MICRO-ENERGY HARVESTER FOR BATTERY FREE APPLICATIONS

• US 20170133938A1
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eugen Tiefnig
• Original Assignee: Eugen Tiefnig
• Inventors: Tiefnig, Eugen
• Granted Patent: US 10,044,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

The present invention provides, in at least one embodiment, a micro-energy harvester with an integrated power manager that provides a complete solution for transforming and storing electrical energy from micro-energy power sources to efficiently power applications that do not require continuous power.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an input configured to receive a micro-energy source having an input direct current (DC) voltage;

a micro-energy harvester comprising an oscillator, wherein the micro-energy harvester receives and builds up the input DC voltage to an output DC voltage, wherein the oscillator comprises a transistor that is configured to be normally off and the transistor is configured to be switched on by the micro-energy source; and

an output configured to provide the output DC voltage to a micro-energy application.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the micro-energy harvester further comprises a power manager, wherein the power manager measures a power level.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the micro-energy harvester comprises a resonant DC-to-DC voltage converter.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the micro-energy harvester is not powered by a battery.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the micro-energy source comprises a solar cell.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the micro-energy source comprises a thermoelectric generator.

7. A system comprising:

a micro-energy source having an input direct current (DC) voltage;

a micro-energy harvester comprising an oscillator, wherein the micro-energy harvester receives and builds up the input DC voltage to an output DC voltage, wherein the oscillator comprises a transistor that is configured to be normally off and the transistor is configured to be switched on by the micro-energy source; and

a micro-energy application configured to receive the output DC voltage.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the micro-energy harvester further comprises a power manager, wherein the power manager measures a power level.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the micro-energy harvester comprises a resonant DC-to-DC voltage converter.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the micro-energy harvester is not powered by a battery.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the micro-energy source comprises a solar cell.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the micro-energy source comprises a thermoelectric generator.