SENSOR AND/OR POWER HARVESTING APPARATUS HAVING A WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE FOR RESPONDING TO A DRIVING ROTATIONAL INPUT.

摘要

Sensor and/or power-harvesting apparatus are provided for sensing and/or harvesting energy across a relatively wide dynamic range of a driving rotational input. The apparatus may include a rotor magnet (10, 62) responsive to a driving rotational input (14. 64). Utilization of a cogging effect or a magnetic spring effect results in certain rapid-rotation events where the rotor magnet can rapidly rotate regardless of a low rate of rotation of the driving rotational input, A coil assembly (28, 75) is magnetically coupled to the rotor magnet to generate a signal in response to rotation of the rotor magnet during the rapid-rotation events. This signal may be used to han'est electrical energy and/or may be processed to determine characteristics of the driving rotational input.