DEVICE COVER WITH EMBEDDED POWER RECEIVER

• US 20090179501A1
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLI Charge, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pure Energy Solutions, Inc. (Pure Energy Visions Corporation)
• Inventors: Randall, Mitch
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/22 Contacts for co-operating by abutting
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

A charging system comprises circuitry adapted to devices to be charged, including a power receiver module embedded or molded into form-fit case, e.g., gel-skin, that attaches physically and electrically to the device to be charged and that effectively receives power either conductively or inductively from a power delivery surface of a recharging pad on which the devices are placed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for fitting an electric power using device, which has a plug receptacle for receiving electric power, for the receiving electric power from a recharging pad that has a power delivery surface, comprising:

a case formed to fit and attach snugly onto the electric power using device;

means for extracting electric power from the power delivery surface formed integrally in the gel skin case; and

connector means for connecting electric power extracted from the power delivery surface by the means for extracting electric power to the plug receptacle of the electric power using device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the case is a gel-skin case, and the means for extracting electric power from the power delivery surface is molded integrally into the gel-skin case.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connector means is also molded integrally into the gel-skin case.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for extracting electric power from the power delivery surface includes:

(i) a non-conductive, rigid or semi-rigid plate supporting a plurality of power receiving contacts protruding in one direction out of the plate for electrical interfacing contact with the power delivery surface; and

(ii) a printed circuit board comprising an electronic circuit connected to the power receiving contacts for rectifying electric power received by the plurality of power receiving contacts from the power delivery surface to DC power for use by the power using device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the printed circuit board also comprises an electronic circuit for conditioning the rectified power to have characteristics of electric power that is usable by the power using device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the connector means also comprises an electronic circuit for conditioning the rectified power to have characteristics of electric power that is usable by the power using device.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the connector means includes a flexible printed circuit board comprising electric conductors for connecting electric power extracted from the power delivery surface by the means for extracting electric power to the plug receptacle of the electric power using device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is laminated with a circuit carrier that is flexible but non-stretchable.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electric conductors are connected to the a plug connector at the distal end of the flexible printed circuit board, and wherein the plug connector is configured for releasable connection to the plug receptacle of the electric power using device.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for extracting electric power from the power delivery surface includes:

(i) a non-conductive, rigid or semi-rigid plate supporting an inductive pickup coil in a resonant power receiving circuit that produces electric power inductively from an alternating magnetic field created one or more coils in or adjacent the power delivery surface that is part of a resonant power transmitter circuit in which the resonance matches the resonance of the power receiving circuit; and

(ii) a printed circuit board comprising an electronic circuit that includes the resonant power receiving circuit and a rectifier circuit for rectifying electric power received by the resonant power receiving circuit from the resonant power transmitter circuit to DC power for use by the power using device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the resonant power receiving circuit is set at a pre-selected resonance, and the resonant power transmit circuit is also set at said pre-selected resonance.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the resonant power transmitter circuit includes a programmable frequency generator in a feedback loop and a phase-sensing circuit and an amplitude or power sensing circuit to place exciter current in phase with the exciter voltage to match resonance of the resonant power transmitter circuit with the resonance of the resonant power receiver circuit.

13. Apparatus for fitting an electric power using device, which has a plug receptacle for receiving electric power, for the receiving electric power from a recharging pad that has a power delivery surface, comprising:

a case formed to fit and attach snugly onto the electric power using device;

a power receiver module comprising a plurality of conduction contacts and a rectifier circuit for extracting electric power from conductive strips at different electric potentials comprising the power delivery surface, wherein said power receiver module is formed integrally in the gel skin case; and

a connector assembly comprising conductors electrically connecting electric power produced by the rectifier circuit to the plug receptacle of the electric power using device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the case is a gel-skin case, and the power receiver module is molded integrally into the gel-skin case.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the connector assembly is also molded integrally into the gel-skin case.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the connector assembly includes a flexible printed circuit board comprising electric conductors for connecting electric power extracted from the power delivery surface by the power receiver module to the plug receptacle of the electric power using device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is laminated with a circuit carrier that is flexible but non-stretchable.

18. Apparatus for extracting electric power from a recharging pad that produces an alternating magnetic field at a power delivery surface, comprising:

a power receiver module comprising a non-conductive, rigid or semi-rigid plate supporting an inductive pickup coil in a resonant power receiving circuit that produces electric power inductively from the alternating magnetic field; and

(ii) a printed circuit board comprising an electronic circuit that includes the resonant power receiving circuit and a rectifier circuit for rectifying electric power produced by the resonant power receiving circuit from the alternating magnetic field to DC power for use by the power using device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, including a resonant inductive transmitter circuit in the recharging pad that comprises a frequency generator and a coil in parallel with a capacitor capable producing the alternating magnetic field.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the resonant power receiving circuit is set to resonate at a pre-determined frequency and the frequency generator of the resonant power transmitter circuit is set to produce a AC waveform at said pre-determined frequency.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the resonant inductive transmitter circuit includes a programmable frequency generator in a feedback loop and a phase-sensing circuit and an amplitude or power sensing circuit to place exciter current in phase with the exciter voltage to match resonance of the resonant power transmitter circuit with the resonance of the resonant power receiver circuit.

23. A method of adapting an electric power using device that has a power input connector receptacle to receive electric power from a recharging pad that produces receivable electric power at a power delivery surface, comprising:

embedding a power receiving module comprising an electric power receiving circuit that is capable of receiving electric power from the power delivery surface along with a connector assembly comprising electrical conductors in a case that is formed to fit and attach snugly onto the electric power using device such that the electrical conductors extend from proximal ends connected to the electric power receiving circuit to a connector plug configured to fit the power input connector receptacle; and

attaching the case to the electric power using device, and plugging the connector plug into the power input connector receptacle.

24. The method of claim 23, including forming the case with a gel-skin material while the gel-skin is molded around the power receiving module and connector assembly.

25. A method of providing electric power from an alternating magnetic field adjacent a power delivery surface of a recharging pad to a power using device that has a power input connector receptacle and uses DC power, comprising:

attaching a resonant inductive receiving circuit comprising an induction coil and a capacitor in parallel to each other to the power input connector of the power using device;

positioning at least the coil of the inductive receiving circuit adjacent the power delivery surface in the alternating magnetic field;

driving the alternating field to have a frequency that matches the resonance of the resonant inductive receiving circuit so that the resonant inductive receiving circuit produces AC power induced by the alternating magnetic field; and

rectifying the AC power to DC power for delivery to the power input connector of the power using device.

26. The method of claim 25, including providing a resonant inductive transmitting circuit comprising a transmit coil connected in parallel to a frequency generator and to a capacitor, and driving the resonant inductive transmitting circuit to resonate at a frequency that matches the resonance of the resonant inductive receiving circuit.

27. The method of claim 26, including causing the resonant inductive receiving circuit to resonate at a pre-determined resonant frequency, and driving the inductive transmitting circuit to resonate at the pre-determined frequency.

28. The method of claim 26, including sensing phase and amplitude or power in the resonant inductive transmitting circuit and inputting such sensed phase and amplitude or power to a feedback loop connected to a programmable frequency generator to match the frequency of the resonant inductive transmitting circuit to the resonance of the resonant inductive receiving circuit.