Inductive power supply
First Claim
1. A primary unit for use in an inductive power transfer system, the inductive power transfer system including said primary unit and a secondary device separable from said primary unit, the inductive power transfer system of said primary unit and the secondary device being operable to transfer power inductively to the secondary device, said primary unit comprising:
- a plurality of field generators each operable to generate an electromagnetic field for transferring power inductively to the secondary device;
a power transfer surface, wherein said plurality of field generators are located at different positions relative to said power transfer surface;
communication circuitry for receiving communication from the secondary device relating to a type of the secondary device;
driver circuitry operable to provide power to said plurality of field generators, said driver circuitry including switching circuitry configured to selectively activate two or more of said plurality of field generators, said switching circuitry configured to selectively activate at least one first one of said two or more field generators in a first polarity and at least one second one of said two or more field generators in a second polarity, wherein said first polarity and said second polarity are opposite to each other;
control circuitry operably coupled to said driver circuitry and said communication circuitry, said control circuitry configured to control operation of said driver circuitry to supply power to the secondary device based on communication received from the secondary device;
wherein, based on a first communication actively received from said secondary device, said control circuitry determines said operation of said driver circuitry includes activation of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators in said first polarity;
wherein, based on a second communication actively received from said secondary device, said control circuitry determines said operation of said driver circuitry includes activation of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators in said first polarity and said at least one second one of said two or more field generators in said second polarity so as to direct electromagnetic flux through the secondary device in a push-pull manner, wherein said second communication includes second information and said first communication includes first information, wherein said first information includes data that is different from data included in said second information; and
wherein said driver circuitry is configured to selectively change a polarity of said at least one second one of said two or more field generators relative to said first polarity of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed an inductive power transfer system comprising a primary unit and a secondary device separable from the primary unit, the primary unit comprising a power transfer surface and more than two field generators each operable to generate an electromagnetic field, the field generators being located at different positions relative to the power transfer surface, the secondary device comprising a power receiver having a secondary coil, the system further comprising: determining means for determining at least one of the position and the orientation of the power receiver relative to the power transfer surface; and controlling means for controlling the field generators such that at least one first field generator and at least one second field generator, selected in dependence upon such determination, are active in a substantially opposite sense to one another so as to direct magnetic flux through the secondary coil thereby supplying power to the secondary device, and further such that a third one of the field generators is inactive so that fewer than all of the field generators are active simultaneously.
59 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A primary unit for use in an inductive power transfer system, the inductive power transfer system including said primary unit and a secondary device separable from said primary unit, the inductive power transfer system of said primary unit and the secondary device being operable to transfer power inductively to the secondary device, said primary unit comprising:
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a plurality of field generators each operable to generate an electromagnetic field for transferring power inductively to the secondary device; a power transfer surface, wherein said plurality of field generators are located at different positions relative to said power transfer surface; communication circuitry for receiving communication from the secondary device relating to a type of the secondary device; driver circuitry operable to provide power to said plurality of field generators, said driver circuitry including switching circuitry configured to selectively activate two or more of said plurality of field generators, said switching circuitry configured to selectively activate at least one first one of said two or more field generators in a first polarity and at least one second one of said two or more field generators in a second polarity, wherein said first polarity and said second polarity are opposite to each other; control circuitry operably coupled to said driver circuitry and said communication circuitry, said control circuitry configured to control operation of said driver circuitry to supply power to the secondary device based on communication received from the secondary device; wherein, based on a first communication actively received from said secondary device, said control circuitry determines said operation of said driver circuitry includes activation of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators in said first polarity; wherein, based on a second communication actively received from said secondary device, said control circuitry determines said operation of said driver circuitry includes activation of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators in said first polarity and said at least one second one of said two or more field generators in said second polarity so as to direct electromagnetic flux through the secondary device in a push-pull manner, wherein said second communication includes second information and said first communication includes first information, wherein said first information includes data that is different from data included in said second information; and wherein said driver circuitry is configured to selectively change a polarity of said at least one second one of said two or more field generators relative to said first polarity of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An inductive power transfer system comprising:
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a primary unit including; a power transfer surface and a plurality of field generators each operable to generate an electromagnetic field for inductive power transfer; communication circuitry for receiving communication from at least one secondary device; switching circuitry configured to selectively activate two or more of said plurality of field generators, said switching circuitry configured to selectively activate at least one first one of said two or more field generators in a first polarity and at least one second one of said two or more field generators in a second polarity, wherein said first polarity and said second polarity are opposite to each other; control circuitry operably coupled to said switching circuitry and said communication circuitry, said control circuitry configured to control operation of said switching circuitry to transfer power to said at least one secondary device based on communication received from said at least one secondary device; said at least one secondary device separable from said primary unit, said at least one secondary device including a power receiver operable to inductively couple with at least one of said field generators for inductive power transfer, wherein said at least one secondary device communicates said communication to said primary unit, wherein said communication relates to a respective type of said at least one secondary device; wherein, based on a first communication actively received from said at least one secondary device, said control circuitry of said primary unit determines said operation of said switching circuitry includes activation of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators in said first polarity; wherein, based on a second communication actively received from said at least one secondary device, said control circuitry of said primary unit determines said operation of said switching circuitry includes activation of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators in said first polarity and said at least one second one of said two or more field generators in said second polarity so as to direct electromagnetic flux through said secondary device in a push-pull manner, wherein said second communication includes second information and said first communication includes first information, wherein said first information includes data that is different from data included in said second information; and wherein said switching circuitry is configured to selectively change a polarity of said at least one second one of said two or more field generators relative to the first polarity of said at least one first one of said two or more field generators. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for use in an inductive power transfer system, the system comprising a primary unit and a secondary device separable from the primary unit, the secondary device being disposable in proximity to a power transfer surface of the primary unit, the primary unit including drive circuitry and a plurality of field generators each operable to generate an electromagnetic field, said method comprising:
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actively receiving communication from the secondary device relating to a type of the secondary device; based on the actively received communication being a first communication with data indicative of the type of secondary device being a first type, determining to selectively drive at least one first one of two or more of the plurality of field generators in one polarity; and based on the actively received communication being a second communication with data indicative of the type of secondary device being a second type different from the first type, determining to selectively drive the at least one first one of the two or more field generators in a first polarity and at least one second one of the two or more field generators in a second polarity, wherein the first polarity and the second polarity are opposite, wherein the first communication includes data that is different from data included in the second communication, wherein a driven polarity of the at least one second one of the two or more field generators is variable from the first polarity to the second polarity. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification