CLIAMS:We claim:

1. A rear-view mirror of a vehicle, comprising:
a mirror body mounted inside the vehicle, for holding a mirror and a power source, wherein the power source, comprising:
at least one energy conversion unit, to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, wherein the mechanical energy is received by the at least one energy conversion unit is due to motion of the vehicle;
at least one regulator unit to rectify and regulate the electrical energy;
at least one energy storage unit, electrically connected to the at least one regulator unit, comprises one or more components, wherein the one or more components stores the electrical energy form the at least one regulator unit;
at least one receiver unit, to receive one or more control signals; and
at least one control unit configured with the receiver unit to perform at least one of, controlling the charging of the at least one energy storage unit and providing the electrical energy to one or more loads in the vehicle based on the one or more control signals.

2. The mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one energy conversion unit comprising:
a weight having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the weight oscillates to generate a kinetic energy from the motion of the vehicle; and
a gearbox assembly connected to a second end of the weight is configured to rotate a motor using the kinetic energy, wherein the rotation of motor generates the electrical energy.

3. The mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one regulator unit comprising:
at least one rectifier to generate a rectified current from the electrical energy; and
a regulator electrically connected to the at least one rectifier, to produce a regulated current from the rectified current;

4. The mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more components of the at least one energy storage unit is one of capacitor, super capacitor and any other component for storing an electrical energy.
5. The mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one receiver unit comprises a wireless communication receiver to receive control signal wirelessly from a door monitor unit, configured in the vehicle.

6. The mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal is provided by at least one manual switch on the mirror body.

7. The mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more loads is a Light Emitting Diode (LED) embedded in the mirror body.

8. A system for controlling power supply to one or more loads in a vehicle, wherein the system comprising:
rear-view mirror for a vehicle, comprising a mirror body mounted inside the vehicle, for holding a mirror and a power source, wherein the power source comprising:
at least one energy conversion unit, to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy, wherein the kinetic mechanical energy received, is converted into electrical energy by the at least one energy conversion unit;
at least one regulator unit to rectify and regulate the electrical energy;
at least one energy storage unit, electrically connected to the at least one regulator unit, comprises one or more components, wherein the one or more components stores the electrical energy from the at least one regulator unit; at least one receiver unit comprises a wireless communication receiver to receive one or more control signals;
at least one receiver unit, to receive one or more control signals; and
at least one control unit configured with the receiver unit to perform at least one of, controlling the charging of the at least one energy storage unit and providing the electrical energy to one or more loads in the vehicle based on the one or more control signal; and

a door monitor unit to monitor at least one door of the vehicle and transmit one or more control signals associated with a status of the at least one door.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the at least one energy conversion unit comprising:
a weight having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the weight oscillates to generate a kinetic energy from the motion of the vehicle; and
a gearbox assembly connected to a second end of the weight, is configured to rotate a motor using the kinetic energy, wherein the rotation of motor generates the electrical energy.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one regulator unit comprising:
at least one rectifier to generate a rectified current from the electrical energy; and
a regulator, electrically connected to the at least one rectifier, to produce a regulated current from the rectified current;

11. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one energy storage unit is one of capacitor, super capacitor and any other component for storing an electrical energy;

12. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a door monitor unit comprising:
at least one door switch to monitor the status of the at least one door of the vehicle;
at least one transmitter unit, comprising a wireless communication transmitter, to transmit one or more control signals associated with a status of the at least one door, to the power source.

13. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the one or more loads is at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) embedded in the mirror body.

14. A method for generating an electrical energy in a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, by power source, a mechanical energy associated with motions of the vehicle;
generating, by power source, an electrical energy from the kinetic mechanical energy;
regulating the electrical energy by at least one regulator unit of the power source, to produce regulated current; and
charging the at least one energy storage unit using the regulated current, thereby storing the regulated electrical energy in the at least one energy storage unit.

 

Dated this 31st day of March, 2015
Sravan Kumar Gampa
Of K & S Partners
Agent for the Applicant

 
,TagSPECI:TECHNICAL FIELD

The present subject matter is related, in general to a rear-view mirror in a vehicle and more particularly, but not exclusively to device mounted in a rear-view mirror of a vehicle for generating electrical energy to power one or more loads using a control unit.

BACKGROUND

In a vehicle, the ceiling lights are wired units which increases the complexity in the lighting system. The present day light unit in a vehicle captures information from the vehicle door to switch “ON’ or switch “OFF” the lights. This requires wiring from the door to the point where the light is mounted. The routing of wires leads to loss of modularity in the design. A vehicle with composite material as their Body in White (BIW) may need special stiffeners in the form of pipes or special material ribs. The pipes or special material ribs occupy the space between the pillar outer and inner, and in absence of any carpet, it will lead to wiring harness being exposed to the occupants. Also, due to small space, it will not be possible to pass mating connectors. The light unit consumes power from the primary battery of the vehicle, thus discharging of the battery. Also, there is not mechanism for turning ON the lights automatically when a user enters a vehicle.

Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method for generating electrical energy and automatically controlling the lights, thereby, overcoming the drawbacks due to the routing of wires leads and other components.

SUMMARY

The one or more shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by a mechanism as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the provision of mechanism as claimed in the present disclosure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

Disclosed herein are a power source device and a method to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy in a vehicle. The method comprises generating electrical energy from kinetic energy by an energy conversion unit. The produced electrical energy is stored in a power source, which is used to power one or more loads. This power source acts as a secondary storage unit in a vehicle, thus reducing the load on the primary battery.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a rear-view mirror for a vehicle. The rear view mirror comprising a mirror body mounted inside the vehicle, for holding a mirror and a power source. The power source comprises at least one energy conversion unit, at least one regulator unit, at least one energy storage unit, at least one receiver unit and at least one control unit. The at least one energy conversion unit, to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, wherein the mechanical energy is received by the at least one energy conversion unit is due to motion of the vehicle. The at least one regulator unit rectifies and regulates the electrical energy. The at least one energy storage unit, electrically connected to the at least one regulator unit, comprises one or more components, wherein the one or more components stores the electrical energy form the at least one regulator unit. The at least one receiver unit, to receive one or more control signals and at least one control unit configured with the receiver unit to perform at least one of, controlling the charging of the at least one energy storage unit and providing the electrical energy to one or more loads in the vehicle based on the one or more control signals;

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for controlling power supply to one or more loads in a vehicle. The system comprising, a power source, at least one control unit, at least one door monitor unit and a manual switch. The at least one door monitor unit monitors status of one or more doors of the vehicle and the corresponding status signals are transmitted wirelessly to the at least one control unit. The manual switch electrically connected to the at least one control unit, is used as an alternative to control one or more loads. The at least one control unit analyses the control signals received from the at least one door monitor unit and the manual switch to control one or more loads, based on the present status of the corresponding loads.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for generating electrical energy from kinetic energy in a vehicle is provided. The method comprises, receiving, by a power source, a mechanical energy associated with motions of the vehicle, generating, by the power source, an electrical energy from the kinetic mechanical energy, regulating, the electrical energy by the at least on regulator unit of the power source, to produce regulated current and charging the at least one energy storage unit using the regulated current, thereby storing the regulated electrical energy in the at least one energy storage unit.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

OBJECTIVE OF THE DISCLOSURE

One object of the present disclosure is to provide rear-view mirror for a vehicle with a power generating device for controlling power supply to one or more loads in a vehicle.

One object of the present disclosure is to provide system for controlling power supply to one or more loads in a vehicle.

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for generating an electrical energy in a vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:
Fig. 1A illustrates a device, to generate electrical energy from mechanical energy, embedded into the body of Inside Rear View Mirror (IRVM) of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 1B illustrates the location of Inside Rear View Mirror (IRVM) in the vehicle.
Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of power source, mounted in a rear view mirror of a vehicle, for generating electrical energy from mechanical energy produced from a vehicle in motion, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 3 illustrates a door monitor unit, configured in a door of the vehicle, to transmit wirelessly the door status to the power source control unit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Fig. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of generating an electrical energy in a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to a method and a system for generating and storing electrical energy in a vehicle. The produced electrical energy is used to power one or more loads connected to an energy storage unit, also referred as a power source. A control unit receives real-time door status signals and analyses the same to power the loads accordingly. Further, the control unit analyses manual switch signals, to toggle the corresponding loads based on its present status.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Fig. 1A illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary Inside Rear View Mirror (IRVM) 100 of a vehicle, wherein the IRVM comprises a power source, to generate energy and power one or more loads in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The IRVM 100 encloses the power source along with the electronics to control one or more loads connected to the IRVM system. The IRVM holds a mirror and the power source along with the electronics within it. The power generated by the power source is used to power one or more loads. In on embodiment, the one or more loads are Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s), which are configured for lighting purpose in the vehicle. Also, a manual switch is provided on the IRVM body to control one or more loads or LED’s. The IRVM is mounted to the roof of the vehicle, wherein the weight hangs freely from the IRVM system for generating electrical energy from kinetic energy. Fig. 1B illustrates the location of the IRVM in the vehicle.

Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of power source, mounted in a rear view mirror of a vehicle, for generating electrical energy from mechanical energy produced from a vehicle in motion, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in Fig. 2, the power source 200 is enclosed within the IRVM 100, which comprises, at least one energy converting unit 201, at least one regulator unit 205 and at least one rechargeable battery 208. The energy converting unit 201 comprises a weight 202 having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is freely suspended and the second end is connected to a gearbox 203, and the gearbox is connected to a motor 204. The first end of the weight 202 oscillates when the vehicle is in motion. This mechanical movement instigates kinetic energy in the suspended weight 202, thus rotating the gearbox 203, at low rpm. The gearbox assembly 203 scales up the gear’s rpm and rotate the motor 204. The motor 204 rotates to generate electricity, thus converting kinetic energy to electrical energy from the motion of the vehicle.

