Inductive power supply with device identification
First Claim
1. A method for controlling an inductive power supply to supply power to at least one remote device, comprising the steps of:
- providing the at least one remote device having device circuitry and a secondary configured for receiving operating wireless power, wherein the operating wireless power is used to operate the device circuitry, wherein at least one of a plurality of identification frequencies being associated with each of the at least one remote device, wherein each of the at least one remote device has a resonant frequency at or near at least one frequency from among the plurality of identification frequencies;
selecting an identification frequency from among the plurality of identification frequencies;
applying an inductive field to the at least one remote device at the identification frequency;
determining whether the at least one remote device has the resonant frequency substantially at the applied identification frequency to identify the at least one remote device; and
operating the inductive power supply to supply the operating wireless power to the identified at least one remote device according to an operating parameter based on an outcome of said determining step, wherein the operating parameter corresponds to the identified at least one remote device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inductive power supply system to identify remote devices using unique identification frequencies. The system includes an AIPS and a tank circuit capable of inductively providing power to a remote device at different frequencies, and a sensor for sensing the reflected impedance of the remote device at tank circuit. The system further includes a plurality of different remote devices, each having a unique resonance frequency. In operation, the AIPS is capable of identifying the type of remote device present in the inductive field by applying power to a remote device at a plurality of unique identification frequencies until the remote device establishes resonance in response to one of the identification frequencies. The AIPS includes a controller that recognizes when resonance has been established by evaluating sensor data, which is representative of the reflected impedance of the remote device. Once the identity of a remote device is determined, the AIPS may pull operating parameters for the remove device from memory to ensure efficient operation and to assist in recognizing fault conditions.
107 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for controlling an inductive power supply to supply power to at least one remote device, comprising the steps of:
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providing the at least one remote device having device circuitry and a secondary configured for receiving operating wireless power, wherein the operating wireless power is used to operate the device circuitry, wherein at least one of a plurality of identification frequencies being associated with each of the at least one remote device, wherein each of the at least one remote device has a resonant frequency at or near at least one frequency from among the plurality of identification frequencies; selecting an identification frequency from among the plurality of identification frequencies; applying an inductive field to the at least one remote device at the identification frequency; determining whether the at least one remote device has the resonant frequency substantially at the applied identification frequency to identify the at least one remote device; and operating the inductive power supply to supply the operating wireless power to the identified at least one remote device according to an operating parameter based on an outcome of said determining step, wherein the operating parameter corresponds to the identified at least one remote device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for operating an inductive power supply to supply power to at least one of a plurality of remote devices comprising the steps of:
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providing the at least one of the plurality of remote devices having device circuitry and a secondary configured for receiving operating wireless power, wherein the operating wireless power is used to operate the device circuitry; storing a plurality of identification profiles and at least one inductive power supply operating parameter associated with each identification profile in a memory associated with an inductive power supply, each of the plurality of identification profiles corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of remote devices; applying inductive power to the at least one of the plurality of remote devices at one or more frequencies to determine the identification profile of the at least one of the plurality of remote devices contained within the inductive field; comparing the determined profile with the stored identification profiles to determine an identity of the at least one of the plurality of remote devices; retrieving an operating parameter for an inductive power supply from the memory upon determination of the identity of the at least one of the plurality of remote devices, wherein the operating parameter is selected as a function of the identification profile of the at least one of the plurality of remote devices; and operating the inductive power supply to supply the operating wireless power to the identified at least one of the plurality of remote devices in accordance with the retrieved operating parameter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for securely controlling an inductive power supply to supply operating wireless power to at least one of a plurality of remote devices, comprising the steps of:
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determining a common identification profile for the plurality of remote devices to be powered by the inductive power supply, the common identification profile including one or more resonant frequencies; providing the at least one of the plurality of remote devices having device circuitry and a secondary configured for receiving the operating wireless power, wherein the operating wireless power is used to operate the device circuitry, wherein each of the plurality of remote devices having a common identification profile; applying an inductive field to the at least one of the plurality of remote devices at the one or more resonant frequencies of the common identification profile; determining whether the at least one of the plurality of remote devices has a resonant frequency profile corresponding with the common identification profile; and operating the inductive power supply according to an operating parameter to supply the operating wireless power to the at least one of the plurality of remote devices if the at least one of the plurality of remote devices has a resonant frequency profile corresponding to the common identification profile. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An inductive power supply for supplying power to at least one remote device comprising:
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inductive field generating circuitry; frequency control circuitry electrically connected to said inductive field generating circuitry, said control circuitry capable of operating said inductive field generating circuitry at a plurality of different frequencies; reflected impedance sensing circuitry to sense a characteristic of power in the inductive power supply, said characteristic being indicative of a reflected impedance of the at least one remote device; identification circuitry to determine an identification profile of the at least one remote device as a function of an output of said reflected impedance sensing circuitry; memory storing a plurality of identification profiles for different remote devices and a plurality of operating parameters each corresponding to one or more of the plurality of identification profiles; and power supply control circuitry for supplying operating wireless power to the at least one remote device according to an operating parameter selected as a function of the identification profile of the remote device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An inductive power supply and remote device combination comprising:
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a remote device having device circuitry, a secondary configured for receiving operating wireless power, and an identification profile, said identification profile including one or more resonant frequencies, wherein said operating wireless power is used to operate said device circuitry; and an inductive power supply having; a driver; a tank circuit having a primary; a sensor in said tank circuit adapted to sense a characteristic of power in said tank circuit indicative of a reflected impedance of said remote device; identification circuitry to determine said identification profile of said remote device as a function of output of said sensor; a memory storing at least one identification profile and at least one operating parameter associated with said identification profile; and control circuitry for controlling operation of said inductive power supply to supply said operating wireless power to the remote device according to an operating parameter selected as a function of said identification profile of said remote device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification