Energy Harvesting Timer

• US 20160139565A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: CHEN, Chien-Chih, KUO, Yen-Liang, HO, Chien-Ting
• Granted Patent: US 10,250,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/14 specific to electromechanical timepieces, e.g. moving parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling

Abstract

An energy harvesting timer includes a wireless charging module, a plurality of hands, and a driving module. The hands are connected to the wireless charging module. At least one of the hands serves as a receiving antenna of the wireless charging module. The driving module is connected to the wireless charging module and the hands, receiving energy from the wireless charging module to actuate the hands.

Claims

1. An energy harvesting timer, comprising:

a wireless charging module;

a plurality of hands connected to the wireless charging module, at least one of the hands serving as a receiving antenna of the wireless charging module; and

a driving module connected to the wireless charging module and the hands, wherein the driving module receives energy from the wireless charging module to actuate the hands.

2. The energy harvesting timer of claim 1, wherein the wireless charging module comprises:

a rectifier for converting electromagnetic waves received by the receiving antenna into a direct current;

a voltage converter for adjusting the voltage of the direct current;

an energy storage device; and

a power-management integrated circuit connected to the power storage device, the voltage converter, and the driving module for transmitting the direct current to the power storage device and transmitting the energy of the energy storage device to the driving module.

3. The energy harvesting timer of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication module connected to the wireless charging module, wherein the wireless charging module provides energy to the wireless communication module.

4. The energy harvesting timer of claim 3, further comprising:

a switching module connected to the hands, the wireless communication module, and the wireless charging module, wherein the switching module is configured to selectively connect one of the hands to the wireless communication module, and disconnect the hand to the wireless charging module, the hand connected to the wireless communication module serves as a transmitting antenna of the wireless communication module.

5. The energy harvesting timer of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication module comprises:

a wireless communication chip; and

a matching circuit connected to the wireless communication chip and the switching module for matching an impedance between the wireless communication chip and the transmitting antenna.

6. The energy harvesting timer of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth module.

7. The energy harvesting timer of claim 1, wherein the driving module is a mechanical gear set.

8. The energy harvesting timer of claim 1, wherein the driving module comprises:

a quartz oscillator for providing a clock signal;

an integrated circuit connected to the quartz oscillator;

a stepper motor connected to the integrated circuit; and

a gear set connected to the hands and the stepper motor, wherein the integrated circuit actuates the stepper motor according to the clock signal, such that the stepper motor rotates the gear set.

9. The energy harvesting timer of claim 1, wherein the hands have different lengths.

10. The energy harvesting timer of claim 1, wherein the timer is a watch or a clock.