Continuous discharge
The battery alone feeds both the motor and every electrical accessory. Every kilometre is a withdrawal — there is no parallel input slowing the drain. Range is fixed by pack capacity, not by available energy in the environment.
WO 2017/051299 A1 · Indian Patent Granted
OMNIA Drive
Own the Energy. Extend the Drive.
A multi-source onboard power-generation system for next-generation electric and hybrid vehicles — eight harvesting sources, one intelligent processing unit, one outcome: less charging, more driving, longer-lasting batteries.
8
Energy Sub-systems
12+
Jurisdictions Filed
4
Granted Patents
2015
Priority Date
01 · The Context
Batteries are running the show — and the road.
Conventional electric and hybrid vehicles depend on a single energy storage device. That dependency creates three compounding failures.
Shortened cell life
Repeated full charge–discharge cycling — especially deep discharge — accelerates capacity fade. Lithium-ion cells lose roughly 20% capacity over 500–1,500 cycles depending on chemistry and depth-of-discharge.
Charger dependency
Range anxiety is structural: charging stations are unevenly distributed, slow to deploy, and absent in mining, military, and rural use cases. The vehicle's mobility is leashed to the charger network.
Charging is limited. Lithium is degrading. Range is constrained. — synthesised from the patent's background statement.
02 · Patent Identity
What OMNIA Drive proposes
An alternative system for charging an energy-storage device used to drive a vehicle — that simultaneously feeds the motor and reduces the vehicle's dependency on the battery itself.
The Three-Part Claim
8Generator subsystems supply electric power, in any permutation
2Sustained outputs — battery DC + motor AC, in parallel
1Unified Power Processing Unit conducting the system
03 · System Architecture
Eight sources. One intelligent core.
Multiple harvesters feed one intelligent processing unit — which then powers the battery and the motor at the same time.
A mixed-signal core that thinks in voltages
Seven components working in concert
- Processor — Mixed-signal (analog + digital). Continuously samples SOC, voltage, current; decides routing.
- AC ↔ DC Converter — Two-way bridge between alternating and direct current.
- DC ↔ DC Converter — Buck/boost stage; matches battery voltage to source voltage.
- AC ↔ AC Converter — Frequency / amplitude conversion where source AC differs from motor AC.
- Booster — Lifts AC or DC components when below threshold. Triggered by the processor.
- Regulator — Stabilises DC rails — sustained, ripple-controlled output to the battery.
- Memory — Stores threshold values for V, I and SOC — defines decision boundaries.
Decision Logic If V < threshold → boost. If SOC < target → charge battery + drive motor from sources. If SOC ≥ target → drive motor from battery, top up from sources.
04 · The Method
How the PPU decides where each watt goes
Five stages, repeated continuously while the vehicle is operating — Claim 10 of the patent.
- 302
Sense
Read voltage and current from each on-board generator and the SOC of the energy storage device.
- 304
Compare
Test each component against pre-stored thresholds for AC/DC voltage and current.
- 306
Boost
If a component is below threshold, route it through the booster to lift it back into range.
- 308
Synthesize
Combine boosted and normal components to form a sustained DC rail and a sustained AC rail.
- 312
Deliver
Send sustained DC to storage, sustained AC to the motor — simultaneously.
Outcome The battery is no longer the sole source. Discharge slows, charge cycles deepen less, range extends, and pack life is preserved.
05 · Energy Sources
Eight harvesters. One unifying patent.
Any permutation or combination of the sub-systems below can be used to generate the first electric power. Each is a self-contained module — the PPU does the rest.
Source 01
Solar Panel Sub-system
Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into DC power.
100–250 Wper m² of panel surface
Technical
- Output — DC, fed directly to PPU DC bus.
- Yield — 100–250 W/m² (commercial Si cells, AM1.5).
- Form — rigid Si rooftop, thin-film body wraps, transparent solar glass.
- Scope — "at least one solar panel mounted on any part of the vehicle."
Applied on
- Passenger EVs — 1–3 m² rooftop = 100–600 W peak.
