ADAPTIVE WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100045114A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Joshua R., Sample, Alanson P.
• Application Number:
  US12/544,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045114A1
• 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: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, a method and apparatus is disclosed that includes feature of coupling a resonator of a transmitter and a resonator of a receiver together by a common inductance of the transmitter and the receiver; and adjusting environmental parameters or system parameters or both of the transmitter, the receiver, or both, to control power transmitted wirelessly between the transmitter and the receiver.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

coupling a resonator of a transmitter and a resonator of a receiver together by a common inductance of the transmitter and the receiver; and

adjusting environmental parameters or system parameters or both of the transmitter, the receiver, or both, to control power transmitted wirelessly between the transmitter and the receiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

producing a first and a second resonant mode of different frequencies for some common inductance value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the environmental parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

a range between the transmitter and the receiver, a relative orientation between the transmitter and the receiver, and a variable load on the receiver.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the system parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

a frequency at which power is transmitted, an impendence between a loop and a coil of the transmitter, an impendence between a loop and a coil of the receiver, and an impedance-matching component of the transmitter and an impedance-matching component of the receiver.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter or the receiver includes a loop and a coil.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter or the receiver includes an impedance matching network and a coil.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter or the receiver includes a transformer and a coil.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the transmitter or the receiver includes an impedance-matching network that includes inductors and capacitors configured to connect a signal source to the resonator structure.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

fixing a value of a loop-to-coil coupling coefficient of the transmitter; and

tuning a frequency adaptively to choose a desired frequency for a particular value of a coupling coefficient of a transmitter resonator coil to a receiver resonator coil.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a reflected power; and

adjusting a frequency of the transmitter to minimize the reflected power.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sweeping through a range of frequencies while the transmitter receives a feedback signal from the receiver.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining a desired frequency for a distance between the transmitter and the receiver based on the received feedback signal.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the feedback signal includes a radio signal, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID-like backscatter, or a load-modulated signal that is modulated on a carrier signal of the transmitter.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the environmental parameters, system parameters, or both are adjusted to maximize power transmitted wirelessly.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a desired frequency for a distance between the transmitter and the receiver based on an impedance matching value between a signal source and a coil of the transmitter.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a received power; and

adjusting a frequency of the transmitter to maximize the received power.

17. A transmitter comprising:

a resonator configured to couple with a resonator of a receiver by a common inductance; and

a controller configured to optimize transmitted power based on environmental parameters or system parameters or both of the transmitter, the receiver, or both, the transmitter configured to transmit power wirelessly to the receiver.

18. The transmitter according to claim 17, wherein the resonator includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a coil, a transformer, and an impedance-matching network.

19. A receiver comprising:

a resonator configured to couple with a resonator of a transmitter by a common inductance; and

optimally receive power wirelessly from the transmitter based on environmental parameters or system parameters or both of the transmitter, the receiver, or both.

20. The receiver according to claim 19, wherein the resonator includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a coil, a transformer, and an impedance-matching network.