Harvesting power from multiple energy sources
AssigneeLord Corporation
InventorsChristopher P. Townsend, Steven W. Arms, Michael J Hamel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeLord Corporation
InventorsChristopher P. Townsend, Steven W. Arms, Michael J Hamel
Estimating the term…
A device includes a plurality of energy harvesting circuits, an energy storage device, a first diode and a second diode. The plurality of energy harvesting circuits includes a first energy harvesting circuit and a second energy harvesting circuit. The first energy harvesting circuit includes a first transducer and the second energy harvesting circuit includes a second transducer. The first transducer is structured for converting a different kind of energy into electricity than is the second transducer. The first diode is electrically connected between the first energy harvesting circuit and the energy storage device and the second diode is electrically connected between the second energy harvesting circuit and the energy storage device. The first diode is oriented to prevent energy from the second energy harvesting circuit from being dissipated in the first energy harvesting circuit and the second diode is oriented to prevent energy from the first energy harvesting circuit from being dissipated in the second energy harvesting circuit.
A device, comprising:
A device for powering a load, comprising an energy harvesting circuit, a voltage dependent switch, an energy storage device, a first connection to the load, and a second connection to the load, wherein said energy harvesting circuit includes a transducer for converting a kind of energy into electricity, wherein said first connection to the load connects said energy harvesting circuit to power the load, wherein said voltage dependent switch is connected between said energy harvesting circuit and said energy storage device, wherein said second connection to the load connects said energy storage device to power the load, wherein said second connection to the load includes a diode oriented to allow current from said energy storage device to flow to said load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.