Power supply device and power supply method

Abstract

The invention provides power supply equipment and a power supply method, and relates to the technical field of power supply. The power supply equipment comprises a function unit which is used for realizing a preset function and generating redundant heat when the preset function is realized; the thermoelectric conversion unit is used for converting redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electric energy and outputting the electric energy to the power supply interface; the additional power supply circuit is used for outputting electric energy to the power supply interface; a detection unit for detecting a first temperature of the functional unit and a second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit; the switching unit is used for selecting a target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes at least according to the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes comprise a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode. Therefore, the power supply interface can obtain enough working electric quantity at each moment, normal operation of the power supply interface is ensured, and the cooperative working efficiency among all device units in the power supply equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of power supply technology, and in particular to a power supply device and a power supply method. Background Art

[0002] At present, many different device units are integrated in smart devices. Some device units do not generate high temperatures, but some device units generate a lot of redundant heat during operation. Usually, these device units with redundant heat can be processed by thermoelectric conversion so that their redundant heat can be converted into electricity that can be used by other device units.

[0003] However, when the device unit that generates redundant heat does not generate enough heat, other devices that rely on the thermoelectric conversion method for power supply will malfunction due to the inability to obtain sufficient electricity, thereby reducing the collaborative working efficiency between multiple device units. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a power supply device and a power supply method.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a power supply device, including: a functional unit, which is used to implement a predetermined function and generate redundant heat when implementing the predetermined function; a thermoelectric conversion unit, which is used to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy and output the electrical energy to a power supply interface; an additional power supply circuit, which is used to output electrical energy to the power supply interface; a detection unit, which is used to detect a first temperature of the functional unit and a second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit; a switching unit, which is used to select a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include: a power supply mode of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a power supply mode of the additional power supply circuit.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a power supply method, which is applied to any power supply device in the embodiment of the present application, and the method includes: a detection unit detects a first temperature of a functional unit and a second temperature of a thermoelectric conversion unit; wherein the functional unit is used to implement a predetermined function, and generates redundant heat when implementing the predetermined function; the thermoelectric conversion unit is used to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy, and output the electrical energy to a power supply interface; a switching unit selects a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include: a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode, and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode is to use an additional power supply circuit to output electrical energy to the power supply interface.

[0007] According to the power supply device and power supply method of the embodiment of the present application, by detecting the first temperature of the functional unit by the detection unit, it can be determined whether the functional unit generates redundant heat when realizing the predetermined function, and whether there is enough redundant heat that needs to be converted; at the same time, the second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit is detected, and then, the switching unit is used to select the target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode, and the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode is to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy by a thermoelectric conversion unit arranged adjacent to the functional unit, and output the electrical energy to the power supply interface, which can effectively reduce the temperature of the functional unit and enable the functional unit to maintain a normal temperature for operation; and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode is to use an additional power supply circuit to output electrical energy to the power supply interface; adopting the above method, the power supply interface can obtain sufficient working power at every moment, ensure that the device connected to the power supply interface can operate normally, and improve the collaborative work efficiency between the various device units in the power supply equipment.

[0008] With regard to the above embodiments and other aspects of the present application and their implementation, further description is provided in the accompanying drawings, detailed description and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 A block diagram of a power supply device provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0010] Figure 2 A block diagram showing the composition of a functional unit provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 A block diagram of a power supply device provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure in which a wireless charging circuit in a power supply device is used to supply power to a terminal is shown in an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] Figure 5 A flow chart of a power supply method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clear, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other arbitrarily without conflict.

[0015] When three-dimensional (3D) display technology is used to display images, images with stereoscopic display effects such as front-back, top-bottom, left-right, etc. will be formed, making the display effect of 3D images more three-dimensional and realistic than two-dimensional (2D) images. 3D images are not limited to the display of flat screens, so that users can feel immersive when watching.

[0016] For example, during the display of 3D images, sensors can be used to track the movement of the user's head to obtain the posture movement information of the user's head. Then, the posture movement information obtained by the tracking is transmitted to a head tracking application to form a 3D image and display it. In the above process, since the display power consumption of 3D images is much greater than that of 2D images, the heat temperature of the device displaying 3D images is too high (for example, the surface temperature of the device can reach 50 degrees Celsius), which reduces the user's experience.

[0017] In some embodiments, some devices may also generate a large amount of redundant heat. For example, a high-power transmitting device (e.g., a wireless transmission device in short-distance communication, etc.) may generate a large amount of redundant heat during signal transmission, and a gaming device in an extreme gaming scenario may also generate a large amount of redundant heat. The above devices cannot fully utilize the redundant heat generated, which reduces the energy utilization efficiency.

[0018] The present application provides a power supply device and a power supply method to solve the above problems.

[0019] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a power supply device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the power supply device 100 in the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to the following units: a functional unit 110 , a thermoelectric conversion unit 120 , an additional power supply circuit 130 , a detection unit 140 , a switching unit 150 and a power supply interface 160 .

[0020] Among them, the functional unit 110 is respectively connected to the detection unit 140 and the thermoelectric conversion unit 120, the detection unit 140 is respectively connected to the switching unit 150 and the thermoelectric conversion unit 120, the switching unit 150 is respectively electrically connected to the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 and the additional power supply circuit 130, and the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 and the additional power supply circuit 130 are both electrically connected to the power supply interface 160.

[0021] The functional unit 110 is used to implement a predetermined function and generate redundant heat when implementing the predetermined function.

[0022] The functional unit 110 itself is a device that can realize a predetermined function. For example, the predetermined function includes a display function, a signal transmission function, and the like.

[0023] The thermoelectric conversion unit 120 is used to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 into electrical energy, and output the electrical energy to the power supply interface 160 .

[0024] The thermoelectric conversion unit 120 can use the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 to generate thermal power and provide it to an external device connected to the power supply interface 160 (such as a terminal that needs to be charged). For example, the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 converts the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 into electrical energy by thermoelectric conversion, and transmits the converted electrical energy to the power supply interface 160. Compared with conventional power generation methods, the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 has the advantages of no noise and no wear and tear between components. For example, referring to Figure 3 , the thermoelectric conversion unit 320 may include an N-type thermoelectric material and a P-type thermoelectric material.

[0025] In order to increase the heat energy transferred from the functional unit 110 to the thermoelectric conversion unit 120, a heat conduction module (not shown in the figure, for example, the heat conduction module is a copper tube, etc.) may be provided between the functional unit 110 and the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 so that the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 can be transferred to the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 through the heat conduction module, thereby improving the heat energy transfer efficiency.

[0026] The additional power supply circuit 130 is used to output power to the power supply interface 160 .

[0027] It should be noted that the additional power supply circuit 130 is "another set" of circuits capable of supplying power to the power supply interface 160. For example, the additional power supply circuit 130 may be a battery with power itself, or a low dropout linear regulator (LowDropout Regulaor, LDO), which is not limited in this application and will not be described in detail.

[0028] In some embodiments, the detection unit 140 is used to detect a first temperature of the functional unit 110 and a second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120. The detection unit 140 may include one or more thermocouple sensors, and each thermocouple sensor is set to detect certain specific positions on the functional unit 110 (or, the thermoelectric conversion unit 120) to detect the temperature of the functional unit 110 (or, the thermoelectric conversion unit 120).

[0029] The detection unit 140 is used to detect the first temperature of the functional unit 110 and the second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 .

[0030] The switching unit 150 is used to select a target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes according to at least the first temperature of the functional unit 110 and the second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 detected by the detection unit 140, and the target power supply mode is used to determine how to supply power to the power supply interface 160. The candidate power supply modes include at least a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode.

[0031] Furthermore, the power supply device 100 itself has certain functions. For example, the power supply device 100 is a display device that can supply power to the outside through the power supply interface 160 .

[0032] According to the power supply device of the embodiment of the present application, the detection unit 140 detects the first temperature of the functional unit 110, so as to determine whether the functional unit 110 generates redundant heat when realizing the predetermined function, and whether there is enough redundant heat to be converted; at the same time, the second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 is detected, and then, the switching unit 150 is used to select the target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes according to at least the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode, and the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode is to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 into electric energy by the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 arranged near the functional unit 110, and output the electric energy to the power supply interface 160, so as to effectively reduce the temperature of the functional unit 110, so that the functional unit 110 maintains a normal temperature for operation; and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode is to use the additional power supply circuit 130 to output electric energy to the power supply interface 160; by adopting the above method, the power supply interface 160 can obtain sufficient working power at every moment, so as to ensure that the device connected to the power supply interface 160 can operate normally, and improve the collaborative working efficiency between the various device units in the power supply device.

[0033] In some exemplary embodiments, the predetermined function implemented by the function unit 110 includes: displaying a three-dimensional image.

[0034] For example, the functional unit 110 includes a backlight lamp composed of at least N light emitting diodes (LEDs), where N is an integer greater than 2 (for example, N is 76). Compared with the number of LED lamps required for conventional two-dimensional image display (for example, a functional unit displaying a two-dimensional image requires at least 32 LEDs), the heat generated by the backlight lamp of the functional unit 110 is much higher, and is particularly suitable for transmitting the excess heat to the thermoelectric conversion unit 120, so that the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 can convert the excess heat into electrical energy used by the power supply interface 160.

