CAPACITOR-CHARGING CIRCUIT BY SOLAR CELL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging circuit that can efficiently charge electric power obtained from a solar cell into a large-capacity capacitor and can easily be made small in size, light in weight, and reduced in power consumption even in combination with a solar cell of small rated power. SOLUTION: This circuit is composed of a maximum power point estimate circuit 6 which estimates the maximum power point of the solar cell 1 with a switching regulator 3 arranged between the solar cell 1 and the large-capacity capacitor 5, and a control circuit 4 which controls the switching regulator 3 using an output of the maximum power point estimate circuit 6 and the charged voltage of the capacitor 5. Thereby, power obtained from the solar cell 1 is charged into the capacitor 5 controlling the switching regulator 3 by the control circuit 4 so as to follow the maximum power point of the solar cell 1. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT