A smart watch

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of intelligent wearable technology, and discloses a smart watch, which includes: a watch body, the watch body includes at least one normally-on device; a watch strap, the watch strap is used to place the watch body; a thermoelectric component, the thermoelectric component is electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, the thermoelectric component includes a plurality of thermoelectric module units, the plurality of thermoelectric module units are arranged on the watch strap and can be in close contact with the skin when worn, and two adjacent thermoelectric module units are electrically connected. The thermoelectric component in the smart watch can provide voltage to normally-on devices that require continuous power supply, reduce the consumption of system and battery power by the normally-on devices, achieve the purpose of power saving, and increase the battery life of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of smart wearable technology, and in particular to a smart watch. Background Art

[0002] The latest statistics show that the smart wearable market will usher in explosive growth in the next few years. Smart watches generally require a reliable and long-lasting power supply for long-term normal operation, and lithium batteries are currently used as the power supply. However, due to the limited space in the watch, the power of the micro lithium battery often cannot meet the demand for long-term power supply, and it is inconvenient to disassemble and replace the lithium battery. At the same time, most of the sensor functions in the watch, such as health, light sensing, gyroscope and motion sensor (a+g sensor), are generally in a normally open state. Therefore, the short battery life of wearable devices has become a bottleneck restricting the development of today's wearable electronic devices. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides a smart watch, which can achieve the purpose of saving power and increase the battery life of the device.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] A smart watch, comprising:

[0006] A watch body, the watch body comprising at least one normally-on device;

[0007] A watch strap, the watch strap is used to place the watch body;

[0008] A thermoelectric component, wherein the thermoelectric component is electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, and the thermoelectric component includes a plurality of thermoelectric module units, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric module units are arranged on the watch strap and can be in close contact with the skin when worn, and two adjacent thermoelectric module units are electrically connected.

[0009] In the smart watch provided by the embodiment of the present invention, a single thermoelectric module unit can sense the temperature potential difference between the skin temperature and the external temperature, and convert thermal energy into electrical energy output. Since two adjacent thermoelectric module units are electrically connected, the voltage output by the thermoelectric component is the sum of the outputs of multiple thermoelectric module units. The thermoelectric component is electrically connected to at least one normally-on device, so that the thermoelectric component can provide voltage to the normally-on device that requires continuous power supply, thereby reducing the power consumption of the system and battery by the normally-on device, thereby achieving the purpose of saving power and increasing the battery life of the device. Moreover, the battery volume will not be increased, making it easy to carry.

[0010] Optionally, two adjacent thermoelectric module units are connected in series via a wire.

[0011] Optionally, a heat dissipation layer is coated on the wire.

[0012] Optionally, the watch body also includes a boost chopper circuit, the output end of the thermoelectric component is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit, and the at least one normally-open device is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit.

[0013] Optionally, the watch body also includes a first capacitor, a first end of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the output end of the thermoelectric component, and a second end of the first capacitor is grounded.

[0014] Optionally, the boost chopper circuit includes a filter inductor, a first fully-controlled switch device, a second fully-controlled switch device, and a second capacitor;

[0015] The first end of the filter inductor is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the filter inductor is electrically connected to the first end of the first fully-controlled switch device and the first end of the second fully-controlled switch device, respectively; the second end of the first fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit and the output end of the boost chopper circuit, respectively, and the second end of the second fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit; the first end of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the second capacitor is grounded.

[0016] Optionally, the first end of the filter inductor is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit through an anti-backflow diode, the input end of the anti-backflow diode is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit, and the output end of the anti-backflow diode is electrically connected to the first end of the filter inductor.

[0017] Optionally, a control unit is also included, which is respectively connected to the control end signal of the first fully-controlled switch device and the control end signal of the second fully-controlled switch device, and the control unit is used to adjust the switching state of the first fully-controlled switch device and the second fully-controlled switch device by dual closed-loop control according to the output voltage on the second capacitor and the inductor current on the filter inductor, so as to adjust the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit.

