Circuits for utilizing power line radiation signal energy and low-power electrical equipment

Abstract

This specification relates to the field of power line energy harvesting technology, and provides a power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit and a low-power electrical device. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit includes: an energy harvesting antenna for collecting energy signals radiated by a coupled power line; an energy harvesting front end for converting the energy signals into DC energy; and an energy management unit for storing the DC energy, releasing it to a load circuit when the DC energy reaches an upper limit, and shutting off energy release when the DC energy drops to a lower limit; the power of the load circuit is below a specified value. This specification enables the use of power line radiation signal energy to power low-power electrical devices, reducing their usage and maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of power line energy harvesting technology, and in particular to a circuit for utilizing power line radiation signal energy and a low-power electrical device. Background Technology

[0002] Power lines, as one of the most important infrastructures in daily life, production, and office spaces, cover every corner of people's lives. The power outlets provided by power lines are the source of power for the vast majority of electrical devices. A single power outlet in a typical home or office setting can generally provide at least 2000 to 3000 watts of power.

[0003] However, for low-power electrical equipment (such as sensors), due to their flexible placement, although they are often close to power lines, they may be far from power outlets or inconvenient to use electrical wires for power supply. Battery power is generally used, but batteries have limited capacity, require regular replacement, and have high maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this specification is to provide a power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit and a low-power electrical device, so as to utilize the energy of the power line radiation signal to power the low-power electrical device and reduce its use and maintenance costs.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in one aspect, embodiments of this specification provide a power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit, comprising:

[0006] An energy harvesting antenna is used to collect energy signals radiated by an electric field line coupled to it.

[0007] An energy harvesting front end, used to convert the energy signal into DC energy; and,

[0008] An energy management unit is used to store the DC energy, release it to the load circuit when the DC energy rises to an upper limit, and shut down the energy release when the DC energy drops to a lower limit; the power of the load circuit is lower than a specified value.

[0009] In the embodiments of this specification, the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit further includes:

[0010] A voltage regulator circuit is used to convert the DC energy output by the energy management unit into DC energy suitable for use by the load circuit.

[0011] In the embodiments described in this specification, the energy harvesting antenna includes an electric field sensing antenna.

[0012] In the embodiments of this specification, the electric field induction antenna includes a first planar electrode and a second planar electrode, the first planar electrode and the second planar electrode are isolated from each other, the first planar electrode is capacitively coupled to the electric field line, and the second planar electrode is grounded or capacitively coupled to ground.

[0013] In the embodiments described in this specification, the first planar electrode is capacitively coupled to the electric field line based on a coupling enhancement component.

[0014] In the embodiments of this specification, the coupling enhancement component includes a conductive sleeve that is fitted over the electric power line and electrically connected to the first planar electrode.

[0015] In the embodiments described in this specification, the conductive sleeve includes a clamping sleeve.

[0016] In the embodiments of this specification, the coupling enhancement component includes a flexible conductive film covering the electric power line, the flexible conductive film being electrically connected to the first planar electrode.

[0017] In the embodiments described in this specification, the energy harvesting antenna includes a magnetic field induction antenna.

[0018] In the embodiments described in this specification, the magnetic field induction antenna is located on the same plane as the electric field line or is magnetically coupled to the electric field line through a magnetic core.

[0019] In the embodiments of this specification, the energy harvesting front end includes a rectifier circuit with a specified degree of isolation.

[0020] In the embodiments of this specification, the energy management unit includes:

[0021] An energy storage unit for storing the DC energy;

[0022] A threshold adjustable voltage detection unit is used to detect the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit, output a turn-on signal when the DC energy rises to the upper limit value, and output a turn-off signal when the DC energy drops to the lower limit value.

[0023] A control switch is used to close when the conduction signal is received, so as to release the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit to the load circuit through the power supply interface, and to open when the shutdown signal is received, so as to stop the energy storage unit from discharging to the outside.

[0024] The input / output port is used to transmit control signals input from low-power electrical equipment to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit; the control signals include a forced reset signal.

