Determining physical alignment between magnetic couplers for wireless power transfer
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load;
a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position;
a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, the coupling threshold indicative of a condition acceptable for transferring power to the load; and
an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold,wherein the energy input module applies the amount of energy to the primary converter under one of;
a no load condition between the secondary converter and the load, wherein the WPT system provides substantially no power to the load during the no load condition; and
during a measurement operation, wherein the WPT system limits power transfer to a low power to the load during the measurement operation,wherein a switching frequency of the primary converter during the measurement operation and the no load condition is controlled to a particular frequency.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) system. The WPT system includes secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad. The WPT system transfers energy from a primary transmitter pad to the secondary receiver pad and the secondary converter provides power to a load. The apparatus includes a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position. The apparatus includes a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold.
35 Citations
57 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load;a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, the coupling threshold indicative of a condition acceptable for transferring power to the load; and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold, wherein the energy input module applies the amount of energy to the primary converter under one of; a no load condition between the secondary converter and the load, wherein the WPT system provides substantially no power to the load during the no load condition; and during a measurement operation, wherein the WPT system limits power transfer to a low power to the load during the measurement operation, wherein a switching frequency of the primary converter during the measurement operation and the no load condition is controlled to a particular frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A wireless power transfer (“
- WPT”
) system comprising;a primary converter comprising a primary transmitter pad; a secondary converter comprising a secondary receiver pad; a load coupled to the secondary receiver, wherein the primary converter transmits energy wirelessly from the primary transmitter pad to the secondary receiver pad and the secondary converter sends the received energy to the load; an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to the primary converter; a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, the coupling threshold indicative of a condition acceptable for transferring power to the load; and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold, wherein the energy input module applies the amount of energy to the primary converter under one of; a no load condition between the secondary converter and the load, wherein the WPT system provides substantially no power to the load during the no load condition; and during a measurement operation, wherein the WPT system limits power transfer to a low power to the load during the measurement operation, wherein a switching frequency of the primary converter during the measurement operation and the no load condition is controlled to a particular frequency. - View Dependent Claims (25)
- WPT”
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26. A method for alignment, the method comprising:
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applying an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load;measuring a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; determining if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, the coupling threshold indicative of a condition acceptable for transferring power to the load; and sending an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold, wherein applying the amount of energy to the primary converter comprises applying an amount of energy under one of; a no load condition between the secondary converter and the load, wherein the WPT system provides substantially no power to the load during the no load condition; and during a measurement operation, wherein the WPT system limits power transfer to a low power to the load during the measurement operation, wherein a switching frequency of the primary converter during the measurement operation and the no load condition is controlled to a particular frequency.
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27. An apparatus comprising:
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a coupling measurement module that measures, for each set of receiver pads, a coupling coefficient, a set of receiver pads comprising a primary transmitter pad mounted in a fixed location and a secondary receiver pad mounted on a movable object, wherein the primary transmitter pad of a set of receiver pads transmits power wirelessly to the secondary receiver pad of the set of receiver pads, the movable object comprising two or more secondary receiver pads, each corresponding to a primary transmitter pad mounted in a fixed location; a coupling comparison module that compares, for each set of receiver pads, the measured coupling coefficient with one or more pre-determined coupling coefficients to determine an alignment of each set of receiver pads, the predetermined coupling coefficients corresponding to various alignment conditions of a set of receiver pads; and an alignment module that determines an alignment of the movable object based on the determined alignments of the sets of receiver pads. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method comprising:
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measuring, for each set of receiver pads, a coupling coefficient, a set of receiver pads comprising a primary transmitter pad mounted in a fixed location and a secondary receiver pad mounted on a movable object, wherein the primary transmitter pad of a set of receiver pads transmits power wirelessly to the secondary receiver pad of the set of receiver pads, the movable object comprising two or more secondary receiver pads, each corresponding to a primary transmitter pad mounted in a fixed location; comparing, for each set of receiver pads, the measured coupling coefficient with one or more pre-determined coupling coefficients to determine an alignment of each set of receiver pads, the predetermined coupling coefficients corresponding to various alignment conditions of a set of receiver pads; and determining an alignment of the movable object based on the determined alignments of the sets of receiver pads.
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38. An apparatus comprising:
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an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a first primary transmitter pad and to a second primary transmitter pad of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the first primary transmitter pad, the second primary transmitter pad, a first secondary receiver pad and a second secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the first primary transmitter pad to the first secondary receiver pad and from the second primary transmitter pad to the second secondary receiver pad, the first secondary receiver pad providing power for a load and the second secondary receiver pad providing power for a load;a first coupling measurement module that measures a first coupling coefficient between the first primary transmitter pad and the first secondary receiver pad when the first primary transmitter pad and the first secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a second coupling measurement module that measures a second coupling coefficient between the second primary transmitter pad and the second secondary receiver pad when the second primary transmitter pad and the second secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; an alignment module that determines alignment between the first and second primary transmitter pads relative to the first and second secondary receiver pads based on the first coupling coefficient and the second coupling coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method comprising:
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applying an amount of energy to a first primary transmitter pad and a second primary transmitter pad of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the first primary transmitter pad, the second primary transmitter pad, a first secondary receiver pad and a second secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the first primary transmitter pad to the first secondary receiver pad and from the second primary transmitter pad to the second secondary receiver pad, the first secondary receiver pad providing power for a load and the second secondary receiver pad providing power for a load;measuring a first coupling coefficient between the first primary transmitter pad and the first secondary receiver pad when the first primary transmitter pad and the first secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; measuring a second coupling coefficient between the second primary transmitter pad and the second secondary receiver pad when the second primary transmitter pad and the second secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; determining alignment between the first and second primary transmitter pads relative to the first and second secondary receiver pads based on the first coupling coefficient and the second coupling coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A wireless power transfer (“
- WPT”
) system comprising;a first primary transmitter pad; a first secondary receiver pad; a second primary transmitter pad; a second secondary receiver pad, wherein the WPT system transfers energy from the first primary transmitter pad to the first secondary receiver pad and from the second primary transmitter pad to the second secondary receiver pad; a load coupled to the secondary receiver pad, wherein energy from the second secondary receiver pad provides power to the load; an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to the first primary transmitter pad and to the second primary transmitter pad; a first coupling measurement module that measures a first coupling coefficient between the first primary transmitter pad and the first secondary receiver pad when the first primary transmitter pad and the first secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a second coupling measurement module that measures a second coupling coefficient between the second primary transmitter pad and the second secondary receiver pad when the second primary transmitter pad and the second secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; and an alignment module that determines alignment between the first and second primary transmitter pads relative to the first and second secondary receiver pads based on the first coupling coefficient and the second coupling coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
- WPT”
Specification