[0018] Optionally, the watch body further includes a battery and a power supply selection unit, the battery and the boost chopper circuit are electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device via the power supply selection unit, and the power supply selection unit is used to:

[0019] When the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit is greater than or equal to a preset voltage value, the boost chopper circuit is controlled to be electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, and after a first preset time, the battery is controlled to be disconnected from the at least one normally-on device;

[0020] When the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit is less than the preset voltage value, the battery is controlled to be electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, and after a second preset time, the boost chopper circuit is controlled to be disconnected from the at least one normally-on device.

[0021] Optionally, the power supply selection unit includes a third fully-controlled switch device and a fourth fully-controlled switch device, the first end of the third fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the battery, the second end of the third fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, the first end of the fourth fully-controlled device is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the fourth fully-controlled device is electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device.

[0022] Optionally, a low voltage drop linear regulator is connected between the power supply selection unit and the at least one normally-on device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a smart watch provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a smart watch, comprising:

[0026] A watch body, the watch body comprising at least one normally-on device 2;

[0027] The watch strap is used to place the watch body;

[0028] Thermoelectric component 1, the thermoelectric component 1 is electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2, the thermoelectric component 1 includes a plurality of thermoelectric module units, the plurality of thermoelectric module units are arranged on the watch strap and can be in close contact with the skin when worn, and two adjacent thermoelectric module units are electrically connected.

[0029] In the smart watch provided by the embodiment of the present invention, a single thermoelectric module unit can sense the temperature potential difference between the skin temperature and the external temperature, and convert thermal energy into electrical energy output. Since two adjacent thermoelectric module units are electrically connected, the voltage output by the thermoelectric component 1 is the sum of the outputs of multiple thermoelectric module units. The thermoelectric component 1 is electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2, so that the thermoelectric component 1 can provide voltage to the normally-on device 2 that requires continuous power supply, thereby reducing the power consumption of the system and battery by the normally-on device 2, thereby achieving the purpose of saving power and increasing the battery life of the device. Moreover, the battery volume will not be increased, making it easy to carry.

[0030] It should be noted that the normally-on device 2 is a functional device that needs to be in a normally-on state during the use of the smart watch. For example, the normally-on device 2 can be a health detection device, a light sensor, a gyroscope, a motion sensor, a touch sensor and other devices.

[0031] Specifically, the above-mentioned thermoelectric module unit may include a PN-type nano-silicon thermoelectric film, a thermal conductive copper foil layer and a heat dissipation copper foil layer, wherein the thermal conductive copper foil layer may be arranged on the side of the thermoelectric module unit for contacting human skin, and the heat dissipation copper foil layer may be arranged on the side of the PN-type nano-silicon thermoelectric module unit away from the thermal conductive copper foil layer.

[0032] Among them, a single thermoelectric module unit can convert 1V voltage at a temperature difference of 20℃. According to the human body temperature of 35℃-37℃ and the external indoor temperature of 20℃-30℃, the voltage range can be estimated: 0.25V-0.8V, that is, a single thermoelectric module unit can output a DC voltage of 0.25V-0.8V when the external indoor temperature is 20℃-30℃. The DC voltage output by the thermoelectric component 1 can be determined according to the number of thermoelectric module units, and the DC voltage output by the thermoelectric component 1 is the sum of the output voltages of all thermoelectric module units. Specifically, the number of thermoelectric module units can be determined according to actual needs, and there is no restriction here.

[0033] In a specific embodiment, the watch chain may include multiple links, and multiple thermoelectric module units may be embedded in different links of the watch chain. For example, a thermoelectric module unit may be set on each link of the watch chain, so that the thermoelectric module unit can be in contact with human skin when wearing the smart watch.

[0034] In a specific implementation, two adjacent thermoelectric module units may be connected in series via a wire, for example, two adjacent thermoelectric module units may be connected via an FPC wire.

