FLAT POWER COIL FOR WIRELESS CHARGING APPLICATIONS

• US 20130308256A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lehr, Michael, Chatterjee, Manjirnath, Shaffer, Dyke, Liu, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A coil assembly is disclosed. The coil assembly includes a coil that is provided on a substrate. The coil includes a trace element that is wound on the substrate. The trace element includes an interior gap that extends or is present along at least a portion of the trace element. The interior gap is dimensioned to reduce a presence of eddy currents that would otherwise be generated when the coil is active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

Claims

1. A coil assembly comprising:

a substrate; and

a coil provided on the substrate, the coil including a trace element that is wound and which has an interior gap that extends or is present along at least a portion of the trace element, wherein the interior gap is dimensioned to reduce a presence of eddy currents that would otherwise be generated when the coil is active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

2. The coil assembly of claim 1, further comprising one or more contacts to enable a connection with one or more electrical components.

3. The coil assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

4. The coil assembly of claim 3, wherein the printed circuit board is one of a:

(i) FR-4 printed circuit board, or (ii) flex printed circuit board.

5. The coil assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second coil provided on the substrate, the second coil including a second trace element that is wound so that the second coil does not overlap the coil.

6. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the second coil circumscribes at least a portion of the coil.

7. The coil assembly of claim 3, further comprising a second coil provided on the printed circuit board, the second coil including (i) a second trace element that is wound so that the second coil does not overlap the coil, and (ii) a second interior gap that extends or is present along at least a portion of the second trace element.

8. The coil assembly of claim 7, wherein the printed circuit board is a multi-layered printed circuit board and the second coil is provided on a separate layer than the coil.

9. The coil assembly of claim 7, wherein the printed circuit board is a multi-layered printed circuit board and the second coil is provided in between two layers of the multi-layered printed circuit board.

10. The coil assembly of claim 1, further comprising two or more interior gaps that extend or is present along at least a portion of the trace.

11. The coil assembly of claim 1, wherein the interior gap includes one or more bridges that are part of the trace element, the one or more bridges partitioning the interior gap into two or more portions.

12. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the coil is used for inductively transmitting or receiving power and the second coil is used for inductively transmitting or receiving data.

13. The coil assembly of claim 5, further comprising a third coil provided on the substrate, the third coil including a third trace element that is wound so that the third coil does not overlap the coil or the second coil.

14. The coil assembly of claim 2, wherein the coil assembly is configured to enable an inductive transmission or reception of power and/or data with the one or more electrical components that are connected to the coil assembly.

15. The coil assembly of claim 14, wherein the one or more electrical components includes at least one of:

(i) a power circuit component, or (ii) a signal processing component.

16. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the trace element of the coil and the second trace element of the second coil have different trace thicknesses.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly comprises;

a substrate; and

a coil provided on the substrate, the coil including a trace element that is wound and which has an interior gap that extends or is present along at least a portion of the trace element, wherein the interior gap is dimensioned to reduce a presence of eddy currents that would otherwise be generated when the coil is active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the coil assembly further comprises a second coil provided on the substrate, the second coil including a second trace element that is wound so that the second coil does not overlap the coil, and wherein the coil is used for inductively transmitting or receiving power and the second coil is used for inductively transmitting or receiving data.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board is one of:

(i) FR-4 printed circuit board, or (ii) flex printed circuit board.

20. An inductive signal interface comprising:

a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly comprises;

a substrate; and

a coil provided on the substrate, the coil including a trace element that is wound and which has an interior gap that extends or is present along at least a portion of the trace element, wherein the interior gap is dimensioned to reduce a presence of eddy currents that would otherwise be generated when the coil is active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

21. The inductive signal interface of claim 20, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board is one of:

(i) FR-4 printed circuit board, or (ii) flex printed circuit board.

22. The inductive signal interface of claim 21, wherein the coil assembly further comprises two or more interior gaps that extend or are present along at least a portion of the trace.

23. The inductive signal interface of claim 20, wherein the coil assembly includes a second coil that is provided on another layer of the substrate, and wherein the coil and second the coil are connected so that the coil and the second coil share the same trace element.

24. The inductive signal interface of claim 23, wherein the coil assembly includes at least a second substrate and a third coil provided on the second substrate, the second substrate overlaying the coil and the substrate.

25. The inductive signal interface of claim 24, wherein the coil, the second coil and the third coil are connected so that the coil, the second coil and the third coil share the same trace element.