# US 2009/0260668 A1 · System and method for efficient power utilization and extension of battery life

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- Number: US 2009/0260668 A1
- Document ID: US20090260668A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/384,601
- Filed: 2009-04-07
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2005-10-31
- Inventors: Ryuji Maeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260668A1

## CPC

- H02J 4/00: Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36)
- H02J 7/34: Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence)
- H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices}
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

## Abstract

A circuit which extends the operational life of a main power source, said circuit comprising a pair of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for converting thermal energy from a heat source into electrical energy; a pair of capacitors arranged in parallel, each coupled to one of the TEGs for storing the electrical energy generated by said TEG; 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 for selectively and alternatively switching the first and second switching elements in order to selectively provide power from one of the capacitors to a load, thereby reducing the amount of power drawn from the main power source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An energy saving circuit for providing power to a load, said circuit comprising:
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 to provide power from the power converter to the load, wherein the monitor/controller will switch between the first and second switching elements based upon charge levels measured at the pair of capacitors.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The energy saving circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
a current control element coupled between the power converter and the load, said current control element also being coupled to the monitor controller, which is configured to measure the current passing through said current control element; and
wherein the monitor/controller will switch between the first and second switching elements based upon the level of the current passing through said current control element to the load.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The energy saving circuit of claim 1, wherein the heat source is the load.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The energy saving circuit of claim 1, further comprising a main power/energy source coupled to the load for providing power directly to the load.

### Claim 5

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The circuit of claim 5, further comprising:
a current control element coupled between the power converter and the load, said current control element also being coupled to the monitor controller, which is configured to measure the current passing through said current control element; and
wherein the monitor/controller will switch between the first and second switching elements based upon the level of the current passing through said current control element to the load.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The circuit of claim 5, wherein the heat source is the load.

### Claim 8

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.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
providing a converter between said first and second switching elements, in the pair of switching elements, and the load for generating a regulated power output to the load;
measuring the current output by the converter and provided to 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 the measured current provided to the load.

### Claim 10

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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
using a converter, coupled between the pair of switching elements and the load, in order to generate a regulated power output to the load;
measuring the current output by the converter and provided to 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 alternate switching being performed as a function of the measured current output by the converter and provided to the load.