[0035] In a specific implementation, the wire may be coated with a heat dissipation layer, which can dissipate heat from the wire and facilitate the transmission of electricity.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, the watch body further includes a boost chopper circuit 3 (BOOST), the output end of the thermoelectric component 1 is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit 3, at least one normally-on device 2 is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit 3, and the boost chopper circuit 3 can increase the output voltage of the thermoelectric component 1 and output a stable voltage to the normally-on device 2, so that the normally-on device 2 can be powered by the thermoelectric component 1 and maintain a continuous working state. For example, by increasing the voltage at the input end of the boost chopper circuit 3 by the number of thermoelectric module units connected in series on the watch chain, the input voltage can output a stable 3.8V voltage through the boost chopper circuit 3.

[0037] In the above-mentioned embodiment of the invention, the watch body may further include a first capacitor C1, a first end of the first capacitor C1 is electrically connected to the output end of the thermoelectric component 1, and a second end of the first capacitor C1 is grounded. The first capacitor C1 can filter the voltage output by the thermoelectric component 1, and can store the output voltage of the thermoelectric component 1 for voltage stabilization.

[0038] In a specific implementation, the boost chopper circuit 3 may include a filter inductor L, a first fully-controlled switch device Q1, a second fully-controlled switch device Q2, and a second capacitor C2; wherein, the first end of the filter inductor L is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit 3, and the second end of the filter inductor L is electrically connected to the first end of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the first end of the second fully-controlled switch device Q2, respectively; the second end of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit 3 and the output end of the boost chopper circuit 3, respectively, and the second end of the second fully-controlled switch device Q2 is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit 3; the first end of the second capacitor C2 is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit 3, and the second end of the second capacitor C2 is grounded.

[0039] In the above-mentioned boost chopper circuit 3, the filter inductor L and the second capacitor C2 can form a low-pass filter to filter out the harmonics of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the second fully-controlled switch device Q2. The second capacitor C2 can stabilize the voltage and support the "energy storage" function to ensure stable output to the subsequent circuit. Specifically, when the output voltage V out When the voltage is higher than the given voltage, the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 can be controlled to close and the second fully-controlled switch device Q2 can be controlled to open, and the output voltage V out The output voltage V of the second capacitor C2 is out When the voltage is lower than the given voltage, the first fully controlled switch device Q1 can be controlled to be disconnected and the second fully controlled switch device Q2 can be controlled to be closed, and the output voltage V outThe second capacitor C2 is charged through the second fully controlled switch device Q2, and the subsequent circuit is powered to ensure that the boost chopper circuit 3 outputs a stable voltage. Specifically, the given voltage can be 3.8V or other preset values, which can be selected according to actual needs and are not limited here.

[0040] In a specific implementation, the first end of the filter inductor L can be electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit 3 through an anti-backflow diode D1, the input end of the anti-backflow diode D1 is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit 3, and the output end of the anti-backflow diode D1 is electrically connected to the first end of the filter inductor L. When the energy conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric component 1 is not high, the anti-backflow diode D1 can prevent the internal power supply of the watch body from being reversely output to the thermoelectric component 1 on the watch chain for discharge. The situation where the energy conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric component 1 is not high can be when the temperature difference between the human skin temperature and the external temperature is small, or when the thermoelectric component 1 is not in contact with the skin.

[0041] The smartwatch provided by the above-mentioned embodiment of the invention may further include a control unit 4, which may be connected to the control end of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the control end of the second fully-controlled switch device Q2 respectively. The control unit 4 is used to generate a voltage V out And the inductor current I on the filter inductor L out , a double closed-loop control is used to adjust the switching states of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the second fully-controlled switch device Q2 to adjust the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit 3.

[0042] Specifically, Figure 1 As shown, the specific control process of the control unit 4 can be: when the output voltage V of the second capacitor C2 is collected out With a given voltage V REF Make a difference, and generate a given current I of the current loop through the controller a REF , given current I REF The inductor current I collected on the filter inductor L out By making a difference, the controller b generates PWM to control the on and off states of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the second fully-controlled switch device Q2. By controlling the switching states of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the second fully-controlled switch device Q2, the boost chopper circuit 3 can output a stable voltage. For example, when the given voltage is 3.8V, when the output voltage V out When the voltage is higher than 3.8V, the control unit 4 controls the control end of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 to be turned on and the control end of the second fully-controlled switch device Q2 to be turned off, and the voltage on the second capacitor C2 supplies power to the normally-on device 2 at the subsequent stage; and when the output voltage V outWhen the voltage is lower than 3.8V, the control unit 4 controls the control end of the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 to be disconnected and the control end of the second fully-controlled switch device Q2 to be turned on. The voltage output by the thermoelectric component 1 charges the second capacitor C2 through the second fully-controlled switch device Q2, and supplies power to the normally-on device 2 at the subsequent stage.

