Milestone 1.3

1.3: Requirements

There are many requirements that have to be met for the successful execution of this product. These can be broken down into different categories, the main ones being technical requirements, operational requirements, and functional requirements.

Technical Requirements:

  • Solar Panel - Ideally the solar panel shall be able to output about 5 watts peak power, as that's typically the slowest max power output for charging via USB.

  • Electricity Parameters - Since it will follow USB charging standards, the lowest voltage output shall be a constant 5 volts DC, with a max of 1 amp to get the peak power of 5 watts. This shall be done with a fixed circuit or a computer chip.

  • Battery - There shall be a small battery, possibly 1000-2000mah, to be charged while the phone battery is at max or while the solar panel isn't producing enough power, to ensure maximum charging efficiency and maximize collection of solar energy while is available. A circuit shall also be required to stop the battery from discharging into the solar panel when the solar panel isn't active.

  • Chip - A small computer chip shall be required to manage charging and allow USB communication to allow charging from the solar panel and battery.

Operational Requirements:

  • Solar Energy Collection - The solar panels shall have a mechanism in them that allows it to always face the sun. A hinge would most likely be the easiest and simplest way to do this, as well as the most effective and efficient. Other concepts will be explored though.

Functional Requirements:

  • Charging - Charging shall be optimized and simple to use. Shall be either automatic, manually controlled with a button, or a mix of both.

  • Efficiency - The operational requirement of the hinge shall be implemented so it's easy to use. It also shouldn't open when not desired, like in a pocket, so it shall include a locking mechanism that's easy to manually unlock but doesn't come open by itself.

GREEN CASE