[0035] In some embodiments, Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the composition of a detection unit provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the detection unit 140 includes a plurality of thermocouple sensors (eg, thermocouple sensor 141 , thermocouple sensor 142 , thermocouple sensor 143 , thermocouple sensor 144 , and thermocouple sensor 145 ).

[0036] The thermocouple sensors may be disposed at different positions of the functional unit 110. Figure 2 The positions of the various thermocouple sensors are shown only for exemplary purposes, so that the detection unit 140 can detect the temperatures at different positions of the functional unit 110 by controlling the various thermocouple sensors.

[0037] For example, a thermocouple sensor may be disposed at a heating point of the functional unit 110 so as to detect the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 when implementing a predetermined function. Each thermocouple sensor may detect the temperature corresponding to the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 by heat conduction.

[0038] The heat conduction method is to propagate the molecular motion caused by the redundant heat to adjacent molecules, so that the redundant heat can be transmitted to each thermocouple sensor through the intermolecular propagation method, so that the detection unit 140 can know the temperature detected by each thermocouple sensor.

[0039] In some exemplary embodiments, a target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes based on at least a first temperature and a second temperature, including: when the first temperature is within a first temperature range, obtaining the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 by calculating the first temperature and the second temperature; and selecting the target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes based on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 and a preset efficiency threshold.

[0040] Among them, when the target power supply mode is the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode, the switching unit 150 is used to control the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 to be connected with the power supply interface 160; when the target power supply mode is the additional power supply circuit power supply mode, the switching unit 150 is used to control the additional power supply circuit 130 to be connected with the power supply interface 160.

[0041] For example, the first temperature range includes an upper temperature limit value (for example, 50 degrees Celsius (°C)) and a lower temperature limit value (for example, 30°C), which indicates that the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 is at a near-limited amount, that is, the redundant heat may be sufficient to provide the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 with the heat required for its thermoelectric conversion, or it may not be sufficient for the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 to perform thermoelectric conversion. At this time, it is necessary to further select a target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes based on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 and a preset efficiency threshold.

[0042] By comparing the thermoelectric conversion efficiency with the preset efficiency threshold, a target power supply method can be selected from a variety of different candidate power supply methods, so that the target power supply method can be used to power the power supply interface 160, so that the power supply interface 160 can obtain sufficient electrical energy, ensure the normal operation of the power supply interface 160, and improve the collaborative working efficiency between the various device units in the power supply equipment.

[0043] In some exemplary embodiments, a target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes based on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold, including: when it is determined that the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is greater than or equal to the preset efficiency threshold, the switching unit selects the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0044] Among them, since the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 is greater than or equal to the preset efficiency threshold, it indicates that the redundant heat generated by the current functional unit 110 can be used by the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 to generate enough electric energy for use by the power supply interface 160. Therefore, the switching unit 150 selects the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode and supplies power to the power supply interface 160, so as to effectively utilize the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 110 and improve the energy utilization efficiency.

[0045] In some exemplary embodiments, the power supply device further includes: a thermoelectric storage unit; and the candidate power supply modes further include: a thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode.

[0046] A target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes according to the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold, including: when the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is less than the preset efficiency threshold, using a thermoelectric storage unit to store the electric energy converted by the thermoelectric conversion unit; counting the conversion interruption duration, and the conversion duration when the conversion voltage output by the thermoelectric conversion unit is the rated voltage; when the conversion duration is less than a first preset duration threshold, and the conversion interruption duration is greater than a second preset duration threshold, selecting an additional power supply circuit power supply mode as the target power supply mode; when the conversion duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration threshold, and the conversion interruption duration is less than or equal to the second preset duration threshold, selecting a thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0047] Among them, the conversion duration is the duration for which the thermoelectric conversion unit converts the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy measured at the rated voltage; the conversion interruption duration is the duration for which the thermoelectric conversion unit has no electrical energy output during the thermoelectric conversion process.

[0048] When the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is less than the preset efficiency threshold, since the redundant heat generated by the functional unit is insufficient to support the thermoelectric conversion unit to perform sufficient thermoelectric conversion, it is necessary to select the additional power supply circuit power supply mode as the target power supply mode, that is, use the power output by the additional power supply circuit to power the power supply interface to ensure that the power supply interface can normally supply power to the external device. At the same time, since the thermoelectric conversion unit can also generate a part of the electric energy by thermoelectric conversion at this time, the converted electric energy can be stored in a thermoelectric storage unit (for example, a supercapacitor, a lithium battery, etc.), and then when the electric energy stored in the thermoelectric storage unit is sufficient to support the use of the power supply interface, the thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode is selected as the target power supply mode to improve the efficiency of the redundant heat utilization.

