Organic matter powered device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11133518-B2
Application number	US-201916248250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

One example discloses an organic matter powered device, comprising: a set of electrodes configured to be coupled to a set of biologically active organic matter; a power generation circuit coupled to the electrodes; wherein the power generation circuit is configured to receive a first voltage and current from the organic matter, and output a second voltage and current generated by the first voltage and current; a monitoring circuit coupled to the electrodes and coupled to monitor the first voltage and current, and to be powered by the second voltage and current; wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to translate variations in the first voltage and current into an environmental attribute.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An organic matter powered device, comprising:
a set of electrodes configured to be coupled to a set of biologically active organic matter;
a power generation circuit coupled to the electrodes;
wherein the power generation circuit is configured to receive a first voltage and current from the organic matter, and output a second voltage and current generated by the first voltage and current;
a monitoring circuit coupled to the electrodes and coupled to monitor the first voltage and current, and to be powered by the second voltage and current;
wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to use calculation to translate variations in the first voltage and current into an environmental attribute; and
wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to output the environmental attribute to a set of other devices.

2. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the environmental attribute is an attribute of the organic matter itself.

3. The device of claim 2 :
wherein the environmental attribute includes at least one of the organic matter's: equivalent sugar production, bacterial damage, PH level, fructose level, photosynthesis, oxygen production, structural firmness, decay, insect damage, and chemistry.

4. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the organic matter is coupled to a surrounding environment; and
wherein the environmental attribute is an attribute of the surrounding environment.

5. The device of claim 4 :
wherein the surrounding environment includes at least one of: an agricultural field, a rice patty, a grain field, a legume field, a forest, an orchard, a vineyard, an aquatic environment, or an interior office environment.

6. The device of claim 4 :
wherein the surrounding environment attribute is at least one of: temperature, PH level, humidity, radiation level, smog level, carbon dioxide level, ambient light level, length of daylight time, or light color.

7. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the organic matter includes at least one of: bacteria, algae, fungi, fruit, an apple, a grape, rice, dirt, tree, plant, agricultural product, corn, spinach, or an indoor plant.

8. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the organic matter is a single piece of fruit.

9. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the organic matter is soil proximate to a living plant.

10. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the power generation circuit includes a voltage boost circuit configured to transform the first voltage and current into the second voltage and current.

11. The device of claim 1 :
wherein the set of electrodes are configured as a pin grid.

12. The device of claim 11 :
wherein the pin grid includes a center electrode surrounded by a plurality of galvanically coupled electrodes.

13. The device of claim 1 :
further comprising an output device configured to generate a communications signal;
wherein the output device is coupled to receive the environmental attribute from the monitoring circuit and modulate the environmental attribute on to the communications signal.

14. The device of claim 1 :
further comprising an output device configured as a radiation source;
wherein the output device is coupled to receive power from the power generation circuit.

15. The device of claim 14 :
wherein the radiation source includes at least one of: an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an acoustic generation device.

16. The device of claim 14 :
wherein the set of electrodes are configured to be coupled to a first set of biologically active organic matter;
wherein the radiation source is configured to promote health or growth of a second set of biologically active organic matter; and
wherein the second set of biologically active organic matter is not coupled to the set of electrodes.

17. The device of claim 16 :
wherein the radiation source is an ultra-violet (UV) radiation source.

18. The device of claim 16 :
wherein the radiation source is an infra-red (IR) radiation source.

19. The device of claim 16 :
wherein the first set of biologically active organic matter does not depend upon sunlight for growth and/or health, and the second set of biologically active organic matter does depend upon sunlight for growth and/or health.

20. The device of claim 16 :
wherein the first set of biologically active organic matter is a chicory.

21. The device of claim 16 :
wherein the first set of biologically active organic matter is a mushroom.

22. The device of claim 1 :
wherein at least one of the other devices is configured to receive the environmental attribute from the monitoring circuit and modulate the environmental attribute; and
wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to confirm that such modulation occurred.

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Verhoeven Henri
• Moonen Oswald
• Owen Stephen

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/9008 Primary

  Organic or organo-metallic compounds · CPC title

• H01M8/16 Primary

  Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts · CPC title

• H01M4/8657

  layered · CPC title