[0025] In the embodiments of this specification, the energy management unit further includes:

[0026] A threshold voltage configuration unit is used to configure the upper and lower limits of the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit.

[0027] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a low-power electrical device, including:

[0028] case;

[0029] A circuit board disposed within the housing, the circuit board having a load circuit; and...

[0030] The above-mentioned power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit has at least a portion disposed on the circuit board.

[0031] In the embodiments described in this specification, the low-power electrical device includes a low-power sensor.

[0032] As can be seen from the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this specification above, the embodiments of this specification can collect the energy of the power line radiation signal through the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit and supply it to low-power electrical equipment, thereby realizing the supply of power to the load circuit of low-power electrical equipment without the need for batteries or power line sockets; thus, the use and maintenance costs of low-power electrical equipment are greatly reduced, and the energy signal radiated by the power line is recovered and utilized, improving the energy utilization rate. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or prior art of this specification, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this specification. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 This specification shows a block diagram of a circuit for utilizing power line radiation signal energy in some embodiments.

[0035] Figure 2 This specification shows a block diagram of the energy management unit in some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 3 This specification shows schematic diagrams of the structure of low-power electrical equipment in some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 4 An exploded view of a low-power electrical device is shown in some embodiments of this specification;

[0038] Figure 5This specification shows schematic diagrams illustrating the usage status of low-power electrical equipment in some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the end of the conductive sleeve in some embodiments of this specification is shown;

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a conductive sleeve clamping an electric field line (open state) is shown in some embodiments of this specification;

[0041] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a conductive sleeve clamping an electric field line (closed state) is shown in some embodiments of this specification;

[0042] Figure 9 Structural block diagrams of low-power electrical devices in other embodiments of this specification are shown;

[0043] Figure 10 Exploded schematic diagrams of low-power electrical devices are shown in other embodiments of this specification;

[0044] Figure 11 This specification shows schematic diagrams illustrating the usage status of low-power electrical equipment in other embodiments;

[0045] Figure 12 This specification shows a schematic diagram illustrating the change of DC voltage of the energy storage unit during the alternating charge and discharge process in some embodiments of this specification;

[0046] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the threshold voltage configuration unit in some embodiments of this specification is shown.

[0047] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0048] 1. Circuit for utilizing the energy of power line radiated signals;

[0049] 11. Energy harvesting antenna;

[0050] 11a. First planar electrode;

[0051] 11b. Second planar electrode;

[0052] 11c. Conductive sleeve;

[0053] 11d. Magnetic field induction antenna;

[0054] 12. Energy harvesting front end;

[0055] 13. Energy Management Unit;

[0056] 131. Energy storage unit;

[0057] 132. Threshold adjustable voltage detection unit;

[0058] 133. Control switch;

[0059] 134. Power supply interface;

[0060] 135. I / O ports;

[0061] 136. Threshold voltage configuration unit;

[0062] 1361. Fuse array;

[0063] 1362. Diode array;

[0064] 1363. Field-effect transistor;

[0065] 1364. Resistance;

[0066] 1365. Signal input terminal;

[0067] 1366, Signal output terminal;

[0068] 14. Voltage regulator circuit;

[0069] 2. Low-power electrical equipment;

[0070] 21. Shell;

[0071] 22. Circuit board;

[0072] 3. Power lines. Detailed Implementation

[0073] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this specification, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this specification, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this specification. For example, in the following description, forming a second component on top of a first component can include embodiments where the first component and the second component are formed in direct contact, and can also include embodiments where the first component and the second component are formed in a non-direct contact manner (i.e., additional components may be included between the first component and the second component), etc.

[0074] Furthermore, for ease of description, some embodiments of this specification may use spatially relative terms such as "above," "below," "top," and "under" to describe the relationship between one element or component and another (or more) elements or components as shown in the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientations described in the drawings, the spatially relative terms are also intended to include different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, an element or component described as "below" or "under" other elements or components will subsequently be positioned "above" or "on top" other elements or components.

