Power resource management

• US 8,786,246 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tuen Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tuen Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tsui, Chi Ying, Murch, Ross David, Cheng, Roger Shu Kwan, Mow, Wai Ho, Lau, Vincent Kin Nang
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/053,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/103, 320/112, 320/114
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Systems and methods that recharge power supply units of portable electronic devices by leveraging energy harvesting or scavenging techniques. A recharge component accumulates energy from a plurality of sources, and supplies an electric current to the portable electronic device for a charge thereof. The sources of energy are based on routine user actions such as muscle movements (e.g., walking, movement of eye lashes, body heat), and can further consider environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight, temperature, as well as availability of external power sources.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a recharge component configured to harvest energy from a plurality of different types of energy resources, including;

a muscle movement sensor configured to attach to a part of a human body and generate mechanical energy as a function of muscle movement of the human body,

a thermal unit configured to attach to the part or another part of the human body and generate thermal energy as a function of body heat of the human body,

a solar unit configured to generate solar energy as a function of an amount of sunlight received by the solar unit, and

a kinetic unit configured to generate kinetic energy as a function of mechanical vibration of the kinetic unit; and

an artificial intelligence component configured to determine a type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources from which to harvest the energy based on at least one of a user activity, the amount of sunlight, or a time of day.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a contact free induction system configured to connect the recharge component to a mobile electronic device having an external power supply and wirelessly supply an electrical current to the external power supply.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the muscle movement sensor employs a piezoelectric component to convert the mechanical energy to an electrical current.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric component includes a spreading assembly of piezoelectric elements that are adapted to be positioned in a shoe.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the artificial intelligence component is further configured to determine a first type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources from which to harvest the energy based in part on availability of the first type of energy source and unavailability of a second type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the artificial intelligence component employ statistical analysis to determine the first type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources from which to harvest the energy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different types of energy resources further includes an external induction unit configured to wirelessly transmit induction energy to the recharge component.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the recharge component comprises a modular arrangement of a plurality of cards that are interchangeable based on the plurality of different types of energy sources, wherein respective ones of the plurality of cards facilitate the harvest of the energy from the plurality of different types of energy sources.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of cards includes at least one of a flash card, a smart card, or a communication card.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the muscle movement sensor employs a nano-generator to convert the mechanical energy to an electrical current.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a regulator component configured to control a function of the mobile electronic device to reduce consumption of the electrical current.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different types of energy resources further includes a unit configured to generate kinetic energy as a function of blood flow of the human body.

13. A method, comprising:

harvesting energy generated from a plurality of different types of energy sources, including;

determining a type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources from which to harvest the energy based on at least one of a user activity or a time of day;

receiving mechanical energy at the muscle movement sensor in response to a muscle movement of the human body;

receiving thermal energy at a thermal unit configured to attach to the human body;

receiving solar energy at a solar unit as a function of an amount of sunlight received by the solar unit;

receiving kinetic energy at a kinetic unit as a function of mechanical vibration of the kinetic unit;

converting the mechanical energy, the thermal energy, the solar energy and the kinetic energy to an electrical current; and

supplying the electrical current to a mobile electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the supplying comprises wirelessly supplying the electrical current to the mobile electronic device using induction.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting a trigger that initiates the harvesting.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the converting includes converting the mechanical energy to the electrical current with a piezoelectric component.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

regulating a function of the mobile electronic device to reduce consumption of the electrical current.

18. A system, comprising:

means for accumulating energy from a plurality of different types of energy sources, the energy including;

mechanical energy received at a muscle movement sensor configured to attach to a part of a human body and generate mechanical energy as a function of muscle movement of the human body,

thermal energy received at a thermal unit configured to attach to the part or another part of the human body and generate thermal energy as a function of body heat of the human body;

solar energy received at a solar unit, and

kinetic energy received at a kinetic unit;

means for determining a type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources from which to accumulate the energy based on at least one of a user activity or an amount of sunlight determined to be available;

means for converting the mechanical energy, the thermal energy, the solar energy and the kinetic energy to an electrical current;

means for supplying the electrical current to an electronic mobile device; and

means for regulating a function of the electronic mobile device to reduce a power consumption of the electronic mobile device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for supplying includes means for wirelessly supplying the energy to the electronic mobile device using induction.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for accumulating includes means for accumulating electrical energy from an inductance component remote from the mobile electronic device.

