Patent ID: 8310109
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
1. A system for managing AC energy harvested from a harvesting device including a coil, the system comprising: rectifying circuitry coupled between first and second terminals of the harvesting device, the rectifying circuitry including a first switching device having a first electrode coupled to an output conductor for conducting a rectified voltage and a second electrode coupled to a first terminal of the coil, a second switching device having a first electrode coupled to the first terminal of the coil and a second electrode coupled to a reference voltage, a third switching device having a first electrode coupled to the output conductor and a second electrode coupled to a second terminal of the coil, and a fourth switching device having a first electrode coupled to the second terminal of the coil and a second electrode coupled to the reference voltage; and power management circuitry for converting the rectified voltage, including switch control circuitry having first and second inputs coupled to the first and second terminals, respectively, of the coil and first, second, third, and fourth outputs coupled to control electrodes of the first, second, third, and fourth switching devices, respectively, the switch control circuitry closing the second and fourth switching devices to allow build-up of current in the coil, opening one of the second and fourth switching devices, the switch control circuitry closing a corresponding one of the third and first switching devices in response to the built-up inductor current reaching a predetermined threshold value to steer the built-up inductor current through the corresponding one of the third and first switching devices to a current-receiving device.