Tessellated inductive power transmission system coil configurations

• US 10,411,509 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Graham, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez Borroto, Alfonso
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas G
• Application Number:
  US15/436,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A system for inductive power transmission includes at least one interface surface and a plurality of triangular coil elements positioned underneath the interface surface such that at least one edge of the respective triangular coil element is adjacent to an edge of at least one other of the triangular coil elements. Each of the triangular coil elements may be operable to inductively transmit power to at least one coil of at least one electronic device and/or inductively receive power from the coil of the electronic device. Each triangular coil element may be operable to detect the proximity of one or more inductive coils of one or more electronic devices and inductively transmit power upon such detection at different frequencies, power levels, and/or other inductive power transmission characteristics.

Claims

1. A system for inductive power transmission, comprising:

an interface surface; and

a plurality of coil elements positioned underneath the interface surface, each of the plurality of coil elements positioned such that at least one edge of the respective coil element is adjacent to an edge of at least one other of the plurality of coil elements, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements includes a ferrite shielding element positioned around sides of the respective coil element to separate the respective coil element from adjacent coil elements;

wherein each of the plurality of coil elements are operable to at least one of;

inductively transmit power to at least one coil of at least one electronic device;

or inductively receive power from the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements is triangular.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ferrite shielding element is further configured to shield a surface of the respective coil element opposite the interface surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one ferrite shielding element reduces interference between at least two of the plurality of coil elements inductively transmitting power at a same time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of coil elements are operable to cooperatively transmit power to the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the plurality of coil elements transmit the power utilizing a matching set of inductive transmission parameters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a first of the plurality of coil elements is operable to inductively transmit power to the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device at a same time a second of the plurality of coil elements inductively transmits power to at least one additional coil of at least one additional electronic device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first of the plurality of coil elements inductively transmits power at a first frequency and the second of the plurality of coil elements inductively transmits power at a second frequency.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements are operable to inductively transmit power at one of different frequencies or different power levels.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one coil element of the plurality of coil elements is positioned such that each edge of the at least one coil is adjacent to an edge of another coil element.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface surface forms an irregular shape or is a non-planar surface.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements are operable to detect proximity of the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements are operable to inductively transmit power to the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device upon detecting that the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device is proximate.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of coil elements occupy a different horizontal plane.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coil elements are positioned to occupy a maximized area underneath the interface surface.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of coil elements is non-planar.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements are operable to configure inductive power transmission according to requirements of a receiving device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of coil elements are operable to activate simultaneously.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least two of the plurality of coil elements utilize either a matching set of inductive transmission parameters or differing sets of inductive transmission parameters.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one coil element that has a shape other than a triangle.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one interface surface; and

a plurality of coil elements positioned underneath the at least one interface surface, each of the plurality of coil elements positioned such that at least one edge of the respective coil element is adjacent to an edge of at least one other of the plurality of coil elements, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements includes a ferrite shielding element positioned between the respective coil element and adjacent coil elements to separate the respective coil element from the adjacent coil elements;

wherein

at least one of the plurality of coil elements has a first shape;

at least one of the plurality of coil elements has a second shape different than the first shape; and

each of the plurality of coil elements are operable to at least one of;

inductively transmit power to at least one coil of at least one electronic device;

or inductively receive power from the at least one coil of the at least one electronic device.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein:

the first shape is flat; and

the second shape is non-flat.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein:

the first shape is triangular; and

the second shape is other than triangular.

24. A method for inductive power transmission, the method comprising:

placing at least one electronic device on an interface surface of an inductive power transmission device, the inductive power transmission device including a plurality of triangular coil elements positioned underneath the interface surface, each of the plurality of triangular coil elements positioned such that at least one edge of the respective triangular coil element is adjacent to an edge of at least one other of the plurality of triangular coil elements, wherein each of the plurality of coil elements includes a ferrite shielding element positioned between the respective coil element and adjacent coil elements to separate the respective coil element from the adjacent coil elements;

detecting that at least one of the plurality of triangular coil elements is proximate to the at least one electronic device; and

inductively transmitting power to the at least one electronic device utilizing the at least one of the plurality of triangular coil elements.