Systems and methods for wireless power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9496732-B2
Application number	US-201313828789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Jan 18, 2011
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling efficient wireless power transfer, and charging of devices and batteries, in a manner that allows freedom of placement of the devices or batteries in one or multiple (e.g., one, two or three) dimensions. In accordance with various embodiments, applications include inductive or magnetic charging and power, and wireless powering or charging of, e.g., mobile, electronic, electric, lighting, batteries, power tools, kitchen, military, medical or dental, industrial applications, vehicles, trains, or other devices or products. In accordance with various embodiments, the systems and methods can also be generally applied, e.g., to power supplies or other power sources or charging systems, such as systems for transfer of wireless power to a mobile, electronic or electric device, vehicle, or other product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless power transfer system involving a magnetic material or layer, comprising:
a charger coil having a charger coil area;
a charger shield containing a magnetic material or layer that is disposed substantially parallel to the charger coil, the charger shield area extending beyond the charger coil area in one or more dimensions, the charger shield having an orientation;
a receiver coil having a receiver coil area; and
a receiver shield containing a magnetic material or layer that is disposed substantially parallel to the receiver coil, the receiver shield having an area that extends beyond the receiver coil area in one or more dimensions, the receiver shield having an orientation,
wherein
the charger and receiver coils are located between the charger and receiver shields,
the magnetic material or layer is selected from one or more ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic materials or layers,
the charger coil, charger shield, receiver coil, and receiver shield are effective and efficient in guiding magnetic flux associated with the wireless power transfer system in such a manner as to create a preferential path for flux flow, for use in wireless charging or power transfer, and
the charger and receiver shields have substantially orthogonal orientations.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers and/or permanent magnets or electromagnets are integrated with one or more coils that are incorporated within a wireless charger or power supply, for use in charging or powering one or more vehicles, devices and/or batteries.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers and/or permanent magnets or electromagnets are used within the wireless charger or power supply to provide a degree of position independence in charging or powering the one or more vehicles, devices and/or batteries.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein an applied electromagnetic field is used to modify the magnitude and/or phase of an electromagnetic field in one or multiple dimensions of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers, including locally modifying the properties of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer so that it acts as a magnetic flux switching layer.

5. The system of claim 4 , incorporated within a system comprising a transmitter coil, wherein locally modifying the properties of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer enables the transmitter coil's electromagnetic field to be preferentially transmitted through a locally modified area.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the locally modified area of the switching layer is created by saturating or altering the magnetization curve of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer locally, on or near where a receiver coil is placed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein a charger coil is covered fully or partially by the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic materials or layer, and wherein through build-up of magnetic field strength in a location between the charger and one or more receivers operating at resonance, the material's magnetic properties are altered or saturated locally at the location.

8. The system of claim 1 , incorporated within a system comprising a charger/transmitter coil that transmits power to one or more receiver coils, wherein the one or more ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic materials or layers extends in one or more dimensions beyond an edge of the charger coil and/or receiver coil, to provide a low reluctance path to complete a flux loop.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer includes one or more materials selected from the list consisting of soft iron, silicon steel, laminated materials, silicon alloyed materials, powder iron, hydrogen reduced iron), carbonyl iron, ferrites, vitreous metals, alloys of Ni, Mn, Zn, Fe, Co, Gd, and Dy, nanomaterials, ferrofluids, magnetic polymers, or similar materials or combination thereof.

10. A system for providing positioning freedom in three dimensions for wireless power transfer, comprising comprising the system of claim 1 .

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more components including the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer is used to provide a degree of position independence in charging or powering the one or more devices and/or batteries.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the modifying the magnitude and/or phase of the electromagnetic field in one or multiple dimensions includes locally modifying the properties of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer so that it acts as a switching layer, allowing a transmitter coil electromagnetic field to be preferentially transmitted through a locally modified area.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the locally modified area of the switching layer is created by saturating or altering the magnetization curve of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer locally on or near where the receiver coil is placed.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein a charger coil transmits power to one or more receiver coils, wherein the receiver coil has a magnetic shield/guide layer that extends in one or more dimensions over the edge of the charger coil, and wherein the charger coil also has a magnetic shield/guide layer or surface under it that extends beyond the area of the coil in one or more dimensions, so that the flux from the receiver coil has a low reluctance path to complete a flux loop.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein a charger coil is covered by a magnetic or switching layer and through build-up of magnetic field strength in the area between the charger and one or more receivers operating at resonance, the material is saturated locally at this location, and wherein by extending the area of the receiver and charger shields beyond the area of the charger coil in one dimension or more, a low reluctance path for the return magnetic flux is created.

16. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a microcontroller and/or firmware that controls operation of the system.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the system is used in one or more mobile, electronic, electric, lighting, or other devices, batteries, power tools, kitchen, industrial applications, vehicles, and other usages.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the system is configured as a multi-protocol system for use with different communication and/or control protocols, or different means of communication.

Assignees

• Mojo Mobility Inc

Inventors

• Partovi Afshin

Classifications

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• B60L53/124

  Detection or removal of foreign bodies · CPC title

• H01F38/14

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

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title