WIRELESS HIGH POWER TRANSFER UNDER REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS

• US 20100117596A1
• Filed: 07/06/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Widmer, Hanspeter, Allred, David F., Sieber, Lukas, Cook, Nigel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,466,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• 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: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Improved battery-charging system for a vehicle. Primary and secondary coils are located in places where the vehicle can receive power from the primary coil by pulling into a parking space, for example. The parking space may have a coil embedded in the ground, or may have an array of coils embedded in the ground. A guidance system is disclosed. Fine positioning is also disclosed. The secondary coil in the vehicle can also be raised or lowered to improve coupling.

Claims

1. A transmitter system for wireless power, comprising:

a primary antenna, formed of an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency, said primary antenna embedded in the ground, and including a positioning control that detects coupling of said magnetic resonance to a secondary antenna, and automatically adjusts alignment of said primary antenna to improve said coupling.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said first frequency is 135 kHz.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein said primary antenna is a coil has a radial width larger than its axial width.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said primary antenna includes an array of antennas that are closely packed to one another, and which extends over a specified area of an intended parking space.

5. A system as in claim 4, further comprising a charging control system, which produces a signal that is magnetically resonant at said first frequency, said signal of a type that, when output to said primary antenna, transmits power to a remote secondary antenna.

6. A system as in claim 5, wherein said charging control system selects one of said coils of said array.

7. A system as in claim 6, further comprising a switching device, which switches the signal to the selected coil only, and does not send any signal to any other coil.

8. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a charging control system, which produces a signal that is magnetically resonant at said first frequency, said signal of a type that, when output to said primary antenna, transmits power to a remote secondary antenna.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein said positioning control changes x and y positions.

10. A transmitter system for wireless power, comprising:

a plurality of primary coils, forming an array, and closely packed to one another, and each of said primary coils including a capacitor that brings said primary coils to substantial magnetic resonance at a first frequency, said array of primary coils embedded in a ground area.

11. A transmitter system as in claim 10, further comprising a charging control system, which produces a signal that is magnetically resonant at said first frequency, said signal of a type that, when output to one of said coils, transmits power to a remote secondary coil.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said first frequency is 135 kHz.

13. A system as in claim 11, further comprising a switching configuration, which switches said output signal to any of said coils of said array.

14. A system as in claim 13, further comprising a detection system, which detects which of said coils has best coupling, and uses said detection to control said switching configuration.

15. A receiver system for wireless power, comprising:

a receiving antenna, formed of a coil and capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency; and

a lifting device for said receiving antenna, which lifts and lowers said receiving antenna, based on a detection of coupled magnetic resonance.

16. A receiver as in claim 15, further comprising an x-y alignment control, which automatically aligns said receiving antenna to better align with a primary antenna by moving said receiving antenna in x and y directions.

17. A receiver as in claim 15, further comprising a guidance control, which automatically provides guidance information for guiding a vehicle to a location where said receiving antenna is better aligned with a transmitting primary antenna.

18. A receiver system as in claim 15, further comprising circuitry that receives a magnetically induced signal from said receiving antenna and produces power therefrom.

19. A receiver system as in claim 18, wherein said circuitry is resonant at 135 kHz.

20. A receiver system as in claim 15, wherein said receiving antenna and said lifting device are part of a battery operated vehicle.

25. A receiver as in claim 18, wherein said circuitry is resonant at 135 kHz.

21. A receiver system for wireless power, comprising:

a vehicle that operates based on electric power;

a receiving coil, formed in said vehicle, formed of a coil and capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency, and is connected to produce an output that powers said vehicle; and

an alignment control for said receiving coil, which is automatically adjusted to move said receiving coil to improve coupling with said primary coil.

22. A receiver as in claim 21, further comprising a lifting device for said receiving coil, which raises and lowers said receiving coil, automatically based on the detection of magnetic coupling from a primary coil.

23. A receiver as in claim 21, further comprising a guidance control, which automatically provides guidance information for guiding the vehicle to a coarse location where said receiving coil is coarsely aligned with said primary coil.

24. A receiver system as in claim 21, further comprising circuitry that receives a magnetically induced signal from said receiving coil, and produces power therefrom, and uses said power to operate said vehicle.

26. A receiver as in claim 21, wherein said alignment control is an x-y alignment.

27. A method, comprising:

magnetically receiving power in a battery operated vehicle; and

responsive to detecting magnetic coupling, taking an action in the vehicle to improve coupling of the power to the vehicle system.

28. A method as in claim 27, wherein said taking an action comprises finely positioning a receiving antenna in the vehicle.

29. A method as in claim 27, wherein said taking an action comprises using a guidance system in the vehicle to carry out a coarse positioning.

30. A method as in claim 27, wherein said taking an action comprises lowering the receiving antenna to make the receiving antenna closer to a primary antenna.

31. A method, comprising:

magnetically receiving power in a battery operated vehicle; and

responsive to detecting magnetic coupling, using a guidance system which relies on radio positioning principles to move the vehicle to improve magnetic coupling.