System and method for charging batteries with ambient acoustic energy
First Claim
1. A system for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the system comprising:
- one or more audio speakers, wherein each of said speakers comprises a transducer that generates an electromotive force (EMF) in response to acoustic waves incident on said speakers; and
a battery charger coupled to said speakers and to the batteries, wherein said battery charger receives the EMF from said speakers, and wherein said battery charger is operable to charge the batteries using the received EMF.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for charging rechargeable batteries using power from ambient acoustic waves. A first embodiment comprises a system with one or more audio speakers and a battery charger. Each speaker has a transducer that generates an electromotive force (EMF) in response to acoustic waves incident on the speaker. The battery charger receives the EMF from the speaker and charges one or more batteries using the received EMF. A second embodiment comprises a method for charging rechargeable batteries by the steps of generating a sound wave incident on an audio speaker, the speaker generating an EMF, providing the EMF to a battery charger, and the battery charger using the EMF to charge the batteries. A third embodiment comprises a battery charger that uses electrical power generated by one or more audio speakers to charge one or more rechargeable batteries. A rectifying unit in the battery charger receives and rectifies EMFs from the speakers and provides it to the batteries. In a fourth embodiment, the invention comprises a portable telephone, preferably a cordless telephone or a cellular telephone, with a battery charger that uses acoustic energy incident on the speaker of the portable telephone to charge batteries in the telephone. A fifth embodiment of the present invention comprises a portable electronic device, such as a portable radio, a tape recorder, or a hand-held video game, that uses acoustic energy incident on a speaker or microphone to charge batteries in the portable electronic device.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A system for charging one or more rechargeable batteries, the system comprising:
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one or more audio speakers, wherein each of said speakers comprises a transducer that generates an electromotive force (EMF) in response to acoustic waves incident on said speakers; and a battery charger coupled to said speakers and to the batteries, wherein said battery charger receives the EMF from said speakers, and wherein said battery charger is operable to charge the batteries using the received EMF. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for charging rechargeable batteries, the method comprising:
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generating a sound wave incident on an audio speaker; the speaker generating an electromotive force (EMF) in response to the sound wave; providing the EMF to a battery charger; and the battery charger using the EMF to charge the batteries. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A battery charger that uses electrical power generated by a first number of audio speakers to charge a second number of rechargeable batteries, wherein the first and second numbers are each one or more, the battery charger comprising:
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a first number of audio ports for receiving a first number of audio signals; a first number of speaker ports for providing the audio signals to the audio speakers, and for receiving a first number of electromotive forces (EMFs) from the audio speakers; a rectifying unit configured to electrically connect to the rechargeable batteries, and configured to charge the rechargeable batteries; and a switch coupled to said audio ports, to said speaker ports, and to said rectifying unit, wherein said switch receives the audio signals from said audio ports, wherein said switch receives the EMFs from said speaker ports, wherein said switch is operable to provide the audio signals to said speaker ports, and wherein said switch is operable to provide the EMFs to said rectifying unit. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A portable telephone that uses acoustic energy to charge batteries in the telephone, the telephone comprising:
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an audio speaker, wherein said speaker comprises a transducer that generates an electromotive force (EMF) in response to acoustic waves incident on said speaker; a telephone unit coupled to said speaker, wherein said telephone unit provides an audio signal to said speaker; a rechargeable battery coupled to said telephone unit, wherein said rechargeable battery provides electrical power to said telephone unit; and a battery charger coupled to said speaker and to said rechargeable battery, wherein said battery charger receives the EMF from said speaker, and wherein said battery charger is operable to charge said rechargeable battery using the received EMF. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A portable electronic device that uses acoustic energy to charge a battery, the portable electronic device comprising:
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a primary functional unit that receives or generates an audio signal; a acoustic transducer coupled to said primary functional unit, wherein said acoustic transducer is a microphone that provides an audio signal to said primary functional unit or a speaker that receives an audio signal from said primary functional unit, and wherein said acoustic transducer generates an electromotive force (EMF) in response to acoustic waves incident on said acoustic transducer; a rechargeable battery coupled to said primary functional unit, wherein said rechargeable battery provides electrical power to said primary functional unit; and a battery charger coupled to said acoustic transducer and to said rechargeable battery, wherein said battery charger receives the EMF from said acoustic transducer, and wherein said battery charger is operable to charge said rechargeable battery using the received EMF. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification