System and method for contactless power transfer in portable image detectors

• US 8,552,595 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bohori, Adnan Kutubuddin, Bhat, Suma Memana Narayana, Ramachandrapanicker, Somakumar, Slotnick, Jeffrey Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/149,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 320/108
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system and method for contactless power transfer in a portable image detector for charging rechargeable batteries disposed within the portable image detector is provided. The system includes a first coil couplable to a power source, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field. The system further includes a second coil coupled to the rechargeable battery disposed within the portable image detector and configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field and to transfer the power to the rechargeable battery. The system also includes a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil and configured as a self resonant coil having a standing wave current distribution to focus the magnetic field onto the second coil and enhance the coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

Claims

1. A system for contactless power transfer in a portable image detector for charging a rechargeable battery disposed within the portable image detector comprising:

a first coil couplable to a power source, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field;

a second coil coupled to the rechargeable battery disposed within the portable image detector and configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field and to transfer the power to the rechargeable battery; and

a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil and configured as a self resonant coil having a standing wave current distribution to focus the magnetic field onto the second coil and enhance the coupling between the first coil and the second coil, wherein the field focusing element comprises a plurality of resonators with at least two of the plurality of resonators having different resonant frequencies.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the field focusing element is disposed within a charging device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the field focusing element is disposed within the portable image detector.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable image detector comprises an X-ray image detector or an ultrasound scanner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power transferred to the rechargeable battery is within a range of about 1 watt to about 100 watts.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the field focusing element operates at a frequency above or equal to 1 megahertz.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a high frequency inverter or a linear amplifier coupled between the power source and the first coil.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonators are disposed within at least one of a dielectric medium, a magnetic medium, or a magneto-dielectric medium.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the different resonant frequencies are configured to enable transfer of power and data signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonators are configured to focus at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, or an electromagnetic field.

11. A method for contactless charging of a rechargeable battery disposed in a portable image detector comprising:

generating a magnetic field via a first coil coupled to a power source;

focusing the magnetic field to a second coil via a field focusing element, wherein the field focusing element comprises a plurality of resonators with at least two of the plurality of resonators having different resonant frequencies;

transferring power from the first coil to the second coil via the magnetic field; and

transmitting the power from the second coil to the rechargeable battery disposed within the portable image detector.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transferring the power from the first coil to the second coil comprises transferring the power within a range of about 1 watt to about 100 watts.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising, focusing the magnetic field via a field focusing element operating at a frequency above or equal to 1 megahertz.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining data signals regarding the portable image detector, the state of charge of the rechargeable battery, or both, and transferring the data signals to a processor situated outside of the portable image detector.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transferring of the data signals further comprising transferring the power to the rechargeable battery and the data signals from the portable image detector at different resonant frequencies.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the data signals to control the magnetic field generated by the first coil.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining data signals regarding the portable image detector, the state of charge of the rechargeable battery, or both, and using the data signals to control the power transmitted from the second coil to the rechargeable battery.