[0075] The term "low-power electrical equipment" in this specification generally refers to electrical equipment with power ratings in the milliwatt range (e.g., tens of milliwatts or even lower) and below. Typical low-power electrical equipment includes low-power sensors (e.g., IoT sensors). Examples include environmental sensors (such as temperature sensors), distance sensors, and light sensors deployed in various locations within factory workshops. In most application scenarios, the deployment locations of these low-power electrical devices are varied and numerous, making direct power supply via power lines inconvenient. Therefore, most such devices are currently battery-powered. However, batteries have limited capacity and require periodic replacement, resulting in high maintenance costs. Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the low-power electrical equipment in this specification is not limited to IoT sensors, but can also include any other electrical equipment with similar power ratings, varied deployment locations, and a large number of devices. Furthermore, when the electric field strength generated by the power line is strong (e.g., high voltage and / or current), it can also be used for electrical equipment with higher power ratings (>100mW).

[0076] In view of this, in order to reduce the maintenance costs of low-power electrical equipment and improve energy efficiency, embodiments of this specification provide a technology for collecting the energy of power line radiated signals and supplying power to low-power electrical equipment. It should be understood that, in this specification, a power line refers to a conductor that transmits electrical energy. The electrical energy transmitted by the power line can be, for example, mains power, i.e., AC power with a voltage range of 100V to 380V and a frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz. When energized, the power line radiates an electromagnetic field of 50Hz or 60Hz. This radiated electromagnetic field carries energy; the closer to the power line and the higher the voltage transmitted by the power line, the stronger the electric field radiation; the closer to the power line and the stronger the current transmitted by the power line, the stronger the magnetic field radiation. If this energy can be collected, it is possible to supply power to low-power electrical equipment via the power line without using batteries or power line sockets.

[0077] refer to Figure 1As shown in some embodiments, a power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit is illustrated, which may include an energy harvesting antenna 11, an energy harvesting front end 12, and an energy management unit 13. The energy harvesting antenna 11 is used to collect energy signals radiated by the power line coupled to it; the energy harvesting front end 12 is used to convert the energy signals into DC energy (i.e., direct current); the energy management unit 13 is used to store the DC energy, release it to the load circuit when the DC energy rises to an upper limit, and shut down the energy release when the DC energy drops to a lower limit; the power of the load circuit is below a specified value. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit can collect power line radiation signal energy and supply it to low-power electrical devices, thereby enabling power supply to the load circuit of low-power electrical devices without the need for batteries or power line sockets. This significantly reduces the use and maintenance costs of low-power electrical devices and also achieves the recovery and utilization of energy signals radiated by power lines, improving energy utilization efficiency.

[0078] The load circuit in this specification refers to the main circuit of a low-power electrical device, which is the main component used to implement the functions of the low-power electrical device. For example, taking an IoT sensor as an example, its main circuit may include a main control module, a wireless communication interface, a storage unit, and a sensor probe. Under the control of the main control module, the sensor probe can collect corresponding parameters, which the main control module can store in the storage unit and transmit externally (e.g., to a host computer) through the wireless communication interface as needed.

[0079] The radiation signal generated by electric field lines is an electromagnetic wave radiated into the surrounding space, thus forming radiated radio frequency energy. Considering that this radiated radio frequency energy exists simultaneously in the form of magnetic and electric fields, it can be collected by using a magnetic field induction antenna (e.g., a coil antenna) and / or an electric field induction antenna (e.g., an electrode antenna). In other words, when the energy harvesting antenna 11 uses a magnetic field induction antenna (e.g., a coil antenna), it can collect the magnetic field energy (magnetic signal) radiated outward from the electric field lines; when the energy harvesting antenna 11 uses an electric field induction antenna (e.g., an electrode antenna), it can collect the electric field energy (electric signal) radiated outward from the electric field lines.

