CONTACT-LESS POWER TRANSFER
First Claim
1. A system for transferring power without requiring direct electrical conductive contacts, the system comprising:
- a power transfer surface shaped and arranged such that a secondary device can be placed in a working disposition on or in proximity to the surface to receive power when the system is in use;
a primary unit having a field generating means, distributed in two dimensions across a generating area at or substantially parallel to said power transfer surface, for generating an electromagnetic field over a power transfer area of said surface within which area the secondary device can couple flux effectively when in its said working disposition and which area is not substantially smaller than said generating area; and
a secondary device separable from the primary unit and including at least one electrical conductor with which the electromagnetic field generated by the field generating means couples with and induces a current to flow in the conductor when the secondary device is in said working disposition;
wherein the field generating means is configured such that, when a predetermined current is supplied thereto and the primary unit is effectively in electromagnetic isolation, field lines of the electromagnetic field generated by the field generating means are distributed in two dimensions over said power transfer area and, when considering the angles subtended by the field lines to a measurement plane that is parallel to the power transfer surface and is at the same distance therefrom as the secondary device when that device is in its said working disposition, an average of said angles over any quarter length part of said power transfer area, measured parallel to the direction of the field lines, is 45°
or less.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a system and method for transferring power without requiring direct electrical conductive contacts. There is provided a primary unit having a power supply and a substantially laminar charging surface having at least one conductor that generates an electromagnetic field when a current flows therethrough and having an charging area defined within a perimeter of the surface, the at least one conductor being arranged such that electromagnetic field lines generated by the at least one conductor are substantially parallel to the plane of the surface or at least subtend an angle of 45° or less to the surface within the charging area; and at least one secondary device including at least one conductor that may be wound about a core. Because the electromagnetic field is spread over the charging area and is generally parallel or near-parallel thereto, coupling with flat secondary devices such as mobile telephones and the like is significantly improved in various orientations thereof.
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Citations
102 Claims
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1. A system for transferring power without requiring direct electrical conductive contacts, the system comprising:
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a power transfer surface shaped and arranged such that a secondary device can be placed in a working disposition on or in proximity to the surface to receive power when the system is in use; a primary unit having a field generating means, distributed in two dimensions across a generating area at or substantially parallel to said power transfer surface, for generating an electromagnetic field over a power transfer area of said surface within which area the secondary device can couple flux effectively when in its said working disposition and which area is not substantially smaller than said generating area; and a secondary device separable from the primary unit and including at least one electrical conductor with which the electromagnetic field generated by the field generating means couples with and induces a current to flow in the conductor when the secondary device is in said working disposition; wherein the field generating means is configured such that, when a predetermined current is supplied thereto and the primary unit is effectively in electromagnetic isolation, field lines of the electromagnetic field generated by the field generating means are distributed in two dimensions over said power transfer area and, when considering the angles subtended by the field lines to a measurement plane that is parallel to the power transfer surface and is at the same distance therefrom as the secondary device when that device is in its said working disposition, an average of said angles over any quarter length part of said power transfer area, measured parallel to the direction of the field lines, is 45°
or less. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A primary unit for use in a power transfer system having a power transfer surface shaped and arranged such that a secondary device, separable from the primary unit, can be placed in a working disposition on or in proximity to the surface to receive power from the primary unit without requiring direct electrical conductive contacts between the primary unit and the secondary device, the primary unit comprising:
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a field generating means, distributed in two dimensions across a generating area at or substantially parallel to said power transfer surface, for generating an electromagnetic field over a power transfer area of said surface within which area the secondary device can couple flux effectively when in its said working disposition and which area is not substantially smaller than said generating area; wherein the field generating means is configured such that, when a predetermined current is supplied thereto and the primary unit is effectively in electromagnetic isolation, field lines of the electromagnetic field generated by the field generating means are distributed in two dimensions over said power transfer area and, when considering the angles subtended by the field lines to a measurement plane that is parallel to the power transfer surface and is at the same distance therefrom as the secondary device when that device is in its said working disposition, an average of said angles over any quarter length part of the power transfer area, measured parallel to the direction of the field lines, is 45°
or less. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method of transferring power from a primary unit to a secondary device, separable from the primary unit, without requiring direct electrical conductive contacts between the primary unit and the secondary device, the method comprising:
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generating an electromagnetic field over a power transfer area of a power transfer surface using a field generating means distributed in two dimensions across a generating area at or substantially parallel to said power transfer surface, the power transfer surface being shaped and arranged such that the secondary device can be placed in a working disposition on or in proximity to the power transfer surface to receive power from the primary unit, and the power transfer area being an area of said surface within which the secondary device can couple flux effectively when in its said working disposition and being not substantially smaller than said generating area, and said field being such that, when the primary unit is effectively in electromagnetic isolation, field lines of the field are distributed in two dimensions over said power transfer area and, when considering the angles subtended by the field lines to a measurement plane that is parallel to the power transfer surface and is at the same distance therefrom as the secondary device when that device is in its said working disposition, an average of said angles over any quarter length part of the power transfer area, measured parallel to the direction of the field lines, is 45°
or less; andplacing such a secondary device in said working disposition so that the electromagnetic field couples with at least one electrical conductor of said secondary device and induces a current to flow therein. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A portable electrical or electronic device, adapted to receive power inductively from an external unit that has a field generating surface and a field generator which generates an electromagnetic field at or over the field generating surface, the device being adapted to receive power from the external unit when placed in an intended power-receiving disposition on or in proximity to said field generating surface and being separable from the external unit when not receiving power therefrom, the device comprising:
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a housing including a predetermined portion having an external surface which faces said field generating surface when the device is placed in said power-receiving disposition, said predetermined portion also having an internal surface; and a magnetic core component arranged within said housing on or in proximity to said internal surface of said predetermined portion so that the core component couples with said field when the device is in its said power-receiving disposition, the magnetic core component including a thin sheet of magnetic material and also including a coil wound around said sheet for receiving power inductively from the external unit, the sheet and the coil being arranged so that a longitudinal axis of said sheet and a central axis of said coil each extend generally parallel to said field generating surface when the device is in said power-receiving disposition. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A rechargeable battery adapted to receive power inductively from a primary unit when fitted into a space in a portable electrical or electronic device, the device comprising a cover element having a substantially planar portion with inner and outer surfaces and being adapted to be placed with said outer surface on or in proximity to such a primary unit when the battery is to be recharged, and the device being adapted to retain the battery in the space with its longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to a plane of said planar portion, the battery comprising:
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a power-receiving element comprising a coil which is in close proximity to said inner surface of said cover element when the cell is so retained in said space and which has a central axis that extends generally parallel to a plane of said planar portion, for receiving power inductively from the primary unit when the device is so placed on or in proximity to the primary unit; and a rechargeable energy-storing element connected to the power-receiving element for storing the power received inductively by the power-receiving element, said power-receiving element in the form of a thin sheet. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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92. A rechargeable battery adapted to receive power inductively from a primary unit when fitted into a space in a portable electrical or electronic device, the device comprising a cover element having a substantially planar portion with inner and outer surfaces and being adapted to be placed with said outer surface on or in proximity to such a primary unit when the battery is to be recharged, and the device being adapted to retain the battery in the space with its longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to a plane of said planar portion, the battery comprising:
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a power-receiving element comprising a coil which is in close proximity to said inner surface of said cover element when the cell is so retained in said space and which has a central axis that extends generally parallel to a plane of said planar portion, for receiving power inductively from the primary unit when the device is so placed on or in proximity to the primary unit; and a rechargeable energy-storing element connected to the power-receiving element for storing the power received inductively by the power-receiving element;
wherein a thickness of said power-receiving element, measured in a direction perpendicular to said plane, is small relative to the dimensions of the power-receiving element parallel to said plane.
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93. A rechargeable battery adapted to receive power inductively from a primary unit, the battery comprising:
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a generally cylindrical body having a central axis; a power-receiving element, comprising a coil having a central axis extending generally in parallel with said central axis of said body, for receiving power inductively from the primary unit when the battery is placed on or in proximity to a power transfer surface of the primary unit with said central axis of said body lying across the surface; and a rechargeable energy-storing element connected to said power-receiving element for storing the power received inductively by the power-receiving element; wherein said power-receiving element is in the form of a thin sheet. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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Specification