ENERGY HARVEST AND STORAGE SYSTEM AND MULTI-SENSOR MODULE

• US 20150115868A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PING, Zhan
• Granted Patent: US 10,193,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/80 Constructional details

Abstract

An embodiment includes a system, comprising: a circuit; an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy from the circuit to electrical energy; an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and a power supply configured to supply power from the energy storage device, and multi-sensor module including such a system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a circuit;

an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy from the circuit to electrical energy;

an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and

a power supply configured to supply power from the energy storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy is thermal energy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a semiconductor device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises a thermoelectric material disposed on the semiconductor device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor configured to store the electrical energy.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the circuit includes;

a circuit board;

an integrated circuit disposed on the circuit board; and

a controller disposed on the circuit board and configured to manage an operation of the circuit;

the energy harvesting device is configured to convert thermal energy from the integrated circuit to the electrical energy; and

the energy storage device is configured to supply power to at least the controller.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to cause the integrated circuit to perform a shutdown function based on a loss of power to the circuit.

8. A system, comprising:

a module;

a semiconductor device disposed in the module; and

a plurality of sensors disposed in the module;

wherein a type of at least one of the sensors is different from a type of another sensor of the sensors.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the module is a memory module.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a controller separate from the module and configured to receive information from the sensors.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the controller includes a wireless communication interface; and

the controller is configured to receive the information from the sensors through the wireless communication interface.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an amount of cooling provided to the module in response to the information from the sensors.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the module comprises:

an energy harvesting device configured to convert energy from the semiconductor device to electrical energy;

an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and

a power supply configured to supply power to at least part of the module from the energy storage device.

15. The system of claim 0, wherein the at least part of the module includes the sensors.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the power supply is configured to supply power to the sensors only from the energy storage device.

17. A method, comprising:

harvesting energy from a semiconductor device on a module;

storing the harvested energy in an energy storage device from on the module; and

powering at least part of the module from the energy storage device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing the harvested energy in the energy storage device until a state of the energy storage device reaches a first threshold; and

powering the at least part of the module from the energy storage device after the state of the energy storage device reaches the first threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

powering the at least part of the module from the energy storage device until the state of the energy storage device reaches a second threshold; and

switching power of the at least part of the module from the energy storage device to another power source after the state of the energy storage device reaches the second threshold.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein powering the at least port of the module from the energy storage device comprises powering a shutdown function of the module from the energy storage device.