TRANSMISSION-GUARD SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN INDUCTIVE POWER SUPPLY

• US 20170294808A1
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: AZANCOT, YOSSI, BEN-SHALOM, AMIR, GREENWALD, OOLA, ROFE, ARIK, LEIBOVITZ, ALFRED, ASHERY, MOTI
• Granted Patent: US 11,837,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/266 Fastening or mounting the core on casing or support on coil H01F27/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/366 made of ferromagnetic material
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

An inductive power outlet operable to transfer power to an inductive power receiver includes a driver wired to a primary inductive coil and operable to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil. The primary inductive coil is configured to form an inductive couple having a characteristic resonant frequency with at least one secondary inductive coil wired to an electric load, the secondary inductive coil being associated with the inductive power receiver. The driving voltage oscillates at a transmission frequency substantially different from the characteristic resonant frequency of the inductive couple.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An inductive power outlet, configured to be coupled with at least one secondary inductive coil, comprising:

at least one primary inductive coil wired to a power supply via a driver, wherein the primary inductive coil is inductively coupled with at the least one secondary inductive coil with a coupling having a characteristic resonant frequency, wherein the secondary inductive coil is wired to an electric load,

wherein said driver is configured to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil, wherein the driving voltage oscillates at a transmission frequency significantly different from the characteristic resonant frequency of said coupling, wherein the driving voltage oscillates at a transmission frequency higher than the resonant frequency of said coupling,

wherein said primary inductive coil is further wired to a reception circuit comprising a voltage monitor for monitoring the amplitude of a primary voltage across said primary coil, and

wherein said reception circuit is adapted to detect control signals originated at the secondary inductive coil by connecting at least one electric element to said secondary inductive coil.

22. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said driver comprises a switching unit for intermittently connecting the primary inductive coil to said power supply.

23. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said transmission frequency lies within a range in which induced voltage varies approximately linearly with frequency.

24. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein the control signal is used for transferring a feedback signal originated at said secondary inductive coil to said primary inductive coil for regulating power transfer across said coupling.

25. The inductive power outlet of claim 24, wherein said driver is configured to adjust said transmission frequency in response to said feedback signals.

26. The inductive power outlet of claim 24, wherein the control signal is adapted to transfer a first signal and a second signal, and wherein said driver is configured to increase said transmission frequency when said first signal is received by the receiver, and decrease said transmission frequency when said second signal is received by the receiver.

27. The inductive power outlet of claim 24, wherein said feedback signal carries data pertaining to the operational parameters of said electric load.

28. The inductive power outlet of claim 27, wherein said operational parameters are selected from the group consisting of required operating voltage for said electric load;

required operating current for said electric load;

required operating temperature for said electric load;

required operating power for said electric load;

measured operating voltage for said electric load;

measured operating current for said electric load;

measured operating temperature for said electric load;

measured operating power for said electric load;

power delivered to said primary inductive coil;

power received by said secondary inductive coil;

a user identification code; and

a combination thereof.

29. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said voltage monitor is configured to detect significant increases in primary voltage.

30. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, comprising a power converter selected from the group consisting of a transformer, a DC-to-DC converter, an AC-to-DC converter, an AC-to-AC converter, a fly-back transformer, a fly-back converter, a full-bridge converter, a half-bridge converter;

a forward converter; and

a combination thereof.

31. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said secondary inductive coil is wired to two inputs of a bridge rectifier and said electric load being wired to two outputs of said bridge rectifier, wherein said transmission circuit is wired to one input of said bridge rectifier and one output of said bridge rectifier.

32. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said driver controls the transmission frequency and wherein the driver further comprises:

a modulator for modulating a bit-rate signal with an input signal to create a modulated signal; and

a switch for intermittently connecting said electrical element to said secondary inductive coil according to said modulated signal.

33. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said voltage monitor further comprises a correlator for cross-correlating the amplitude of said primary voltage with said bit-rate signal for producing an output signal.

34. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein the inductive power outlet is incorporated into at least one application selected from the group consisting of inductive chargers, inductive power adaptors, power tools, kitchen appliances, bathroom appliances, computers, media players, office equipment, implanted devices, pacemakers, trackers, and RFID tags.

35. The inductive power outlet of claim 21, wherein said reception circuit is adapted to detect control signals originated at the secondary inductive coil by connecting at least one electric element to said secondary inductive coil so as to increase said resonant frequency.