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US 12,007,799 B2Granted
Energy operating systems and related techniques
AssigneeEveractive, Inc.
InventorsJames Boley, Christopher J. Lukas, Benton H. Calhoun, Farah B. Yahya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Circuits and techniques are described that relate to an “energy operating system” for tracking available energy and energy consumption in a system or device to support a wide range of power management and related functionalities.
Claims48
A device, comprising:
- one or more components;
- one or more energy inputs configured to receive harvested energy from one or more energy sources;
- a plurality of energy rails configured to provide regulated energy to the one or more components;
- regulator circuitry configured to generate the regulated energy from the harvested energy;
- switching circuitry configured to selectively connect the one or more energy inputs and the plurality of energy rails via the regulator circuitry, the switching circuitry configured to provide a first portion of the harvested energy to an energy store, and to provide a second portion of the harvested energy to one or more of the plurality of energy rails;
- logic configured to track amounts of the harvested energy and amounts of the regulated energy transferred via the regulator circuitry, including sensing a first signal level associated with the energy store and a second signal level associated with a highest energy rail of the energy rails, and to control operation of the device based on at least which of the first and second signal levels is higher;
- and
- cold-start circuitry configured to start operation of the device based on a status of the energy store.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a first portion of harvested energy to an energy store and a second portion of the harvested energy to one or more of a plurality of energy rails of a wireless sensor node;
- tracking amounts of the harvested energy received by regulator circuitry of the wireless sensor node from one or more energy sources, including sensing a first signal level associated with the energy store;
- tracking amounts of regulated energy provided by the regulator circuitry of the wireless sensor node to the plurality of energy rails of the wireless sensor node, including sensing a second signal level associated with a highest energy rail of the energy rails;
- controlling operation of the wireless sensor node based on at least which of the first and second signal levels is higher;
- and
- providing cold-start operation of the wireless sensor node based on a status of the energy store.
3 more elements
A system, comprising logic configured to:
- provide a first portion of first energy to an energy store and a second portion of the first energy to one or more of a plurality of energy rails of a device;
- track amounts of the first energy received by regulator circuitry of the device from one or more energy sources, including sensing a first signal level associated with the energy store;
- track amounts of second energy provided by the regulator circuitry of the device to the plurality of energy rails of the device, including sensing a second signal level associated with a highest energy rail of the energy rails;
- control operation of the device based on at least which of the first and second signal levels is higher;
- and
- provide cold-start operation of the device based on a status of the energy store.
3 more elements
A circuit, comprising:
- a plurality of energy inputs configured to receive input energy from a plurality of energy sources;
- a plurality of energy rails configured to provide regulated energy;
- an energy store;
- regulator circuitry configured to generate the regulated energy from the input energy;
- switching circuitry configured to selectively connect the energy inputs and the energy rails via the regulator circuitry, the switching circuitry including a first switch configured to provide a first portion of the input energy to the energy store and a second switch configured to provide a second portion of the input energy to a highest energy rail of the energy rails;
- logic configured to sense a first signal level associated with the energy store and a second signal level associated with highest energy rail, the logic being further configured to control operation of the first and second switches based on which of the first and second signal levels is higher;
- and
- cold-start circuitry configured to start operation of the circuit when the energy store is substantially empty.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.