[0043] In the above double closed-loop control, the outer loop uses the output voltage as the control target, and the inner loop uses the inductor current as overcurrent protection to protect the first fully-controlled switch device Q1 and the second fully-controlled switch device Q2, so that the boost chopper circuit 3 can have a stable voltage output. Optionally, the above controller a and controller b can both use PI controllers, and controller a and controller b can also use other controllers, which can be determined according to actual conditions and are not limited here.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, the watch body further includes a battery 5 and a power supply selection unit 6. The battery 5 and the boost chopper circuit 3 are electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2 through the power supply selection unit 6. The power supply selection unit 6 is used to: when the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit 3 is greater than or equal to the preset voltage value, control the boost chopper circuit 3 to be electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2, and control the battery 5 to be disconnected from at least one normally-on device 2 after a first preset time; and when the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit 3 is less than the preset voltage value, control the battery 5 to be electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2, and control the boost chopper circuit 3 to be disconnected from at least one normally-on device 2 after a second preset time. The power supply selection unit 6 can realize the power supply in the watch body and the thermoelectric component 1 to select and switch power supply. When the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit 3 is less than the preset voltage value, the power supply selection power supply can control the boost chopper circuit 3 not to supply power, and the normally-on device 2 is powered by the battery 5, so that the normally-on device 2 can continue to work and ensure the normal function of the watch body.

[0045] In a specific embodiment, the power supply selection unit 6 may include a third fully-controlled switch device Q3 and a fourth fully-controlled switch device Q4, wherein the first end of the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 is electrically connected to the battery 5, the second end of the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 is electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2, the first end of the fourth fully-controlled switch device Q4 is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the fourth fully-controlled switch device Q4 is electrically connected to at least one normally-on device 2.

[0046] The specific working process of the power supply selection unit 6 can be that when the voltage supplied by the thermoelectric component 1 (the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit 3) is less than the preset voltage value, the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 can be controlled to be turned on, the battery 5 can supply power to the normally-open device 2, the fourth fully-controlled switch device Q4 is turned off after a delay of the first preset time, and the power supply of the thermoelectric component 1 is cut off, which can ensure that the normally-open device 2 continues to work and maintain the normal function of the watch; and when the voltage supplied by the thermoelectric component 1 (the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit 3) is greater than or equal to the preset voltage value, the fourth fully-controlled switch device Q4 can be controlled to be turned on, the thermoelectric component 1 supplies power to the normally-open device 2, the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 is turned off after a delay of the second preset time, and the power supply of the battery 5 is cut off, which can reduce the power consumption of the battery 5 and increase the battery life of the battery 5. The power supply selection unit 6 delays the first preset time to turn off the fourth fully-controlled switch device Q4 or delays the second preset time to turn off the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 to prevent switching power failure and ensure the normal operation of the normally-open device 2. The above-mentioned preset voltage value can be set to 3V or other values, which can be selected according to actual conditions and are not limited here. The first preset time and the second preset time can be set to 3s or other values, which can be selected according to actual conditions and are not limited here.

[0047] In a specific implementation, the first fully-controlled switch device Q1, the second fully-controlled switch device Q2, the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 and the third fully-controlled switch device Q3 can be MOS tubes or other fully-controlled switch devices, which are not limited here and can be selected according to actual conditions.

[0048] In a specific implementation, a low-dropout linear regulator (LDO) 7 may be connected between the power supply selection unit 6 and at least one normally-on device 2. The low-dropout linear regulator 7 can convert the output voltage of the battery 5 or the boost chopper circuit 3 into the input voltage required by the normally-on device 2. For example, the output voltage of the battery 5 or the boost chopper circuit 3 is 3.8V, and the input voltage required by the normally-on device 2 is 1.8V. The low-dropout linear regulator can convert the 3.8V voltage output by the battery 5 or the boost chopper circuit 3 into the 1.8V input voltage required by the normally-on device 2.

