Flat, asymmetric, and E-field confined wireless power transfer apparatus and method thereof

• US 8,446,045 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Joshua R., Sample, Alanson P., Cooper, Emily B.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US12/544,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20100052811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 307/104
• 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

Abstract

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, a method and apparatus is disclosed that includes feature of a transmitter and receiver having a substantially two-dimensional resonator structure including a flat coil; and an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator structure, the transmitter configured to transmit power wirelessly.

Claims

1. A transmitter comprising:

a substantially two-dimensional resonator structure including a flat coil; and

an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator structure, the transmitter configured to transmit power wirelessly,

wherein the substantially two-dimensional resonator structure provides a smaller dipole moment in a direction perpendicular to the resonator structure as compared to a non-two-dimensional resonator structure.

2. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the impedance-matching structure includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a transformer, and an impedance-matching network.

3. The transmitter according to claim 2, wherein the impedance-matching network includes inductors and capacitors configured to connect a signal source to the resonator structure.

4. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to draw energy to be transmitted from a power supply.

5. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the resonator structure includes a number of turns of a magnet wire, a solid core wire, a stranded wire, a Litz wire, a hollow copper tubing on a non-conductive substrate, an etched conductor or a patterned conductor.

6. The transmitter according to claim 5, wherein the non-conductive substrate includes acrylic, plastic, injection molded plastic, glass, plexiglass, Flame Retardant 4, silicon, low-loss printed circuit board material, flexible printed circuit board material, polyamide, polycarbonate, or a printed-circuit board.

7. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the resonator structure is arranged on an interior of a laptop lid.

8. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the resonator structure is arranged inside a mobile computing device.

9. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the resonator structure is patterned by screen printing, silk screening, stenciling or inkjet printing.

10. A receiver comprising:

a substantially two-dimensional resonator structure including a flat coil; and

an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator structure, the receiver configured to receive power wirelessly,

wherein the substantially two-dimensional resonator structure provides a smaller dipole moment in a direction perpendicular to the resonator structure as compared to a non-two-dimensional resonator structure.

11. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the impedance-matching structure includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a transformer, and an impedance-matching network.

12. The receiver according to claim 11, wherein the impedance-matching network includes inductors and capacitors configured to connect a signal source to the resonator structure.

13. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the receiver is arranged to be connected to an external load and is configured to power the load using the received power.

14. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the resonator structure includes a number of turns of magnet wire, solid core wire, stranded wire, Litz wire, hollow copper tubing on a non-conductive substrate, or an etched conductor.

15. The receiver according to claim 14, wherein the non-conductive substrate includes acrylic, plastic, injection molded plastic, glass, plexiglass, Flame Retardant 4, silicon low-loss printed circuit board material, flexible printed circuit board material, polyamide, polycarbonate, or a printed-circuit board.

16. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the resonator structure is arranged on an interior of a laptop lid.

17. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the resonator structure is arranged inside a mobile device.

18. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the resonator structure is patterned by screen printing, silk screening, stenciling or inkjet printing.

19. A method comprising:

providing a substantially two-dimensional resonator structure comprising a flat coil, and an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator structure; and

transmitting or receiving power wirelessly by the two-dimensional resonator structure,

wherein the substantially two-dimensional resonator structure provides a smaller dipole moment in a direction perpendicular to the resonator structure as compared to a non-two-dimensional resonator structure.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the impedance-matching structure includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a transformer, and a impedance-matching network.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the resonator structure includes a number of turns of a magnet wire, a solid core wire, a stranded wire, a Litz wire, a hollow copper tubing on a non-conductive substrate, an etched conductor or a patterned conductor.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the non-conductive substrate includes acrylic, plastic, injection molded plastic, glass, plexiglass, Flame Retardant 4, silicon, low-loss printed circuit board material, flexible printed circuit board material, polyamide, polycarbonate, or a printed-circuit board.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising patterning the resonator structure using screen printing, silk screening, stenciling or inkjet printing.