Energy and power management integrated circuit device

• US 8,378,622 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Yang, Yil Suk, Kim, Jong Dae, Lee, Jae Woo, Heo, Se Wan, Jang, Moon Gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US12/708,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20110062912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided is an energy and power management integrated circuit (IC) device. The energy and power management IC device includes a plurality of energy conversion devices for harvesting energy from respective energy conversion sources and converting the energy into electric energy, an energy management IC (EMIC) for converting the electric energy converted by the energy conversion devices into stable energy, a storage device for storing the energy or power converted by the EMIC, a power management IC (PMIC) for receiving and distributing the power stored in the storage device, and a plurality of output load devices for consuming the power distributed by the PMIC. Accordingly, it is possible to harvest energy in an environmentally friendly way and semi-permanently use the energy without changing a battery.

Claims

1. An energy and power management integrated circuit (IC) device, comprising:

a plurality of energy conversion devices configured to acquire energy from a plurality of energy conversion sources and convert the acquired energy into electric energy;

an energy management IC (EMIC) configured to convert the electric energy converted by the energy conversion devices into stable energy;

a storage device configured to store the stable energy as power; and

a power management IC (PMIC) configured to receive the power stored in the storage device and distribute the power to a plurality of output load devices according to states of the output load devices,

wherein the output load devices are configured to consume the power distributed by the PMIC.

2. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein the PMIC is configured to selectively receive the electric energy directly from the energy conversion devices and distribute the electric energy to the plurality of output load devices, without storing the electric energy in the storage device, according to the states of the output load devices.

3. The energy and power management IC device of claim 2, wherein the PMIC is further configured to distribute the power stored in the storage device or the electric energy directly received from the energy conversion devices to the EMIC.

4. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein the EMIC includes:

an energy conversion source selector configured to select one of the energy conversion devices;

an energy conversion source monitor unit configured to monitor the energy conversion sources and control the energy conversion source selector; and

an energy converter configured to convert electric energy converted by the selected energy conversion device into the stable energy to be stored in the storage device.

5. The energy and power management IC device of claim 4, wherein the energy converter includes an energy conversion circuit configured to perform direct current (DC)-DC conversion to increase or reduce an input voltage according to an input voltage level of the storage device and perform alternating current (AC)-DC conversion to convert AC energy into DC energy.

6. The energy and power management IC device of claim 4, wherein the EMIC further includes a processor and control circuit configured to generate and manage control signals to control the EMIC and the PMIC.

7. The energy and power management IC device of claim 6, wherein the processor and control circuit is configured to generate and manage a control signal for allowing the EMIC to control the PMIC.

8. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein the PMIC includes:

a processor and control circuit configured to generate and manage control signals to control the EMIC and the PMIC;

a plurality of power converters configured to distribute the power stored in the storage device to the plurality of output load devices according to the states of the output load devices; and

a storage device state-of-charge (SOC) monitoring and protection circuit configured to monitor a SOC of the storage device and protect the storage device from being overcharged or overloaded.

9. The energy and power management IC device of claim 8, wherein the processor and control circuit is configured to generate and manage a control signal for allowing the PMIC to control the EMIC.

10. The energy and power management IC device of claim 8, wherein each of the power converters includes a power conversion circuit configured to perform a direct current (DC)-DC conversion function to drive a corresponding output load and the EMIC.

11. The energy and power management IC device of claim 8, wherein the power converters include any of buck converters, boost converters, buck-boost converters, and charge pumps.

12. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein each of the energy conversion sources includes any of sunlight, thermoelectricity, piezoelectricity, motion, and vibration.

13. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein the storage device includes any of a primary battery, a secondary battery, a supercapacitor, and a fuel cell.

14. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein each of the output load devices includes any of a radio frequency (RF) module, a processor, a peripheral device, and a sensor.

15. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein the EMIC and the PMIC receive power from the storage device.

16. The energy and power management IC device of claim 1, wherein the PMIC the EMIC receive power from the storage device and the PMIC, respectively.