Patent ID: 7652386

Claim:
An apparatus for harvesting energy from motion of one or more human or other animal joints, the apparatus comprising: a generator coupled to one or more human or animal joints for converting mechanical energy associated with motion of the one or more joints into corresponding electrical energy; one or more sensors operatively coupled to a body of the human or animal for sensing one or more corresponding characteristics associated with motion of the body of the human or animal and for generating one or more corresponding signals representative of such characteristics; and a controller connected to receive the one or more corresponding signals and configured to generate an output signal for modifying at least one of: a first coupling operatively connected between the one or more joints and the generator for transferring mechanical energy associated with the motion of the one or more joints to the generator, the first coupling connected to receive the output signal and modifiable in response thereto; and a second coupling operatively connected between the generator and a load for transferring electrical energy from the generator to the load, the second coupling connected to receive the output signal and modifiable in response thereto; based at least in part on the one or more sensed characteristics; wherein at least one of: the first coupling is modifiable, in response to the output signal, between: an engaged configuration wherein the first coupling is completed to transfer mechanical energy associated with motion of the one or more joints to the generator and to engage energy harvesting; and a disengaged configuration wherein the first coupling is decoupled to disengage energy harvesting; and the second coupling is modifiable, in response to the output signal, between: an engaged configuration wherein the second coupling is completed to transfer electrical energy from the generator to the load and to engage energy harvesting; and a disengaged configuration wherein the second coupling is decoupled to disengage energy harvesting; and wherein the controller is configured to assess whether the motion of the one or more joints is associated with mutualistic conditions or non-mutualistic conditions based at least in part on the one or more sensed characteristics and to use the output signal to selectively engage energy harvesting when motion of the one or more joints is associated with particular mutualistic conditions and to selectively disengage energy harvesting when motion of the one or more joints is associated with non-mutualistic conditions.