ADAPTIVE SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING DEVICE

• US 20150130394A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Da-Wei Lin, Yun-Shan Chang
• Original Assignee: Da-Wei Lin
• Inventors: CHANG, YUN-SHAN
• Application Number:
  US14/141,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130394A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an adaptive solar energy harvesting device comprising a solar energy receiving unit, a voltage converter and a charging power controller. The voltage converter has an input terminal and an output terminal. The input terminal of the voltage converter is coupled to the solar energy receiving unit, and receives the electric energy generated by the solar energy receiving unit through the input terminal. The charging power controller is coupled to the output terminal of the voltage converter, and senses the supply voltage at the output terminal of the voltage converter. The charging power controller generates a charging voltage and a charging current to charge at least an electricity storage unit. The charging power controller adjusts the charging voltage and the charging current according the feed-forward control related to the supply voltage at the output terminal of the voltage converter.

Claims

1. An adaptive solar energy harvesting device, comprising:

a solar energy receiving unit;

a voltage converter, having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal of the voltage converter coupling to the solar energy receiving unit, the voltage converter receiving the electricity from the solar energy receiving unit through the input terminal; and

a charging power controller, coupling to the output terminal of the voltage converter, sensing a supply voltage of the output terminal of the voltage converter and generating a charging voltage and a charging current to charge at least an electricity storage unit, wherein the charging power controller adjusts the charging voltage and the charging current according the feed-forward control related to the supply voltage at the output terminal of the voltage converter.

2. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the charging power controller adjusts the loading line of charging the electricity storage unit according to the supply voltage when the adaptive solar energy harvesting device charges the electricity storage unit.

3. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the charging power controller comprising:

a supply voltage sensing circuit, sensing the supply voltage, generating a charging control signal according to the supply voltage; and

a power switch, having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, the first terminal coupling to the output terminal of the voltage converter for receiving the supply voltage, the second terminal coupling to the electricity storage unit, the control terminal coupling to the supply voltage sensing circuit, the control terminal receiving the charging control signal for adjusting the charging current passing through the power switch.

4. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the supply voltage sensing circuit comprises a transistor and a resistor, one terminal of the resistor is coupled to the control terminal of the power switch and another terminal of the resistor is coupled to a grounding through the transistor, the transistor is controlled by the supply voltage, and the voltage across the transistor is the charging control signal.

5. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 3, wherein the charging power controller further comprises:

a current sensing circuit, sensing the charging current of the electricity storage unit to generate a current sensing signal; and

a loading line control unit, comprising a current controller, the current controller coupling to the supply voltage sensing circuit and the current sensing circuit, wherein the current controller adjusts the charging control signal for adjusting the charging current passing through the power switch.

6. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 5, wherein the loading line control unit further comprises a voltage controller, the voltage controller is coupled to the supply voltage sensing circuit and the current sensing circuit, wherein the current controller generates a first phase signal to adjust the charging control signal when the charging current is not less than a threshold, the voltage controller generates a second phase signal to adjust the charging control signal when the charging current is less than a threshold.

7. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the electricity storage unit further comprises a temperature sensory device, the temperature sensory device senses the temperature of the electricity storage unit and provides a temperature sensing signal to the charging power controller.

8. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the solar energy receiving unit is a solar panel.

9. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the electricity storage unit is a secondary battery.

10. The adaptive solar energy harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the charging power controller comprises at least one of an over-voltage protection circuit, an over-current protection circuit, a short protection circuit and an over-temperature protection circuit.