Signaling in wireless power systems

• US 10,559,980 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Kurs, Andre B., Campanella, Andrew J., Karalis, Aristeidis, Hall, Katherine L., Kesler, Morris P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US15/620,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2003/005 Magnetic cores for receiving several windings with perpendicular axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3278 using physically unclonable functions [PUF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A wireless power system for powering a television includes a source resonator, configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field, and at least one television component attached to at least one device resonator, wherein the at least one device resonator is configured to wirelessly receive power from the source resonator via the oscillating magnetic field when the distance between the source resonator and the at least one device resonator is more than 5 cm, and wherein at least one television component draws at least 10 Watts of power.

Claims

1. A source for providing power wirelessly to, or receiving power wireless from, a vehicle, the source comprising:

a source resonator capable of generating a first electromagnetic field to provide power wirelessly to a device resonator configured to be mounted to the vehicle, and to receive power wirelessly via a second electromagnetic field generated by the device resonator;

power and control circuitry coupled to the source resonator and configured to control a direction of flow of the power, including a first direction of flow via the first electromagnetic field during a first time period and a second direction of flow via the second electromagnetic field during a second time period, the power and control circuitry comprising a processor configured to monitor a state of the power and control circuitry corresponding to the direction of flow; and

a user interface coupled to the power and control circuitry and configured to report information based on the monitored state of the power and control circuitry.

2. The source of claim 1, wherein the reported information comprises information about a position of the device resonator relative to the source resonator.

3. The source of claim 2, wherein the reported information is designed to help a human operator properly position the vehicle for wireless charging.

4. The source of claim 3, wherein the reported information is an audio or visual indication that the vehicle is properly positioned for the wireless charging.

5. The source of claim 1, wherein the reported information comprises an indication that an expected wireless charging rate has been interrupted by an intruding element.

6. The source of claim 1, wherein the power and control circuitry comprises measurement circuitry configured to measure one or more operating parameters indicative of the state of the power and control circuitry.

7. The source of claim 6, wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to measure any one or more of power, voltage, or current signals.

8. The source of claim 7, wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to measure at least one of a magnitude and a phase of voltage and current signals within at least one of the resonators.

9. The source of claim 6, wherein the measured one or more operating parameters is indicative of changes in distance between the source and device resonators.

10. The source of claim 6, wherein the measured one or more operating parameters is indicative of changes in mutual inductance between the source and device resonators.

11. The source of claim 1, further comprising wireless communication circuitry coupled to the power and control circuitry and configured to exchange information between the source and device resonators based on the monitored state of the power and control circuitry.

12. The source of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to transmit or receive an authentication signal to confirm that the source and device resonators are compatible with one another.

13. The source of claim 1, wherein the source resonator is configured for placement on a garage floor.

14. The source of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic field provides power of at least 3 kW to a battery of the vehicle.

15. The source of claim 1, wherein the source resonator comprises a capacitively-loaded inductor loop resonator.

16. The source of claim 15, wherein the source resonator has an intrinsic quality factor Qs greater than 100.

17. The source of claim 2, wherein the reported information is presented as a digital signal.

18. The source of claim 2, wherein the reported information is provided to a processor for automatic positioning of the device resonator mounted to the vehicle relative to the source resonator.

19. The source of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

20. The source of claim 1, wherein the first time period is night and the second time period is during episodes of peak demand occurring during the day.

21. The source of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

22. The source of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a drone.

23. The source of claim 1, wherein the source resonator is connected to a power grid.

24. The source of claim 1, wherein the source resonator is connected to an energy storage unit.

25. The source of claim 1, wherein the source resonator is connected to an energy storage unit of a photovoltaic cell.

26. The source of claim 1, wherein the power and control circuitry is configured to monitor power usage for billing.