[0049] For example, the rated voltage is set to 24 volts (V), the first preset time threshold is 5 minutes, and the second preset time threshold is 3 minutes. When the conversion voltage output by the thermoelectric conversion unit is 24V and the conversion duration is less than 5 minutes, and the conversion interruption duration is greater than 3 minutes, it means that the thermoelectric conversion performed by the thermoelectric conversion unit is intermittent and cannot be used as a target power supply method. At this time, the switching unit will select an additional power supply circuit power supply method as the target power supply method, that is, connect the additional power supply circuit to the power supply interface so that the additional power supply circuit can be used to power the power supply interface.

[0050] When the conversion voltage output by the thermoelectric conversion unit is 24V and the conversion duration is greater than or equal to 5 minutes, and the conversion interruption duration is less than or equal to 3 minutes, it means that the thermoelectric conversion unit can continuously output the converted electric energy. However, when the electric energy output by the thermoelectric conversion unit cannot meet the power demand of the power supply interface, a thermoelectric storage unit is used to store the electric energy output by the thermoelectric conversion unit. When the electric energy stored in the thermoelectric storage unit is sufficient to support the power demand of the power supply interface, the thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode is selected as the target power supply mode, that is, the electric energy stored in the thermoelectric storage unit is used to power the power supply interface.

[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is calculated based on the first temperature and the second temperature, including: determining the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit based on the first temperature, the second temperature and the figure of merit of the material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit.

[0052] The figure of merit of the material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit is a coefficient determined based on the thermoelectric electromotive force coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric conversion unit.

[0053] For example, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency η max It can be calculated using formula (1):

[0054]

[0055] Among them, T H represents the first temperature of the functional unit 110, T C represents the second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120, The thermoelectric conversion material (eg, Figure 3 The figure of merit of the N-type thermoelectric material, and / or, P-type thermoelectric material, etc.) shown in FIG.

[0056] From formula (1), we can see that if the merit factor The larger the value of is, the higher the thermoelectric conversion efficiency η max The higher.

[0057] The thermoelectric conversion material included in the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 can be a P-type bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) or antimony tritelluride (Sb2Te3) material with a two-dimensional quantum superlattice nanoscale electronic structure, which can obtain a figure of merit at room temperature. The value is 2.4; the thermoelectric conversion material included in the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 can also be a quantum nanostructured PbSeTe material, which can obtain a figure of merit at room temperature The value of is 2.0.

[0058] For another example, a layer of alloy material composed of iron, vanadium, tungsten and aluminum is coated on a silicon crystal, and the alloy material is used to construct the thermoelectric conversion unit 120, which can increase the merit coefficient of the material of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120. The value reaches 5 or 6.

[0059] Among them, when the figure of merit of a certain thermoelectric material When the value of is greater than 1, it can be determined that the thermoelectric material has practical value; when the merit coefficient of a thermoelectric material When the value of is greater than 2, it can be determined that the thermoelectric material can be used in medium-scale thermoelectric conversion units, for example, in the redundant heat and electrical energy conversion process in automobiles; when the merit coefficient of a certain thermoelectric material is When the value of is greater than 3, it can be determined that the thermoelectric material can be applied to industrial-level large-scale (or, high-power) redundant heat and electrical energy conversion processes.

[0060] In some embodiments, the figure of merit The value of can be calculated using formula (2):

[0061]

[0062] Here, S represents the thermoelectric electromotive force coefficient (or, referred to as the Seebeck coefficient) of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 , σ represents the electrical conductivity of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 , and k represents the thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 .

[0063] When the temperatures of the two terminals connecting the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 and the functional unit 110 are different, a thermoelectric electromotive force is generated, which can cause the electric charges to move in the conductor, thereby generating an electric current.

[0064] For example, without considering the change of the temperature difference electromotive force coefficient S with the temperature, the temperature difference electromotive force coefficient S can be calculated by formula (3):

[0065] S=V / (T H -T C ) (3)

[0066] Wherein, V represents the electromotive force.

[0067] Taking the temperature difference electromotive force coefficient S as 500 mV / K as an example, if energy loss is not considered, when T H -T C When the temperature is 30°C, the calculated thermoelectric potential is 15 V. Kelvin (K) represents the thermodynamic temperature scale or absolute temperature scale, which is the temperature unit in the International System of Units.

