Electrical apparatus supplied by a photo-voltaic power source
US6118258A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG04G19/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An autonomous low power consumption electrical apparatus that has a supply device (8) comprising a single photo-voltaic cell, an electrical accumulator (7), and a voltage booster (10, 11, TR1, TR3) connected between the power source (9) and the accumulator for charging the accumulator. The voltage booster is controlled by a pulse signal having a predetermined frequency. To allow the apparatus to start when the accumulator is completely discharged, the pulse signal can be generated, at least temporarily, by an oscillator that can operate at a very low voltage, that is, the voltage of the single photo-voltaic cell. When the apparatus is a timepiece, the oscillator (2) can be replaced by the oscillator of the time-keeping circuit (1) of the timepiece as soon as the accumulator (9) is sufficiently charged.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.