Universal Inductive Charger

• US 20120032631A1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Bourilkov, Jordan T., Klein, David N., Biedermann, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

An inductive charger adapter element includes a housing, a coil comprising electrically conductive material, the coil contained within the housing, the coil configured to inductively couple to an external primary coil; and a connector supported on the housing, the connector coupled to the coil and configured to couple the inductive charger adapter element to a port provided on a device, the connector including a first pair of conductors for providing power and charging current to a battery in the device.

Claims

1. An inductive charger adapter element comprising:

a housing,

a coil comprising electrically conductive material, the coil contained within the housing, the coil configured to inductively couple to an external primary coil; and

a connector supported on the housing, the connector coupled to the coil and configured to couple the inductive charger adapter element to a port provided on a device, the connector including a first pair of conductors for providing power and charging current to a battery in the device.

2. The element of claim 1 further comprising at least a second conductor within the connector, the second conductor configured to transfer data between the inductive charger and the device.

3. The element of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit, coupled to the coil, the circuit comprising;

a rectifier, and

a voltage converter to convert an input voltage to the circuit to a constant charging voltage.

4. The element of claim 1, wherein the position of the connector on the housing is adjustable.

5. The element of claim 2, further comprising a channel on the housing to move the adjustable connector.

6. The element of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to be rotated around a point on the housing.

7. The element of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a universal serial bus (USB) plug.

8. The element of claim 7, wherein the USB plug is one of a mini-USB plug and a micro-USB plug.

9. The element of claim 1, wherein the connector is detachably mounted on the housing.

10. The element of claim 9 wherein the connector is one of a first type and a second type and the housing is configured to support both the first and second types of connectors.

11. The element of claim 1, wherein the coil is one of a flat coil and a spool coil.

12. The element of claim 3 further comprising:

a pair of brushes; and

a pair of conductive rails over which the connector is configured to move with each of the rails being connected to the circuit via a corresponding one of the brushes

wherein the connector is adjusted such that the conductor coil in the housing is within a predetermined distance from the external primary coil.

13. The element of claim 12, wherein the predetermined distance is less than about 1 inch.

14. An inductive data transfix system comprising:

a receiving module including;

a housing;

a coil disposed in the housing; and

a connector supported on the housing and coupled to the coil, the connector configured to couple the receiving module to a port provided on a device, the connector including a first pair of conductors for providing a charging current for a battery in the device and at least a second conductor configured to transfer data between the receiving module and the device; and

a transmitting module including;

a primary coil; and

an port coupled to the primary coil, the port comprising a third conductor to receive current from an external power source, and a fourth conductor to receive data from an external data source, with the charging current provided from inductive power transfer from the primary coil to the coil in the housing and the data transfer is provided from an inductive transfer of the data between the primary coil and the coil in the housing.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the transmitting module is configured to simultaneously perform the inductive power transfer the inductive data transfer to the receiving module via inductive coupling between the conductor coil and the primary coil.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the frequency used for the inductive power transfer is outside a frequency band used for the inductive data transfer.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the receiving module further comprises circuitry for frequency selective filtering of a received signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the circuitry is configured to separate the received signal into the charging current and data.

19. An inductive data transfer device comprising:

a pad housing;

a primary coil; and

first port coupled to the primary coil, the first port comprising a conductor to receive current from an external power source; and

a data transfer port coupled to the primary coil, the data transfer port to receive data from an external data source.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the primary coil provides a charging current for inductive power transfer from the primary coil to a coil disposed in a housing that is configured to be attached to an external device and data transfer is provided from inductive transfer of data between the primary coil and the coil.