- Buses & coaches — 10–14 m² roof yields 1–2 kWh/day.
- Trucks & trailers — 30–50 m² delivers 3–8 kWh/day.
- Trains & trams — 30–60 m² per car, multi-kW continuous.
Peer review · Sono Motors (Sion), Aptera, Lightyear, Toyota Prius PHV, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid solar roof — production deployments. Real-world annual yield 1,000–6,000 km equivalent depending on geography (NREL).
Source 02
Wind Turbine Sub-system
Micro-turbines harness airflow during vehicle motion — AC output.
200–800 Wscales with vehicle speed
Technical
- Output — AC, variable frequency. Rectified by AC↔DC converter.
- Yield — 200–800 W typical at 60–100 km/h.
- Caveat — adds drag; net positive only for low-CD configurations.
- Scope — "at least two wind turbines provided on the sides or top of the vehicle."
Applied on
- Electric buses — roof-mounted vertical-axis turbines.
- HGVs / trailers — slipstream turbines on cab roofs.
- Trains & trams — high continuous speeds = 1–3 kW per turbine.
- Marine vessels — stationary wind also harvested.
Peer review · Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' bus-mounted concept; Boreas Energetics rooftop micro-turbines for HGVs; multiple IEEE Trans. Veh. Tech. studies show net positive energy when optimally sited.
Source 03
Regenerative Braking
The drive motor reverses to a generator during deceleration — DC output.
10–30%of braking energy returned to battery
Technical
- Output — DC via inverter operating in reverse.
- Yield — 10–30% of total braking energy. Higher in stop-go cycles.
- Physics — A 1500 kg car at 60 km/h holds 208 kJ; converting 25% returns 52 kJ.
- Scope — control unit allows the motor to act as generator during braking.
Applied on
- Urban EVs — most beneficial in stop-go traffic.
- Electric buses — 30–40% improvement over non-regen.
- Trucks & HGVs — Volvo FE Electric recovers 200+ kW peak.
- Trains & trams — up to 40% of traction energy.
Peer review · SAE Technical Papers consistently report 15–30% range extension from regen alone. The patent's contribution is unifying regen output with seven other source types through one PPU.
Source 04
Heat & Sound Sub-system
Thermionic + piezoelectric capture — two physics, one harvest module.
5–60 Wheat — thermionic typical
0.5–10 Wsound — piezoelectric typical
Technical
- Heat output — DC via Seebeck-effect thermo-electric generators.
- Heat yield — 5–60 W typical; 100+ W with high-grade TEGs at 200 °C ΔT.
- Sound output — AC via piezoelectric crystals or polymer films.
- Sound yield — 0.5–10 W from cabin panels and chassis-mounted arrays.
Applied on
- Hybrids — exhaust manifolds 400–600 °C: 100–500 W.
- EV brake/motor heat — 80–120 °C surfaces: 10–30 W sustained.
- Buses & rail — Pavegen-style piezo flooring under doorways.
- All vehicles — engine + road + airflow → 10–20 W aggregated.
Peer review · Volkswagen, GM, Honda have published TEG vehicle studies (1–5% fuel-economy improvement). Piezo harvesting is largely academic at fleet scale.
Source 05
RF / Ion Capture
Antenna-based receivers harvest ambient wireless and atmospheric energy.
µW – ~1 Wlow TRL · sensor-class power
Technical
- Output — AC, converted by control device receiving wireless and RF signals.
- Yield — Microwatts to ~1 W in dense urban environments (5G + WiFi + broadcast).
- Status — Lowest TRL of all eight sub-systems. Useful for sensor power.
- Scope — "Control device that receives wireless signals and RF signals, and generates AC power."
Applied on
- Auxiliary sensors — TPMS, cabin air-quality — battery-free.
- Wearable / IoT — in-vehicle health monitors powered without wiring.
- Urban fleets — best yield in dense city centres.
Engineering note · RF energy harvesting is recognised in low-power IoT (Powercast, Energous). Inclusion in a vehicle-propulsion patent broadens claim scope; not expected to contribute meaningful kWh to traction.
Source 06
Glass Window Pane Sub-system
Edge-mounted oscillation sensors harvest motion-induced glass vibration.
8–15 Waggregated over a passenger vehicle
Technical
- Output — Oscillatory power, rectified by PPU into DC.
- Yield — <2 W per window typical · aggregated 8–15 W on a passenger vehicle.
- Physics — Glass acts as resonant membrane; road vibration + wind pressure drive low-amplitude oscillations.
- Scope — "Sensing device configured to sense oscillations of glass window panes during vehicle movement."
Applied on
- Passenger vehicles — multi-window aggregation for accessory loads.
- Buses & rail — larger window areas = higher yield potential.
- Marine craft — bridge windows + cabin glazing in constant motion.
Peer review · Smart-glass and window-integrated piezo research is active (academic). The patent's vehicle-integrated use is novel — most prior IP focuses on building-integrated applications.
Source 07 & 08
Wheel & Suspension Generators
AC and DC generators driven by wheel rotation or suspension travel.
50–300 Wper wheel · 5–50 W suspension
Technical
- AC generator — front wheel, drive wheel, or suspension. Rectified by PPU.
- DC generator — front wheel(s), bicycle-dynamo principle scaled up.
- Yield — 50–300 W per wheel; 5–50 W per regen damper.
- Scope — AC gen "fitted to at least one of: front wheel, suspension, drive wheel."
Applied on
- Two-wheelers — hub-dynamo scales naturally; commercial in cycling.
- Passenger EVs — Audi eROT, ClearMotion regen dampers: 100–700 W on rough roads.
- Off-road / mining — high suspension travel = high harvest.
- Trailers & freight — independent of tractor electrics — no integration cost.
Peer review · Audi published 100–150 W average from eROT regen dampers (2016). Levant Power (ClearMotion) commercialised similar tech. Patent's catch-all framing covers all wheel/suspension variants.
06 · Vehicle Use Cases
Four ways OMNIA Drive shows up on the road.
The same eight-source architecture flexes from a 2-wheeler to a 40-tonne HGV. Below — four canonical deployments with the numbers that matter.
Use Case 01
Solar-skinned passenger EV
Roof + hood + side panels; rooftop wind option; regen on every brake.
A passenger car wears photovoltaic panels across its roof, hood and side panels. Even in motion the array trickles DC into the PPU — which routes some to the motor and the rest to storage. The owner arrives home with more charge than the strict drive cycle would predict.
- Best for sunny urban / suburban commutes
- Pairs naturally with regenerative braking
- Trickle-charge while parked extends overall life
- Real-world refs: Sono Motors Sion, Aptera, Lightyear
~600 Wpeak rooftop PV yield
1–6k kmannual range from solar
+30–50%battery cycle life
Use Case 02
Electric city bus — wind plus regen
Roof solar + micro-turbines + regen on every stop.
A city transit bus stops every few hundred metres. That stop-start rhythm is bad for battery life — but excellent for harvesting. Roof-mounted micro-turbines feed AC into the PPU on every move; regenerative braking dumps DC back into the system at every stop.
- Frequent stops = frequent regen events
- High roof body suits turbine mounting
- PPU concurrently conditions AC + DC inputs
- Real fleets: BYD K9, Proterra, Foton AUV
1–3 kWh/drooftop solar
30–40%regen savings
~$250k12-yr lifetime savings
Use Case 03
Heavy goods vehicle on long haul
Biggest mass + biggest surface = the largest absolute returns.
A loaded HGV carries enormous kinetic energy. Conventional friction braking turns that energy into waste heat. With this system, the motor runs in reverse during deceleration; kinetic energy becomes DC, and the PPU stuffs it back into the pack. On a downhill grade the truck literally re-charges itself.
- Massive mass = bigger recovered impulses
- Reduces brake wear and operating cost
- Wheel AC generators add a second harvest path
- Pilots: Tesla Semi, Nikola Tre, Volvo FE Electric
3–8 kWh/dtrailer-roof solar
200+ kWpeak regen on descent
10–15%energy reduction
Use Case 04
Two-wheelers, e-scooters, e-rickshaws
Small batteries — every harvested watt matters.
