APPARATUSES AND WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTERS HAVING MULTIPLE TRANSMIT COILS AND RELATED METHOD
First Claim
1. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:
- a wireless power transmitter, including;
a plurality of transmit coils configured to generate a wireless power signal for wireless power transfer to a wireless power receiver;
a bridge inverter configured to generate an AC signal to pass through the plurality of transmit coils; and
a switching circuit operably coupled with the plurality of transmit coils and configured to enable and disable the transmit coils responsive to a control signal from a transmitter controller, wherein the switching circuit includes;
a first plurality of switches serially coupled on opposing sides of a first transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils;
a first plurality of clamp elements, each clamp element coupled across a respective switch of the first plurality of switches and configured to extract energy away from the first transmit coil;
a second plurality of switches serially coupled on opposing sides of a second transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils; and
a second plurality of clamp elements, each clamp element coupled across a respective switch of the second plurality of switches and configured to extract energy away from the second transmit coil.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless power transmitter may include a bridge inverter and a plurality of parallel paths operably coupled to the bridge inverter. Each path includes a resonance tank including a transmit coil coupled with at least one resonance capacitor, a first switch serially coupled with the resonance tank and switching node A of the bridge inverter, a first clamping element in parallel with the first switch, a second switch serially coupled with the resonance tank and switching node B of the bridge inverter, and a second clamping element in parallel with the second switch. A method includes generating a wireless power signal through a used coil in a first parallel path, and clamping a parasitic voltage generated in at least one unused coil in at least one additional parallel path through a clamp element across a switch in the at least one parallel path for the at least one unused coil.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:
a wireless power transmitter, including; a plurality of transmit coils configured to generate a wireless power signal for wireless power transfer to a wireless power receiver; a bridge inverter configured to generate an AC signal to pass through the plurality of transmit coils; and a switching circuit operably coupled with the plurality of transmit coils and configured to enable and disable the transmit coils responsive to a control signal from a transmitter controller, wherein the switching circuit includes; a first plurality of switches serially coupled on opposing sides of a first transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils; a first plurality of clamp elements, each clamp element coupled across a respective switch of the first plurality of switches and configured to extract energy away from the first transmit coil; a second plurality of switches serially coupled on opposing sides of a second transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils; and a second plurality of clamp elements, each clamp element coupled across a respective switch of the second plurality of switches and configured to extract energy away from the second transmit coil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:
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a bridge inverter configured to generate an AC signal at an operating frequency; a plurality of parallel paths operably coupled to the bridge inverter, each path configured to be independently enabled and disabled for generating a wireless power signal responsive to the AC signal, wherein each path of the plurality of parallel paths includes; a resonance tank including a transmit coil coupled with at least one resonance capacitor; a first switch serially coupled with the resonance tank and switching node A of the bridge inverter; a first clamping element in parallel with the first switch; a second switch serially coupled with the resonance tank and switching node B of the bridge inverter; and a second clamping element in parallel with the second switch. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating a wireless power enabled apparatus having a plurality of transmit coils, the method comprising:
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generating a wireless power signal through a used coil in a first parallel path responsive to an AC signal generated by a bridge inverter; and clamping a parasitic voltage generated in at least one unused coil in at least one additional parallel path such that energy is recycled from the at least one unused coil into a main loop of the used coil through a clamp element across a switch in the at least one parallel path for the at least one unused coil. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification