Power conversion from piezoelectric source with multi-stage storage
First Claim
1. A pneumatic tire assembly with integrated self-powered electronic components, said tire assembly comprising:
- a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, exterior sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown, and interior crown and sidewall surfaces;
a piezoelectric structure integrated with a selected portion of said tire structure such that said piezoelectric structure generates electrical energy concurrently with flexure of said tire structure;
a power harvesting and conditioning module electrically coupled to said piezoelectric structure for receiving electric energy generated therein and for providing a plurality of output voltages upon flexure of said tire structure; and
an electronics package connected to said power harvesting and conditioning module such that selected functionality of said electronics package is powered by selected of the plurality of output voltages.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and corresponding method for generating electric power from a rotating tire'"'"'s mechanical energy concerns a piezoelectric power generation device associated with a power harvesting and conditioning module. The piezoelectric structure is preferably mounted within a tire structure such that electric charge is generated therein as the wheel assembly moves along a ground surface. The electrodes of the piezoelectric structure are coupled to a power harvesting and conditioning module that rectifies the resultant electric current from the piezoelectric structure, conditions and stores it in a multi-stage energy storage device, preferably a plurality of capacitors. A regulated voltage source is provided from the energy stored in the power generation device and can be used to selectively power various electronics systems integrated within a tire or wheel assembly. An example of an integrated tire electronics system for use with the disclosed power generation device corresponds to a tire monitoring system that wirelessly transmits such information as tire pressure, temperature and identification variables to a remote receiver location.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A pneumatic tire assembly with integrated self-powered electronic components, said tire assembly comprising:
-
a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, exterior sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown, and interior crown and sidewall surfaces; a piezoelectric structure integrated with a selected portion of said tire structure such that said piezoelectric structure generates electrical energy concurrently with flexure of said tire structure; a power harvesting and conditioning module electrically coupled to said piezoelectric structure for receiving electric energy generated therein and for providing a plurality of output voltages upon flexure of said tire structure; and an electronics package connected to said power harvesting and conditioning module such that selected functionality of said electronics package is powered by selected of the plurality of output voltages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A tire monitoring system for integration with a pneumatic tire structure designed to measure and transmit information relating to preselected tire conditions, said tire monitoring system comprising:
-
a piezoelectric structure; a power harvesting and conditioning module electrically coupled to said piezoelectric structure for receiving electric charge generated within the piezoelectric structure, for storing the charge within the power conditioning module, and for generating a plurality of output voltages; at least one sensor for determining information about at least one preselected tire condition, a microcontroller connected to said power harvesting and conditioning module and to said at least one sensor for processing the information received from said at least one sensor and for generating select information indicative of at least one preselected tire condition; and an RF transmitter electrically connected to said microcontroller for receiving select information from said microcontroller, modulating the select information on a carrier signal, and transmitting the select information. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for generating power from piezoelectric materials integrated within a wheel assembly, said method comprising the following steps:
-
providing a piezoelectric structure, wherein said piezoelectric structure is positioned along a selected location within the interior of the wheel assembly; subjecting the wheel assembly to mechanical strain generally occurring as the wheel assembly rolls along a surface resulting in flexure of portions of the wheel assembly and generation of electric current within the provided piezoelectric structure; conditioning the electric current generated within the piezoelectric structure; and storing the conditioned electric current in a plurality of storage devices such that a voltage source is immediately available for powering electronic devices associated with the wheel assembly. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
Specification