Electrically tunable inductor
First Claim
1. An electrically tunable inductor with an equivalent inductance, comprising:
- a main winding configured to wirelessly transfer power;
a tuning winding magnetically coupled to the main winding, the current through the tuning winding being controlled to adjust the equivalent inductance of the electrically tunable inductor;
wherein, the current is being controlled by controlling the peak value of the current;
wherein, the current is being controlled by selectively controlling the direction of current flow.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically tunable inductor with an equivalent inductance includes a main winding and a tuning winding magnetically coupled to the main winding. The current through the tuning winding is controlled to adjust the equivalent inductance of the electrically tunable inductor. A device may include an electrically tunable inductor. A system may include multiple devices, one or more of the devices including an electrically tunable inductor. A tuning controller within the system may control the current in tuning windings of one or more of the multiple devices in the system. When an electrically tunable inductor is part of a resonant circuit, the resonant frequency may be controlled by adjusting the equivalent inductance of the electrically tunable inductor through controlling the current in the tuning winding. Controlling the current in the tuning winding includes one or more of controlling the peak, direction, frequency, duty cycle, or phase of the current.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An electrically tunable inductor with an equivalent inductance, comprising:
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a main winding configured to wirelessly transfer power; a tuning winding magnetically coupled to the main winding, the current through the tuning winding being controlled to adjust the equivalent inductance of the electrically tunable inductor; wherein, the current is being controlled by controlling the peak value of the current; wherein, the current is being controlled by selectively controlling the direction of current flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus, comprising:
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a power transfer coil configured for wireless power transfer; a tuning winding magnetically coupled to the power transfer coil, the power transfer coil when coupled with the tuning winding having an equivalent inductance; and a tuning controller controlling the current through the tuning winding by controlling the peak value of the current, the phase of the current, and selectively controlling the direction of the current flow, thereby controlling the equivalent inductance. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system, comprising:
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a first device including; a power transfer coil configured for wireless power transfer; and a tuning winding magnetically coupled to the power transfer coil, the power transfer coil when coupled with the tuning winding having an equivalent inductance; and a second device including; a tuning controller controlling current through the tuning winding, thereby controlling the equivalent inductance; wherein the first device further includes a tuning network;
the tuning network, the power transfer coil, and the tuning winding being part of a resonant circuit, such that adjustment of the equivalent inductance further adjusts the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit;wherein, the system is a wireless power transfer system and the first device being a transmitter, the second device including; at least one interface for receiving information from the first device and information from a third device that is a receiver; logic for determining an amount to adjust the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit in the first device based on the received information; and an interface for providing control information to the first device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification