U.S. patent application number 10/340622 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-15 for energy storage circuitry system.
This patent application is currently assigned to SUNYEN CO., LTD. Invention is credited to Tu, Yu Ta, Yeh, Show Jong.
Application Number | 20040135561 10/340622 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50856523 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040135561 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tu, Yu Ta ; et al. |
July 15, 2004 |
ENERGY STORAGE CIRCUITRY SYSTEM
Abstract
The invention relates to an energy storage circuitry system,
comprising an energy storage element, a voltage boosting circuit
for storing an input voltage in the energy storage element, the
voltage boosting circuit being used to regulate the input voltage
by a varying switching frequency based on a feedback voltage from
the energy storage element, a comparison circuit for comparing the
voltage in the energy element with a reference voltage to detect if
the voltage in the energy storage element achieves a predetermined
value for load supplying and generate a control signal, and a
charging circuit for supplying power to a load in response to the
control signal when the voltage in the energy storage element is
detected to achieve the predetermined value.
Inventors: |
Tu, Yu Ta; (Hsinchu Hsien,
TW) ; Yeh, Show Jong; (Hemet, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE
FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
|
Assignee: |
SUNYEN CO., LTD
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
50856523 |
Appl. No.: |
10/340622 |
Filed: |
January 13, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
323/282 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02M 1/36 20130101; H02M
3/156 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
323/282 |
International
Class: |
G05F 001/10 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An energy storage circuit system, comprising: an energy storage
element; a voltage boosting circuit for storing the input voltage
into the energy storage element; a control circuit for comparing
the voltage in the energy storage element with a reference voltage
to detect if the voltage in the energy storage element achieves a
predetermined value and for generating a control signal based on
the detected voltage; and a charging circuit, for supplying a load
by using the control signal when the voltage in the energy storage
element is detected to achieve the predetermined value.
2. The energy storage element according to claim 1, wherein the
voltage boosting circuit is used to regulate the input voltage by a
varying switching frequency based on a feedback voltage from the
energy storage element.
3. The energy storage element according to claim 2, wherein the
voltage boosting circuit regulates the switching frequency of the
input voltage in a PFM (pulse frequency modulation) manner by using
the control signal.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to an energy storage circuitry system
and, more specifically to a circuitry system capable of
accumulating electrical energy from a power source having
insufficient power to meet the electrical power requirements of a
load until sufficient power is stored to achieve a predetermined
value for the load so as to reduce energy loss upon supply of power
from a power supply system to the load. The invention permits the
efficient use of relatively weak or intermittent power sources.
[0003] 2. Related Technology of the Invention
[0004] Generally, when a power supply system generates electrical
energy to supply to the load, the generated power is required to
achieve a predetermined value. However, when the power generated by
the power supply system does not achieve the predetermined value,
then much of the generated electrical energy is wasted because the
generated electrical energy cannot effectively supply the load.
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a circuitry system
capable of allowing the small electrical energy that is generated
by the power supply system and does not achieve a predetermined
value, to be accumulated for release to the load upon the
achievement of the predetermined value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] With a view to the above problem, an object of the invention
is to provide an energy storage circuitry system capable of
accumulating a small electric energy until sufficient energy has
been stored to supply to the load efficiently. Thus, the energy
loss of the power supply system to the load can be reduced.
[0007] For achieving the above object, according to one aspect of
the invention, an energy storage circuitry system is provided,
comprising an energy storage element for accumulating small amounts
of electrical energy from the power supply system, a voltage
boosting circuit for regulating a switching frequency of the
storage element input based on a feedback voltage from the energy
storage element to control input of energy to the energy storage
element, a comparison circuit for comparing the voltage in the
energy storage element with a reference voltage to detect if the
voltage in the energy storage element has achieved a predetermined
value sufficient to efficiently supply the load and generate a
control signal upon detection that the predetermined value has been
reached, and a charging circuit for supplying power to the load in
response to the control signal when the voltage in the energy
storage element is detected to achieve the predetermined value.
[0008] Further, according to a preferred embodiment, the voltage
boosting circuit regulates the switching frequency of the input
from the power supply in a PFM (pulse frequency modulation)
manner.
[0009] Thus, the present invention can obtain the following
effects:
[0010] 1. accumulating a small amount of electrical energy until a
predetermined value to meet the requirement of a load is achieved;
and
[0011] 2. reducing the energy loss of the power supply system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a
energy storage circuitry system in accordance with the
invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing a schematic structure
of a voltage boosting circuit in accordance with the invention;
[0014] FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic drawing showing an
equivalent circuit and waveform of the voltage booting circuit of
FIG. 2;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a control circuit in
accordance with the invention; and
[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic structure
of a charging circuit in accordance with the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a schematic structure of an
energy storage circuitry system in accordance with the invention.
