ADAPTIVE MATCHING AND TUNING OF HF WIRELESS POWER TRANSMIT ANTENNA

• US 20100117454A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sieber, Lukas, Widmer, Hanspeter, Cook, Nigel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,288,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the invention s are directed to a wireless power system with different coupling loops, such as two loops. The coupling loops are switched. One can be used for vicinity coupling, e.g., greater than a distance away, the other for proximity coupling, e.g., less than a distance away.

Claims

1. A transmitter system for wireless power, comprising:

an antenna, comprising of an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency; and

a coupling loop assembly, comprising of a first coupling loop part of a first smaller size and a first switch to activate said first coupling loop, and a second coupling loop part of a second larger size with a second switch to activate said second coupling loop.

2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a controller that detects a coupling to the antenna, and automatically selects either said first coupling loop or said second coupling loop based on said coupling.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein said controller detects proximity coupling and selects said first coupling loop upon detecting proximity coupling.

4. A system as in claim 2, wherein said controller detects vicinity coupling and selects said second coupling loop upon detecting vicinity coupling.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein said coupling loops are formed on a PC board.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said antenna includes multiple loops.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said multiple loops include a mechanism that moves positions of said loops relative to one another.

8. A system as in claim 2, wherein said antenna includes multiple loops.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said controller adjusts a resonance frequency of said antenna by moving said multiple loops relative to one another.

10. A system as in claim 2, wherein said coupling loop is unconnected to said antenna and coupling is performed via magnetic induction.

29. A transmitter system as in claim 1, further comprising a first circuit that produces a signal at a first frequency, coupled to said antenna.

11. A receiver system for wireless power, comprising:

a circuit that receives a signal at a first frequency and produces an electrical output based on said first frequency;

a antenna, comprising of an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at said first frequency; and

a coupling loop assembly, comprising of a first coupling loop part of a first smaller size and a first switch to activate said first coupling loop, and a second coupling loop part of a second larger size with a second switch to activate said second coupling loop.

12. A system as in claim 11, further comprising a controller that detects a coupling to the antenna, and automatically selects either said first coupling loop or said second coupling loop based on said coupling.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said controller detects proximity coupling and selects said first coupling loop upon detecting proximity coupling.

14. A system as in claim 12, wherein said controller detects vicinity coupling and selects said second coupling loop upon detecting vicinity coupling.

15. A system as in claim 11, wherein said coupling loops are formed on a PC board.

16. A system as in claim 11, wherein said antenna includes multiple loops.

17. A system as in claim 16, wherein said multiple loops include a mechanism that moves positions of said loops relative to one another.

18. A system as in claim 12, wherein said antenna includes multiple loops.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein said controller adjusts a resonance frequency of said antenna by moving said multiple loops relative to one another.

20. A system as in claim 12, wherein said coupling loop is unconnected to said antenna and coupling performs via magnetic induction.

21. An antenna, comprising:

multiple loops forming an inductive part;

a capacitor, in series with said multiple loops; and

a mover, that moves said multiple loops relative to one another, to move the loops closer to one another to raise a resonance frequency of said antenna, and to move the loops further from one another to lower the resonance frequency of said antenna.

22. A system as in claim 21, wherein said mover includes an electric motor.

23. A system as in claim 21, wherein said mover includes a pneumatic motor.

24. A system as in claim 21, wherein said mover includes a piezoelectric device.

25. A method of coupling electric power, comprising:

detecting wireless power transfer with a proximity that is less than a first distance away, and switching to a smaller coupling loop to transfer power with the proximity; and

detecting wireless power transfer with a vicinity that is greater than the first distance away, and switching to a larger coupling loop to transfer power with the vicinity.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein said switching comprises switching to use one coupling loop or a different coupling loop.

28. A method as in claim 25, wherein said configuring comprises switching to use one coupling loop or a different coupling loop.

27. A method of coupling electric power, comprising:

configuring a circuit into a first configuration to transfer power wirelessly with a vicinity that is greater than a first distance away; and

configuring the circuit into a second configuration to transfer power with a proximity that is less than the first distance away.

30. A system for wireless power, comprising:

means for transmitting or receiving wireless power, said means, comprising of an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency; and

means for coupling wireless power to and from said means for transmitting or receiving, said coupling means including a means that first couples wireless power to said means, said first means of a first smaller size and a means for activating said first coupling loop means, and a means for second coupling wireless power to said means for transmitting or receiving wireless power, said second means being of a second larger size than said first size, and means for activating said second means.

31. A system as in claim 30, further comprising means for detecting a coupling to the means for transmitting or receiving wireless power, and automatically selecting either said first means or said second means based on said coupling.

32. A system as in claim 31, wherein said means for detecting a coupling detects proximity coupling and selects said first means upon detecting said proximity coupling.

33. A system as in claim 31, wherein said means for detecting a coupling detects vicinity coupling and selects said second means upon detecting said vicinity coupling.

34. A system as in claim 30, wherein said first and second means are formed on a PC board.

35. A system as in claim 30, wherein said means for transmitting and receiving includes multiple loops.

36. A system as in claim 35, wherein said multiple loops include a means for moving positions of said loops relative to one another.