INDUCTIVE POWER RECEIVER WITH RESONANT COUPLING REGULATOR

• US 20170098961A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: PowerbyProxi Limited (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: HARPHAM, Lewis Freeth
• Application Number:
  US15/117,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/015 with means for adaptation of resonance frequency, e.g. by modification of capacitance or inductance of resonance circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/066 particular circuits having a special characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4818 with means for adaptation of resonance frequency, e.g. by modification of capacitance or inductance of resonance circuits
• 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

An inductive power receiver including: a resonant circuit having a receiving coil and a tuning network; and rectifier coupled to the resonant circuit and adapted to provide a DC output to a load, wherein the tuning network is controlled to regulate the power provided to the load and includes: a series tuning branch connected from the receiving coil to the rectifier; and a variable shunt tuning branch connected from a node between the series tuning branch and the receiving coil to a common ground on the DC output side of the rectifier.

Claims

1. An inductive power receiver including:

a. a resonant circuit having a receiving coil and a tuning network; and

b. rectifier coupled to the resonant circuit and adapted to provide a DC output to a load,

wherein the tuning network is controlled to regulate the power provided to the load and includes;

i. a series tuning branch connected from the receiving coil to the rectifier; and

ii. a variable shunt tuning branch connected from a node between the series tuning branch and the receiving coil to a common ground on the DC output side of the rectifier.

2. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the series tuning branch is an inductor.

3. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the series tuning branch is a capacitor.

4. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable shunt tuning branch is a variable capacitor.

5. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein the variable capacitor is a capacitor bank.

6. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein the variable shunt tuning branch is a variable inductor.

7. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 1, further including a DC smoothing capacitor for smoothing the DC output provided to the load.

8. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein the Q value of the DC smoothing capacitor is relatively small compared to the Q values of the components of the resonant circuit.

9. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the series tuning branch is an inductor and the variable shunt tuning branch is a variable capacitor.

10. The inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the series tuning branch is an capacitor and the variable shunt tuning branch is a variable capacitor.