[0068] In some embodiments, the power supply voltage that the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 can provide includes an AC voltage of 220V and a DC voltage of 24V.

[0069] When the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 needs to provide a 24V DC voltage to the power supply interface 160, and T H -T C When the temperature is 30°C, the thermoelectric coefficient S can be determined to be 800 mV / K; when the thermoelectric conversion unit 120 needs to provide a 24 V DC voltage to the power supply interface 160, and T H -T C When the temperature is 40℃, the thermoelectric emf coefficient S can be determined to be 600mV / K.

[0070] In some embodiments, according to the actual needs of the power supply interface 160 , a plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules made of different types of semiconductor materials may be provided in the thermoelectric conversion unit to meet the use requirements of the power supply interface 160 .

[0071] In some exemplary embodiments, the first temperature range includes a lower temperature value; when the first temperature is within a second temperature range that is lower than the lower temperature value, a target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes based at least on the first temperature and the second temperature, including: selecting an additional power supply circuit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0072] Among them, if the lower limit value of the set temperature is 30℃ (or 35℃, 38℃, etc.), the second temperature range is below 30℃. At this time, since the functional unit cannot generate enough redundant heat (for example, the functional unit is not working, or is in a low-temperature working state, etc.), the first temperature is lower than 30℃, and the thermoelectric conversion unit cannot perform normal thermoelectric conversion. The switching unit will select the additional power supply circuit power supply mode as the target power supply mode, that is, control the additional power supply circuit to be connected to the power supply interface so that the additional power supply circuit can provide sufficient power to the power supply interface to ensure the normal operation of the power supply interface.

[0073] In some exemplary embodiments, the first temperature range includes an upper temperature limit value; when the first temperature is in a third temperature range higher than the upper temperature limit value, a target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature, including: selecting a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0074] Among them, if the set temperature upper limit is 50°C (or 55°C, 56°C, etc.), the third temperature range is higher than 50°C. At this time, the characterization function unit can generate enough redundant heat to support the thermoelectric conversion unit to continuously perform thermoelectric conversion and use the converted electrical energy to power the power supply interface. Therefore, the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode can be selected as the target power supply mode to better utilize redundant heat and improve energy utilization efficiency.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments, the power supply device further includes: a wireless charging circuit; and a power supply interface connected to the wireless charging circuit.

[0076] The wireless charging circuit is a circuit used to wirelessly charge other devices (such as terminals), that is, the power supply device can be a device used for wireless charging.

[0077] Specifically, the wireless charging circuit may include a low-power wireless charging circuit and a high-power wireless charging circuit, wherein the low-power wireless charging circuit uses electromagnetic induction to charge the terminal.

[0078] For example, a magnetic core may be provided in a low-power wireless charging circuit, with a coil (e.g., a power output coil) wound around it, so as to convert electrical energy into magnetic energy and propagate the magnetic energy in the space around the electromagnetic field; correspondingly, a corresponding receiving coil (e.g., a power receiving coil) is also provided in the terminal. After the power receiving coil contacts the electromagnetic field emitted by the low-power wireless charging circuit, the conversion of magnetic energy into electrical energy enables the terminal to obtain electrical energy provided to the wireless charging circuit through the power supply interface and output to the terminal, so that the wireless charging circuit can charge the terminal. The electrical energy output by the power supply interface is fully utilized.

[0079] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a power supply device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the power supply device 300 includes but is not limited to the following units: a functional unit 310 , a thermoelectric conversion unit 320 , an additional power supply circuit 330 , a detection unit 340 , a switching unit 350 and a wireless charging circuit 360 .

[0080] The thermoelectric conversion unit 320 includes a first conductor 321 , a P-type thermoelectric material 322 , an N-type thermoelectric material 323 , a second conductor 324 and a third conductor 325 .

[0081] The functional unit 310 is respectively connected to the detection unit 340 and the thermoelectric conversion unit 320, the detection unit 340 is respectively connected to the switching unit 350 and the thermoelectric conversion unit 320, the switching unit 350 is respectively electrically connected to the thermoelectric conversion unit 320 and the additional power supply circuit 330, and the thermoelectric conversion unit 320 and the additional power supply circuit 330 are both electrically connected to the wireless charging circuit 360.

[0082] In the thermoelectric conversion unit 320 , the first conductor 321 is connected to the functional unit 310 to obtain the redundant heat of the functional unit 310 ; the first conductor 321 is respectively connected to the P-type thermoelectric material 322 and the N-type thermoelectric material 323 , the P-type thermoelectric material 322 is correspondingly connected to the second conductor 324 , and the N-type thermoelectric material 323 is correspondingly connected to the third conductor 325 .

