Power receiver circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9954373-B2
Application number	US-201615132074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 18, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for a power receiver circuit. A power receiver circuit may include power generating elements that may generate alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include group circuits that may connect power generating elements in parallel to combine the alternating current from the power generating elements into a single alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include rectifier circuits which may include rectifier channels connected to the group circuits and may include a rectifier that may generate direct current from alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include a step down converter connected to rectifier circuits that may convert direct current to direct current of a target voltage level. An output switch and linear regulator may be connected to the step down converter, and a microcontroller may be connected to the linear regulator and the output switch and may control the output switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power receiver circuit device comprising:
a power generating mechanism comprising power generating elements configured to generate alternating current signals;
one or more group circuits, each group circuit connecting a group of power generating elements in parallel in an electrical circuit to combine the alternating current signals from the power generating elements in the group into a single alternating current signal;
one or more rectifier circuits, each rectifier circuit comprising one or more rectifier channels, each rectifier channel connected to one of the group circuits, wherein each rectifier channel comprises a rectifier configured to generate a direct current signal from the alternating current signal, a switch bank comprising two or more outputs, and a maximum power point tracker (MPPT);
a voltage bus comprising two or more capacitors, each capacitor connected to one or more of the rectifier circuits;
two or more undervoltage lockouts, each undervoltage lockout having an input connected to one of the capacitors and an output, each of the two or more undervoltage lockouts configured to disconnect its output when a voltage level input to the undervoltage lockout drops below a predetermined threshold, and wherein the predetermined threshold is different for at least two of the or more undervoltage lockouts; and
two or more DC/DC converters, each DC/DC converter connected to one of the undervoltage lockouts, each DC/DC converter configured to convert a direct current signal of a predetermined voltage level to a direct current signal of a target voltage level, wherein the predetermined voltage level is different for at least two of the two or more DC/DC converters.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein one of the rectifier channels is configured to receive the single alternating current signal from the group circuit to which the rectifier channel is connected and provide a direct current signal to the switch bank of the rectifier channel, and wherein the MPPT of the rectifier channel is configured to select one of the two or more outputs of the switch bank to output the direct current signal received from the rectifier of the rectifier channel.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein each of the two or more outputs of the switch bank has an assigned voltage level, and wherein the MPPT selects one of the two or more outputs of the switch bank based on the assigned voltage level that maximizes power transfer through the rectifier.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein each of the two or more outputs of the switch bank has an assigned voltage level, and wherein the MPPT selects one of the two or more outputs of the switch bank based on one or more of a conduction angle of the rectifier, open-circuit voltage of the single alternating current signal from the group circuit, and observed power transfer through each of the two or more outputs of the switch bank.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein one of the rectifier circuits further comprises two or more rectifier channels comprising switch banks, the switch banks of the rectifier channels comprising the same number of outputs, and wherein the one of the rectifier circuits further comprises a number of outputs equal to the number of outputs of one of the switch banks.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the outputs of the switch bank of one of the two or more rectifier channels are each assigned a different voltage level, and wherein the outputs of the switch banks of the other of the two or more rectifier channels are assigned the same different voltage levels as the outputs of the switch bank of the one of the two or more rectifier channels.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein each of the number of outputs of the one of the rectifier circuits is assigned one of the different voltage levels, and wherein the an output of the one of the rectifier circuits comprises the outputs of the switch banks of the two or more rectifier channels assigned the same one of the different voltage levels as the output of the one of the rectifier circuits.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein one of the two or more capacitors is connected to one output from each of two or more rectifier circuits, and wherein each of the outputs has the same assigned one of the different voltage levels.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein one of the two more undervoltage lockouts is connected to the one of the two or more capacitors, and wherein the undervoltage lockout is further connected to one of the two or more DC/DC converters.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the one of the two or more undervoltage lockouts is configured to disconnect its output into the one of the two or more DC/DC converters when a voltage level of a direct current signal input to the one of the two or more undervoltage lockouts drops below the predetermined threshold, and wherein the predetermined threshold is based on the one of the different voltage levels assigned to the outputs of the rectifier circuits connected to the one of the two or more capacitors.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the one off the two or more DC/DC converters is configured to convert a direct current signal of the predetermined voltage level to a direct current signal of the target voltage level, wherein the predetermined voltage level is based on the one of the different voltage levels assigned to the outputs of the rectifier circuits connected to the one of the two or more capacitors.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power generating mechanism comprises a transducer array, and wherein the power generating elements comprise transducers.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the transducer array is an ultrasonic transducer array, and wherein the transducers are ultrasonic transducers.

14. A power receiver circuit device comprising:
a power generating mechanism comprising power generating elements configured to generate alternating current signals;
one or more group circuits, each group circuit connecting a group of power generating elements in parallel in an electrical circuit to combine the alternating current signals from the power generating elements in the group into a single alternating current signal;
one or more rectifier circuits, each rectifier circuit comprising one or more rectifier channels, each rectifier channel connected to one of the group circuits, wherein each rectifier channel comprises a rectifier configured to generate a direct current signal from the alternating current signal;
a step down converter connected to the one or more rectifier circuits, the step down converter configured to convert a direct current signal to a direct current signal of a target voltage level;
an output switch connected to the step down converter;
a linear regulator connected to the step down converter;
a microcontroller connected to the linear regulator and the output switch and configured to control the output switch.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the linear regulator is configured to convert a direct current signal from the step down converter to a direct current signal with a native voltage of the microcontroller.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the output switch by opening the output switch and closing the output switch.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the microcontroller further comprises a radio configured to communicate with a transmitting device.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicate with the transmitting device using the radio when the linear regulator

Assignees

• Ubeam Inc

Inventors

• Bolus Jonathan

Classifications

• H02J4/25

  for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system · CPC title

• H02J5/00 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M3/04

  by static converters · CPC title

• H02M7/04 Primary

  by static converters · CPC title

• H02J7/32

  for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover {rotating at constant speed} · CPC title