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EP-4250551-B1 - SELF-CHARGING SENSOR MODULE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE COMPRISING SAME

EP4250551B1EP 4250551 B1EP4250551 B1EP 4250551B1EP-4250551-B1

Inventors

  • PARK, YOUNGJUN
  • GOH, Taedong
  • KIM, DAEHYUN
  • RYU, YOUNGHO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211026

Claims (15)

  1. A sensor module (176, 206, 606) for an electronic device (101, 102, 104, 200, 600) including a rotation body (221) rotatably disposed inside a housing (201, 601), the sensor module (176, 206, 606) comprising: an energy harvester (263, 463) including a stator (263a, 463a) fixed inside the housing (201, 601) and a rotor (263b, 463b) mounted on the rotation body (221) at a position at least partially facing the stator (263a, 463a); and a sensor (261a) disposed together with the rotor (263b, 463b) inside the rotation body (221), wherein the rotor (263b, 463b) is configured to, as the rotation body (221) rotates, generate an induced current and supply the induced current to the sensor (261a), while rotating with respect to the stator (263a, 463a), and wherein the sensor (261a) is configured to detect internal environmental information of the rotation body (221) or operation state information of the rotation body (221) using power based on the induced current.
  2. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 1, wherein the sensor (261a) includes at least one of an air quality sensor (261a), a water quality sensor (261a), a speed sensor (261a), a location sensor (261a), an acceleration sensor (261a), a temperature sensor (261a), or a humidity sensor (261a).
  3. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 1, further comprising: a rectifier (261b) electrically connected to the rotor (263b, 463b); and a storage device (261c) receiving power through the rectifier (261b) and storing the power, wherein the sensor (261a) is configured to receive the power based on the induced current via the rectifier (261b) and the storage device (261c) or directly.
  4. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 1, further comprising a communication circuit (261e) configured to receive the environmental information or the operation state information detected through the sensor (261a) and transmit the received information to an outside using a wireless signal.
  5. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 4, further comprising a switch (261d) configured to supply the power based on the induced current to at least one of the sensor (261a) or the communication circuit (261e).
  6. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 1, wherein the stator (263a, 463a) includes a first bearing portion (361a) disposed on a rotation axis of the rotation body (221) and a plurality of magnets (365a, 565a) arranged around the first bearing portion (361a) along a rotation direction of the rotation body (221), and wherein the rotor (263b, 463b) includes a second bearing portion (361b) fixed to the rotation body (221) and a plurality of coils (365b) arranged around the second bearing portion (361b) along the rotation direction of the rotation body (221).
  7. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 6, wherein the coils (365b) are configured to, as the rotation body (221) rotates, generate the induced current based on (5G) a magnetic field provided by the magnets (365a, 565a).
  8. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 6, wherein an odd number of magnets (365a, 565a) are arranged at equal angular intervals, and the same number of coils (365b) as the magnets (365a, 565a) are disposed.
  9. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 6, wherein the stator (263a, 463a) further includes a plurality of first mounting plates (363a) extending in a radius direction from the first bearing portion (361a), and the magnets (365a, 565a) are disposed on any one of the first mounting plates (363a).
  10. The sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 6, wherein the rotor (263b, 463b) further includes a plurality of second mounting plates (363b) extending in a radius direction from the second bearing portion (361b), and the coils (365b) are disposed on any one of the second mounting plates (363b).
  11. An electronic device (101, 102, 104, 200, 600) comprising: a housing (201, 601); a rotation body (221) rotatably disposed inside the housing (201, 601); and the sensor module (176, 206, 606) of claim 1, configured to detect internal environmental information of the rotation body (221) or operation state information of the rotation body (221).
  12. The electronic device (101, 102, 104, 200, 600) of claim 11, further comprising a processor (120) or a communication module (190, 192, 194), configured to receive the environmental information or the operation state information transmitted by the communication circuit (261e).
  13. The electronic device (101, 102, 104, 200, 600) of claim 11, wherein the stator (263a, 463a) includes a first bearing portion (361a) disposed on a rotation axis of the rotation body (221) and a plurality of magnets (365a, 565a) arranged around the first bearing portion (361a) along a rotation direction of the rotation body (221), wherein the rotor (263b, 463b) includes a second bearing portion (361b) fixed to the rotation body (221) and a plurality of coils (365b) arranged around the second bearing portion (361b) along the rotation direction of the rotation body (221), and wherein the coils (365b) are configured to, as the rotation body (221) rotates, generate the induced current based on a magnetic field provided by the magnets (365a, 565a).
  14. The electronic device (101, 102, 104, 200, 600) of claim 13, wherein an odd number of magnets (365a, 565a) are arranged at equal angular intervals, and the same number of coils (365b) as the magnets (365a, 565a) are disposed.
  15. The electronic device (101, 102, 104, 200, 600) of claim 11, wherein the rotation body (221) includes any one of a washing tub, a drying tub, and a fan.

Description

[Technical Field] Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to an electronic device, for example, an energy harvesting-based self-charging sensor module and/or an electronic device including the same. [Background Art] An electronic device may include an external power supply-based or battery-based sensor module to detect information about an operating environment or an operation state and adjust an operating mode based on the detected information. In a home appliance such as an air conditioner or a refrigerator, for example, a sensor based on a wired power source may detect an indoor or internal temperature to adjust a cooling/heating output, and an imaging device may detect an ambient brightness and output a screen with a suitable brightness. In a certain embodiment, a cookware may detect a cooking temperature and control heating or non-heating by comparing the cooking temperature with a set temperature. In a home appliance such as an air purifier, a washing machine, a dryer, or a clothes care machine, an operating mode or intensity may be adjusted by detecting an internal temperature and air or water quality. US 2020/374604 A1 discloses a sensor device including an energy harvester. The energy harvester converts energy other than electric energy into electric energy. The energy harvester includes an induction mechanism harvester. US 2014/339943 A1 discloses a rotating machine and an energy harvester. The energy harvester is coupled to a machine shaft via bearings. The energy harvester includes a housing, a harvester shaft, a rotor, and a plurality of stators. The harvester shaft is disposed within the housing and is coupled to, and thus rotates with, the machine shaft. The rotor is disposed within the housing and is coupled to and surrounds at least a portion of the harvester shaft. [Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Problem] It may be difficult to detect the washing state or cleanliness state of laundry or clothes in real time in a home appliance having a rotation tub structure, such as a washing machine or a dryer. For example, while the washing state or cleanliness state of laundry may be detected with high accuracy inside a washing tub or drying tub, it may be difficult to secure an electric wiring capable of providing power or a control signal to a sensor disposed inside a rotation body such as the washing tub or the drying tub. Various embodiments of the disclosure may provide a sensor module capable of detecting information about an environment or operation state inside a rotation body without a separate electric wiring by including an energy harvester, and/or an electronic device including the same. [Technical Solution] A sensor module according to various embodiments of the disclosure may be mounted in an electronic device including a rotation body rotatably disposed inside a housing, and include an energy harvester including a stator fixed inside the housing and a rotor mounted on the rotation body at a position at least partially facing the stator, and a sensor disposed together with the rotor inside the rotation body. The rotor may be configured to, as the rotation body rotates, generate an induced current and supply the induced current to the sensor, while rotating with respect to the stator. The sensor may be configured to detect internal environmental information of the rotation body or operation state information of the rotation body using power based on the induced current. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device may include a housing, a rotator rotatably disposed inside the housing, and a sensor module configured to detect internal environmental information of the rotation body or operation state information of the rotation body. The sensor module may include an energy harvester including a stator fixed inside the housing and a rotor mounted on the rotation body at a position at least partially facing the stator, and a sensor disposed together with the rotor inside the rotation body. The rotor may be configured to, as the rotation body rotates, generate an induced current and supply the induced current to the sensor, while rotating with respect to the stator. The sensor may be configured to detect the internal environmental information of the rotation body or the operation state information of the rotation body using power based on the induced current. [Advantageous Effects] According to various embodiments of the disclosure, because a sensor module includes an energy harvester, the sensor module may detect information about an ambient environment or information about an operation state even without separately receiving power. In an electronic device including a rotation body such as a washing machine or drying tub, for example, information about an internal environment of the rotation body or information about the operation state of the rotation body may be detected. The electronic device may adjust an operating mode or an operating in