Small EVs feel range anxiety the most — a single low-capacity pack and inconsistent charging access. The patent's definition of "vehicle" explicitly includes scooters, motorcycles and electric wheelchairs. A miniaturised PPU with a small solar panel and a wheel-hub DC generator is enough to meaningfully extend the day's range.
- Crucial for emerging markets — India, SE Asia
- Small pack = high relative impact per harvested W
- AC wheel generators add a second harvest path
- Reduces strain on charging infrastructure
1M+EV-2W sales/yr in India
1.5–3 kWhtypical battery
+10–25%daily range from harvest
07 · Comparative Position
OMNIA Drive vs. conventional EV architectures.
The differentiator is not any single source — it is the unification of all of them through one Power Processing Unit, simultaneously feeding battery and motor.
| Capability | Conventional EV | Hybrid EV | Solar-only EV | OMNIA Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-board energy harvesting | Regen only | Regen + ICE | Solar + regen | 8 sources |
| Simultaneous charge + drive | No | Partial (ICE-driven) | No | Yes — by design |
| Charger dependency | High | Moderate | High | Reduced |
| Battery cycle life | 500–1,500 cycles | Higher (smaller pack) | Slightly extended | +30–50% expected |
| Suitable for off-grid use | Limited | Yes (fuel) | Daylight only | Yes — multi-modal |
| Vehicle classes covered | 2W → HGV | Cars / SUVs | Cars / vans | 2W → trains, marine |
| IP protection scope | — | Multiple | Niche | 12+ jurisdictions |
08 · Validation
Technical advancements
What the inventor claims to have solved — verbatim from the patent specification.
Longer pack life
Avoiding deep discharge is the single biggest lever for battery longevity. The patent reduces both the depth and frequency of discharge cycles.
Less charger dependency
On-board generation means the vehicle is no longer tethered to the next charging station. Range becomes a function of usage, not infrastructure.
Safer & lower maintenance
Fewer deep-discharge events means fewer thermal events, fewer service replacements, lower lifetime cost.
Lower cost of ownership
A pack that lasts longer is a pack you replace less often. Energy harvested from the environment is energy you don't pay for at a charger.
improves life of an at least one energy storage device of the vehicle · avoids deep discharging · needs less maintenance and is cost-effective · is safe and secure — Patent specification, Technical Advancements section
09 · Indian Patent
Indian Patent — Granted & Active
OMNIA Drive is protected by a granted Indian patent. The originating filing has matured to grant — every other family member claims priority from this filing.
What the Indian Grant Enables
- Exclusive rights in India — 20-year monopoly on making, using, selling or importing OMNIA Drive technology in the world's third-largest auto market and fastest-growing EV market.
- Licensing leverage — Indian and global OEMs (Tata, Mahindra, Ola Electric, Bajaj, TVS) can be licensed under a granted patent — granting carries materially higher value than pending applications.
- Investment-ready IP — granted Indian patent + granted US, JP, EA national-phase entries give OMNIA Drive a multi-jurisdiction protection portfolio attractive to strategic investors.
- Enforcement standing — the patentee has the right to seek injunctions and damages against infringers in Indian courts under Section 108 of the Patents Act, 1970.
Cited Prior Art
- US 2004/0062059 A1 — Bi-directional converter (Ballard, 2002)
- EP 2284037 A2 — Multi-source energy storage management (GE, 2009)
- US 2012/0008357 A1 — Capacitor module / power converter (Hitachi, 2005)
- US 2015/0102667 A1 — Propulsion system for vehicle (GE, 2013)
Family Grants
- IN 3649/MUM/2015 — Granted, India
- US 11,117,476 B2 — Granted 14 Sep 2021
- JP 7109623 B2 — Granted, Japan
- EA 036594 B1 — Granted, Eurasian region
- EP 3353876 A4 — Pending in Europe
Strengths · Limits
- Strength · Breadth — Eight-source Markush group gives genuine claim flexibility.