[0049] After comparing the test data, a watch with a battery capacity of 500mAh has a working current of 20mA in a heavy-load scenario (making a call, playing music, etc.), and a standby current of about 2mA (the normally-on device is in the normally-on state and the system has the lowest power consumption). If the watch is in the standby state and not turned off, it can last for 10 days if it is powered only by the battery. The smart watch provided by the embodiment of the present invention can use thermoelectric components to power the normally-on device, which can share the working current of about 15mA and the standby current of 1mA. If the watch is in the standby state and not turned off, it can last for about 20 days. The comparison of the above test data proves that the smart watch provided by the embodiment of the present invention can greatly save battery energy consumption, extend the battery life, and achieve the purpose of power saving; and can reduce the volume occupied by the battery while improving the battery life of the watch, making the watch smaller and easier to carry; in addition, the smart watch provided by the embodiment of the present invention has no mechanical moving parts, which can save more power.

[0050] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A smart watch, characterized in that: include: A watch body, the watch body comprising at least one normally-on device; A watch strap, the watch strap is used to place the watch body; A thermoelectric assembly, the thermoelectric assembly being electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, the thermoelectric assembly comprising a plurality of thermoelectric module units, the plurality of thermoelectric module units being arranged on the watch chain and being in close contact with the skin when worn, and two adjacent thermoelectric module units being electrically connected; The watch body further comprises a boost chopper circuit, the output end of the thermoelectric component is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit, and the at least one normally-open device is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit; The watch body further comprises a battery and a power supply selection unit, wherein the battery and the boost chopper circuit are electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device via the power supply selection unit, and the power supply selection unit is used to: When the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit is greater than or equal to a preset voltage value, the boost chopper circuit is controlled to be electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, and after a first preset time, the battery is controlled to be disconnected from the at least one normally-on device; When the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit is less than the preset voltage value, the battery is controlled to be electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, and after a second preset time, the boost chopper circuit is controlled to be disconnected from the at least one normally-on device.

2. The smart watch according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two adjacent thermoelectric module units are connected in series via a wire.

3. The smart watch according to claim 2, characterized in that: The conductive wire is coated with a heat dissipation layer.

4. The smart watch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The watch body also includes a first capacitor, a first end of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the output end of the thermoelectric component, and a second end of the first capacitor is grounded.

5. The smart watch according to claim 4, characterized in that: The boost chopper circuit includes a filter inductor, a first fully-controlled switch device, a second fully-controlled switch device, and a second capacitor; The first end of the filter inductor is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the filter inductor is electrically connected to the first end of the first fully-controlled switch device and the first end of the second fully-controlled switch device, respectively; the second end of the first fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit and the output end of the boost chopper circuit, respectively, and the second end of the second fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit; the first end of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the second capacitor is grounded.

6. The smart watch according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first end of the filter inductor is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit through an anti-backflow diode, the input end of the anti-backflow diode is electrically connected to the input end of the boost chopper circuit, and the output end of the anti-backflow diode is electrically connected to the first end of the filter inductor.

7. The smart watch according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a control unit, which is respectively connected to the control end of the first fully-controlled switch device and the control end of the second fully-controlled switch device by signal. The control unit is used to adjust the switching state of the first fully-controlled switch device and the second fully-controlled switch device by double closed-loop control according to the output voltage on the second capacitor and the inductor current on the filter inductor, so as to adjust the output voltage of the boost chopper circuit.

8. The smart watch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power supply selection unit includes a third fully-controlled switch device and a fourth fully-controlled switch device, the first end of the third fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the battery, the second end of the third fully-controlled switch device is electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device, the first end of the fourth fully-controlled device is electrically connected to the output end of the boost chopper circuit, and the second end of the fourth fully-controlled device is electrically connected to the at least one normally-on device.

9. The smart watch according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: A low voltage difference linear regulator is connected between the power supply selection unit and the at least one normally-on device.

Images