Power management integrated circuit for energy harvesting with multi power mode selection

A power management integrated circuit for managing energy from an energy harvester comprising a discontinuous current mode voltage converter (20) configured for receiving an input power (Pin) from the energy harvester at an input voltage Vin and configured for outputting an output power (Pout) at an output voltage Vout, and wherein the discontinuous current mode voltage converter (20) is operable for outputting said output power (Pout) by generating current pulses wherein each current pulse comprises a charging period T1 wherein an inducing current is increasing until a maximum peak current Imax and a subsequent de-charging period T2 wherein the inducing current is decreasing,

• characterized in that
• said power management integrated circuit comprises
• a power control circuit (22) configured for
• a) monitoring a parameter indicative of said input power (Pin),
• b) comparing said parameter with one or more parameter reference values, and
• c) selecting a power operational mode from a plurality of power operational modes (PMi) based on said comparison of the parameter with the one or more parameter reference values, and wherein each of the power operational modes (PMi) of said plurality of power operational modes is characterized by a value for said maximum peak current Imax;
• and
• a controller (24) coupled with said power control circuit (22) for receiving the power operational mode selected by the power control circuit, said controller (24) comprises
• a) a sensing means configured for sensing an actual input voltage and an actual output voltage of respectively said input voltage Vin and said output voltage Vout of the discontinuous current mode voltage converter (20), and
• b) a processing means configured for generating a first configuration signal T1i and a second configuration signal T2i for operating said discontinuous current mode voltage converter 20, and wherein said first T1i and second T2i configuration signals are specifying respectively said charging period T1 and said de-charging period T2, and wherein said generating of the first T1i and second T2i configuration signals is based on said actual input voltage and said actual output voltage and based on the power operational mode selected by the power control circuit (22),
• and wherein said controller (24) is coupled with said discontinuous current mode voltage converter (20) for transmitting said first configuration signal T1i and said second configuration signal T2i.