WIRELESSLY POWERED AUDIO DEVICES

• US 20140044293A1
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Ganem, Steven J., Kesler, Morris P., Kulikowski, Konrad J., Kurs, Andre B., McCauley, Alexander P., Giler, Eric R., Hall, Katherine L., Mendoza, Hiroshi A., Guckaya, Gozde
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/323
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 : Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• 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 50/80 : involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 : Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 : Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 : Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 : using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 : Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Techniques herein provide wireless energy transfer to audio devices such as headphones, headsets, hearing aids, and the like. Audio devices are integrated with a device resonator. The device resonator may be positioned and oriented to reduce interaction with lossy or sensitive components of the audio device. A repeater resonator and/or a source resonator is integrated into a headrest of a seat or a chair providing continuous power to the headphones while in use. The audio devices may be recharged wirelessly when positioned near source resonators that may be embedded in pads, tables, carrying cases, cups, and the like.

Claims

1. A wirelessly powered audio device comprising:

an audio output element adapted to generate sounds audible to a user;

a device resonator structure adapted to wirelessly receive energy via oscillating magnetic fields, the device resonator configured to reduce the interaction of the magnetic fields with the audio output element; and

a power demand monitor adapted to monitor the power demands of the audio device and the power received via the device resonator structure, the power demand monitor further configured to cause the audio output element to generate an audible signal when the power demands of the audio device exceed the power delivered by the device resonator.

2. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the device resonator structure is positioned near the audio output element such that the audio output device performance is minimally affected by the presence of the device resonator.

3. The audio device of claim 2, wherein the audio output element comprises a solenoid coil and wherein the resonator is positioned such that the dipole moment of the resonator structure is substantially orthogonal to the axis of the solenoid.

4. The audio device of claim 1, further comprising magnetic material, wherein the magnetic material is positioned to shield the audio output element from the magnetic fields near the device resonator structure.

5. The audio device of claim 1, further comprising a sheet of good electrical conducting material, wherein the sheet of good electrical conducting material is positioned to shield the audio output element from the magnetic fields near the device resonator structure.

6. The audio device of claim 1, further comprising rechargeable batteries, wherein energy captured by the device resonator is at least in part used to recharge the batteries.

7. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the device resonator structure comprises capacitively loaded conducting loops printed on a substrate.

8. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the device resonators are integrated in a pod that is wired to the audio device.

9. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the audio device is a headphone.

10. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the audio device is a headset.

11. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the audio device is configured to wirelessly receive energy from a source or repeater resonator in a chair.

12. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the audio device is a hearing aid.

13. A wirelessly powered headphones, the headphones comprising:

a speaker element comprising a diaphragm and an actuator;

a device resonator structure adapted to wirelessly receive energy via oscillating magnetic fields, the device resonator configured to reduce the interaction of the magnetic fields with the speaker element; and

a power demand monitor adapted to monitor the power demands of the headphones and the power received via the device resonator structure, the power demand monitor further configured to cause the speaker element to generate an audible signal when the power demands of the audio device exceed the power delivered by the device resonator.

14. The headphones of claim 13, wherein the speaker element is positioned for minimal performance degradation by the device resonator structure.

15. The headphones of claim 13, further comprising magnetic material, wherein the magnetic material is positioned to shield the speaker element from the magnetic fields near the device resonator structure.

16. The headphones of claim 13, further comprising a sheet of good electrical conducting material, wherein the sheet of good electrical conducting material is positioned to shield the speaker element from the magnetic fields near the device resonator structure.

17. The headphones of claim 13, wherein the headphones are configured to wirelessly receive energy from a source or repeater resonator in a chair.

18. The headphones of claim 13, further comprising rechargeable batteries, wherein energy captured by the device resonator structure is at least in part used to recharge the batteries.

19. The headphones of claim 18, wherein the headphones are configured to be wirelessly recharged from a source resonator embedded in a carrying case.

20. A method for wirelessly powering of an audio device, the method comprising:

initiating wireless energy transfer from a wireless energy source;

monitoring, using a power demand monitor, a power demand of the audio device;

monitoring, using a noise monitor, the noise of an audio signal due to the wireless energy transfer;

adjusting energy transfer to a minimum level that satisfies the power demand of the audio device; and

filtering a noise component from the audio signal.