Wireless power transmission systems for elevators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9837860-B2
Application number	US-201514704585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 5, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure features a wireless power transmission system for an elevator that includes at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply, and at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mounted to an exterior of an elevator cab and to be coupled to a load onboard the elevator cab, where during operation, the at least two wireless power sources are configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field to transfer wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless power transmission system for an elevator, the system comprising:
at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply; and
at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mounted to an exterior of an elevator cab and to be coupled to a load onboard the elevator cab,
wherein during operation, the at least two wireless power sources are configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field to transfer wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device; and
wherein lengths of the intervals between the at least two sources are determined by an amount of power delivered to the elevator cab.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the load comprises a battery.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication and control system coupled to at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to control an amount of energy transferred from the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to activate the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

6. A wireless power transmission system for an elevator, the system comprising:
at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply; and
at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mounted to an exterior of an elevator cab and to be coupled to a load onboard the elevator cab,
wherein during operation, the at least two wireless power sources are configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field to transfer wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device;
wherein the load comprises a battery; and
wherein lengths of the intervals between the at least two sources are determined by a power storage capacity of the battery.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a communication and control system coupled to at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to control an amount of energy transferred from the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to activate the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

10. A wireless power transmission system for an elevator, the system comprising:
at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply; and
at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mounted to an exterior of an elevator cab and to be coupled to a load onboard the elevator cab,
wherein during operation, the at least two wireless power sources are configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field to transfer wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device; and
wherein one of the at least two wireless power sources is positioned at a location in the shaft where the elevator cab spends more time than at other positions within the shaft.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein during operation, wireless energy transferred from either one of the at least two wireless power sources is used to top-off a battery of the elevator cab.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one repeater, wherein during operation, the at least one repeater receives wireless energy from one of the at least two wireless power sources and transfers wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the load comprises a battery.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a communication and control system coupled to at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to control an amount of energy transferred from the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to control an amount of energy transferred from the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

17. A wireless power transmission system for an elevator, the system comprising:
at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply;
at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mounted to an exterior of an elevator cab and to be coupled to a load onboard the elevator cab, the load comprising a battery; and
a voltage monitor coupled to the battery,
wherein during operation:
the at least two wireless power sources are configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field to transfer wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device; and
a communication and control system of the at least one wireless power receiving device is configured to return the elevator cab to a position proximate to one of the at least two wireless power sources when the voltage monitor indicates a low battery level.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein during operation, a communication and control system of the one of the at least two wireless power sources is configured to control an amount of power transferred from the one of the at least two wireless power sources.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to control an amount of energy transferred from the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

20. A wireless power transmission system for an elevator, the system comprising:
at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply; and
at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mounted to an exterior of an elevator cab and to be coupled to a load onboard the elevator cab,
wherein during operation, the at least two wireless power sources are configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field to transfer wireless energy to the at least one wireless power receiving device; and
wherein lengths of the intervals between the at least two sources are determined by a length of the elevator shaft.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the load comprises a battery.

22. The system of claim 20 , further comprising a communication and control system coupled to at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to control an amount of energy transferred from the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein during operation, the communication and control system is configured to activate the at least one of the at least two wireless power sources.

25. A wireless power transmission system for an elevator, the system comprising:
at least two wireless power sources disposed at intervals along a wall of an elevator shaft and coupled to a power supply; and
at least one wireless power receiving device configured to be mo

Assignees

• Witricity Corp

Inventors

• Mccarthy Colin
• Lou Herbert Toby
• Guckaya Gozde

Classifications

• H02J7/865 Primary

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J50/70

  involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields · CPC title

• B66B1/34

  Details {, e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system} · CPC title