[0080] The principle of energy harvesting from the magnetic field of electric lines is similar to transformer coupling. The electric line acts as the primary coil, while the coil antenna acts as the secondary coil. In some embodiments, a magnetic core can be used to enhance inductive coupling, similar to a clamp-on ammeter. In other embodiments, when no magnetic core is used, it is equivalent to an air-core transformer. When harvesting energy using the magnetic field of electric lines, the harvestable energy is directly related to the current flowing through the electric line, making it particularly suitable for applications with relatively large currents, such as factories. The clamp-on AC ammeter essentially consists of a current transformer and an ammeter; the current transformer is an openable inductive AC clamp that allows the measured current-carrying conductor to pass through it. The measured current-carrying conductor is equivalent to the primary winding of the current transformer, which acts as the secondary winding, connected to the ammeter. Based on a certain proportional relationship between the primary and secondary windings of the current transformer, the ammeter can display the current value of the measured current-carrying conductor.

[0081] The principle of energy harvesting using electric field lines is similar to capacitor coupling. The electric field line acts as one pole of a capacitor, and the electrode antenna acts as the other pole. When the electrode antenna is connected to the ground or a large area of ​​metal, current flows through the capacitor. When using the electric field of electric fields for energy harvesting, the harvestable energy is directly related to the voltage on the electric field line, making it particularly suitable for applications with relatively high voltages.

[0082] The energy harvesting front end 12 can be a rectifier circuit with a specified degree of isolation. Since the power of the radio frequency signal captured by the energy harvesting antenna 11 is generally very low (e.g., less than microwatts or even lower), it may take some time to accumulate enough energy for low-power devices. Leakage in the rectifier circuit will cause significant energy loss, thus prolonging the time required for energy accumulation, reducing system performance, or even preventing energy accumulation altogether. Therefore, the rectifier circuit should have a high degree of isolation. Specifically, in some embodiments, the reverse leakage current of the rectifier circuit should be lower than the current intensity after rectification of the input radio frequency energy to ensure energy accumulation. Preferably, the reverse leakage current of the rectifier circuit can be less than 10% of the current intensity after rectification of the input radio frequency energy. For example, when the input current is 1 microamp (µA), the reverse leakage current can be less than 100 nanoamp (nA).

[0083] Different low-power electrical devices generally have different operating parameters (e.g., operating voltage). In most scenarios, the DC energy output by the energy management unit 13 may not be directly suitable for use in the load circuit of the low-power electrical device. Therefore, in some embodiments, the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit may also include a voltage regulator circuit 14 (e.g., Figure 1(As shown). The voltage regulator circuit 14 can be used to convert the DC energy output by the energy management unit 13 into DC energy suitable for use by the load circuit of low-power electrical equipment. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the voltage regulator circuit 14 can be a DC / DC converter, which, after DC / DC boost conversion or DC-DC buck conversion, can output DC power suitable for direct use by the load circuit of low-power electrical equipment. As another exemplary embodiment, the voltage regulator circuit 14 can also be an adjustable low dropout regulator (LDO). Therefore, this specification does not limit the type of voltage regulator circuit 14 used; it can be selected according to actual needs.

[0084] Energy management unit 13 is an important component of the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit. Combined with... Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the energy management unit 13 may include an energy storage unit 131, a threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132, a control switch 133, and a power supply interface 134. The energy storage unit 131 can be used to store DC energy output from the energy acquisition front end; the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 can be used to detect the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit 131 in real time or at regular intervals, outputting a conduction signal when the DC energy rises to an upper limit value and an off signal when the DC energy drops to a lower limit value; the control switch 133 can be used to close when receiving the conduction signal to release the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit 131 to the load circuit through the power supply interface 134, and to open when receiving the off signal to stop the energy storage unit 131 from discharging externally.

[0085] The energy harvested from power lines has very low power, and even for low-power electrical devices, it is generally difficult to directly supply power to them. Therefore, an energy storage unit 131 is needed to store the harvested energy until it reaches a certain level (e.g., the voltage reaches a set value), at which point it is released to power the low-power electrical devices. In reality, in many scenarios, low-power electrical devices do not need to operate 24 / 7. Therefore, using energy harvested from power lines, low-power electrical devices can operate periodically, meeting the needs of many application scenarios. In some embodiments, the energy storage unit 131 can generally be a capacitor or rechargeable battery with low leakage current to facilitate energy accumulation. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the energy storage unit 131 can be a ceramic capacitor or other capacitor with low leakage current. In another exemplary embodiment, when a larger energy capacity is required or higher power needs to be harvested, a capacitor with relatively higher leakage current (e.g., a tantalum capacitor) can also be accepted.

[0086] The threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 may include a voltage detection circuit and a control circuit. The threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 has two operating voltages: Von (the upper limit value mentioned above) and Voff (the lower limit value mentioned above). Generally, Voff should be close to the minimum voltage required for the low-power electrical equipment to operate normally. Von can be set according to the energy required for the low-power electrical equipment to operate once; that is, the energy difference between Von and Voff should at least meet the energy requirement for the low-power electrical equipment to operate once. Generally, the specific values ​​of Von and Voff can be set according to the electrical characteristics of the connected low-power electrical equipment. Considering various special situations in practice (such as delays caused by wireless communication channel congestion), Von may need to be much higher than this value to provide sufficient power even in special circumstances.

[0087] When the energy storage unit 131 is in a charging state, the voltage of the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit 131 continuously rises. When the voltage rises to Von, the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 can output a conduction signal (e.g., output a high-level signal) to the control terminal of the control switch 133, the control switch 133 turns on, and the energy storage unit 131 begins to discharge to the load circuit via the control switch 133. Correspondingly, the voltage of the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit 131 continuously decreases due to discharge; when the voltage drops to Voff, the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 can output a turn-off signal (e.g., output a low-level signal) to the control terminal of the control switch 133, the control switch 133 turns off, and the energy storage unit 131 stops discharging; thereafter, the energy storage unit 131 continues to charge and store energy and discharges again when Von is reached again, and so on.

[0088] For example, Figure 12 The diagram illustrates the relationship between two operating voltage points during the alternating charge and discharge process of the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit. Figure 12 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the voltage across the energy storage unit (i.e., the voltage value of the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit). Figure 12In the diagram, the upper and lower horizontal dashed lines indicate the voltages Von and Voff, respectively, while the solid curve represents the voltage across the energy storage unit. As the voltage changes, the solid curve is divided into alternating charging and discharging states. During the charging state, the load circuit is not energized, the energy storage unit continuously accumulates energy, and the voltage continuously increases. During the discharging state, the load circuit is energized, the accumulated energy in the energy storage unit rapidly dissipates, and the voltage continuously and rapidly decreases. The trigger condition for transitioning from the charging state to the discharging state can be that the voltage of the energy storage unit reaches Von. The trigger condition for transitioning from the discharging state to the charging state can be that the voltage of the energy storage unit reaches Voff or the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit receives a forced reset signal. It should be noted that the charging state is actually continuous; that is, charging occurs simultaneously with discharging. However, because the discharging rate is greater than the charging rate, the discharging effect is more significant, hence this state is called the discharging state.

[0089] Some low-power devices may consume extremely little power, such that after the energy storage unit discharges, the voltage of the energy storage unit has not yet reached or approached Voff before the device has completed a cycle of operation (e.g., a temperature sensor completes a temperature acquisition). In other words, after a low-power device has completed a cycle of operation, the energy storage unit still has surplus energy. To avoid energy waste, the low-power device can output a forced reset signal to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit. This allows the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit to output a shutdown signal to the control switch in this situation, stopping the energy storage unit from discharging, without waiting for the voltage to drop to Voff before resuming charging. For example, in... Figure 12 In the illustrated embodiment, in discharge states A, B, C, and E, the system directly transitions to the charging state due to a forced reset before the voltage drops to Voff. Only in discharge state D does the system transition to the charging state when the voltage reaches Voff.

[0090] In some embodiments, the control switch 133 may be a switching transistor or a switching circuit based on a switching transistor. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the control switch 133 may include a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). Those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable control switch 133 may be used in the embodiments of this specification, and this specification does not limit it to a single type; the specific switch can be selected as needed.

[0091] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments, the energy management unit 13 may further include an I / O port 135 (i.e., an input / output port). The I / O port 135 can be used to transmit control signals input from low-power electrical devices to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132, so that the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 can control the control switch 133 according to the control signals. The control signals may include a forced reset signal.

[0092] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the energy management unit 13 may further include a threshold voltage configuration unit 136. The threshold voltage configuration unit 136 can be used to configure the upper and lower limits of the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132.

[0093] In some embodiments, the threshold voltage configuration unit 136 can output two voltages, Von and Voff, to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132. The two voltages, Von and Voff, can be divided by a voltage divider resistor. The divided voltage is then controlled via feedback to maintain consistency with the voltage generated by the reference voltage source inside the threshold voltage configuration unit 136, achieving generation and control of the two voltages (similar to a linear voltage regulator circuit, LDO). The voltage division ratio can be preset as needed.

[0094] For example, in one embodiment, the voltage divider resistors can be added externally by the user via I / O port 135. In another embodiment, a resistor array with fuses can be pre-configured within the threshold voltage configuration unit 136, and then I / O port 135 can be used to selectively blow certain fuses to control the resistor division ratio. In yet another embodiment, with further reductions in integrated circuit power consumption, non-volatile memory can be used to record and read the resistor array configuration. The configuration contents of the non-volatile memory are configured via I / O port 135, and the resistor array is read and configured to set the voltage division ratio when the threshold voltage configuration unit 136 is powered on.

[0095] In other embodiments, the threshold voltage configuration unit 136 may also determine the Von and Voff voltages based on the characteristics of the semiconductor devices (e.g., transistors). For example, the gate turn-on voltage of a field-effect transistor (e.g., MOSFET) and the turn-on voltage of a diode. By combining multiple semiconductor devices to superimpose their characteristic voltages and using fuses to control the connection of multiple semiconductor devices to the circuit, the control and adjustment of the Von and Voff voltages can also be achieved. When the input voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the threshold voltage configuration unit 136, the threshold voltage configuration unit 136 outputs a corresponding signal to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132. Accordingly, the IO port 135 can be used for the blowing operation of a specified fuse.

[0096] For example, in Figure 13 The illustrated embodiment shows the structure of the threshold voltage configuration unit 136. The fuse array 1361 and diode array 1362 constitute a threshold voltage configuration circuit; the field-effect transistor 1363 and resistor 1364 constitute an inverting circuit. The diode array 1362 includes multiple diodes connected in series; the fuse array 1361 includes multiple fuses, each fuse corresponding to one diode in the diode array 1362 and connected in parallel; the input terminal of the diode array 1362 can be electrically connected to the signal input terminal 1365; the output terminal of the diode array 1362 can be electrically connected to the gate of the field-effect transistor 1363; the source of the field-effect transistor 1363 is grounded; the drain of the field-effect transistor 1363 can be connected to a suitable voltage source through resistor 1364; the signal output terminal 1366 is electrically connected to the drain of the field-effect transistor 1363.

[0097] By default, all fuses in fuse array 1361 are connected, and the threshold voltage of threshold voltage configuration unit 136 is the gate turn-on voltage of MOSFET 1363. Users can selectively blow designated fuses in fuse array 1361 via I / O port 135 to connect the corresponding diodes in diode array 1362 to the circuit. The threshold voltage after blowing becomes the sum of the forward voltage drops of the diodes corresponding to the blown fuses, plus the gate turn-on voltage of MOSFET 1363.

[0098] The energy signal detected by the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 can be input to the threshold voltage configuration unit 136 via the signal input terminal 1365. When the voltage of the energy signal does not reach the threshold voltage, the signal output terminal 1366 outputs a high level to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132; conversely, the signal output terminal 1366 outputs a low level to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132. Therefore, in this case, the voltage comparison judgment of the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit 132 is implemented by the threshold voltage configuration unit 136.

[0099] In some embodiments, the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit can be integrated into the low-power electrical equipment, thus forming part of the low-power electrical equipment. In other embodiments, the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit can also be formed as a stand-alone device, used as a separate accessory for the low-power electrical equipment, similar to a mobile terminal having a charger.

[0100] The following describes the low-power electrical equipment in this specification, taking the example of a power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit that can be integrated into a low-power electrical equipment.

