SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INDUCTIVELY CHARGING A BATTERY
First Claim
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1. An inductive power supply system comprising:
- a primary circuit including a power source, a controller electrically coupled to said power source and a primary electrically coupled to said controller, wherein said controller applies power with a frequency to said primary from said power source;
a portable device separable from said primary circuit and having a secondary circuit and a feedback circuit electrically coupled to said secondary, said secondary circuit includes a secondary inductively coupled to said primary to receive power therefrom, said feedback circuit configured to selectively shunt current from said secondary through an impedance element, wherein in response to current being selectively shunted through said impedance element, a current flow through said secondary increases generating a single surge in current through said primary via said inductive coupling;
wherein said feedback circuit is configured to detect one or more conditions in said portable device, wherein in response to detecting said one or more conditions, said feedback circuit selectively shunts current through said impedance element to generate said single surge in said primary;
wherein said primary circuit includes a feedback detector operably coupled to said controller, wherein said feedback detector is configured to sense said single surge in said primary; and
wherein said controller is configured to recognize said single surge in said primary as an indication of said one or more conditions being detected, whereby said controller is capable of identifying a state of said one or more conditions in said portable device in response to detection of said single surge in said primary.
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Abstract
An inductive charging system for recharging a battery. The system includes a charger circuit and a secondary circuit. The secondary circuit includes a feedback mechanism to provide feedback to the charger circuit through the inductive coupling of the primary coil and the secondary coil. The charger circuit includes a frequency control mechanism for controlling the frequency of the power applied to the primary coil at least partly in response to the feedback from the feedback mechanism.
11 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An inductive power supply system comprising:
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a primary circuit including a power source, a controller electrically coupled to said power source and a primary electrically coupled to said controller, wherein said controller applies power with a frequency to said primary from said power source; a portable device separable from said primary circuit and having a secondary circuit and a feedback circuit electrically coupled to said secondary, said secondary circuit includes a secondary inductively coupled to said primary to receive power therefrom, said feedback circuit configured to selectively shunt current from said secondary through an impedance element, wherein in response to current being selectively shunted through said impedance element, a current flow through said secondary increases generating a single surge in current through said primary via said inductive coupling; wherein said feedback circuit is configured to detect one or more conditions in said portable device, wherein in response to detecting said one or more conditions, said feedback circuit selectively shunts current through said impedance element to generate said single surge in said primary; wherein said primary circuit includes a feedback detector operably coupled to said controller, wherein said feedback detector is configured to sense said single surge in said primary; and wherein said controller is configured to recognize said single surge in said primary as an indication of said one or more conditions being detected, whereby said controller is capable of identifying a state of said one or more conditions in said portable device in response to detection of said single surge in said primary. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. The inductive charging system according to claim 1 wherein said controller includes an inverter, wherein an operating frequency of said inverter is reduced to move said frequency of said power applied to said primary closer to a resonant frequency of said primary and wherein said operating frequency of said inverter is increased to move said frequency of said power applied to said primary away from said resonant frequency of said primary.
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10-1. A method for communicating from a portable device to an inductive power supply, the inductive power supply including a primary circuit having a power source and a controller coupled to the power source, the controller controlling the supply of power from the power source to a primary of the inductive power supply, the portable device being separable from the inductive power supply and having a secondary and a feedback circuit electrically coupled to the secondary, the feedback circuit of the portable device including an impedance element capable of being selectively controlled to shunt current from the secondary to generate a single surge in current in the primary of the inductive power supply, said method comprising:
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associating the single surge in the primary with one or more conditions in the portable device; operating the inductive power supply to inductively couple the primary with the secondary the portable device, wherein power is supplied from the power source to the primary at a frequency; detecting one or more conditions in the portable device, and, in response detecting the one or more conditions, selectively shunting current through the impedance element to generate the single surge in current in the primary of the inductive power supply; and determining, in the inductive power supply, a state of the one or more conditions in the portable device based on an occurrence of the single surge in the primary.
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17. A portable electronic device being separable from an inductive power supply, the inductive power supply having a primary configured to transfer power inductively, said portable electronic device comprising:
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a secondary configured to receive power inductively from the primary via an inductive coupling, wherein a reflected impedance of said portable electronic device is reflected to the inductive power supply through said inductive coupling; a feedback circuit electrically coupled to said secondary, said feedback circuit having an impedance element configured to be selectively controlled to shunt current from said secondary, wherein in response to current being selectively shunted from said secondary through said impedance element, said secondary generates a single surge in said reflected impedance of said portable electronic device; and wherein said feedback circuit is configured to detect one or more conditions in said portable device, wherein in response to detecting said one or more conditions, said feedback current selectively shunts current through said impedance element to generate said single surge in said reflected impedance, wherein said single surge communicates to the inductive power supply a state of said one or more conditions in said portable electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification