The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 01, 2020
Filed:
Mar. 24, 2016
Koninklijke Philips N.v., Eindhoven, NL;
Mark Thomas Johnson, Eindhoven, NL;
Lutz Christian Gerhardt, Eindhoven, NL;
Steven Ernest Franklin, Eindhoven, NL;
Alan James Davie, Cambridge, GB;
Neil Francis Joye, Waalre, NL;
Andrew Ulrich Rutgers, Eindhoven, NL;
Koninklijke Philips N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
The invention provides an energy generation and/or conversion system and method wherein an electrical power generator is controlled to periodically alternate between a contact-mode, during which elements of the generator are brought into contact to induce a state of charging, and a non-contact mode, during which plates of the generator are separated from one another and electrical energy is generated through electrostatic induction. Timing and duration of contact and non-contact modes are controlled by a controller, or by user commands, in dependence on a charge state of the elements of the generator: In this way elements are controlled to come into contact only when surface charge has fallen below a certain level, and re-charging is necessary; contact time between the elements may hence be minimised—thereby minimising incurred noise and surface wear—whilst still maintaining a given desired threshold power output.