Adjustable inductive power transmission platform

• US 10,068,701 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Azancot, Yossi, Ben-Shalom, Amir, Rofe, Arik, Greenwald, Oola, Leibovitz, Alfred, Oz, Ami
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukhari, Aqeel
• Application Number:
  US14/296,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/003 for task lighting, e.g. for reading or desk work, e.g. angle poise lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A hybrid power load balancing system configured to manage the amount of power transfer via a plurality of inductive coils is provided. The system comprises one or more power supplies, a plurality of inductive outlets associated with and configured to be supplied power by each of the power supplies for providing power to loads connected thereto, and a load balancer associated with each of the outlets. A power supply and its associated outlets and load balancers constitute a cluster. The load balancers are configured to grant power classes to the outlets to supply at least a minimum required power class to each of the attached loads.

Claims

1. A load balancing managing system comprising:

at least one cluster, wherein the at least one cluster comprises;

at least one inductive outlet;

at least one power supply configured to supply power to at least one inductive outlet of the at least one cluster, wherein each power supply is associated with at least one inductive outlet of the at least one cluster in the system; and

at least one load balancer associated with at least one of the inductive outlets of the cluster, wherein each load balancer is configured to facilitate power requirements management of the inductive outlet;

a mesh network enabling communication between load balancers; and

a controller configured to manage power classes for each load balancer via the mesh network.

2. The load balancing managing system of claim 1, wherein said controller has information about each power supply in the system to allow optimization of power drawn therefrom by its at least one associated inductive outlet.

3. The load balancing managing system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to determine, upon request of a power class by an inductive outlet associated with a power supply, the amount of power available to other inductive outlets associated with said power supply if the request is granted.

4. The load balancing managing system of claim 3, wherein said controller is further configured to determine the amount of power available to other inductive outlets associated with said power supply if a minimum power class necessary to operate a load attached to said inductive outlets is granted.

5. The load balancing managing system of claim 4, wherein said controller is further configured to deny power to an inductive outlet if the minimum power class necessary to operate the load is not available.

6. The load balancing managing system of claim 3, wherein said controller is configured to update other load balancers associated with the cluster with information regarding the cluster when the controller grants a power class to any inductive outlet in the cluster.

7. The load balancing managing system of claim 6, wherein said information regarding the cluster comprises the amount of power available for supply by the power source.

8. A method for provisioning power to the inductive outlets of the managing system of claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving a request for power class for an inductive outlet in a cluster;

determining a minimum required power class for each inductive outlet in a cluster;

determining a balance of power available to the power supply if the power class is granted; and

adjusting said request for power class to guaranty that said balance of the power available is sufficient to satisfy said minimum required power class of the rest of the inductive outlets associated with the same power supply.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said inductive outlet is one of at least one of associated outlets which is provided power by the power supply.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said minimum required power class is provided by said inductive outlet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each load balancer uses wireless media for communicating through the mesh network with other load balancers and the controller.