21. A system, comprising:

a power storage component configured to store energy at least partly received based on an electrical current input to the power storage component and provide at least some of the energy to a mobile device; and

a recharge component configured to determine one or more energy resources from a plurality of different types of energy resources remote from the mobile device that are available to provide at least a portion of the energy to the power storage component based on at least one of an amount of sunlight determined to be available, user activity, or a time of day, and interact with the one or more energy resources to supply at least the portion of the energy to the power storage component,

wherein interaction with the one or more energy resources includes;

reception of mechanical energy by a muscle movement sensor configured to attach to a part of a human body and generate mechanical energy as a function of muscle movement of the human body,

reception of thermal energy by a thermal unit configured to attach to the part or another part of the human body and generate thermal energy as a function of body heat of the human body,

reception of solar energy at a solar unit configured to generate solar energy as a function of sunlight received by the solar unit, and reception of kinetic energy at a kinetic unit configured to generate kinetic energy as a function of mechanical vibration of the kinetic unit, and

conversion of the mechanical energy, the thermal energy, the solar energy and the kinetic energy to the electrical current.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile device is separate from the recharge component.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the recharge component is wired to the power storage component in order to supply at least the portion of the energy to the power storage component.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the muscle movement sensor employs a piezoelectric component to convert the mechanical energy to the electrical current.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the muscle movement sensor employs a nano-generator to convert the mechanical energy to the electrical current.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of different types of energy resources further includes an induction system configured to generate induction energy, the induction system including a primary inductance component and a secondary inductance component, wherein the primary inductance component is connected to an external power supply and the secondary inductance component is associated with the recharge component, and wherein the secondary inductance component is energized in response to being positioned proximate to the primary inductance component.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the secondary inductance component is configured for attachment to the part or the other part of the human body.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the power storage component further includes a tertiary inductance component configured to supply an interface from the recharge component to the power storage component without contacting the power storage component.

29. A method, comprising:

determining whether at least a subset of a plurality of different types of external energy resources are capable of providing energy for a mobile device based on at least one of a user activity an amount of sunlight determined to be available, user activity, or a time of day, including;

determining whether a muscle movement sensor configured to attach to the human body is capable of generating mechanical energy as a function of muscle movement of the human body;

determining whether a thermal unit configured to attach to the part or another part of the human body is capable of generating thermal energy as a function of body heat of the human body;

determining whether a solar unit is capable of generating solar energy as a function of the amount of sunlight determined to be available, and

determining whether a kinetic unit is capable of generating kinetic energy as a function of mechanical vibration of the kinetic unit;

accumulating the energy from at least the subset of the plurality of different types of external energy resources; and

recharging a power supply of the mobile device based on the accumulating.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining includes determining whether at least the subset of the plurality of different types of external energy resources are capable of providing the energy generated from at least one of:

a change in temperature of an external body, a mechanical vibration, an ultrasonic wave motion, an environmental activity, or a heating of an object.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining includes determining whether at least the subset of the plurality of different types of external energy resources are capable of providing the energy generated from an inductance assembly, wherein the inductance assembly includes a primary inductance component and a secondary inductance component, wherein the primary inductance component is connected to an external power supply, and wherein the secondary inductance component is energized in response to being positioned proximate to the primary inductance component.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the accumulating includes accumulating the energy in response to the determining or in response to a trigger event.

33. A mobile device, comprising:

a power storage component configured to store at least a subset of energy for a mobile device based on an electrical current input to the power storage component, provide at least the subset of the energy to the mobile device, receive at least the subset of energy from a recharge component that determines a subset of energy resources from a plurality of different types of energy resources remote from the mobile device capable of providing at least the subset of energy to the power storage component, and interact with at least the subset of energy resources to provide at least the subset of the energy to the power storage component, and

an artificial intelligence component configured to determine a type of energy source of the plurality of different types of energy sources from which to harvest the energy based on at least one of an amount of sunlight determined to be available, user activity, or a time of day, wherein the plurality of different types of energy resources includes;

a muscle movement sensor configured to attach to a part of the human body, receive mechanical energy as a function of muscle movement of the human body, and convert the mechanical energy to part of the electrical current,

a thermal unit configured to attach to the part or another part of the human body, receive thermal energy in response to body heat of the human body, and convert the thermal energy to another part of the electrical current,

a solar unit configured to generate solar energy as a function of an amount of sunlight received by the solar unit, and

a kinetic unit configured to generate kinetic energy as a function of mechanical vibration of the kinetic unit.

34. The mobile device of claim 33, wherein the power storage component is configured to receive at least a portion of the energy from the recharge component via inductive coupling.

35. The mobile device of claim 33, further comprising the recharge component.

36. The mobile device of claim 35, wherein the recharge component is configured to receive at least a portion of the energy from the one or more energy resources via inductive coupling.

37. The mobile device of claim 33, wherein the recharge component is separate from the power storage component.