Probes arrangement

• US 10,348,138 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humavox Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Humavox Ltd.
• Inventors: Manova-Elssibony, Asaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Cavallari, Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US15/129,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20180175674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/00 Details of hearing devices, i.e. of ear- or headphones covered by H04R1/10 or H04R5/033 but not provided for in any of their subgroups, or of hearing aids covered by H04R25/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups

Abstract

The invention is directed to a novel probes arrangement configured to be attached to a receiving unit of a device under charge positioned onto or within a conductive charging structure having a transmitting unit for transmitting RF energy, wherein said probes arrangement comprises at least two probes configured to create a closed electromagnetic field lines between them so as to allow improved coupling between said transmitting unit and said receiving unit regardless of the position and/or the orientation of the device under charge relative to the conductive charging structure. The improved coupling between the receiving unit attached to the probes arrangement and the transmitting unit of the conductive charging structure allows a high RF transfer efficiency between said units.

Claims

1. A probes arrangement configured to be attached to a receiving unit of a device under charge positioned onto or within a closed or partially closed conductive charging structure or in a near field environment having a transmitting unit for transmitting RF energy, wherein said probes arrangement comprises:

at least two probes configured to create a closed electromagnetic field lines between said probes, wherein said configuring is selected from adjusting the structure (i.e. shape) of the at least two probes, the length of the probes, the angle between pairs of probes, the connection of each probe to the receiving unit, or combinations thereof;

wherein said configuration of the probes allow improved coupling between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit regardless of the position or the orientation of the device under charge relative to the conductive charging structure or near field environment; and

wherein said at least two probes (102, 104;

202, 204;

302, 304) are disposed to create a two dimensional or a three dimensional structure over axis X-Y-Z and wherein, lines of the electromagnetic field are arranged between them, said closed electromagnetic field lines created by said at least two probes (102, 104;

202, 204;

302, 304) creating a microenvironment between them, minimizing changes in the electromagnetic field occurring as a result of changes in the position and/or orientation of the device under charge.

2. The probes arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said improved coupling between the receiving unit attached to the probes arrangement and the transmitting unit of the conductive charging structure or near field environment allows a high RF transfer efficiency between said units by enhancing the stability of the RF coupling between the probes and minimizing the surroundings effect on the coupling between the probes.

3. The probes arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said conductive charging structure or near field environment having a transmitting unit is adapted to confine the transmitted RF energy to a charging zone, and said probes arrangement is configured to increase the dimensions of the charging zone relative to at least one of the following characters:

(a) the number of probes in the probes arrangement; and

(b) the structure or the positioning of the entire probes arrangement projection over X-Y-Z axis.

4. The probes arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said at least two probes have a similar structure or length.

5. The probes arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said at least two probes differ from the other probes in structure or length.

6. The probes arrangement according to claim 1 wherein at least one probe is branched.

7. A wireless chargeable device comprising the probes arrangement of claim 1.

8. The probes arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said conductive charging structure or near field environment having a transmitting unit is adapted to confine the transmitted RF energy to a charging zone, and said probes arrangement is configured to increase the dimensions of the charging zone relative to at least one of the following characters:

(a) the number of probes in the probes arrangement; and

(b) the structure or the positioning of the entire probes arrangement projection over X-Y-Z axis.

9. The probes arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said at least two probes have a similar structure or length, differ from the other probes in structure or length, or wherein at least one probe is branched.

10. The probes arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said at least two probes create a two dimensional or a three dimensional structure over axis X-Y-Z and wherein, lines of the electromagnetic field are arranged between or around them so as to create a microenvironment between or around them configured to minimize changes in the electromagnetic field occurring as a result of changes in the position or orientation of the device under charge.

11. A wireless chargeable device configured to be charged by a closed or partially closed conductive charging structure or in near field environment, the wireless chargeable device comprising:

a receiving unit;

at least one probes arrangement functionally attached to said receiving unit, said probes arrangement having at least two probes configured to create a closed electromagnetic field between them so as to allow improved coupling between a transmitting unit of the conductive charging structure or near field environment and said receiving unit regardless of the position or the orientation of the wireless chargeable device relative to the conductive charging structure or near field environment, and a receiving unit, wherein said configuring is selected from adjusting the structure (i.e. shape) of the at least two probes, the length of the probes, the angle between pairs of probes, the connection of each probe to the receiving unit, or combinations thereof;

wherein said improved coupling between the receiving unit attached to the probes arrangement and the transmitting unit of the conductive charging structure or near field environment allows a high RF transfer efficiency between said units.

12. The wireless chargeable device according to claim 11 wherein said conductive charging structure or near field environment having a transmitting unit is adapted to confine the transmitted RF energy to a charging zone, and said probes arrangement is configured to increase the dimensions of the charging zone relative to at least one of the following characteristics:

(a) the number of probes in the arrangement; and

(b) the structure or the positioning of the entire probes arrangement projection over X-Y-Z axis.

13. A charging system for near field environment or for a close or half close conductive charging chamber, the charging system comprising a conductive charging structure or a near field environment having a transmitting unit for transmitting RF energy, and a wireless chargeable device according to claim 12, configured to be positioned onto or within said conductive charging structure or in near field environment with respect to said conductive charging structure or near field environment, wherein said configuring is selected from adjusting the structure (i.e. shape) of the at least two probes, the length of the probes, the angle between pairs of probes, the connection of each probe to the receiving unit, or combinations thereof.

14. The wireless chargeable device according to claim 11, wherein said at least two probes have a similar structure or length.

15. The wireless chargeable device according to claim 11 wherein said at least two probes differ from the other probe/s in structure and length.

16. The wireless chargeable device according to claim 11 wherein at least one probe is branched.

17. The wireless chargeable device according to claim 11, wherein said probes arrangement attached to the receiving unit is configured to stabilize the receiving unit in a manner that the dimensions of the charging zone created increase, such that efficient charging of the chargeable device is maintained regardless of the position or orientation of the chargeable device.

18. The wireless chargeable device according to claim 11, wherein said probes arrangement attached to the receiving unit is configured to minimize electromagnetic influence created by the conductive charging device or reflected from the near field surroundings for obtaining high RF energy transfer efficiency to the receiving unit of the wireless chargeable device.

19. A wireless chargeable device according to claim 11, wherein the probes arrangement consists of two probes, wherein a first probe of said two probes is connected to a positive input of the receiving unit and a second probe of said two probes is connected to a negative input of the receiving unit, the first and second probes being printed on a flex PCB also comprising said receiving unit, the first and second probes being branched and having various dimensions over axis X-Y-Z.