Energy harvesting circuits for a smart ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12126181-B2
Application number	US-202016929655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2020
Priority date	Jul 23, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A smart ring charging system comprises one or more permanent magnets and a smart ring. The smart ring includes a ring-shaped housing, a power source disposed within the ring- shaped housing, and a charging circuit. The charging circuit includes an induction coil, and is configured to charge the power source when user motion changes magnetic flux from the one or more permanent magnets through the induction coil. The smart ring further includes a component, disposed within the ring-shaped housing and configured to draw energy from the power source, and further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: i) sense a physical phenomenon external to the ring-shaped housing, ii) send communication signals to a communication device external to the ring-shaped housing, and iii) implement a user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart ring charging system comprising:
a smart ring including:
a ring-shaped housing configured to be worn on a finger of a user, the ring-shaped housing comprising a first band and a second band; and
a charging circuit including an induction coil disposed in or at the first band, the charging circuit configured to charge a power source by way of electrical energy generated by a change in magnetic flux from one or more permanent magnets disposed in the second band of the smart ring through the induction coil,
wherein:
the first band and the second band are configured, respectively, as:
an inner ring and an outer ring; or
an outer ring and an inner ring;

the outer ring is removably attached to the inner ring and disposed substantially outside the inner ring in a radial direction relative to the inner ring;
the outer ring is configured to spin relative to the inner ring when attached to the inner ring and actuated by a user motion such that spinning the outer ring relative to the inner ring causes the change in the magnetic flux;
the inner ring is configured to sense a biometric signal of the user when the outer ring is removed from the inner ring;
the one or more permanent magnets disposed in the second band include an even number of magnets distributed around the second band at regular angular intervals with alternating dipole orientations, the alternating dipole orientations are oriented in the radial direction; and
the induction coil includes one or more turns substantially along a circumference of the first band and at least one of the one or more turns having an inner radius substantially equal to an inner radius of the first band.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the power source is a battery.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
when the one or more permanent magnets are disposed near a keyboard, the change in the magnetic flux is caused at least in part by the user using the keyboard.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first band includes a first race for a radial ball bearing and the second band includes a second race for the radial ball bearing.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more permanent magnets include a neodymium magnet.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the charging circuit further includes one or more rectifying components electrically connected to the power source, wherein the one or more rectifying components are configured to facilitate transforming the generated electrical energy into a form of electrical energy suitable for charging the power source.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the one or more rectifying components include a commutator.

8. A method for operating a smart ring, the method comprising:
generating electrical energy at a charging circuit within the smart ring by way of a change in magnetic flux through an induction coil of the charging circuit disposed in or at a first band of smart ring, wherein the change in the magnetic flux is caused by a change in a relative position of one or more permanent magnets disposed in a second band of the smart ring with respect to the induction coil; and
charging a power source disposed within the smart ring by delivering the electrical energy from the charging circuit to the power source,
wherein:
the first band and the second band are configured, respectively, as:
an inner ring and an outer ring; or
an outer ring and an inner ring;

the outer ring is removably attached to the inner ring and disposed substantially outside the inner ring in a radial direction relative to the inner ring;
the outer ring is configured to spin relative to the inner ring when attached to the inner ring and actuated by a user motion of a user such that spinning the outer ring relative to the inner ring causes the change in the magnetic flux;
the inner ring is configured to sense a biometric signal of the user when the outer ring is removed from the inner ring;
the one or more permanent magnets disposed in the second band include an even number of magnets distributed around the second band at regular angular intervals with alternating dipole orientations, the alternating dipole orientations are oriented in the radial direction; and
the induction coil includes one or more turns substantially along a circumference of the first band and at least one of the one or more turns having an inner radius substantially equal to an inner radius of the first band.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the power source is a battery.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
when the one or more permanent magnets are disposed near a keyboard, causing the change in the magnetic flux at least in part by the user using the keyboard.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
implementing a first race for a radial ball bearing within the first band and a second race for the radial ball bearing within the second band, such that spinning the second band with respect to the first band includes spinning the radial ball bearing.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein implementing the one or more permanent magnets within the second band of the smart ring comprises:
removably attaching the second band to the first band, wherein the second band is in a side-by-side configuration with the first band.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transforming the generated electrical energy into a form suitable for charging the power source using one or more rectifying components.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the transforming the generated electrical energy into the form suitable for charging the power source using the one or more rectifying components comprises:
using a commutator as one of the one or more rectifying components to facilitate the transforming.

15. A smart ring charging system comprising:
a smart ring including:
a ring-shaped housing configured to be worn on a finger of a user, the ring-shaped housing comprising a first band and a second band; and
a charging circuit including an induction coil disposed in or at the first band, the charging circuit configured to charge a power source by way of electrical energy generated by a change in magnetic flux from one or more permanent magnets disposed in the second band of the smart ring through the induction coil,
wherein:
the first band and the second band are configured, respectively, as:
an inner ring and an outer ring; or
an outer ring and an inner ring;

the outer ring is removably attached to the inner ring and disposed substantially outside the inner ring in a radial direction relative to the inner ring;
the outer ring is configured to spin relative to the inner ring when attached to the inner ring and actuated by a user motion such that spinning the outer ring relative to the inner ring causes the change in the magnetic flux;
the inner ring is configured to sense a biometric signal of the user when the outer ring is removed from the inner ring;
the one or more permanent magnets disposed in the second band include an even number of magnets distributed around the second band at regular angular intervals with alternating dipole orientations, the alternating dipole orientations are oriented in the radial direction; and
the induction coil includes one or more turns substantially along a circumference of the first band, wherein the one or more turns have one or more axes oriented in the radial direction.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the power source is a battery.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein:
when the one or more permanent magn

Assignees

• Blueowl Llc
• Quanata Llc

Inventors

• Sanchez Kenneth Jason
• Leung Theobolt N
• Dahl Eric

Classifications

• H02J7/40

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• H02K7/1853 Primary

  driven by intermittent forces · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• A44C9/0053

  having special functions · CPC title

• H02J7/02

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title