Wireless power apparatus, system and method

• US 10,454,307 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jabil Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jabil Inc.
• Inventors: Eckerson, David M., Beebe, Ronald, Compton, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/671,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/1236 adapted to induce current in a coil to supply power to a device and electrical heating devices powered in this way
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for wirelessly powering a device. The apparatus, system and method may include a primary coil housing that houses a primary coil; a secondary coil housed within the device and suitable for having power induced therein responsive to the primary coil; an isolator that at least partially mechanically and electrically isolates the primary coil from the secondary coil; and a plurality of paired feedback sensors respectively communicatively and physically associated with, and paired as between, the primary coil housing and the device, wherein the plurality of paired feedback sensors exchanges indications regarding performance of the secondary coil, and wherein performance of the primary coil is modified responsively to the indications.

Claims

1. A system for receiving operating power at a battery-less appliance necessitating the operating power in a range of about 1 kW to about 4.5 kW, comprising:

a secondary coil within a housing physically associated with the appliance and suitable for providing induced actuation operative alternating current responsive to a primary coil circuit having a full bridge driver circuit and a primary coil magnetically proximate to, and which is within a glass cooktop that at least partially isolates the primary coil from, the secondary coil;

an appliance controller coupled to the secondary coil and suitable to locally receive from a remote source as a member of an internet-of-things group a shape, frequency, and magnitude of the operative alternating current situationally required by at least the appliance of the group, and suitable to generate data indicators for processing and the induction of the operative alternating current according to the indication; and

at least one infrared sensor system communicatively coupled to the appliance controller and to at least one data receiver of the primary coil and suitable to wirelessly exchange ones of the data indicators between the appliance controller and the at least one data receiver associated with the primary coil to stimulate operation of the primary coil to produce the shape, frequency and magnitude of the operative current in the secondary coil.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary sensor communicatively coupled to the appliance controller and suitable to transmit other ones of the data indicators.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the secondary sensor comprises one of a static presence indicator, radio frequency switch, wired switch, Bluetooth switch, visible light switch, and NFC switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance controller further comprises a safe operation detector suitable to monitor the operative current.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a waveform of the operative current is indicative of at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness of one or more aspects of the appliance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the appliance is one selected from the group consisting of a blender, toaster, coffee maker, networked device, display, pan, pot, can opener, grill, hibachi, cooler, chiller, juicer, cooktop, oven, and cooking iron.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein ones of the data indicators comprise performance feedback.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base suitable for receiving the appliance.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the base comprises a multi-prong plug receiver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein ones of the data indicators comprise compatibility with the primary coil.

11. A system for providing operating AC power in a range of about 1 kW to 4.5 kW to a battery-less appliance, comprising:

a primary coil circuit comprising a full bridge driver circuit that is within a cooktop that is physically separate from, and that comprises a glass surface that at least partially provides mechanical and electrical isolation from, a secondary coil physically associated with the appliance, wherein a primary coil of the primary coil circuit is suitable for inducing an actuating operative current in the secondary coil when magnetically proximate to the second coil;

a primary coil controller coupled to the primary coil circuit, suitable to indicate a primary coil waveform to be provided at the primary coil based on a sensed appliance associated with the secondary coil, and suitable to locally receive from a remote source a shape, frequency, and magnitude of the actuating operative alternating current situationally required by at least the appliance as a member of an internet-of-things group; and

a feedback receiver within the housing and comprising at least an infrared sensor, and which is suitable to;

receive feedback data regarding a secondary coil operative power waveform induced in the secondary coil responsively to the primary coil waveform;

modify the primary coil waveform responsively to the feedback data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the feedback data comprises presence indication.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the feedback data comprises performance indication.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the feedback receiver further comprises at least one of a static presence indicator, radio frequency switch, wired switch, Bluetooth switch, visible light switch, and NFC switch.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the feedback data is indicative of at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness of one or more aspects of the appliance.