[0083] The second conductor 324 is electrically connected to the wireless charging circuit 360 through the power supply interface, and the third conductor 325 is electrically connected to the wireless charging circuit 360 through the power supply interface. In addition, the additional power supply circuit 330 is also electrically connected to the wireless charging circuit 360 through the power supply interface.

[0084] It should be noted that the redundant heat obtained by the first conductor 321 through the functional unit 310 corresponds to a higher first temperature to form a high-temperature end, and when the redundant heat is processed by the P-type thermoelectric material 322 and the N-type thermoelectric material 323 respectively, it is converted into corresponding electrical energy, thereby reducing the temperature of the output end of the second conductor 324 and the output end of the third conductor 325 to form a low-temperature end, and a temperature gradient field is formed between the above-mentioned high-temperature end and the low-temperature end.

[0085] Under the influence of the temperatures of different ports, holes and electrons at the high temperature end diffuse and move to the low temperature end respectively, thereby forming a potential difference between the output end of the second conductor 324 and the output end of the third conductor 325, and supplying power to the wireless charging circuit 360 through the power supply interface.

[0086] In this embodiment, the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 310 is collected by the first conductor 321 (for example, a conductor constructed of a heat-conducting metal material), and the P-type thermoelectric material 322 is used as the high-temperature end, and the N-type thermoelectric material 323 is used as the low-temperature end. A temperature gradient field can be established between the high-temperature end and the low-temperature end. Driven by the temperature field, the holes and electrons at the high-temperature end inside the thermoelectric conversion unit 320 begin to diffuse toward the low-temperature end, thereby forming a potential difference between the second conductor 324 and the third conductor 325, and a current is generated in the circuit. The direction of the current is from the low-temperature end to the high-temperature end inside the thermoelectric conversion unit 320. The current flowing out of the second conductor 324 is transmitted to the wireless charging circuit 360 through the power supply interface. Then, the current flowing out of the wireless charging circuit 360 passes through the third conductor 325 connected to the power supply interface, thereby realizing power supply to the wireless charging circuit 360, so that the redundant heat generated by the functional unit 310 can be converted into electrical energy for use by the wireless charging circuit, thereby improving energy utilization efficiency and reducing waste.

[0087] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure of using a wireless charging circuit in a power supply device to supply power to a terminal is shown in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the power supply device 4100 is connected to the terminal 4200 .

[0088] Among them, the power supply device 4100 includes but is not limited to a power supply circuit 4110 and a wireless charging circuit 4120; the power supply circuit 4110 can be any one of the thermoelectric conversion unit, additional power supply circuit and thermoelectric storage unit in the present application.

[0089] The wireless charging circuit 4120 includes a main control chip 4121 , an alternating current / direct current (AC / DC) converter 4122 , a driving circuit 4123 , a frequency converter 4124 , a sampling circuit 4125 , a communication demodulation circuit 4126 and a power output coil 4127 .

[0090] Among them, the power supply circuit 4110 is connected to the AC / DC converter 4122, the AC / DC converter 4122 is connected to the drive circuit 4123, the drive circuit 4123 is connected to the frequency converter 4124, and the frequency converter 4124 is connected to the power output coil 4127; the main control chip 4121 is respectively connected to the drive circuit 4123 and the sampling circuit 4125, and the sampling circuit 4125 and the communication demodulation circuit 4126 are both connected between the output end of the frequency converter 4124 and the input end of the power output coil 4127.

[0091] The terminal 4200 includes a power receiving coil 4210 , a rectifying circuit 4220 , a filtering and stabilizing circuit 4230 , and a battery 4240 , which are connected in sequence.

[0092] The main control chip 4121 is used to control the driving circuit 4123 and the sampling circuit 4125 so that the signals output by them meet the use requirements of the frequency converter 4124.

[0093] The AC / DC converter 4122 is used to convert AC current into DC current, and its power flow can be bidirectional. The power flow from the power supply circuit 4110 to the AC / DC converter 4122 is called rectification, and the power flow from the AC / DC converter 4122 back to the power supply circuit 4110 is called active inversion.

[0094] The driving circuit 4123 is used to output a direct current to the frequency converter 4124 .

[0095] The frequency converter 4124 is used to convert the direct current input by the driving circuit 4123 into alternating current; and adjust the voltage and frequency of the power output to the power output coil 4127 to achieve the purpose of energy saving and speed regulation; in addition, the frequency converter 4124 also provides a variety of different protection functions such as overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, and overload protection.

