CONTACT-LESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20090096414A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Amway Corporation (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cheng, Lily Ka-Lai, Beart, Pilgrim Giles William, Hay, James Westwood
• Granted Patent: US 8,354,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

A unit for transferring power in an inductive manner to at least one power-receiving device, and a system comprising such a unit and such a device. The unit includes at least one coil structure configured to allow various degrees of translational and rotational freedom of movement of the power-receiving device relative thereto. This provides increased ease of use, since it is not necessary for a user to place the power-receiving device in mechanical or other registration with the unit.

Claims

1. A power transfer unit for a portable electrical device, the portable device being separable from the power transfer unit and being adapted to receive power by inductive coupling when the portable device is placed in proximity to the power transfer unit, the power transfer unit comprising:

an inductive power supply adapted to supply power inductively by the generation of an electromagnetic field; and

a power transfer surface disposed within the electromagnetic field and in proximity to which the portable device is removably placed within the electromagnetic field, whereby the portable device may receive power from the inductive power supply through inductive coupling, the power transfer surface including an indication of at least one of a desired location and a desired orientation of the portable device with respect to the power transfer surface.

2. The power transfer unit of claim 1 wherein the indication comprises a visual indication.

3. The power transfer unit of claim 2 wherein the visual indication is printed on the power transfer surface.

4. The power transfer unit of claim 2 wherein the visual indicator comprises an outline of an area in which the portable device may receive power.

5. The power transfer unit of claim 4 wherein the outline corresponds to the shape of the portable device.

6. The power transfer unit of claim 4 wherein the area within the outline has an appearance different from the area outside of the outline.

7. The power transfer unit of claim 2 wherein the visual indication comprises at least one line or arrow indicative of a desired angular orientation of the device with respect to the power transfer surface.

8. The power transfer unit of claim 7 wherein the visual indication comprises multiple lines or arrows.

9. The power transfer unit of claim 2 wherein the visual indication comprises a target.

10. The power transfer unit of claim 9 wherein the target comprises concentric circles.

11. The power transfer unit of claim 1 wherein the indication is at least one of raised and lowered from the remainder of the power transfer surface.

12. The power transfer unit of claim 11 wherein the indication comprises an outline corresponding to the shape of the portable device.

13. The power transfer unit of claim 1 wherein the indication comprises the shape of the power transfer unit.

14. The power transfer unit of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of the indications.

15. A power transfer system comprising:

at least one portable electrical device adapted to receive power by inductive coupling;

a primary unit having an inductive power supply which supplies power inductively by the generation of an electromagnetic field; and

a power transfer surface disposed within the electromagnetic field and in proximity to which the at least one portable device is removably placed within the electromagnetic field, whereby the portable device may receive power from the primary unit through inductive coupling, the power transfer surface including an indication of a desired placement of the at least one portable device with respect to the power transfer surface.

16. The power transfer system of claim 15 wherein the indication comprises a visual indication.

17. The power transfer system of claim 16 wherein the visual indication is printed on the power transfer surface.

18. The power transfer system of claim 16 wherein the visual indicator comprises an outline of an area in which the at least one portable device may receive power.

19. The power transfer system of claim 18 wherein the outline corresponds to the shape of the at least one portable device.

20. The power transfer system of claim 18 wherein the area within the outline has an appearance different from the area outside of the outline.

21. The power transfer system of claim 16 wherein the visual indication comprises at least one line or arrow indicative of a desired angular orientation of the device with respect to the power transfer surface.

22. The power transfer system of claim 21 wherein the visual indication comprises multiple lines or arrows.

23. The power transfer system of claim 16 wherein the visual indication comprises a target.

24. The power transfer system of claim 23 wherein the target comprises concentric circles.

25. The power transfer system of claim 15 wherein the indication is at least one of raised and lowered from the remainder of the power transfer surface.

26. The power transfer system of claim 25 wherein the indication comprises an outline corresponding to the shape of the portable device.

27. The power transfer system of claim 15 wherein the indication comprises the shape of the power transfer system.

28. The power transfer system of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of the indications.

29. The power transfer system of claim 16 wherein the at least one portable electrical device includes a second visual indication complementary to the first visual indication on the power transfer surface.

30. The power transfer system of claim 29 wherein the second visual indication is similar to the first visual indication.

31. The power transfer system of claim 30 wherein the first visual indication and the second visual indication are patterns.

32. The power transfer system of claim 29 wherein the second visual indication is of a desired angular orientation of the one portable electrical device with respect to the power transfer surface.

33. The power transfer system of claim 32 wherein the second visual indication comprises an arrow.

34. A portable electrical device adapted to receive power by inductive coupling with a primary unit having an inductive power supply which supplies power inductively by the generation of an electromagnetic field, the portable electrical device adapted to be placed in proximity to a power transfer surface (a) disposed within the electromagnetic field and (b) including a first indication of a desired placement of the portable device with respect to the power transfer surface, the portable electrical device comprising a second indication of a desired placement of the portable electrical device with respect to the power transfer surface.

35. The portable electrical device of claim 34 wherein the first indication and the second indication are complementary.