SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20130271069A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Inventors: Partovi, Afshin
• Application Number:
  US13/829,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling efficient wireless power transfer, and charging of devices and batteries, in a manner that allows freedom of placement of the devices or batteries in one or multiple (e.g., one, two or three) dimensions. In accordance with various embodiments, applications include inductive or magnetic charging and power, and wireless powering or charging of, e.g., mobile, electronic, electric, lighting, batteries, power tools, kitchen, military, medical or dental, industrial applications, vehicles, trains, or other devices or products. In accordance with various embodiments, the systems and methods can also be generally applied, e.g., to power supplies or other power sources or charging systems, such as systems for transfer of wireless power to a mobile, electronic or electric device, vehicle, or other product.

Claims

1. A microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit including memory and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware for use with a system for wireless power transfer, wherein the system comprises one or more ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers, which are used to modify the magnitude and/or phase of an electromagnetic field and/or corresponding magnetic flux in one or multiple dimensions and/or to guide the magnetic flux in such a manner as to create a preferential path for flux flow, and wherein

the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit operating according to the instruction sets, software and/or firmware is configured to perform the steps, when one or more vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries, each having one or more receiver coils or receivers associated therewith, are placed in proximity to the system, of charging or powering the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.

2. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit and the one or more vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries to communicate with each other prior to and/or during charging or powering to determine a protocol to be used to charge or power the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.

3. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit and the one or more mobile devices to communicate with each other through a separate coil, radio frequency link, or optical communication, to determine a type of base unit and vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.

4. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit and the one or more vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries communicate with each other to verify the authenticity, power requirements and/or other characteristics of the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries and/or verify or handshake the presence of the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries proximate the base unit.

5. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit to determine the presence of a vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries in proximity to the base unit, and wherein a receiver coil or receiver thereby activated performs an initiation process whereby its ID, presence, power, voltage or other requirements are communicated to the base unit, including different power, voltage or other requirements for different vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.

6. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit and/or the one or more vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries to make appropriate adjustments to achieve a desired output voltage, current or power, to be used using in charging or powering the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.

7. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit to periodically ping for the presence of a vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries in proximity to the base unit, and wherein a receiver coil or receiver thereby activated performs an initiation process whereby its ID, presence, power, voltage or other requirements are communicated to the base unit.

8. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit and/or the one or more vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries to perform a method for supporting multiple different charging protocols, for use with the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries, and/or to communicate parameters to increase or decrease power or voltage provided to the receiver coil or receiver associated with the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.

9. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware includes instructions for enabling a base unit to charge or power a plurality of vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries simultaneously, including use of different charging protocols.

10. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the instruction set, software or firmware for operation of the charger and/or receivers or incorporated therein to improve or modify wireless charging capabilities and function or to add further user functionality can be updated locally or remotely by a user or automatically.

11. The microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware of claim 1, wherein the system is configured as a multi-protocol system for use with different communication and/or control protocols, or different means of communication.

12. A method of using a microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit and/or instruction sets, software and/or firmware with a system for wireless power transfer, wherein the system comprises one or more ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers, which are used to modify the magnitude and/or phase of an electromagnetic field in multiple dimensions, and wherein the microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, Field Programmable Gate Array, Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Multi-chip Module or other electronics or processing unit operating according to the instruction sets, software and/or firmware performs the steps of

when one or more vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries, each having one or more receiver coils or receivers associated therewith, are placed in proximity to the system, charging or powering the vehicles, mobile devices, cases, skins, battery doors, dongles, or batteries.