- Strength · Topology — Simultaneous charge-and-drive is what modern hybrid inverters target.
- Limit · Yield realism — Patent contains no kWh figures.
- Limit · TRL spread — Solar/regen are TRL-9; thermionic/RF are TRL-3.
10 · Frequently Asked
Common questions we answer often.
Is OMNIA Drive a finished product or a licensable platform?
OMNIA Drive is a patented system architecture. We license the IP to OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and fleet operators — and we provide engineering support to integrate the Power Processing Unit and selected sub-systems into a target vehicle. We do not currently manufacture finished vehicles ourselves.
Will OMNIA Drive eliminate the need for charging entirely?
No — and we do not claim that. Eight harvesting sub-systems materially reduce charger dependency, extend daily range and significantly improve battery cycle life. The vehicle still uses the grid, but less often, less deeply, and with greater operational independence.
Which vehicle classes can adopt the architecture?
The patent claims explicitly include passenger cars, buses, trucks, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, electric wheelchairs, trains, marine vessels and stationary applications. The PPU scales — only the source mix and rated power change.
What licensing models do you offer?
We work with three structures: (a) per-vehicle royalty for OEMs at scale, (b) flat-fee jurisdictional licenses for territory-limited deployments, and (c) joint-development agreements where Rohera Industries co-engineers an integration with the licensee. All include access to the Indian, US, Japanese and Eurasian grants.
How does the PPU differ from a standard EV inverter?
A standard inverter handles one source (the battery) and one load (the motor). The PPU is a multi-port mixed-signal controller that simultaneously conditions up to eight asynchronous, voltage-different inputs (AC and DC), and routes synthesised output to both the storage device and the motor in parallel. The patent's novelty is the conducting role of this single unit.
Can existing fleets be retrofitted?
Selectively, yes. Solar, regen and wheel-generator sub-systems are well-suited to retrofit; thermionic and piezo sub-systems require structural integration. We typically pilot retrofits on commercial fleet vehicles first — buses, last-mile vans and HGV trailers — where the surface area and duty cycle make the case strongest.
How do I begin a serious evaluation?
Send an email or use the enquiry form below with your vehicle class, fleet size, and target deployment geography. We respond personally to every serious enquiry — typically within two business days — and can share the full patent dossier and a tailored integration brief under NDA.
11 · About
The inventor & the company
A practitioner-inventor working at the intersection of healthcare technology and industrial energy systems.
Hemant Karamchand Rohera
Hemant Karamchand Rohera is an entrepreneur and inventor based in Pune, Maharashtra, working at the intersection of healthcare technology and industrial energy systems. He is the patent holder of PCT/IB2016/055563 — the OMNIA Drive multi-source onboard power-generation system — and the principal of Rohera Industries Pvt. Ltd., the commercialisation vehicle for the patent and its derivative product lines.
Rohera Industries works with OEMs, fleet operators and licensees on integration, bill-of-materials engineering, and jurisdiction-specific deployment of the OMNIA Drive architecture. The company's broader portfolio also includes patented healthcare monitoring technology developed under the eMedica Rohera Healthcare brand.
- 2015Filed Indian Patent IN 3649/MUM/2015Originating filing for OMNIA Drive — power-generating system and method for a vehicle.
- 2016PCT International ApplicationPCT/IB2016/055563 filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for global protection.
- 2017WO 2017/051299 A1 PublishedInternational publication; national-phase entries commenced in 12+ jurisdictions.
- 2021US Patent GrantedUS 11,117,476 B2 issued 14 September 2021.
- TodayActive Licensing & IntegrationEngaged with OEM and Tier-1 partners on pilot integrations across passenger EV, transit and last-mile categories.
Contact
Licensing & partnership enquiries
For licensing, OEM evaluation, fleet pilots, or general enquiries — please reach out directly. We respond personally to every serious enquiry.
Direct
- Phone / WhatsApp+91 98907 99173
- Primary emailhrohera@icloud.com
- Secondary emailhrohera27@gmail.com
- Based inPune, Maharashtra · India