[0101] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the low-power electrical device 2 has a housing 21, within which a circuit board 22 is disposed. A load circuit is disposed on the circuit board 22, and the main body of the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit can also be disposed on the circuit board 22. The energy harvesting antenna of the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit can be an electric field induction antenna, which may include a first planar electrode 11a and a second planar electrode 11b. The first planar electrode 11a and the second planar electrode 11b are isolated from each other.

[0102] The first planar electrode 11a can be disposed on the housing 21 so that it can be as close as possible to the power line during use, thereby enhancing the capacitive inductive coupling between it and the power line, forming a first capacitor that can transmit 50Hz AC signals (taking 50Hz AC signals as an example). The second planar electrode 11b can be disposed on the circuit board 22 and can be grounded to improve the energy harvesting effect. At this time, the AC power from the power line is transferred through the first capacitor to the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit and then flows into the ground, forming a complete current loop. In some cases, the second planar electrode 11b may not have grounding conditions. In this case, the low-power electrical equipment can be placed on a relatively large metal panel, or the housing 21 of the low-power electrical equipment 2 can be made of metal, and the second planar electrode 11b can be in direct contact with the metal panel or metal housing. At this time, a second capacitor is formed between the second planar electrode 11b (and the metal connected to the electrode) and the ground, which can transmit a 50Hz AC signal (taking a 50Hz AC signal as an example). The AC power of the power line is transferred through the second capacitor to the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit, and then flows into the ground through the second capacitor, thus forming a complete current loop. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the purpose of designing the electrodes of the electric field induction antenna as a planar structure is to increase the capacitive coupling area, thereby enhancing the coupling capacitance value between the electric field lines and the electric field induction antenna.

[0103] In some embodiments, to further enhance the coupling capacitance between the power line and the electric field sensing antenna, the first planar electrode can be capacitively coupled to the power line based on the coupling enhancement component. For example, in Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, a conductive sleeve 11c (e.g., a metal sleeve) can be used as a coupling enhancement component. The conductive sleeve 11c can be fitted onto the electric field line 3 and can be electrically connected to the first planar electrode 11a via a wire. Furthermore, in order to minimize the distance between the conductive sleeve 11c and the metal core of the electric field line to enhance capacitive inductive coupling, the inner diameter of the conductive sleeve 11c is adapted to the outer diameter of the electric field line, that is, the conductive sleeve 11c can be tightly fitted onto the insulating outer layer of the electric field line.

[0104] For ease of implementation, in some embodiments, the conductive sleeve can be an openable and closable clamping sleeve. For example, in Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the conductive sleeve 11c can be composed of two pivotally connected semi-cylinders. Combined with... Figure 7 As shown, when it is necessary to clamp the electric field line 3, the two semi-cylinders of the conductive sleeve 11c can be opened at a certain angle and brought closer to the electric field line 3 to bring the electric field line 3 into the clamping range. Based on this, when the two semi-cylinders of the conductive sleeve 11c are closed, the electric field line 3 will be clamped by the conductive sleeve 11c (e.g., Figure 8 As shown in the figure, this means that the conductive sleeve 11c can be placed on the power line 3 without cutting or disassembling the power line 3.

[0105] In other embodiments, where requirements are less stringent, the coupling enhancement component may also be a flexible conductive film (e.g., a metal film such as aluminum foil) covering the electric field line, the flexible conductive film being electrically connected to the first planar electrode. Similarly, to minimize the distance between the conductive sleeve 11c and the metal core of the electric field line and enhance capacitive inductive coupling, the flexible conductive film may be tightly wrapped around the insulating outer layer of the electric field line.

[0106] refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, in some embodiments, the low-power device 2 has a housing 21, within which a circuit board 22 is disposed. The circuit board 22 houses a load circuit and the main body of a power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit. The energy harvesting antenna for the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit is a magnetic field induction antenna 11d (in this case, a coreless scenario). The magnetic field induction antenna 11d can be mounted on the housing 21 to allow it to be placed as close as possible to the power line during use, thereby enhancing the inductive coupling between it and the power line 3. In other embodiments, when the energy harvesting antenna for the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit is a magnetic field induction antenna with a magnetic core, the installation and use of the low-power device is similar to that of a clamp meter, which will not be described further here.

