Short range efficient wireless power transfer including a charging base transmitter built into a desktop component and a power relay integrated into a desktop

• US 9,979,230 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Nigel P., Widmer, Hanspeter, Sieber, Lukas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/163,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

Method and system for wireless power transmission are disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes a charging base positioned on a desktop component and configured to be positioned on a desktop. The system also includes a transmitter located in the charging base and including a transmit coil wound about a plane, the transmitter being configured to wirelessly transfer power, via a wireless field, from the transmit coil to a first receiver. The system further includes a power relay configured to be positioned on the desktop and configured to relay power received from the transmitter to at least one peripheral device different from the first receiver when the peripheral device is positioned on the desktop.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a charging base built into a desktop component and configured to be positioned on a desktop, wherein the desktop component comprises at least one of a PC monitor, a lamp, a telephone charger, a printer, a scanner, a fax machine or a router;

a transmitter located in the charging base and including a transmit coil wound about a plane, the transmitter being configured to inductively transfer power from the transmit coil to a first receiver, the transmitter being embedded into and invisible from outside the desktop component; and

a power relay integrated into the desktop and adjacent to the charging base to inductively receive power from the transmitter, the power relay configured to relay the inductively received power to at least one peripheral device different from the first receiver when the peripheral device is positioned on the desktop, wherein the charging base is located within a perimeter of the power relay, wherein the power relay comprises a parasitic antenna,

wherein the charging base has a top surface configured to accommodate the first receiver, and wherein the charging base is configured to provide an optimized wireless charging for the top surface and inductively transmit the power to the parasitic antenna.

2. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the power relay is larger than the transmitter.

3. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is located closer to the power relay than the transmitter.

4. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to inductively transfer power from the transmit coil to a second receiver located outside the charging base, wherein the second receiver includes a receiver coil, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transfer a maximum power to the second receiver when the receiver coil of the second receiver is oriented in a parallel plane to the transmit coil of the transmitter in the charging base.

5. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna includes a parasitic antenna coil.

6. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the charging base is formed of a material configured to maintain the constant distance between the first receiver and the transmitter, and wherein the transmitter is tuned to have a maximum response at that constant distance.

7. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the transmit coil is tuned based on a thickness of a material of the charging base.

8. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, further comprising a device configured to detect proximity of a person, and wherein the transmitter is configured to terminate transmission of wireless power upon detecting the proximity of a person.

9. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 8, wherein the device is switched on to detect proximity of the person, and switched off to transmit power continuously.

10. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises at least one of a keyboard, a computer mouse or a portable electronic device (PED).

11. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna is configured to at least partially enclose the peripheral device when it is positioned within the desktop.

12. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna comprises a plurality of loops, and wherein at least one of the loops at least partially overlaps the charging base in a direction substantially perpendicular to the charging base.

13. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna comprises a plurality of loops, and wherein at least one of the loops does not overlap the charging base in a direction substantially perpendicular to the charging base.

14. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the power relay and the transmit coil have different shapes.

15. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 14, wherein the power relay has a rectangular shape, and the transmit coil has a circular shape.

16. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the power relay and the transmit coil are positioned to be eccentric.

17. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the parasitic antenna comprises a plurality of loops, wherein the plurality of loops comprise an innermost loop located at an innermost position among the plurality of loops and an outermost loop located at an outermost position among the plurality of loops, wherein the charging base is located within a perimeter of the outermost loop of the power relay, and wherein the area of an entire space surrounded by the innermost loop is greater than the area of an entire space between the innermost and outermost loops.

18. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 17, wherein the innermost loop and the outermost loop have the same shape.

19. The wireless power transmission system as in claim 17, wherein the innermost and outermost loops are separate from and do not overlap each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the charging base.

20. A method of wirelessly transferring power, the method comprising:

wirelessly transferring, at a transmitter, power to a receiver, via a wireless field, the transmitter located on a charging base built into a desktop component and configured to be positioned on a desktop, wherein the desktop component comprises at least one of a PC monitor, a lamp, a telephone charger, a printer, a scanner, a fax machine or a router, the transmitter including a transmit coil wound about a plane, the transmitter being embedded into and invisible from outside the desktop component; and

relaying, at a power relay integrated into the desktop and adjacent to the charging base, power inductively received from the transmitter to at least one peripheral device different from the receiver when the peripheral device is positioned on the desktop, wherein the charging base is located within a perimeter of the power relay, wherein the power relay comprises a parasitic antenna,

wherein the charging base has a top surface configured to accommodate the receiver, and wherein the charging base is configured to provide an optimized wireless charging for the top surface and inductively transmit the power to the parasitic antenna.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the power relay is larger than the transmitter, wherein the peripheral device is located closer to the power relay than the transmitter, and wherein the parasitic antenna is configured to at least partially enclose the peripheral device when it is positioned within the desktop.

22. The method as in claim 20, wherein the charging base is formed of a material configured to maintain the constant distance between the receiver and the transmitter, and wherein the transmitter is tuned to have a maximum response at that constant distance.

23. The method as in claim 20, wherein the peripheral device comprises at least one of a keyboard, a computer mouse or a portable electronic device (PED).

24. An apparatus for wirelessly transferring power, the apparatus comprising:

means for wirelessly transferring power to a receiver via a wireless field, the transferring means located on a charging base built into a desktop component and configured to be positioned on a desktop, wherein the desktop component comprises at least one of a PC monitor, a lamp, a telephone charger, a printer, a scanner, a fax machine or a router, the transferring means including a transmit coil wound about a plane, the transferring means being embedded into and invisible from outside the desktop component; and

means for relaying power inductively received from the transferring means to at least one peripheral device different from the receiver when the peripheral device is positioned on the desktop, the relaying means integrated into the desktop and adjacent to the charging base, wherein the charging base is located within a perimeter of the relaying means, wherein the relaying means comprise a parasitic antenna,

wherein the charging base has a top surface configured to accommodate the receiver, and wherein the charging base is configured to provide an optimized wireless charging for the top surface and inductively transmit the power to the parasitic antenna.

25. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the relaying means is larger than the transferring means, wherein the peripheral device is located closer to the relaying means than the transferring means, and wherein the parasitic antenna is configured to at least partially enclose the peripheral device when it is positioned within the desktop.

26. The apparatus as in claim 25, wherein the transferring means comprises a transmitter, and wherein the relaying means comprises a power relay.

27. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the peripheral device comprises at least one of a keyboard, a computer mouse or a portable electronic device (PED).