Efficiencies and flexibilities in inductive (wireless) charging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11201500-B2
Application number	US-201816055109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2006
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A charger or power supply is provided that effects substantially continuous charging to one or more devices and/or batteries, on a surface of the charger or power supply. The charger or power supply comprises: a plurality of coils arrayed in one or multiple layers to provide substantially continuous charging or to supply wireless power over an effective charging area of the surface of the charger or power supply, wherein the effective charging area is larger than a single coil surface area, and the coils are arrayed such that any location on the effective charging area is at a distance equal to or less than a radius or a side-to-center length of at least one coil. Ferromagnetic and/or electrically conductive layers or structures positioned within the charger or power supply shield components within the charger or power supply (or shield the nearby environment of the charger or power supply).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for inductive powering or charging of portable devices, the system comprising:
one or more primary coils that are substantially planar and parallel to a surface of the system for powering or charging one or more compatible portable devices including batteries and receiver units, each receiver unit including a receiver coil and a receiver circuit including a receiver rectifier circuit;
one or more drive circuits including one or more FET drivers, FET switches, and capacitors coupled to the one or more primary coils that when operated apply an alternating electrical current to the one or more primary coils to generate a magnetic field in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the one or more primary coils and the surface of the system to provide power to the one or more portable devices capable of being powered or charged by the system when present and near the one or more primary coils;
one or more sense circuits to monitor the current through the one or more primary coils to sense communications from the one or more receiver coils; and
one or more communication and control circuits including one or more microcontrollers coupled to the one or more drive circuits and the one or more sense circuits that detect communications through the one or more sense circuits via the one or more primary coils and control the one or more drive circuits to control the powering or charging of the one or more compatible portable devices;
wherein the one or more communication and control circuits:
operate the one or more drive circuits near a first resonant frequency of a circuit formed by a primary coil and a drive circuit and a receiver coil and a receiver circuit of a compatible portable device when nearby;
switch the one or more primary coils at a frequency and power level sufficient to transfer power to one or more of the receiver units when near the one or more primary coils for a sufficiently long period of time to activate the one or more receiver circuits and to receive a response from the one or more receiver circuits via the one or more receiver coils which the one or more primary coils sense via the one or more sense circuits as a modulation of one or more primary coil currents;
detect, through the one or more sense circuits, communications from the one or more receiver units through the one or more receiver coils including information corresponding to one or more voltages at one or more outputs of the receiver rectifier circuits induced by the one or more primary coils and receiver coil and information associated with the one or more portable devices and/or receiver units to enable the one or more communication and control circuits to identify the one or more portable devices and/or receiver units and to determine any one or more appropriate charging or powering algorithm profiles therefor;
for each portable device, determine the primary coil electromagnetically most aligned with the receiver coil of the portable device;
drive the one or more FET switches associated with the most aligned one or more primary coils;
periodically receive information corresponding to one or more output voltages or currents of the one or more receiver rectifier circuits via the one or more primary coils and the one or more sense circuits; and
regulate in a closed loop feedback manner the one or more output voltages or currents of the one or more receiver rectifier circuits by adjusting the frequency or duty cycle of the one or more drive circuits during the charging or powering of the one or more portable devices.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more voltage regulator circuits that can change input voltages to the one or more drive circuits between two or more levels to accommodate different powers required by the portable devices.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more drive circuits, primary coils and associated capacitors are designed to be driven in a Zero Voltage Switching or Zero Current Switching mode during inductive power transfer to a portable device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication and control circuits are designed to receive from a receiver unit of a portable device identification information including one or more codes identifying the manufacturer of the portable device and/or receiver unit, a unique portable device and/or receiver ID code, a charge algorithm profile, and a power requirement of the portable device and/or receiver unit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises more than one primary coil which are of different sizes and functions and provide different power levels to portable devices with different power requirements.

6. The system of claim 1 , further wherein the one or more communication and control circuits, prior to activating the one or more receiver circuits for communication and further identification, drive each primary coil for a short period of time near a nominal second resonant frequency of each primary coil and associated capacitor without a receiver coil present, and the one or more sense circuits monitor the current through the primary coil to detect a higher than a baseline current draw to indicate potential portable devices or metallic objects near the primary coil for further investigation.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary coils include coils arrayed in multiple layers such that any location on the effective charger area of the surface of the system is located at a distance equal to or less than half a radius or half a side-to-center length of at least one coil.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication and control circuits use encryption for at least a portion of the communication with a portable device for powering or charging for security.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication and control circuits can provide bi-directional digital communication between the one or more primary coils and the receiver coils for a verification process to ensure that a receiver unit that can be charged or powered by the system is present and to determine the voltage or power requirements of the receiver unit.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a l×N switch, wherein N primary coils of the system share a common drive circuit and a common sense circuit that are switched by the one or more communication and control circuits to connect the common drive circuit and the common sense circuit to the N primary coils by the l×N switch where the number N is equal or greater than 2.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary coils are constructed of a Printed Circuit Board comprising multiple layers connected by vias.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is incorporated into a portable device or battery pack comprising an internal rechargeable battery that can be periodically recharged and can operate the system for inductive charging or powering for a period of time.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising one or more receiver unit circuits coupled to one or more of the one or more primary coils to enable the system and its internal battery to be charged or powered inductively.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising one or more receiver unit circuits coupled to one or more coils separate from the one or more primary coils to charge or power the system and its internal battery inductively.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is incorporated into a battery pack that can be clipped or attached to a portable device to extend battery run time of the portable device.

Assignees

• Mojo Mobility Inc

Inventors

• Partovi Afshin
• Sears Michael

Classifications

• H02J2101/22

  Solar energy · CPC title

• H02J7/445

  in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile · CPC title

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title