Wireless energy transfer
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first resonator circuit having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates;
a second resonator circuit having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates;
the first and second resonator circuits being configured and arranged with parallel alignment of the capacitors and parallel alignment of the inductive coils to facilitate alignment of an electromagnetic field therebetween;
the second resonator circuit being configured and arranged to transmit sub-wavelength electromagnetic energy to the first resonator at a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of the first resonator, by passing an electromagnetic wave in the electromagnetic field;
a reflective body coupled to the first resonator and configured and arranged to reflect a portion of the electromagnetic energy, transmitted by the second resonator, back toward the second resonator circuit; and
an electromagnetic energy reflector configured and arranged with the reflective body to mitigate loss of the electromagnetic energy transmitted by the second resonator circuit by bouncing the energy between the electromagnetic energy reflector and the reflective body to facilitate absorption of the electromagnetic energy by the first resonator circuit.
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Abstract
Electromagnetic energy transfer is facilitated. In accordance with an example embodiment, a first resonator transmits electromagnetic energy using an electromagnetic wave, based on frequency matching and alignment of an electromagnetic field with a second resonator within one wavelength of the electromagnetic wave distance from the first resonator. An electromagnetic energy reflector adjacent the first resonator redirects reflected portions of the electromagnetic wave back towards the first resonator circuit.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first resonator circuit having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates; a second resonator circuit having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates; the first and second resonator circuits being configured and arranged with parallel alignment of the capacitors and parallel alignment of the inductive coils to facilitate alignment of an electromagnetic field therebetween; the second resonator circuit being configured and arranged to transmit sub-wavelength electromagnetic energy to the first resonator at a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of the first resonator, by passing an electromagnetic wave in the electromagnetic field; a reflective body coupled to the first resonator and configured and arranged to reflect a portion of the electromagnetic energy, transmitted by the second resonator, back toward the second resonator circuit; and an electromagnetic energy reflector configured and arranged with the reflective body to mitigate loss of the electromagnetic energy transmitted by the second resonator circuit by bouncing the energy between the electromagnetic energy reflector and the reflective body to facilitate absorption of the electromagnetic energy by the first resonator circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus comprising:
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a charging circuit; a first high Q resonator circuit connected to the charging circuit and having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates, the first high Q resonator circuit being configured and arranged to receive sub-wavelength electromagnetic energy and to provide the received energy to the charging circuit; a second high Q resonator circuit having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates, the second high Q resonator circuit being configured and arranged to transmit the sub-wavelength electromagnetic energy to the first high Q resonator, by passing an electromagnetic wave in an electromagnetic field aligned between the first and second high Q resonator circuits via parallel alignment of the capacitors and parallel alignment of the inductive coils, using a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of the first high Q resonator; a reflective body coupled to the first high Q resonator and configured and arranged to reflect a portion of the electromagnetic energy, transmitted by the second high Q resonator, back toward the second high Q resonator circuit; and an electromagnetic energy reflector configured and arranged with the reflective body to reflect the electromagnetic energy transmitted by the second high Q resonator circuit between one another to facilitate absorption of the electromagnetic energy by the first high Q resonator circuit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system comprising a plurality of charging stations coupled to a power supply, each of the charging stations including:
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a first resonator circuit configured and arranged to transmit sub-wavelength electromagnetic energy to a second resonator circuit, by aligning an electromagnetic field with the second resonator circuit and using a resonant frequency of the second resonator circuit, wherein a portion of the electromagnetic wave is reflected back towards the first resonator circuit, and wherein the second resonator circuit uses the transmitted energy to store charge for operating a vehicle; an electromagnetic energy reflector adjacent the resonator circuit and configured and arranged to redirect the reflected portions of the electromagnetic wave back towards the second resonator circuit to facilitate absorption of the electromagnetic energy wave by the second resonator circuit; an identification circuit configured and arranged to wirelessly communicate with a circuit within the vehicle and to determine an identification of the vehicle therefrom; and a metering device configured and arranged to meter energy transferred to the second resonator circuit in the vehicle and facilitate the communication of data for assessing a fee for the transferred energy, based on the determined identification.
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22. A method for transferring electromagnetic energy, the method comprising:
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transmitting sub-wavelength energy from a first high Q resonator circuit to a second high Q resonator circuit connected to a charging circuit, each resonator having a capacitor with opposing capacitive plates and an inductive coil connected to the capacitive plates, by aligning an electromagnetic field aligned the first and second high Q resonator circuits via parallel alignment of the capacitors and parallel alignment of the inductive coils, and passing an electromagnetic wave in the electromagnetic field using a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of the first high Q resonator, wherein a reflective body coupled to the second high Q resonator reflects a portion of the electromagnetic energy transmitted by the first high Q resonator; and using an electromagnetic energy reflector to reflect portions of the electromagnetic energy reflected by the reflective body, back towards the second high Q resonator circuit, to facilitate absorption of the electromagnetic energy by the first high Q resonator circuit. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification