TRANSMISSION-GUARD SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN INDUCTIVE POWER SUPPLY

• US 20150263537A1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: AZANCOT, Yossi, BEN-SHALOM, Amir, GREENWALD, Oola, ROFE, Arik, LEI-BOVITZ, Alfred, ASHERY, Moti
• Application Number:
  US14/723,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263537A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/266 Fastening or mounting the core on casing or support on coil H01F27/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/366 made of ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

An inductive power outlet operable to transfer power to an inductive power receiver includes a driver wired to a primary inductive coil and operable to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil. The primary inductive coil is configured to form an inductive couple having a characteristic resonant frequency with at least one secondary inductive coil wired to an electric load, the secondary inductive coil being associated with the inductive power receiver. The driving voltage oscillates at a transmission frequency substantially different from the characteristic resonant frequency of the inductive couple.

Claims

1. An inductive power outlet operable to transfer power to an inductive power receiver, the inductive power outlet comprising:

a driver wired to a primary inductive coil and operable to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil;

wherein;

the primary inductive coil is configured to form an inductive couple having a characteristic resonant frequency with at least one secondary inductive coil wired to an electric load, the secondary inductive coil associated with the inductive power receiver; and

the driving voltage oscillates at a transmission frequency substantially different from the characteristic resonant frequency of the inductive couple.

2. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 wherein the driver comprises a switching unit for intermittently connecting the primary inductive coil to a power supply.

3. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 wherein the transmission frequency lies within a range in which induced voltage varies approximately linearly with frequency.

4. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 the inductive power outlet comprising a signal detector adapted to detect a first signal and a second signal, and the driver is configured to:

increase the transmission frequency when the first signal is detected by the detector, and

decrease the transmission frequency when the second signal is detected by the detector.

5. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 the driver being configured to adjust power in response to feedback signals.

6. The inductive power outlet of claim 5 wherein the feedback signals carry data pertaining to operational parameters of the electric load.

7. The inductive power outlet of claim 6 wherein the operational parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

required operating voltage for the electric load;

required operating current for the electric load;

required operating temperature for the electric load;

required operating power for the electric load;

measured operating voltage for the electric load;

measured operating current for the electric load;

measured operating temperature for the electric load;

measured operating power for the electric load;

power delivered to the primary inductive coil;

power received by the secondary inductive coil; and

a user identification code.

8. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 wherein the driver further comprises a voltage monitor for monitoring the amplitude of a primary voltage across the primary coil.

9. The inductive power outlet of claim 8 wherein the voltage monitor is configured to detect significant increases in primary voltage.

10. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 the driver being configured to adjust transmission frequency in response to feedback signals.

11. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 the driver being configured to adjust duty cycle of the driving voltage in response to feedback signals.

12. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 the driver being configured to adjust amplitude of the driving voltage in response to feedback signals.

13. The inductive power outlet of claim 1 further comprising a signal receiving circuit comprising a demodulator operable to demodulate a modulated signal from the inductive power receiver and to produce an output signal.

14. An inductive power receiver comprising at least one secondary inductive coil wired to an electric load, the secondary inductive coil for forming an inductive couple having a characteristic resonant frequency with at least one primary inductive coil associated with an inductive power outlet comprising at least one driver configured to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil, the driving voltage oscillating at a non-resonant transmission frequency substantially different from the characteristic resonant frequency of the inductive couple,

wherein the inductive power receiver further comprises:

a power monitor for monitoring power received by the electric load; and

a signal transmitter for communicating feedback signals to the inductive power outlet.

15. The inductive power receiver of claim 14, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a transmission circuit wired to the secondary inductive coil, the transmission circuit for connecting at least one electric element to the secondary inductive coil thereby changing the resonant frequency such that change in transmission voltage may be detected by the inductive power outlet.

16. The inductive power receiver of claim 15 wherein the transmission circuit further comprises a modulator for modulating a bit-rate signal with an input signal to create a modulated signal and a switch for intermittently connecting the electrical element to the secondary inductive coil according to the modulated signal.

17. The inductive power receiver of claim 14, the signal transmitter being configured to send feedback signals carry data pertaining to operational parameters of the electric load.

18. The inductive power receiver of claim 17 wherein the operational parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

required operating voltage for the electric load;

required operating current for the electric load;

required operating temperature for the electric load;

required operating power for the electric load;

measured operating voltage for the electric load;

measured operating current for the electric load;

measured operating temperature for the electric load;

measured operating power for the electric load;

power delivered to the primary inductive coil;

power received by the secondary inductive coil; and

a user identification code.

19. A method for transferring power from an inductive power outlet to an inductive power receiver, the method comprising:

forming an inductive couple between at least one primary inductive coil and a secondary inductive coil of the inductive power receiver, the inductive couple having a characteristic resonant frequency; and

providing an oscillating driving voltage across the primary inductive coil such that a secondary voltage is induced in the secondary inductive coil, wherein the oscillating driving voltage has a transmission frequency substantially different from the characteristic resonant frequency of the inductive couple.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

modulating a bit-rate signal with an input signal to create a modulated signal; and

connecting the secondary inductive coil to an electric element to alter a characteristic resonant frequency of the inductive couple according to the modulated signal, the inductive power outlet cross-correlating amplitude of the driving voltage with the bit-rate signal to produce a feedback signal.