Method and system for aligning conductors for capacitive wireless power transmission

• US 8,736,114 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Christ, John Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US13/248,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 307/109
• US Class Current: 307/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/06 using resistors or capacitors, e.g. potential divider
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A method of aligning a wall conductor with an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel conductor is disclosed. A transmitter device having a capacitive conductor and a receiver device having a capacitive conductor in proximity to the capacitive conductor of the transmitter device. The capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device are aligned using an alignment indicator, which indicates that at least one edge of the capacitive conductor of the receiver device is in alignment with the capacitive conductor of the transmitter to optimize a transfer of power between the capacitive conductors.

Claims

1. A method of aligning a capacitive wireless power transmission system, the method comprising:

providing a first one of a transmitter device having a capacitive conductor and a receiver device having a capacitive conductor;

positioning a second one of the transmitter device and the receiver device in proximity to the capacitive conductor of the first one of the transmitter device and the receiver device; and

aligning the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device using an alignment indicator, which indicates that at least one edge of the capacitive conductor of the receiver device is in alignment with the capacitive conductor of the transmitter to optimize a transfer of power between the capacitive conductors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter device is a rectangular panel having one or more alignment indicators around a perimeter of the rectangular panel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device is a plurality of capacitive conductors, which forms a grid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter device is comprised of a plurality of rectangular capacitive conductors having one or more indicators around a perimeter of each of the plurality of rectangular capacitive conductors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver device is a display panel, which is comprised of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the light emitting diodes are organic light emitting diodes (OLED).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein upon aligning the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device, the indicators on the transmitter device provide a visual signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device is a capacitive plate and the receiver device is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon alignment of the capacitive conductors, the alignment indicator provides a visual indication that the capacitive conductors are in alignment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter device includes at least one solar panel.

11. A capacitive wireless power transmission system, comprising:

a transmitter device having a capacitive conductor;

a receiver device having a capacitive conductor in proximity to the capacitive conductor of the transmitter device; and

an alignment indicator, which indicates that at least one edge of the capacitive conductor of the receiver device is in alignment with the capacitive conductor of the transmitter to optimize a transfer of power between the capacitive conductors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter device is a rectangular panel having one or more alignment indicators around a perimeter of the rectangular panel.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device is a plurality of capacitive conductors, which forms a grid.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter device is comprised of a plurality of rectangular capacitive conductors having one or more indicators around a perimeter of each of the plurality of rectangular capacitive conductors.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiver device is a display panel, which is comprised of a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLED).

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device is a plurality of capacitive plates and the receiver device is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising upon alignment of the capacitive conductors, the alignment indicator provides a visual indication that the capacitive conductors are in alignment.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied therein for aligning a capacitive wireless power transmission system, the process comprising:

providing a first one of a transmitter device having a capacitive conductor and a receiver device having a capacitive conductor;

positioning a second one of the transmitter device and the receiver device in proximity to the capacitive conductor of the first one of the transmitter device and the receiver device; and

aligning the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device using an alignment indicator, which indicates that at least one edge of the capacitive conductor of the receiver device is in alignment with the capacitive conductor of the transmitter to optimize a transfer of power between the capacitive conductors.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the transmitter device is a rectangular panel having one or more alignment indicators around a perimeter of the rectangular panel.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device is a plurality of capacitive conductors, which forms a grid.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the transmitter device is comprised of a plurality of rectangular capacitive conductors having one or more indicators around a perimeter of each of the plurality of rectangular capacitive conductors.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the receiver device is a display panel, which is comprised of a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLED).