Electrical system incorporating a single structure multimode antenna for wireless power transmission using magnetic field coupling

• US 10,063,100 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Vinit, Peralta, Alberto, Rajagopalan, Ajit, Luzinski, Jason, Babcock, Jacob, Frysz, Christine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUNOZ, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US14/821,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20170040694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/02 with tappings on coil or winding; with provision for rearrangement or interconnection of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

An electrical system incorporating a single structure multiple mode antenna is described. The antenna is preferably constructed having a first inductor coil that is electrically connected in series with a second inductor coil. The antenna is constructed having a plurality of electrical connections positioned along the first and second inductor coils. A plurality of terminals is connected to the electrical connections that facilitate numerous electrical connections and enables the antenna to be selectively tuned to various frequencies and frequency bands.

Claims

1. An electrical system, comprising:

a) an antenna, comprising;

i) a first conductive wire forming a first coil having N₁ number of turns with spaced apart first and second, first coil ends that are disposed on a substrate surface, wherein the first coil configured to generate a first inductance and a first resonant frequency, wherein a first gap extends between adjacent turns within the first coil;

ii) a second conductive wire forming a second coil having N₂ number of turns with spaced apart first and second, second coil ends, configured to generate a second inductance and a second resonant frequency, wherein the first resonant frequency is different than the second resonant frequency, the second coil positioned on the substrate surface and one of within an inner perimeter formed by an innermost turn of the first coil and adjacent the first coil, wherein a second gap extends between adjacent turns within the second coil;

iii) a third gap separating an outermost turn of the second coil from the innermost turn of the first coil, wherein the third gap is greater than the first and second gaps, and wherein the first end of the second coil meets and joins the second end of the first coil forming a continuous junction therebetween; and

iv) a first terminal electrically connected to the first end of the first coil, a second terminal electrically connected to the second end of the second coil and a third terminal electrically connected to either of the first or second coils;

b) a control circuit electrically connected to at least one of the first, second and third antenna terminals, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the operation of the antenna;

c) wherein a tunable inductance is generatable by electrically connecting two of the first, second, and third terminals;

d) wherein the first resonant frequency of the first coil differs from the second resonant frequency of the second coil by at least 100 kHz; and

e) wherein at least one of the first coil and the second coil operates at about 100 kHz to about 500 kHz.

2. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises at least one of an electrical resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

3. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the third gap is at least about 0.1 mm.

4. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive wire or the second conductive wire comprises two or more filars electrically connected in parallel.

5. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the first terminal is electrically connected to the first end of the first coil, wherein the first end of the first coil is disposed at an end of the first wire of the first coil located at an outermost first coil perimeter, the third terminal is electrically connected to the first end of the second coil positioned at a second coil outer perimeter, and the second terminal is electrically connected to the second end of the second coil located along an interior perimeter of the second coil.

6. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein a selection circuit is electrically connected to the first, second, and third terminals of the antenna, wherein actuation of the selection circuit electrically connects two of the three terminal ends so that an antenna operating frequency is modified.

7. The electrical system of claim 6, wherein the selection circuit comprises at least one of an electrical component selected from the group consisting of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

8. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the third terminal of the antenna is electrically connected to an electrical switch circuit comprising at least one capacitor, wherein the electrical switch circuit is electrically connected to the second end of the first coil and the first end of the second coil, and wherein actuation of the electrical switch electrically connects two of the three antenna terminal ends so that an antenna operating frequency is modified.

9. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein N₂, of the second coil, is greater than N₁, of the first coil.

10. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein each terminal of the antenna has a terminal lead portion that extends between a coil connection point and a terminal end, the coil connection point electrically connected to one of either of the first and second conductive wires of the first and second coils, respectively, and wherein the terminal lead portion extends over at least a portion of either of the first and second conductive wires of the first and second coils, respectively.

11. The electrical system of claim 10, wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of first vias are positioned adjacently along a right side of a length of the terminal lead portion and a plurality of second vias are positioned along a left side of a length of the terminal lead portion and opposed from the plurality of first vias so that each of the plurality of first vias opposes one of the plurality of second vias, wherein the respective opposing vias of the plurality of first and second vias are electrically connected to the same conductive wire of either of the first or second coils, thereby establishing a conductive electrical path therebetween that bypasses the terminal lead portion.

12. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein at least the first or second coil has a variable wire width.

13. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is capable of exhibiting a quality factor greater than 10 at an antenna operating frequency of at least 10 kHz.

14. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein an electrical signal selected from the group consisting of a data signal, an electrical voltage, an electrical current, and combinations thereof is receivable by at least one of the first and second coils.

15. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein an electrical signal selected from the group consisting of a data signal, an electrical voltage, an electrical current, and combinations thereof is transmittable by at least the first and second coils.

16. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the antenna substrate is a flexible substrate that comprises a material composed of an electrically insulative material selected from the group consisting of a polyimide, an acrylic, fiberglass, polyester, polyether imide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene napthalate, fluoropolymers, copolymers, a ceramic material, a ferrite material, and combinations thereof.

17. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is capable of receiving or transmitting within a frequency band selected from the group consisting of about 10 kHz to about 250 kHz, about 250 kHz to about 500 kHz, 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, and combinations thereof.

18. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is capable of receiving or transmitting frequencies of at least 10 kHz.

19. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the third gap disposed between the inner perimeter of the first coil and the outer perimeter of the second coil of the antenna ranges from about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm.

20. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second antenna coils is configured to receiver a wirelessly transmitted electrical power.

21. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second antenna coils is configured to wirelessly transmit an electrical power.

22. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the first resonant frequency of the first coil of the antenna is on the order of a MHz and the second resonant frequency of the second coil of the antenna is on the order of a kHz.

23. The antenna of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second coils has an unshielded inductance of between about 4.2 μ

H to about 8.2 μ

H when operating at about 100 kHz to about 500 kHz.

24. The antenna of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second coils has a surface area exceeding 120 mm.

25. The antenna of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second coils operates at a current exceeding 500 mA.