WIRELESS POWER APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160036241A1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jabil Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jabil Circuit Incorporated (Jabil Inc.)
• Inventors: Eckerson, David M., Beebe, Ronald, Compton, Christopher C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,454,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H05B 6/1236 adapted to induce current in a coil to supply power to a device and electrical heating devices powered in this way
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for wirelessly powering a device. The apparatus, system and method may include a primary coil housing that houses a primary coil; a secondary coil housed within the device and suitable for having power induced therein responsive to the primary coil; an isolator that at least partially mechanically and electrically isolates the primary coil from the secondary coil; and a plurality of paired feedback sensors respectively communicatively and physically associated with, and paired as between, the primary coil housing and the device, wherein the plurality of paired feedback sensors exchanges indications regarding performance of the secondary coil, and wherein performance of the primary coil is modified responsively to the indications.

Claims

1. A system for receiving power at an appliance, comprising:

a secondary coil within a housing physically associated with the appliance and suitable for providing induced operative current from a primary coil magnetically proximate to, and at least partially isolated from, the secondary coil;

an appliance controller coupled to the secondary coil and suitable to receive an indication of at least one of a shape, frequency, and magnitude of an operative waveform to be provided to the appliance, and suitable to generate data indicators according to the indication; and

at least one infrared sensor communicatively coupled to the appliance controller and suitable to receive ones of the data indicators from the appliance controller and to transmit the ones of the data indicators wirelessly to at least one data receiver associated with the primary coil to stimulate operation of the primary coil to produce the operative waveform in the secondary coil.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary sensor communicatively coupled to the appliance controller and suitable to transmit other ones of the data indicators.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the secondary sensor comprises one of a static presence indicator, radio frequency switch, wired switch, Bluetooth switch, visible light switch, and NFC switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance controller further comprises a safe operation detector suitable to monitor the operative waveform.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operative waveform is indicative of at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness of one or more aspects of the appliance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the appliance is one selected from the group consisting of a blender, toaster, coffee maker, networked device, display, pan, pot, can opener, grill, hibachi, cooler, chiller, juicer, cooktop, oven, and cooking iron.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least partial isolation comprises one selected from the group consisting of a cooktop, a countertop, and a tabletop.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to the data indicators, the operative waveform comprises delivered power at the secondary coil in a range of 1 kW to 4.5 kW.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein ones of the data indicators comprise performance feedback.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base suitable for receiving the appliance.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the base comprises a multi-prong plug receiver.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein ones of the data indicators comprise compatibility with the primary coil.

13. A system for providing power to an appliance, comprising:

a primary coil within a housing that is physically separate from, and that at least partially provides mechanical and electrical isolation from, a secondary coil physically associated with the appliance, wherein the primary coil is suitable for inducing a current in the secondary coil when magnetically proximate to the second coil;

a primary coil controller coupled to the primary coil within the housing and suitable to indicate a primary coil waveform to be provided at the primary coil; and

a feedback receiver within the housing and comprising at least an infrared sensor, and which is suitable to;

receive feedback data regarding a secondary coil waveform induced in the secondary coil responsively to the primary coil waveform;

modify the primary coil waveform responsively to the feedback data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the feedback data comprises presence indication.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the feedback data comprises performance indication.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the feedback receiver further comprises at least one of a static presence indicator, radio frequency switch, wired switch, Bluetooth switch, visible light switch, and NFC switch.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the feedback data is indicative of at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness of one or more aspects of the appliance.

18. A system for wirelessly powering a device, comprising:

a primary coil housing that houses a primary coil;

a secondary coil housed within the device and suitable for having power induced therein responsive to the primary coil;

an isolator that at least partially mechanically and electrically isolates the primary coil from the secondary coil; and

a plurality of paired feedback sensors respectively communicatively and physically associated with, and paired as between, the primary coil housing and the device, wherein the plurality of paired feedback sensors exchanges indications regarding performance of the secondary coil, and wherein performance of the primary coil is modified responsively to the indications.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the primary coil housing comprises one selected from a cooktop, a countertop, a tabletop, and a standalone housing.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the isolator comprises glass.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the induced power is in the range of 1 W to 10 W.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the induced power is in the range of 1 kW to 4.5 kW.