Method and apparatus for adjustable coupling for improved wireless high q resonant power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016012966-A1
Application number	US-201414330569-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for wireless inductive power transfer are described herein. One implementation may include an apparatus for wireless inductive power transfer. The apparatus comprises a primary resonator configured to wirelessly transfer power to a secondary resonator coupled to a load of a wireless power receiver. The apparatus comprises a coupling circuit configured to couple energy from a source power supply to the primary resonator. The apparatus comprises a controller configured to coordinate an adjustment of a first amount of coupling between the source power supply and the primary resonator, via the coupling circuit, with an adjustment of a second amount of coupling between the secondary resonator and the load of the wireless power receiver. The coupling circuit comprises a first coupling loop comprising a plurality of segments, each configured to be selectively electrically connected to the source power supply, the first coupling loop electrically isolated from the primary resonator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for wireless inductive power transfer, comprising:
a primary resonator configured to wirelessly transfer power to a secondary resonator coupled to a load of a wireless power receiver; a coupling circuit configured to couple energy from a source power supply to the primary resonator; and a controller configured to coordinate an adjustment of a first amount of coupling between the source power supply and the primary resonator, via the coupling circuit, with an adjustment of a second amount of coupling between the secondary resonator and the load of the wireless power receiver.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coordinated adjustment of the first amount of coupling changes an operating quality factor of the primary resonator and increases at least one of a power factor presented by the coupling circuit to the source power supply, or an amount of power delivered to the load, or an efficiency of power delivered to the load, or any combination thereof.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling circuit comprises a first coupling loop comprising a plurality of segments, each configured to be selectively electrically connected to the source power supply, the first coupling loop electrically isolated from the primary resonator; and the controller is configured to adjust the first amount of coupling by selectively connecting at least a subset of the plurality of segments to the first coupling loop.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a cross sectional area of adjacent segments of the plurality of segments increases from a first segment to a last segment of the first coupling loop.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first amount of coupling by adjusting at least one of:
a coefficient of coupling between the first coupling loop and the primary resonator; or a ratio of mutual inductance between the first coupling loop and the primary resonator to a leakage inductance of the first coupling loop, or a combination thereof.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling circuit comprises a switch configured to selectively connect the source power supply to either:
one of a plurality of locations, each connected to a corresponding one of a plurality of series-connected capacitors of the primary resonator; or
one of a plurality of locations on an inductor of the primary resonator; and
the controller is configured to adjust the first amount of coupling by selectively connecting the source power supply to one of the plurality of locations.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coordination of the adjustment of the first amount of coupling with the adjustment of the second amount of coupling is based on at least one of:
the controller transmitting a message to the wireless power receiver instructing the wireless power receiver to adjust the second amount of coupling; or the controller receiving, from the wireless power receiver, an indication of at least one of a power factor, or a power throughput, or an efficiency of power delivered to the load.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary resonator is configured to resonate at a first frequency and the controller is configured to adjust the first amount of coupling between the source power supply and the primary resonator while maintaining resonance of the primary resonator at the first frequency.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first amount of coupling to be substantially equal to an amount of coupling between the primary resonator and the secondary resonator.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of power throughput between the source power supply and the primary resonator, and wherein the controller is configured to, in coordinating the adjustment of the first amount of coupling with the adjustment of the second amount of coupling:
receive a first indication of the at least one parameter of power throughput from the sensor and a first indication of at least one parameter of power throughput between the secondary resonator and the load from the wireless power receiver; adjust the first amount of coupling and instruct the wireless power receiver to adjust the second amount of coupling; receive a second indication of the at least one parameter of power throughput from the sensor and a second indication of the at least one parameter of power throughput from the wireless power receiver; and determine whether to adjust the first amount of coupling and whether to instruct the wireless power receiver to adjust the second amount of coupling based at least in part on a comparison of the first and second indications from each of the sensor and the wireless power receiver.

11 . A method for wireless inductive power transfer, comprising:
wirelessly transferring power from a primary resonator of a wireless power transmitter to a secondary resonator coupled to a load of a wireless power receiver; and adjusting a first amount of coupling between a source power supply and the primary resonator via a coupling circuit configured to couple energy from the source power supply to the primary resonator, the adjusting the first amount of coupling coordinated with an adjustment of a second amount of coupling between the secondary resonator and the load.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coordinated adjustment of the first amount of coupling changes an operating quality factor of the primary resonator and increases at least one of a power factor presented by the coupling circuit to the source power supply, or an amount of power delivered to the load, or an efficiency of power delivered to the load, or any combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 11 , comprising adjusting the first amount of coupling by selectively connecting at least a subset of a plurality of electrically connectable segments of a first coupling loop to the source power supply, wherein the first coupling loop is electrically isolated from the primary resonator.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a cross sectional area of adjacent segments of the plurality of segments increases from a first segment to a last segment of the first coupling loop.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the first amount of coupling comprises adjusting at least one of:
a coefficient of coupling between the first coupling loop and the primary resonator; or a ratio of mutual inductance between the first coupling loop and the primary resonator to a leakage inductance of the first coupling loop, or a combination thereof.

16 . The method of claim 11 , comprising adjusting the first amount of coupling by selectively connecting the source power supply to either:
one of a plurality of locations, each connected to a corresponding one of a plurality of series-connected capacitors of the primary resonator; or one of a plurality of locations on an inductor of the primary resonator.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coordination of the adjustment of the first amount of coupling with the adjustment of the second amount of coupling is based on at least one of:
a message transmitted to the wireless power receiver instructing the wireless power receiver to adjust the second amount of coupling; or receiving, from the wireless power receiver, an indication of at least one of a power factor, or a power throughput, or an efficiency of power delivered to the load.

18 . The method of claim 11

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Davis Roy Howard

Classifications

• H02J50/12 Primary

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• B60L53/122

  Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil · CPC title

• B60L53/126

  Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver · CPC title

• H01F38/14 Primary

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title

• H03J2200/35

  Inductance tunable by switching in/out parts of the inductor · CPC title