Electronic device having a sidewall configured to facilitate through-metal energy transfer via near field magnetic coupling

• US 10,432,033 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Inventors: Peralta, Alberto, Alam, Md. Nazmul, Singh, Vinit, Alizad, Sina Haji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US15/836,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/348 Preventing eddy currents
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/361 made of combinations of electrically conductive material and ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/366 made of ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 : Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0084 : comprising a single continuous metallic layer on an electrically insulating supporting structure, e.g. metal foil, film, plating coating, electro-deposition, vapour-deposition

Abstract

An electrically conductive material configured having at least one opening of various unlimited geometries extending through its thickness is provided. The opening is designed to modify eddy currents that form within the surface of the material from interaction with magnetic fields that allow for wireless energy transfer therethrough. The opening may be configured as a cut-out, a slit or combination thereof that extends through the thickness of the electrically conductive material. The electrically conductive material is configured with the cut-out and/or slit pattern positioned adjacent to an antenna configured to receive or transmit electrical energy wirelessly through near-field magnetic coupling (NFMC). A magnetic field shielding material, such as a ferrite, may also be positioned adjacent to the antenna. Such magnetic shielding materials may be used to strategically block eddy currents from electrical components and circuitry located within a device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a) an electronic circuit;

b) a sidewall having a surface extending to a perimeter with an end defining a sidewall surface area and having a sidewall thickness oriented about perpendicular to the sidewall surface;

c) a cut-out having a cut-out perimeter defining a cut-out shape oriented parallel to the sidewall surface residing within the sidewall surface area, the cut-out extending through the sidewall thickness; and

d) at least one slit having a slit length extending from a slit proximal end to a slit distal end, a slit width oriented perpendicular to the slit length, and a slit depth extending at least partially within the sidewall thickness, wherein the slit proximal end extends from the cut-out perimeter and the slit distal end extends towards a sidewall edge;

e) wherein the cut-out and the at least one slit define a cut-out pattern surface area, and

wherein a substrate is configured according to the equation;

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sidewall surface comprises an exterior surface of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a computer, a radio, a television, a medical device, and a device that comprises an electronic circuit.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the slit depth extends through the sidewall thickness.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the cut-out shape is configured in a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an oval, a rectangle, a square, a triangle, an octagon, and a polygon.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sidewall is composed of an electrically conducting material.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the length of the at least one slit ranges from 10 mm to about 50 mm.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the width of the at least one slit ranges from 1 mm to about 5 mm.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the at least one slit resides at the sidewall edge.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the at least one slit extends through the sidewall edge.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sidewall is positioned adjacent an inductor coil of a receiving antenna or a transmitting antenna, the inductor coil having an inner inductor coil diameter, wherein the perimeter of the cut-out is aligned perpendicularly to the inductor coil inner diameter.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the inductor coil resides on a surface of a ferrite material.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the ferrite material has a loss tangent equal to or less than 0.70.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein an opening extends through a thickness of the ferrite material, the inductor coil positioned surrounding the opening.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the ferrite material comprises an overhang portion that circumferentially extends around an outer diameter of the inductor coil.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the cut-out and at least one inductor coil are aligned in parallel so that an imaginary line oriented perpendicular to the parallel alignment of the cut-out and the at least one inductor coil extends through a first point that lies on a perimeter of the cut-out and a second point that lies on an inner diameter of the at least one inductor coil.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a) an electronic circuit;

b) a sidewall having a surface extending to a perimeter with an end defining a sidewall surface area and having a sidewall thickness oriented about perpendicular to the sidewall surface;

c) a cut-out having a cut-out perimeter defining a cut-out shape oriented parallel to the sidewall surface residing within the sidewall surface area, the cut-out extending through the sidewall thickness; and

d) at least one slit having a slit length extending from a slit proximal end to a slit distal end, a slit width oriented perpendicular to the slit length, and a slit depth extending at least partially within the sidewall thickness, wherein the slit proximal end extends from the cut-out perimeter and the slit distal end extends towards a sidewall edge;

e) wherein the sidewall is positioned adjacent an inductor coil of a receiving antenna or a transmitting antenna, the inductor coil having an inner inductor coil diameter, wherein the perimeter of the cut-out is aligned perpendicularly to the inductor coil inner diameter.