[0107] Combination Figure 11 As shown, the magnetic field induction antenna 11d and the electric field line 3 should be located on the same plane as much as possible, so as to increase the magnetic flux of the magnetic field induction antenna 11d. Figure 11 The dashed loop in the middle represents the magnetic field radiated outward from the electric field line 3, thereby enhancing the inductive coupling between the magnetic field induction antenna 11d and the electric field line 3.

[0108] It is important to note that when using a magnetic field induction antenna to collect radiated energy from power lines, it is crucial to avoid the magnetic fields generated by the cables within the power line canceling each other out. For example, with single-phase mains power, the live wire and neutral wire have opposite current directions, causing their magnetic fields to cancel each other out. Therefore, when using this method, low-power electrical equipment can be placed between the live and neutral wires, where the magnetic fields are superimposed and strengthened, potentially doubling the induction effect. If this is not feasible, consider keeping the live and neutral wires as far apart as possible, and placing the low-power electrical equipment as close as possible to one of the wires, ensuring the magnetic field induction antenna is on the same plane as that wire. This will also prevent the magnetic fields generated by the cables within the power line from canceling each other out.

[0109] For ease of description, the above devices are described in terms of function, divided into various units. Of course, in implementing this specification, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components.

[0110] It should also be understood that, in the embodiments of this specification, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0111] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, system embodiments are basically similar to method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments in this specification. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0112] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A circuit for utilizing the energy of power line radiation signals, characterized in that, include: An energy harvesting antenna is used to collect energy signals radiated by an electric field line coupled to it. The energy harvesting antenna includes an electric field induction antenna, which includes a first planar electrode and a second planar electrode. The first planar electrode and the second planar electrode are isolated from each other. The first planar electrode is capacitively coupled to the electric field line. The second planar electrode is grounded or capacitively coupled to ground. The first planar electrode is capacitively coupled to the electric field line based on a coupling enhancement component. The coupling enhancement component includes a conductive sleeve, which is sleeved on the electric field line and electrically connected to the first planar electrode. An energy harvesting front end, used to convert the energy signal into DC energy; and, An energy management unit is used to store the DC energy, release it to the load circuit when the DC energy rises to an upper limit, and shut down the energy release when the DC energy drops to a lower limit; the power of the load circuit is lower than a specified value.

2. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A voltage regulator circuit is used to convert the DC energy output by the energy management unit into DC energy suitable for use by the load circuit.

3. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive sleeve includes a clamping sleeve.

4. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coupling enhancement component includes a flexible conductive film covering the electric power line, and the flexible conductive film is electrically connected to the first planar electrode.

5. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The energy harvesting antenna includes a magnetic field induction antenna.

6. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The magnetic field induction antenna is located on the same plane as the electric field line or is magnetically coupled to the electric field line through a magnetic core.

7. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The energy harvesting front end includes a rectifier circuit with a specified degree of isolation.

8. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The energy management unit includes: An energy storage unit for storing the DC energy; A threshold adjustable voltage detection unit is used to detect the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit, output a turn-on signal when the DC energy rises to the upper limit value, and output a turn-off signal when the DC energy drops to the lower limit value. A control switch is used to close when the conduction signal is received, so as to release the DC energy stored in the energy storage unit to the load circuit through the power supply interface, and to open when the shutdown signal is received, so as to stop the energy storage unit from discharging to the outside. The input / output port is used to transmit control signals input from low-power electrical equipment to the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit; the control signals include a forced reset signal.

9. The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The energy management unit further includes: A threshold voltage configuration unit is used to configure the upper and lower limits of the threshold adjustable voltage detection unit.

10. A low-power electrical device, characterized in that, include: case; A circuit board is disposed inside the housing, and a load circuit is disposed on the circuit board; as well as, The power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein at least a portion of the power line radiation signal energy utilization circuit is disposed on the circuit board.

11. The low-power electrical equipment as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The low-power electrical equipment includes low-power sensors.

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