Electronic power supply

Abstract

The present invention relates to power supplies and in particular to an electronic power supply that is mounted to a printed circuit board and can be used to power electronic circuits and devices. Disclosed is a power supply which includes a photoluminescent light source. The photoluminescent light source generates light in response to receiving input power. One or more than one photovoltaic device is in optical communication with the photoluminescent light source, and generates output power in response to receiving light from the photoluminescent light source. The amount of output power generated by the one or more than one photovoltaic device is greater than the amount of input power received by the photoluminescent light source. In some embodiments the photoluminescent light source includes a light-emitting device and a photoluminescent material, each of which is embedded in an optical coupling material.

1 . A power supply comprising:
 a light source, wherein the light source emits light in response to receiving light source electrical power, and wherein the light source electrical power is provided by a power source external to the power supply;   and   one or more than one photovoltaic device, wherein the one or more than one photovoltaic device outputs photovoltaic-generated electrical power in response to receiving light from the light source;   wherein the amount of photovoltaic-generated electrical power output from the one or more than one photovoltaic device is greater than the amount of light source electrical power received by the light source.   
     
     
         2 . The power supply of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises:
 a light-emitting device, wherein the light-emitting device emits light of a first peak wavelength in response to receiving the light source electrical power;   and   a first photoluminescent material in optical communication with the light-emitting device, wherein the first photoluminescent material generates light of a second peak wavelength in response to receiving light of the first peak wavelength from the light-emitting device.   
     
     
         3 . The power supply of  claim 2 , further comprising a block of optical coupling material, wherein the light-emitting device and the first photoluminescent material are both embedded in the block of optical coupling material. 
     
     
         4 . The power supply of  claim 3 , wherein the first photoluminescent material is a phosphor material that emits green light. 
     
     
         5 . The power supply of  claim 4 , wherein the light-emitting device emits blue light. 
     
     
         6 . The power supply of  claim 5 , wherein the light-emitting device emits light with a peak wavelength of 532 nanometers. 
     
     
         7 . The power supply of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more than one photovoltaic device is embedded in the block of optical coupling material. 
     
     
         8 . The power supply of  claim 3 , further comprising a second photoluminescent material, wherein the second photoluminescent material is embedded in the block of optical coupling material; wherein the second photoluminescent material emits light of a third peak wavelength in response to receiving light of the first peak wavelength from the light-emitting device; and wherein the first peak wavelength, the second peak wavelength, and the third peak wavelength are all different wavelengths from each other. 
     
     
         9 . A power supply comprising:
 a power conditioning module, wherein the power conditioning module comprises:
 a light source, wherein the light source emits light in response to receiving light source electrical power; 
 and 
 one or more than one photovoltaic device, wherein the one or more than one photovoltaic device outputs photovoltaic-generated electrical power in response to receiving light from the light source; 
   and   a power distribution circuit, wherein the power distribution circuit comprises:
 a light source power distribution circuit, wherein the light source power distribution circuit receives input power from a power source external to the power supply, and generates light source electrical power in response; 
 and 
 a power output circuit, wherein the power output circuit receives photovoltaic-generated electrical power from the one or more than one photovoltaic device, and provides output power in response; 
   wherein the amount of input power received by the light source power distribution circuit is less than the amount of output power provided by the power output circuit.   
     
     
         10 . The power supply of  claim 9 , wherein the light source comprises:
 a block of optical coupling material;   and   one or more than one light-emitting device, wherein the one or more than one light emitting device is embedded in the block of optical coupling material, and wherein the one or more than one light-emitting device emits light of a first peak wavelength in response to receiving the light source electrical power;   wherein the block of optical coupling material optically couples the one or more than one light emitting device to the one or more than one photovoltaic device.   
     
     
         11 . The power supply of  claim 10  wherein the block of optical coupling material comprises:
 a light source top surface; 
 a light source bottom surface; 
 a light source front surface; 
 and 
 a light source back surface; 
 wherein the light source emits light from the light source top surface, the light source bottom surface, the light source front surface, and the light source back surface in response to receiving the light source electrical power; 
 
       and wherein the one or more than one photovoltaic device comprises:
 a top photovoltaic device, wherein the top photovoltaic device generates photovoltaic-generated electrical power in response to receiving light from the light source top surface; 
 a bottom photovoltaic device, wherein the bottom photovoltaic device generates photovoltaic-generated electrical power in response to receiving light from the light source bottom surface; 
 a front photovoltaic device, wherein the front photovoltaic device generates photovoltaic-generated electrical power in response to receiving light from the light source front surface; 
 and 
 a back photovoltaic device, wherein the back photovoltaic device generates photovoltaic-generated electrical power in response to receiving light from the light source back surface. 
 
     
     
         12 . The power supply of  claim 11 , wherein the light source further comprise a first photoluminescent material embedded in the block of optical coupling material, wherein the first photoluminescent material emits light of a second peak wavelength in response to receiving light of the first peak wavelength from the one or more than one light-emitting device. 
     
     
         13 . The power supply of  claim 12 , wherein the light source further comprises a second photoluminescent material embedded in the block of optical coupling material, wherein the second photoluminescent material emits light of a third peak wavelength in response to receiving light from the one or more than one light-emitting device. 
     
     
         14 . The power supply of  claim 12 , wherein the light-emitting device emits light in the blue range of the visible spectrum. 
     
     
         15 . The power supply of  claim 14 , wherein the first photoluminescent material emits light in the green range of the visible spectrum. 
     
     
         16 . A method of amplifying power for components mounted on a printed circuit board using a printed circuit board-mounted power supply, the method comprising:
 optically coupling one or more than one photovoltaic device to a photoluminescent light source, wherein the one or more than one photovoltaic device receives light from the photoluminescent light source;   supplying light source electrical input power to the photoluminescent light source, wherein the light source electrical input power is received from a power source external to the printed circuit board-mounted power supply;   collecting photovoltaic-generated electrical output power from the one or more than one photovoltaic device, wherein the amount of photovoltaic-generated electrical output power collected from the one or more than one photovoltaic device is greater than the amount of light source electrical input power supplied to the photoluminescent light source;   and   providing the photovoltaic-generated electrical output power to components mounted on the printed circuit board.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of creating a photoluminescent light source, wherein the step of creating a photoluminescent light source comprises the step of optically coupling a light-emitting device to a photoluminescent material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein creating a photoluminescent light source further comprises the steps of:
 embedding the light-emitting device in a block of optical coupling material; and   embedding the photoluminescent material in the block of optical coupling material.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the photoluminescent material is a first photoluminescent material, and wherein creating a photoluminescent light source further comprises the step of embedding a second photoluminescent material in the block of optical coupling material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising embedding the one or more than one photovoltaic device in the block of optical coupling material.