System and method for efficient power utilization and extension of battery life

A circuit for providing power to a load, said circuit comprising:

• a main power/energy source coupled to the load and used to provide power to the load;
• an energy saving power circuit having a pair of thermoelectric generators (TEGs), each coupled to a heat source for converting thermal energy from said heat source into electrical energy;
• a pair of capacitors arranged in parallel, each capacitor coupled to one of the TEGs, for storing the electrical energy generated by said TEG to which the capacitor is coupled;
• a power converter;
• a first switching element coupled between a first capacitor in the pair of capacitors and the power converter;
• a second switching element coupled between a second capacitor in the pair of capacitors and the power converter;
• and a monitor/controller coupled to said first and second switching elements and each of said capacitors in said pair of capacitors for selectively and alternatively switching the first and second switching elements in order selectively provide power from one of the capacitors to the load (via the power converter), thereby reducing the amount of power drawn from the main power/energy source;
• and
• wherein the monitor/controller will switch between the first and second switching elements based upon charge levels measured at the pair of capacitors.

A method for providing power to a load comprising:

• providing a common heat source and a pair of thermoelectric generators (TEGs), each coupled to the heat source, for converting thermal energy from said heat source into electrical energy;
• coupling a pair of capacitors in parallel to said heat source, each capacitor in the pair coupled to one of the TEGs,
• storing the electrical energy generated by each of the TEGs in the pair of TEGs on the capacitor to which it is coupled;
• providing a first switching element coupled between a first capacitor in the pair of capacitors and the load;
• providing a second switching element coupled between a second capacitor in the pair of capacitors and the load;
• and
• selectively and alternatively switching the first and second switching elements in order to alternately provide power from one of the capacitors or the other to the load, said selective and alternative switching based upon charge levels measured at the pair of capacitors.

A method for efficiently providing power to a load comprising:

• providing a pair of thermoelectric generators (TEGs), each coupled to a common heat source, for converting thermal energy from said heat source into electrical energy;
• coupling a pair of capacitors in parallel, each capacitor in the pair coupled to one of the TEGs,
• storing the electrical energy generated by each of the TEGs in the pair on the capacitor to which it is coupled;
• providing a first switching element coupled between a first capacitor in the pair of capacitors and the load;
• providing a second switching element coupled between a second capacitor in the pair of capacitors and the load;
• and
• alternatively switching the first and second switching elements in order to alternately provide power from one of the capacitors, or the other, to the load, said alternative switching being performed as a function of charge levels measured at the pair of capacitors.