Methods and apparatus for control of biomechanical energy harvesting

An apparatus for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the apparatus comprising:

• a generator operatively coupled to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• an electrical load coupled to receive the generator current;
• a control system operatively connected between the generator and the electrical load, the control system configured to control the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator torque;
• wherein the control system is connected to receive one or more feedback inputs and is configured to control the generator torque based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs;
• and
• wherein the one or more feedback inputs comprises a generator current feedback input representative of the generator current.

An apparatus for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the apparatus comprising:

• a generator operatively coupled to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• an electrical load coupled to receive the generator current;
• a control system operatively connected between the generator and the electrical load, the control system configured to control the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment by controlling the generator current to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator current;
• wherein the control system is connected to receive one or more feedback inputs and is configured to control the generator current to track the torque control signal based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs and wherein the one or more feedback inputs comprises a generator current feedback input representative of the generator current.

An apparatus for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the apparatus comprising:

• a generator operatively coupled to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• an electrical load coupled to receive the generator current;
• a control system operatively connected between the generator and the electrical load, the control system configured to control the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator torque;
• wherein the control system is connected to receive one or more feedback inputs and is configured to control the generator torque based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs;
• wherein the one or more feedback inputs comprises a load feedback input correlated with an electrical state of the electrical load, the load feedback input comprising a load voltage feedback signal representative of a voltage of the load;
• and
• wherein the control system is configured to control the generator torque based at least in part on the load voltage feedback signal by limiting the generator torque to maintain the load voltage feedback signal at a value less than or equal to a voltage control reference.

A method for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling a generator to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• connecting an electrical load to receive the generator current;
• controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment using a control system connected between the generator and the electrical load;
• wherein controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment comprises:
• controlling the generator torque to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator torque;
• and
• receiving one or more feedback inputs and controlling the generator torque based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs;
• and
• the method further comprising:
• using the one or more feedback inputs to estimate one or more body segment feedback inputs which are representative of one or more corresponding aspects of movement of the body segment.

A method for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling a generator to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• connecting an electrical load to receive the generator current;
• controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment using a control system connected between the generator and the electrical load;
• wherein controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment comprises:
• controlling the generator torque to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator torque;
• and
• receiving one or more feedback inputs and controlling the generator torque based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs;
• and
• wherein the one or more feedback inputs comprises a generator current feedback input representative of the generator current.

A method for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling a generator to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• connecting an electrical load to receive the generator current;
• controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment using a control system connected between the generator and the electrical load;
• wherein controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment comprises controlling the generator current to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator current;
• and
• the method further comprising:
• receiving one or more feedback inputs, wherein controlling the generator current to track the torque control signal is based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs and wherein the one or more feedback inputs comprises a generator current feedback input representative of the generator current.

A method for harvesting energy from motion of a human or animal body segment, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling a generator to the body segment such that particular movement of the body segment causes the generator to output a generator current and to oppose the particular movement of the body segment with a generator torque;
• connecting an electrical load to receive the generator current;
• controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment using a control system connected between the generator and the electrical load;
• wherein controlling the generator torque during the particular movement of the body segment comprises:
• controlling the generator torque to track a torque control signal, the torque control signal representative of a desired generator torque;
• and
• receiving one or more feedback inputs and controlling the generator torque based at least in part on the one or more feedback inputs;
• and
• wherein the one or more feedback inputs comprises a load voltage feedback signal representative of a voltage at the load;
• the method further comprising:
• controlling the generator torque based at least in part on the load voltage feedback signal by limiting the generator torque to maintain the load voltage feedback signal at a value less than or equal to a voltage control reference.