INDUCTIVE POWER OUTLET LOCATOR

• US 20160276878A1
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: AZANCOT, YOSSI, GREENWALD, OOLA, BEN-SHALOM, AMIR, ROFE, ARIK
• Granted Patent: US 10,742,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A locator for locating power outlets and power receivers. A sensor is provided in a power receiver for detecting a detection signal emitted by a remote power outlet. A processor uses the detected signal to compute location coordinates of the power outlet.

Claims

1. A power outlet locator for locating a wireless power outlet, the wireless power outlet comprises at least one primary coil wired to a power supply for inductively coupling with a secondary coil wired to an electrical load, the power outlet locator comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting at least one detection signal emitted by the wireless power outlet; and

at least one processor for receiving a sensor signal from the sensor and computing at least one coordinate of a location of the power outlet.

2. The power outlet locator of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted by the wireless power outlet.

3. The power outlet locator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the distance between the sensor and the wireless power outlet by comparing the intensity of the detection signal received by the sensor with a reference value.

4. The power outlet locator of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor is a plurality of sensors.

5. The power outlet location of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

compare intensity of the detection signal as detected by at least two sensors of said at least one sensor, and

to calculate at least one component of a vector indicating direction towards the wireless power outlet.

6. The power outlet locator of claim 1, wherein the location of the wireless power outlet is encoded into the detection signal and the processor is configured to decode the detection signal.

7. The power outlet locator of claim 6, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a radio receiver selected to detect microwave signals.

8. The power outlet locator of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a radio receiver.

9. A power outlet comprising at least one primary coil concealed behind an outer layer of a surface, and at least one indicator for indicating the location of said at least one primary coil;

said at least one primary coil being connectable to a power supply for coupling with a secondary coil wired to an electrical device, when the secondary coil in front of the surface layer is brought into proximity with the primary coil.

10. The power outlet of claim 9, wherein said at least one indicator comprises at least one transmitter configured to transmit a locator beam, said locator beam being remotely detectable.

11. The power outlet of claim 10, wherein said locator beam is a beam of electromagnetic radiation.

12. The power outlet of claim 10, wherein the location of said primary coil is encoded into a signal and said signal is transmitted by said locator beam.

13. The power outlet of claim 9, wherein said at least one indicator comprises a radio wave transmitter configured to transmit a locator beam, said locator beam being remotely detectable.

14. The power outlet of claim 13, wherein the location of said at least one primary coil is encoded into said locator beam.

15. The power outlet of claim 9, wherein said at least one indicator comprises said at least one primary coil configured to transmit a locator beam, said locator beam being remotely detectable.

16. The power outlet of claim 15, wherein said at least one primary coil is configured to transmit radio waves.

17. An electrical device comprising at least one secondary coil for wirelessly receiving power from a power outlet, the electrical device further comprising:

at least one radio receiver for detecting at least one detection signal emitted by said power outlet; and

at least one processor operable to decode the detection signal thereby determining a location of the power outlet.

18. The electrical device of claim 17, wherein said at least one radio receiver is operable to detect microwave emitted by said power outlet.

19. The electrical device of claim 17, being selected from the group comprising:

telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cameras, media players, computers, keyboards and mice.

20. The electrical device of claim 17, further comprising at least one electrochemical power cell for powering the electrical device and said at least one said secondary inductive coil is wired to said at least one electrochemical cell via a rectifier for charging said at least one electrochemical power cell.