Method and apparatus for energy harvest from ambient sources
First Claim
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1. An energy harvesting system, comprising:
- a plurality of transducers, the transducers configured to generate direct current (DC) signals from a plurality of ambient energy sources, and at least one transducer of the plurality of transducers including an alternating current (AC) to DC rectifier;
a sensor control circuit having a plurality of sensors configured to detect the DC signals from the plurality of transducers;
a DC-to-DC converter configured to supply an output voltage; and
a plurality of switches, each switch coupled between the DC-to-DC converter and a corresponding transducer of the plurality of transducers,wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to enable one switch and to disable the other switches of the plurality of switches based on a priority criterion.
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Abstract
An energy harvesting system includes a plurality of transducers. The transducers are configured to generate direct current (DC) voltages from a plurality of ambient energy sources. A sensor control circuit has a plurality of sensors configured to detect the DC signals from the plurality of transducers. A DC-to-DC converter is configured to supply an output voltage. A plurality of switches, each switch coupled between the DC-to-DC converter and a corresponding transducer of the plurality of transducers. The sensor control circuit enables one switch of the plurality of switches and disables the other switches of the plurality of switches based on a priority criterion.
251 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An energy harvesting system, comprising:
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a plurality of transducers, the transducers configured to generate direct current (DC) signals from a plurality of ambient energy sources, and at least one transducer of the plurality of transducers including an alternating current (AC) to DC rectifier; a sensor control circuit having a plurality of sensors configured to detect the DC signals from the plurality of transducers; a DC-to-DC converter configured to supply an output voltage; and a plurality of switches, each switch coupled between the DC-to-DC converter and a corresponding transducer of the plurality of transducers, wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to enable one switch and to disable the other switches of the plurality of switches based on a priority criterion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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detecting direct current (DC) signals from a plurality of transducers using voltage sensors, the transducers configured to generate the DC signals from a plurality of ambient energy sources, and at least one transducer of the plurality of transducers generating a corresponding one of the DC signals by operating an alternating current (AC) to DC rectifier within the at least one transducer; selecting one transducer from the plurality of transducers based on a priority criterion; controlling switches to couple the selected transducer to a DC-to-DC converter; and supplying an output voltage from the DC-to-DC converter. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An energy harvesting system, comprising:
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a plurality of transducers, the transducers configured to generate direct current (DC) signals from a plurality of ambient energy sources, and at least one transducer of the plurality of transducers including an alternating current (AC) to DC rectifier; a sensor control circuit having a plurality of sensors configured to detect the DC signals from the plurality of transducers; a DC-to-DC converter configured to supply an output voltage; a plurality of switches, each switch coupled between the DC-to-DC converter and a corresponding transducer of the plurality of transducers; a battery charger coupled to the output voltage and a battery, wherein the battery is configured to be charged by the battery charger; and a voltage regulator coupled to the output voltage; wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to enables one switch and to disable the other switches of the plurality of switches based on a priority criterion, and the voltage regulator is configured to supply a regulated voltage using the output voltage when the output voltage is above a first threshold value and using a battery voltage from the battery when the output voltage is below the first threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification