Patent ID: 8723348

Claim:
A portable electronic device adapted for recharging during oscillating motion of the electronic device, comprising: a device housing including battery contacts of the electronic device; and a battery assembly supported by the device housing, the battery assembly comprising: a rechargeable storage battery connected to the battery contacts; and a charging assembly electrically connected to the rechargeable storage battery, the charging assembly including a kinetic energy-based generator operating during the oscillating motion of the electronic device to output electrical current to the rechargeable storage battery, wherein the kinetic energy-based generator includes: a barrel with a chamber extending a length of the barrel; only a single permanent magnet positioned in the chamber and sized and shaped to slide within the chamber during the oscillating motion; and a coil of electrically conductive wire wrapped around the barrel and the included chamber, wherein the single permanent magnet travels in and out of an interior region of the coil when it slides in the chamber and wherein, in response, the output electrical current is generated in the coil, wherein the single permanent magnet is positioned within the chamber with a single pair of opposing poles provided at first and second ends of the single permanent magnet being proximate to opposite ends of the chamber, wherein the single permanent magnet has a non-circular cross sectional shape in a plane transverse to an axis extending through both of the opposing poles, wherein the chamber has a non-circular cross sectional shape in a plane extending through a longitudinal axis of the chamber, and wherein the non-circular cross sectional shape of both the single permanent magnet and the chamber is a triangle or is a polygon with at least five sides.