Systems, apparatus, and methods for wireless power receiver coil configuration

• US 10,461,582 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: White, II, Mark David
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US14/567,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20150280448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/18 Rotary transformers
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for wirelessly receiving power. In one aspect, a coil is configured generate a voltage in response to magnetic field generated by a transmitter. The coil comprises a conductive material wound into at least three non-overlapping loop portions. The coil further includes a first loop portion, a second loop portion, and a third loop portion. The second and third loop portions at least partially enclosed by the first loop portion, the second and third loop portions non-circumscribing each other.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wirelessly receiving power, the apparatus comprising:

a coil circuit configured to generate a current in response to a magnetic field generated by a transmitter, the coil circuit comprising a conductive material having at least three loop portions, including a first loop portion, a second loop portion enclosing a first area, and a third loop portion enclosing a second area that is non-overlapping with the first area, the second and third loop portions fully enclosed by the first loop portion, the first loop portion, the second loop portion, and the third loop portion physically connected to create a single winding of the conductive material, the second loop portion and the third loop portion having a third area therebetween, the second loop portion having a first portion adjacent to a first portion of the first loop portion, and the third loop portion having a first portion adjacent to a second portion of the first loop portion and a second portion adjacent to a second portion of the second loop portion, wherein the generated current flows through the first portion of the first loop portion and the first portion of the second loop portion in a first direction and flows through the second portion of the first loop portion and the first portion of the third loop portion in a second direction, and wherein the generated current flows through the second portion of the second loop portion and the second portion of the third loop portion in opposite directions to create a field cancelling effect in the third area; and

a receive circuit including a rectifier circuit, the receive circuit being electrically and conductively coupled to the first loop portion, wherein the receive circuit is configured to generate an output for at least one of powering or charging a load based at least in part on the generated current.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first loop portion, the second loop portion, or the third loop portion have a substantially rectangular dimension.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the second loop portion is positioned to allow the current to flow in the second direction and wherein the second portion of the third loop portion is positioned to allow the current to flow in the first direction that is opposite to the second direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second portion of the second loop portion having the current in the opposite direction of the current in the second portion of the third loop portion comprises a portion positioned closest to the third loop portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second loop portion and the third loop portion have non-symmetrical dimensions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second loop portion and the third loop portion have substantially common dimensions and are placed adjacent to each other.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coil circuit further comprises more than two loop portions at least partially enclosed by the first loop portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coil circuit comprises at least three non-overlapping loop portions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises two or more coil circuits.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first loop portion, the second loop portion, and the third loop portion are substantially co-planar.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first loop portion, the second loop portion, and the third loop portion are located on different planes.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first loop portion is located on a first plane, wherein the second loop portion and the third loop portion are located on a second plane different from the first plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a resonant circuit comprising the coil circuit, the resonant circuit configured to resonate at an operating frequency of the magnetic field, the coil circuit configured to inductively receive power via the magnetic field.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third loop portions receive a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage by the coil circuit in response to the magnetic field, wherein a ratio of the maximum voltage to the minimum voltage is greater than a threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the threshold is a value less than 1.5.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the second loop portion is spaced apart from the second portion of the third loop portion to create the field cancelling effect in the third area.

17. An apparatus for wirelessly receiving power, the apparatus comprising:

a first means for wirelessly receiving power via a magnetic field;

a second means for wirelessly receiving power via the magnetic field;

a third means for wirelessly receiving power via the magnetic field,

the third means for wirelessly receiving power not overlapping the second means for wirelessly receiving power via the magnetic field, the second and third means for wirelessly receiving power fully enclosed by the first means for wirelessly receiving power, the first, second, and third means for wirelessly receiving power physically connected in series, and the second means and the third means having an area therebetween, the second means having a first portion adjacent to a first portion of the first means, and the third means having a first portion adjacent to a second portion of the first means and a second portion adjacent to a second portion of the second means, wherein the generated current flows through the first portion of the first means and the first portion of the second means in a first direction and flows through the second portion of the first means and the first portion of the third means in a second direction, and wherein a current flows through the second portion of the second means and the second portion of the third means in opposite directions to create a field cancelling effect in the area; and

means for providing an output power to a load, the means for providing being electrically and conductively coupled to the first means for wirelessly receiving power and being configured to generate the output power for at least one of powering or charging the load based at least in part on the current.

29. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the current flowing through the second portion of the second means and the second portion of the third means in opposite directions creates an averaging of the magnetic field generated by the transmitter and minimizes an applied voltage variance.

18. A method of receiving wireless power, comprising:

receiving, at a coil circuit configured to generate a current, wireless power from a transmitter via a magnetic field, the coil circuit comprising a conductive material having at least three loop portions, including a first loop portion, a second loop portion enclosing a first area, and a third loop portion enclosing a second area that is non-overlapping with the first area, the second and third loop portions fully enclosed by the first loop portion, the first loop portion, the second loop portion, and the third loop portion physically connected to create a single winding of the conductive material, the second loop portion and the third loop portion having a third area therebetween, the second loop portion having a first portion adjacent to a first portion of the first loop portion, and the third loop portion having a first portion adjacent to a second portion of the first loop portion and a second portion adjacent to a second portion of the second loop portion, wherein the generated current flows through the first portion of the first loop portion and the first portion of the second loop portion in a first direction and flows through the second portion of the first loop portion and the first portion of the third loop portion in a second direction, and wherein the generated current flows through the second portion of the second loop portion and the second portion of the third loop portion in opposite directions to create a field cancelling effect in the third area; and

providing an output power from a receiver circuit including a rectifier circuit to a load, the receiver circuit being electrically and conductively coupled to the first loop portion and being configured to generate the output power for at least one of powering or charging the load based at least in part on the generated current.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising inducing a current in the coil circuit in response to the magnetic field, wherein the second portion of the second loop portion is positioned to allow the current to flow in the second direction and wherein the second portion of the third loop portion is positioned to allow the current to flow in the first direction that is opposite to the second direction.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second portion of the second loop portion having the current in the opposite direction of the current in the second portion of the third loop portion comprises a portion positioned closest to the third loop portion.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the second loop portion and the third loop portion have substantially common dimensions and are placed adjacent to each other.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first loop portion, the second loop portion, and the third loop portion are substantially co-planar.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first loop portion, the second loop portion, and the third loop portion are located on different planes.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the coil circuit comprises at least three non-overlapping loop portions.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving wireless power from the transmitter comprises inductively receiving power via the magnetic field via a resonant circuit comprising the coil circuit, the resonant circuit configured to resonate at an operating frequency of the magnetic field.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the output power to the load comprises providing sufficient power to at least one of charge or power the load.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising averaging the magnetic field such that a ratio of a maximum voltage received to a minimum voltage received by the coil circuit is greater than a threshold.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the ratio comprises a value less than 1.5.