[0096] The sampling circuit 4125 is used to extract the power signal (or communication signal) and perform data analysis and data conversion on the extracted signal.

[0097] The communication demodulation circuit 4126 is used to match the voltage (or current) between the power output coil 4127 and the power receiving coil 4210 .

[0098] The power output coil 4127 is used to convert the input electrical energy into magnetic energy (for example, converting the input current into magnetic flux, etc.), so that through the interaction between it and the power receiving coil 4210 in the terminal 4200, the terminal 4200 can obtain the electrical energy provided by the wireless charging circuit 4120.

[0099] The rectifier circuit 4220 is used to convert the AC power (eg, AC voltage and AC current, etc.) output by the power output coil 4127 into DC power (eg, DC voltage and DC current, etc.).

[0100] Since the pulsating DC power supply output by the rectifier circuit 4220 contains a mixed AC / DC amount, it cannot be directly used as the power supply of the battery 4240. Therefore, it is necessary to use a filtering and voltage-stabilizing circuit 4230 to filter out the AC component in the above AC / DC mixture, so as to greatly reduce the AC component and make the waveform of the voltage output to the battery 4240 smooth, so as to facilitate direct use of the battery 4240.

[0101] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of a power supply method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The power supply method is applied to any power supply device in the embodiment of the present application. The power supply device can implement the power supply method in the present application. In this embodiment, there is no restriction on the composition of the power supply device. The composition structure of the power supply device is as shown in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0102] like Figure 5 As shown, the power supply method in the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0103] Step S501 : a detection unit detects a first temperature of a functional unit and a second temperature of a thermoelectric conversion unit.

[0104] Among them, the functional unit is used to realize the predetermined function and generate redundant heat when realizing the predetermined function; the thermoelectric conversion unit is used to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy and output the electrical energy to the power supply interface.

[0105] Step S502: The switching unit selects a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature.

[0106] The candidate power supply modes include: a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode, and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode is to use an additional power supply circuit to output electric energy to the power supply interface.

[0107] In this embodiment, by detecting the first temperature of the functional unit by the detection unit, it is possible to determine whether the functional unit generates redundant heat when realizing the predetermined function, and whether there is enough redundant heat that needs to be converted; at the same time, the second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit is detected, and then, the switching unit is used to select the target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode, and the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode is to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy by a thermoelectric conversion unit arranged adjacent to the functional unit, and output the electrical energy to the power supply interface, which can effectively reduce the temperature of the functional unit and enable the functional unit to maintain a normal temperature for operation; and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode is to use an additional power supply circuit to output electrical energy to the power supply interface; the above method can enable the power supply interface to obtain sufficient working power at every moment, ensure the normal operation of the power supply interface, and improve the collaborative work efficiency between the various device units in the power supply equipment.

[0108] In some exemplary embodiments, the switching unit in step S502 selects a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature, which can be implemented in the following manner: when the first temperature is within a first temperature range, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is calculated based on the first temperature and the second temperature; and the target power supply mode is selected from the candidate power supply modes based on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold.

[0109] Among them, when the target power supply mode is the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode, the switching unit is used to control the thermoelectric conversion unit to be connected with the power supply interface; when the target power supply mode is the additional power supply circuit power supply mode, the switching unit is used to control the additional power supply circuit to be connected with the power supply interface.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments, a target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes based on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold, including: when it is determined that the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is greater than or equal to the preset efficiency threshold, the switching unit selects the thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0111] In some exemplary embodiments, the power supply device further includes: a thermoelectric storage unit; and the candidate power supply modes further include: a thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode.

[0112] A target power supply mode is selected from candidate power supply modes according to the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold, including: when the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is less than the preset efficiency threshold, using a thermoelectric storage unit to store the electric energy converted by the thermoelectric conversion unit; counting the conversion interruption duration, and the conversion duration when the conversion voltage output by the thermoelectric conversion unit is the rated voltage; when the conversion duration is less than a first preset duration threshold, and the conversion interruption duration is greater than a second preset duration threshold, selecting an additional power supply circuit power supply mode as the target power supply mode; when the conversion duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration threshold, and the conversion interruption duration is less than or equal to the second preset duration threshold, selecting a thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0113] In some exemplary embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is calculated based on the first temperature and the second temperature, including: determining the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit based on the first temperature, the second temperature and the figure of merit of the material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit.

[0114] The figure of merit of the material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit is a coefficient determined based on the thermoelectric emf coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric conversion unit. The larger the figure of merit of the material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit, the higher the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit.