In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 the regulator unit 205 of the power source 200 comprises a rectifier 206 and a regulator 207. The generated electrical energy is rectified by the rectifier 206 to generate rectified current. The rectified current generated by the rectifier 206 is regulated by the regulator 207 to produce regulated current. The regulated current is stored in at least one energy storage unit is a rechargeable battery 208, wherein the battery 208 comprises plurality of components for storing the regulated current. Each of the plurality of components is one of capacitor, super capacitor and any other component for storing an electrical energy.

Fig. 3 illustrates a door monitor unit, configured in a door of the vehicle, to transmit wirelessly the door status to the power source control unit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the door monitoring unit is used for controlling the power supply to the one or more loads in the vehicle. The system for controlling the loads in the vehicle comprising the power source 200 to produce electrical energy, a door monitor unit 300 to monitor and transmit door 301 status control signals wirelessly to a control unit or an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 209, a receiver 211 that receives one or more control signals from the door monitor unit 300, at least one manual switch 212, to control one or more loads.

The door monitor unit 300 is configured in the vehicle to monitor one or more doors 301. Also, the unit 300 tracks the movement of one or more doors 301 and transmits control signals to the ECU 209. The door monitor unit 300 comprises a door switch 302 and a transmitter 303. In one embodiment, the door switch 302 comprises a sensor that keeps track of the vehicle’s door 301, thus determining whether the door 309 is in “Open” state or “Close” state. The transmitter 303 is a wireless communication transmitter that transmits the corresponding door status signals to the ECU 209. The transmitter 303 transmits the control signals from the door switch 302 as a digital signal, converts it into an analog signal. The analog signal is then transmitted to the power source device 200.

The receiver unit, comprising a wireless communication receiver, configured with the ECU 209 to receive one or more control signals from the door monitor unit 300. The wireless communication receiver is one of Zigbee, Wireless fidelity and Bluetooth receiver. Also, a manual switch 212 is provided to control one or more loads connected to the IRVM system. The manual switch 212 is electrically connected to the ECU 209 which analyses the one or more control signals received from the door monitor unit 300 and the manual switch 212 to control one or more loads, based on the present status of the corresponding loads.

Fig. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of generating an electrical energy in a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in Fig. 4, the method for generating an electrical energy in a vehicle 400, the method comprising:

At step 401, receiving a mechanical energy associated with motions of the vehicle by a power source. At step 402, generating an electrical energy from the kinetic mechanical energy is performed by the power source. At step 403, the electrical energy generated by the power source is regulated using at least one regulator unit of the power source, to produce regulated current. At step 404, charging the at least one energy storage unit is performed using the regulated current, thereby storing the regulated electrical energy in the at least one energy storage unit. Finally, the ECU controls one or more loads, by analysing the one or more control signals and the present state of the one or more loads.

Advantages of the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated herein.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure generates electrical energy from kinetic mechanical energy in a vehicle in motion, to power one or more loads. This device acts as a secondary battery.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method to communicate with other units, within the system wirelessly, thus reducing the use of wires. This aspect reduces the space and complexity of wiring in a vehicle.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure illustrates a control unit that controls the power to the one or more loads based on the present state and the received control signals from the door monitor unit.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system, enclosed within Inside Rear View Mirror (IRVM) in a vehicle. The IRVM is mounted to the roof of the vehicle concealing the electronics and the device. Thus, avoid diminishing the design of the vehicle.

The terms "an embodiment", "embodiment", "embodiments", "the embodiment", "the embodiments", "one or more embodiments", "some embodiments", and "one embodiment" mean "one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention(s)" unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms "including", "comprising", “having” and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to", unless expressly specified otherwise.

The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms "a", "an" and "the" mean "one or more", unless expressly specified otherwise.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than one device/article (whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place of a single device/article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein (whether or not they cooperate), it will be readily apparent that a single device/article may be used in place of the more than one device or article or a different number of devices/articles may be used instead of the shown number of devices or programs. The functionality and/or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are not explicitly described as having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments of the invention need not include the device itself.

The illustrated operations of Fig. 4 show certain events occurring in a certain order. In alternative embodiments, certain operations may be performed in a different order, modified or removed. Moreover, steps may be added to the above described logic and still conform to the described embodiments. Further, operations described herein may occur sequentially or certain operations may be processed in parallel. Yet further, operations may be performed by a single processing unit or by distributed processing units.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description
100 Inside Rear View Mirror
200 A Power Source device
201 Energy conversion unit
202 Weight
203 Gearbox
204 Motor
205 Regulator unit
206 Rectifier
207 Regulator
208 Battery
209 Electronic Control Unit
210 Load
211 Receiver
212 Manual Switch
300 Door Monitor Unit
301 Vehicle door
302 Door switch
303 Transmitter