The energy storage system comprises a voltage boosting circuit 1, a
comparison circuit 2, a charging circuit 3, and an energy storage
element 4. The voltage boosting circuit 1 is used for regulating a
switching frequency of an input voltage V.sub.in from a power
supply system and for storing the input voltage in the energy
storage element 4. It will be appreciated that the energy storage
element 4 is not restricted to the capacitor shown in the drawing
and can be any energy storage element such as a battery or the
like. The comparison circuit 2 is used for comparing the voltage in
the energy storage element with a reference voltage and releasing
the energy when a predetermined voltage is detected in the energy
storage element 4. When the voltage achieves the predetermined
voltage, the comparison circuit 2 may generate a control signal to
control the energy release to the load. As soon as energy is
released, the comparison circuit 2 will simultaneously return to a
state for detecting the energy storage. The charging circuit 3 is
used for supplying for the load in response to the control signal
as soon as the voltage in the energy storage element 4 is detected
to achieve the predetermined voltage value.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a schematically structural diagram of the
voltage boosting circuit 1 in accordance with the invention, and
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) shows an equivalent circuit and waveform for
the voltage boosting circuit 1 of FIG. 2.
[0019] U1 shown in FIG. 2 is a PFM (pulse-frequency modulation)
controlled IC for regulating and stabilizing voltage supplied to
the storage element 4. As shown in FIG. 3(a) IC U.sub.1 employs a
voltage controlled oscillation (VCO) circuit to drive an N-channel
MOSFET to compare the voltage in the energy storage element with an
internal reference voltage for regulating the switching frequency
of the MOSFET. This causes the MOSFET to output frequency
modulation pulses to stabilize the output voltage. The N-channel
MOSFET can be driven by a small voltage and current and may achieve
a higher efficiency in the switching circuit for boosting voltage
to obtain a stable output voltage. When power is supplied, the PFM
generates an oscillating frequency at SW as follows: when the
MOSFET turns on, the input current I.sub.in energizes an inductor L
(L.sub.1 in FIG. 2) and stores the energy in the inductor L. When
the MOSFET turns off. The energy in the inductor L will release and
generate current I.sub.d to accompany a discharge current of a
capacitor (C.sub.2 in FIG. 2) to charge the energy storage element
4 for providing to a load. Thus, the switching frequency is a key
factor for determining the output voltage. Therefore, when the
input V.sub.in is connected to the power supply system, if the
supplied voltage is higher that the predetermined voltage for U1,
the internal feedback circuit will compare the voltage of the
energy element 4 with the predetermined voltage. If the voltage of
the energy storage element 4 is lower than the preset reference
voltage, this indicates that the output voltage of the energy
storage element has not achieved a predetermined voltage. Based on
the switching frequency, the comparator (U.sub.2A in FIG. 4) will
generate a control signal which controls whether to raise the
voltage in the energy storage element. Due to the lower internal
resistance, when the circuit 1 is used to charge the energy storage
element 4, the switching frequency will be the highest oscillating
frequency.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram for the control
circuit 2 in accordance with the invention. The control circuit 2
mainly detects whether the stored energy can be released to supply
the load, and builds up a voltage of the stored energy on a
resistor R1 and a diode D9 to provide a stable voltage source. The
resistors R2, R3, R4 divide the input into two different reference
voltages, which are respectively supplied to the negative input
terminals of comparators U2A and U2B. The resistors R13, R14 also
provide a predetermined voltage value. Diodes D3, D7 form an OR
gate and diodes D5, D6 form an AND gate. The function of the AND
gate is to judge if the stored voltage in the energy storage is
higher than the two reference voltages. When the stored voltage is
higher than H-V.sub.ref, the AND gate turns MOSFET Q2 on. When the
outputs of U2A, U2B are lower than H-V.sub.ref, the gate turns Q1
on such that the output of U3C is changed to a low voltage because
the collector and emitter of Q1 are grounded. At this time, MOSFET
Q2 turns off to stop charging the rechargeable product.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of the charging
circuit 3 in accordance with the invention. The operation of the
charging circuit 3 is generally the same as that of the voltage
boosting circuit 1. That is to say, the charging circuit 3 acts as
a further voltage boosting converter which utilizes IC U3D to form
an oscillator to cause MOSFET Q3 to turn on through the
amplification of the transistor Q4. When MOSFET Q3 turns on,
current flows through the inductor L2 to ground and the inductor L2
can store the energy. When MOSFET Q3 turns off, the inductor L2
releases the energy through diode D10 to charge the output
capacitor C4 for the load. Diode D10 supplies a feedback signal to
the input of IC U.sub.3D through resistor R24 to control the
stabilization of the output voltage.
[0022] Summing up the foregoing, the invention can effectively
realize the following targets:
[0023] 1. increasing the present energy storage efficiency.
[0024] 2. decreasing the circuit size of the energy storage
circuit.
[0025] By way of example, the circuit of the invention may be
applied to a generator system that generates energy in response to
intermittent vibrations or motion, providing a stable output no
matter how irregular the vibrations or motion that causes
generating of power.
[0026] Having described a preferred exemplary example of the
invention, however, it will be appreciated that the example is not
intended to be the limit of the invention. It is noted that
modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the
art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be
understood that various changes, equivalences and modifications may
be made in the particular example of the invention without
departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as outlined by
the appended claims.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0027] 1. voltage boosting circuit
[0028] 2. control circuit
[0029] 3. charging circuit
[0030] 4. energy storage element
* * * * *