Claims
- 1. An apparatus for use as a charger utilizing ambient energy comprising
a plurality of stacked piezoelectric elements, a rectification block on an output of each of said elements, a plurality of capacitors arranged to accumulate charge from said rectification blocks, and a blocking diode provided at an output of said plurality of capacitors.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a charge storage device connected to an output of said blocking diode.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rectification block is selected from the group consisting of a full-wave rectification block and a half-wave rectification block.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising five or more stacked piezoelectric elements.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal phase delay element provided between said one or more of said rectification blocks and said plurality of capacitors.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said signal phase delay element comprises an inductor.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said charge storage device comprises a battery.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said charge storage device comprises a capacitor.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in ambient power from gravitational effects on a structure rotating at an angle to the surface of a significant gravity source.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said structure is a wheel.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said angle is approximately 90 degrees.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said gravity source is the earth.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in ambient power from a heartbeat.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said heartbeat is a human heartbeat.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in ambient power available from local electrical fields.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said electric field comprise a field in the approximate range of 50 to 60 Hz.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in ambient power available from low power sound energy.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in ambient power available from ultrasound energy.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus incorporates circuit board technology.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said capacitors are not discrete elements.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in ambient power available from RF spectrum energy fields.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is optimized for changes in magnetic fields.
- 23. A method of manufacturing a charger utilizing ambient energy comprising
arranging a plurality of piezoelectric elements into a stack, connecting a rectification block on an output of each of said elements, arranging a plurality of capacitors to accumulate charge from said rectification blocks, and providing a blocking diode at an output of said plurality of capacitors.
- 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising connecting a charge storage device to an output of said blocking diode.
- 25. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of arranging comprises providing said plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a stack according to size.
- 26. The method of claim 23, wherein said rectification block is selected from the group consisting of a full-wave rectification block and a half-wave rectification block.
- 27. The method of claim 23, comprising arranging five or more stacked piezoelectric elements.
- 28. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing a signal phase delay element between said one or more of said rectification blocks and said plurality of capacitors.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein said signal phase delay element comprises an inductor.
- 30. The method of claim 24, wherein said charge storage device comprises a battery.
- 31. The method of claim 24, wherein said charge storage device comprises a capacitor.
- 32. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in ambient power from gravitational effects on a structure rotating at an angle to the surface of a significant gravity source.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein said structure is a wheel.
- 34. The method of claim 32, wherein said angle is approximately 90 degrees.
- 35. The method of claim 32, wherein said gravity source is the earth.
- 36. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in ambient power from a heartbeat.
- 37. The method of claim 36, wherein said heartbeat is a human heartbeat.
- 38. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in ambient power available from local electrical fields.
- 39. The method of claim 38, wherein said electric field comprises a field in the approximate range of 50 to 60 Hz.
- 40. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in ambient power available from low power sound energy.
- 41. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in ambient power available from ultrasound energy.
- 42. The method of claim 23, further comprising incorporating circuit board technology in said charger.
- 43. The method of claim 42, wherein said capacitors are not discrete elements.
- 44. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in ambient power available from RF spectrum energy fields.
- 45. The method of claim 23, further comprising optimizing said charger for changes in magnetic fields.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/464,357 filed 22 Apr. 2003, which is expressly incorporated fully herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60464357 |
Apr 2003 |
US |