Patent ID: 7667132

Claim:
An electric power generating apparatus comprising: a thermoelectric element; and an electric power converter which controls electric current when the thermoelectric element generates electric power, wherein the electric power converter changes the electric current when the thermoelectric element generates the electric power so as to obtain voltage values V 1 and V 2 corresponding to at least two different electric current values i 1 , and i 2 , the electric current value i 1 being smaller than the electric current value i 2 ; and the electric power converter controls the electric current such that a value of the electric current becomes equal to an electric current value i t when the thermoelectric element generates the electric power, and wherein the electric power converter is programmed to control the electric current satisfying the electric current value i t according to an equation, i t =( i 2 V 1 −i 1 V 2 )/2( V 1 −V 2 ).