Wireless energy transfer antennas and energy charging systems

• US 8,803,484 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Hideo, Lee, Jae Seung, Schmalenberg, Paul Donald, Robert, Brian Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US13/909,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/109, 320/137, 455/41.1, 4553431-3436, 455/573
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A resonant wireless energy transfer system comprises first and second antennas made up of dual parallel wire helixes wherein the wires are terminated by short wires. Voltage controlled variable capacitors are connected into the antennas to permit progressive variation between folded dipole and normal dipole operating modes such that optimum energy transfer can be achieved between the antennas over a wide range of antenna separation distances. A vehicle battery charging system using the above-described antennas is provided including an installation which allows purchase of battery charging power by members of the general public. In-vehicle energy transfer for sensors, computers, cell phones and the like is also described.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery in a transportable power using device from a fixed power delivery location comprising the steps of:

(a) activating a transmitting antenna at the power delivery location at a low power level;

(b) testing to determine that power is being transferred from the delivery location antenna to a receiving antenna associated with the power using device; and

(c) upon determining that power is being transferred at or above a predetermined level, increasing the power level at the delivery location.

2. The method of claim 1 including the further step of actively configuring the transmitting and receiving antennas in concert to maximize power transfer by resonant coupling.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the antennas are of substantially identical configuration and are reconfigurable as between folded dipole configurations to accommodate differing distances between the antennas.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery location is a vehicle charging location placarded to designate vehicle location and having a user-initiated input device, and the power using device is a vehicle.