APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HARVESTING ENERGY IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

摘要

An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product are provided. The apparatus may be an electronic component. The electronic component includes at least one energy harvester coupled between at least one pair of hot and cold regions of the electronic component and configured to convert thermal energy to electrical energy in order to provide power to at least the electronic component, the at least one energy harvester including a radiative thermal channel or a conductive thermal channel. A first end of the conductive thermal channel is coupled to a first semiconductor material and a second end of the conductive thermal channel is coupled to a second semiconductor material, the first semiconductor material being coupled to the hot region and isolated from the cold region and the second semiconductor material being coupled to the cold region and isolated from the hot region.

主权项

1. A method for a mobile device, the method comprising:
operating an electronic component; receiving power from at least one energy harvester coupled between at least one pair of hot and cold regions of the electronic component and configured to convert thermal energy to electrical energy, the at least one energy harvester comprising a radiative thermal channel or a conductive thermal channel; and powering at least the electronic component using the electrical energy, wherein a first end of the conductive thermal channel is coupled to a first semiconductor material and a second end of the conductive thermal channel is coupled to a second semiconductor material, the first semiconductor material being coupled to the hot region and isolated from the cold region and the second semiconductor material being coupled to the cold region and isolated from the hot region.