RECONFIGURABLE DISTRIBUTED ACTIVE WIRELESS CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20160226292A1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoon, Seunghwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,224,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A system and method utilizes an array of unit coils for wireless charging and/or near field communication. The array of unit coils can be configured to provide magnetic fields of various shapes to accommodate consuming devices and/or to accommodate types of devices. The array of unit coils can be any type of coils (e.g., eccentric coils that provide a concentrated current field and a strong magnetic field). The array of unit coils can be powered by one or more power sources.

Claims

1. A method of charging a device, comprising:

configuring an array of unit coils; and

providing a magnetic field via the array of unit coils.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit coils comprise a first direction coil disposed in a first direction and a second direction coil disposed in a second direction, the first and second directions from each other.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first direction is vertical and the second direction is horizontal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first direction coil is disposed on a printed circuit board substrate and the second direction coil is disposed on the printed circuit board substrate, wherein the first direction coil comprises at least one conductor provided through the second direction coil and the second direction coil comprises at least one conductor provided through the first direction coil.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each unit coil comprises a printed circuit board coil arranged in a planar eccentric shape, whereby a negative effect due to opposite currents are reduced.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the array is configured for a multiple device charging mode or a single device charging mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the array is automatically configured by sensing a mobile device type.

8. A magnetic induction device, comprising:

an array of unit coils configured for coupling separately to a power source and wherein the array is configurable to provide two or more rings of lines.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the device is a charging device.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the unit coils comprise dual planar dual eccentric coils.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the unit coils comprise a planar rectangular eccentric coil.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the unit coils comprise a rectangular eccentric coil with outside flux lines at least partially arranged in a nonparallel fashion.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the unit coils comprise a first direction coil disposed in a first direction and a second direction coil disposed in a second direction, the first and second directions being in different planes, wherein the first coil is a disposed on a printed circuit board substrate and the second coil is disposed on the printed circuit board substrate, wherein the first coil is configured in a planar eccentric pattern and the second coil is configured in a planar eccentric pattern.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the unit coils are configured to be coupled in a parallel to a power source.

15. The device of claim 8, wherein the unit coils are arranged as a pair of eccentric coils.

16. A magnetic induction device, comprising:

an array of unit cells, each cell comprised of two eccentric coils.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the array of unit cells provides a three ring flux path.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein each flux path of the three flux paths is rectangular.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the array of unit cells provides a flux path, wherein the flux path is arranged for one of a plurality of device types.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device type is sensed and the flux path is automatically arranged according to the device type.