power converter is controlled by the control signal for converting the electricity of the first electricity storage unit to the second electricity storage unit;

wherein the battery monitoring unit enables the power converter through the control signal when the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit is larger than a start voltage, for controlling the power converter to convert the electricity of the first electricity storage unit to the second electricity storage unit;

wherein the battery monitoring unit disables the power converter through the control signal when the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit is less than a stop voltage, wherein the start voltage is larger than the stop voltage.

2. The electricity storage device according to claim 1, wherein the battery monitoring unit comprises:

a start circuit, receiving the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit, wherein the start circuit generates a start signal when the output voltage is larger than the start voltage;

a stop circuit, receiving the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit, wherein the stop circuit generates a stop signal when the output voltage is less than the stop voltage; and

a latch having a setting terminal and a resetting terminal, the setting terminal receiving the start signal, the resetting terminal receiving the stop signal, the latch generating the control signal according to the start signal and the stop signal.

3. The electricity storage device according to claim 2, wherein the start circuit comprises:

an N-channel transistor, a first terminal of the N-channel transistor being coupled to the setting terminal of the latch, a second terminal of the N-channel transistor being coupled to a grounding terminal, wherein the voltage level of the first terminal of the N-channel transistor is the start signal;

a biasing resistive element, coupled between the first terminal of the N-channel transistor and the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit; and

a voltage divider, converting the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit to a control voltage, and providing the control voltage to a control terminal of the N-channel transistor.

4. The electricity storage device according to claim 3, wherein the voltage divider comprises a first resistive element, a second resistive element and a decoupling capacitive element, the first resistive element is coupled between the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit and the control terminal of the N-channel transistor, the second resistive element is coupled between the control terminal of the N-channel transistor and the grounding terminal, the decoupling capacitive element is connected to the second resistive element in parallel.

5. The electricity storage device according to claim 2, wherein the stop circuit comprises:

a P-channel transistor, a first terminal of the P-channel transistor being coupled to the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit, a second terminal of the P-channel transistor being coupled to the resetting terminal of the latch, wherein the voltage level of the second terminal of the P-channel transistor is the stop signal;

a first biasing resistive element, coupled between the second terminal of the P-channel transistor and a grounding terminal;

an N-channel transistor, a first terminal of the N-channel transistor being coupled to the control terminal of the P-channel transistor, a second terminal of the N-channel transistor being coupled to the grounding terminal;

a second biasing resistive element, coupled between the first terminal of the N-channel transistor and the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit; and

a voltage divider, converting the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit to a control voltage, and providing the control voltage to a control terminal of the N-channel transistor.

6. The electricity storage device according to claim 5, wherein the voltage divider comprises a first resistive element, a second resistive element and a decoupling capacitive element, the first resistive element is coupled between the output voltage of the first electricity storage unit and the control terminal of the N-channel transistor, the second resistive element is coupled between the control terminal of the N-channel transistor and the grounding terminal, the decoupling capacitive element is connected to the second resistive element in parallel.

7. The electricity storage device according to claim 1, wherein the first electricity storage unit and the second electricity storage unit are secondary batteries.

8. The electricity storage device according to claim 1, wherein the power converter is a boost converter or a buck converter.

9. The electricity storage device according to claim 1, wherein the capacity of the second electricity storage unit is larger than the capacity of the first electricity storage unit.

10. The electricity storage device according to claim 1, wherein the power converter comprises at least one of an over-voltage protection circuit, an over-current protection circuit, a short protection circuit and an over-temperature protection circuit.