ADAPTIVE INDUCTIVE POWER SUPPLY WITH COMMUNICATION

• US 20110177782A1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3228 Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/015 with means for adaptation of resonance frequency, e.g. by modification of capacitance or inductance of resonance circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33571 Half-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/001 : Current supply source at the exchanger providing current to substations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 : Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/25 : Circuit arrangements for protecting against overcurrent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 : the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

An adaptive inductive ballast is provided with the capability to communicate with a remote device powered by the ballast. To improve the operation of the ballast, the ballast changes its operating characteristics based upon information received from the remote device. Further, the ballast may provide a path for the remote device to communicate with device other than the adaptive inductive ballast.

Claims

1. A contactless power supply for inductively providing power to one or more remote devices, said contactless power supply comprising:

a resonant circuit having a primary for transferring power to said one or more remote devices by an inductive coupling;

a receiver for receiving power information from said one or more remote devices; and

a controller coupled to said receiver and to said resonant circuit for adapting said contactless power supply in response to at least one of said one or more remote devices no longer being present or a new remote device in addition to said one or more remote devices being present, wherein said controller is programmed to calculate one or more settings for said contactless power supply as a function of said received power information and wherein said controller is programmed to set said one or more calculated settings.

2. The contactless power supply of claim 1 including an inverter coupled to a power source, wherein said one or more settings includes at least one of a rail voltage of said power supply, a frequency of operation of said inverter, a duty cycle of said inverter and a resonant frequency of said resonant circuit.

3. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said contactless powers supply continually adapts to an addition or a removal of loads to said contactless power supply to remain highly efficient.

4. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said contactless power supply does not drive said primary at its highest possible current value.

5. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said contactless power supply matches a power output of said resonant circuit to power requirements of said one or more remote devices.

6. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said contactless power supply reduces power when full power is not required.

7. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said power information includes actual information regarding voltage or current for said one or more remote devices.

8. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said power usage information includes information regarding power requirements for said one or more remote devices.

9. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said power usage information includes an ID for each of said one or more remote devices and said controller is capable of looking up said power requirements for each of said one or more remote devices from a table contained in memory.

10. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said controller instructs said one or more remote devices to set the variable impedance of a secondary winding to a desired level.

11. The contactless power supply of claim 1 wherein said controller adapts said contactless power supply in response to at least one of said one or more remote devices changing power usage.

12. A method of operating a contactless power supply to inductively provide power to one or more remote devices, said method comprising:

polling said one or more remote devices for power information;

determining whether said number of said one or more remote devices has changed;

calculating one or more settings as a function of said power information, in response to determining that said number of remote devices has changed; and

providing power from said contactless power supply to said one or more remote devices using said one or more calculated settings.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said calculating one or more settings includes at least one of calculating an rail voltage setting, calculating a frequency of operation setting, calculating a duty cycle setting, and calculating a resonant frequency setting.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said contactless power supply continually adapts to an addition or a removal of loads to said contactless power supply to remain highly efficient.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said contactless power supply does not drive said primary at its highest possible current value.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said contactless power supply matches a power output to power requirements of said one or more remote devices.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said contactless power supply reduces power when full power is not required.

18. The method of claim 12 including instructing said one or more remote devices to set the variable impedance of a secondary winding to a desired level.

19. The method of claim of claim 12 including determining whether at least one of said one or more remote devices power usage has changed and calculating one or more settings as a function of said power information, in response to determining that at least one of said one or more remote devices power usage has changed.