[0115] In some exemplary embodiments, the first temperature range includes a lower temperature value; when the first temperature is within a second temperature range that is lower than the lower temperature value, the switching unit in step S502 selects a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature, which can be implemented in the following way: an additional power supply circuit power supply mode is selected as the target power supply mode.

[0116] In some exemplary embodiments, the first temperature range includes an upper temperature limit value; when the first temperature is in a third temperature range higher than the upper temperature limit value, the switching unit in step S502 selects a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based on at least the first temperature and the second temperature, which can be implemented in the following way: select a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode as the target power supply mode.

[0117] In some exemplary embodiments, the predetermined function implemented by the functional unit includes: displaying a three-dimensional image.

[0118] In some exemplary embodiments, the power supply device further includes: a wireless charging circuit; and a power supply interface connected to the wireless charging circuit.

[0119] It should be clear that the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described in the above embodiments and shown in the figures. For the convenience and brevity of description, a detailed description of the known methods is omitted here, and the specific working processes of the systems, modules and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0120] Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and should be interpreted only in a general illustrative sense and not for limiting purposes. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise expressly noted, features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with a particular embodiment may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A power supply device, in, include: A functional unit, configured to implement a predetermined function and generate redundant heat when implementing the predetermined function; a thermoelectric conversion unit, used to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy, and output the electrical energy to the power supply interface; An additional power supply circuit, used to output electrical energy to the power supply interface; a detection unit, used to detect a first temperature of the functional unit and a second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit; A switching unit is used to select a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes according to at least the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include: a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1, in, The selecting a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes at least according to the first temperature and the second temperature includes: When the first temperature is within a first temperature range, calculating and obtaining the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit according to the first temperature and the second temperature; The target power supply mode is selected from the candidate power supply modes according to the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold.

3. The power supply device according to claim 2, in, The selecting the target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes according to the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold comprises: When it is determined that the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is greater than or equal to the preset efficiency threshold, the switching unit selects the power supply mode of the thermoelectric conversion unit as the target power supply mode.

4. The power supply device according to claim 2, in, The power supply device further includes: a thermoelectric storage unit; the candidate power supply mode further includes: a thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode; The selecting the target power supply mode from the candidate power supply modes according to the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit and a preset efficiency threshold comprises: When the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit is less than the preset efficiency threshold, using the thermoelectric storage unit to store the electric energy converted by the thermoelectric conversion unit; Counting the duration of the conversion interruption and the duration of the conversion when the conversion voltage output by the thermoelectric conversion unit is the rated voltage; When the conversion duration is less than a first preset duration threshold and the conversion interruption duration is greater than a second preset duration threshold, selecting the additional power supply circuit power supply mode as the target power supply mode; When the conversion duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration threshold, and the conversion interruption duration is less than or equal to the second preset duration threshold, the thermoelectric storage unit power supply mode is selected as the target power supply mode.

5. The power supply device according to claim 2, in, The step of calculating the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit according to the first temperature and the second temperature includes: determining a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion unit according to the first temperature, the second temperature, and a figure of merit of a material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit; The figure of merit of the material corresponding to the thermoelectric conversion unit is a coefficient determined based on the thermoelectric emf coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric conversion unit.

6. The power supply device according to claim 2, in, The first temperature range includes a lower temperature limit; when the first temperature is within a second temperature range lower than the lower temperature limit, selecting a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes at least based on the first temperature and the second temperature includes: The additional power supply circuit power supply mode is selected as the target power supply mode.

7. The power supply device according to claim 2, in, The first temperature range includes a temperature upper limit value; when the first temperature is in a third temperature range higher than the temperature upper limit value, selecting a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes at least based on the first temperature and the second temperature includes: The thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode is selected as the target power supply mode.

8. The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in, The predetermined functions implemented by the functional unit include: displaying a three-dimensional image.

9. The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in, The power supply device further includes: a wireless charging circuit; and the power supply interface is connected to the wireless charging circuit.

10. A method for supplying power, in, The power supply method is applied to the power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the method comprises: The detection unit detects a first temperature of the functional unit and a second temperature of the thermoelectric conversion unit; wherein the functional unit is used to implement a predetermined function and generates redundant heat when implementing the predetermined function; the thermoelectric conversion unit is used to convert the redundant heat generated by the functional unit into electrical energy and output the electrical energy to the power supply interface; The switching unit selects a target power supply mode from candidate power supply modes based at least on the first temperature and the second temperature; wherein the candidate power supply modes include: a thermoelectric conversion unit power supply mode and an additional power supply circuit power supply mode, and the additional power supply circuit power supply mode is to use an additional power supply circuit to output electrical energy to the power supply interface.

Images