Power harvesting

• US 7,266,269 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Koste, Glen Peter, Tolliver, Todd Ryan, Shih, Min-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US11/014,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20060133733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 385/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29352 in a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4277 Protection against electromagnetic interference [EMI], e.g. shielding means shielding of electric apparatus H05K9/00, of instruments G12B17/00

Abstract

A power harvesting module comprises at least one electromagnetic (EM) radiation intensity modulator configured to receive a first EM radiation from at least one source and at least one energy converter configured to at least partially convert the energy of the first EM radiation during modulation into electrical energy.

Claims

1. A power harvesting module comprising:

at least one electromagnetic (EM) radiation modulator configured to receive and modulate an EM radiation from at least one source, wherein at least a part of the energy of the EM radiation is unused or discarded at the modulator during modulation to provide a modulated EM radiation;

at least one energy harvester configured to at least partially harvest the energy of the EM radiation unused or discarded at the modulator; and

a bias circuit to dynamically vary a bias voltage to control the performance of the power harvesting module.

2. The power harvesting module of claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises at least one filter.

3. The power harvesting module of claim 2, wherein at least one filter is a carrier suppression filter to help harvest energy from a modulated carrier frequency signal.

4. The power harvesting module of claim 1, wherein the EM radiation modulator comprises at least one optical modulator.

5. The power harvesting module of claim 4, wherein the optical modulator comprises a Mach Zehnder modulator.

6. The power harvesting module of claim 4, wherein the optical modulator comprises a switch.

7. The power harvesting module of claim 6, wherein the optical switch comprises a bistable switch.

8. The power harvesting module of claim 4, wherein the optical modulator comprises an optical fiber modulator.

9. The power harvesting module of claim 1, wherein the energy harvester comprises at least one energy converter.

10. The power harvesting module of claim 9, wherein the energy converter comprises an optical energy to electrical energy converter.

11. The power harvesting module of claim 10, wherein the energy converter comprises at least one photovoltaic device.

12. The power harvesting module of claim 9, wherein the energy converter and the EM radiation modulator comprise an integral assembly.

13. The power harvesting module of claim 9, wherein the energy converter comprises at least one radio frequency energy converter.

14. The power harvesting module of claim 1, further comprising at least one energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy.

15. The power harvesting module of claim 14, wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one capacitor.

16. The power harvesting module of claim 14, wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one electrochemical storage device.

17. The power-harvesting module of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling dynamic power harvesting.

18. A system at least partially powered by EM radiation comprising:

at least one EM radiation source; and

at least one power harvesting module, the power harvesting module including at least one EM radiation modulator configured to modulate EM radiation from the at least one EM radiation source, wherein at least a part of the energy of the EM radiation is unused or discarded at the modulator during modulation to provide a modulated EM radiation, and at least one energy harvester configured to at least partially harvest the energy of the EM radiation unused or discarded at the modulator.

wherein the energy harvester comprises at least one RF energy converter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the EM radiation source comprises a laser.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the EM radiation modulator comprises a Mach Zehnder modulator.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the EM radiation modulator comprises a switch.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the EM radiation modulator comprises a filter.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the system further comprises a carrier suppression filter to help harvest energy from a modulated EM radiation.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the EM radiation source is situated inside a shielded environment.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the EM radiation source is situated outside a shielded environment.

26. The system of claim 18, further comprising an optical conduit configured to transmit the EM radiation to the modulator, wherein the optical conduit comprises at least one optical fiber.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the energy harvester comprises at least one photovoltaic device.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the system comprises a Magnetic resonance system.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the system comprises a Magnetic resonance spectroscopy system or a Magnetic resonance imaging system.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the system comprises a radar system.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises at least one energy storage device.

32. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises electronics powered by the energy harvested by the power-harvesting module.

33. A magnetic resonance imaging system at least partially powered by EM radiation comprising:

an MRI detector;

at least one EM radiation source; and

at least one power harvesting module, the power harvesting module including at least one EM radiation modulator configured to modulate EM radiation from the at least one EM radiation source, wherein at least a part of the energy of the EM radiation is unused or discarded at the modulator during modulation to provide a modulated EM radiation, and at least one energy harvester configured to at least partially harvest the energy of the EM radiation unused or discarded at the modulator.