System and method for powering or charging small-volume or small-surface receivers or devices

• US 10,594,155 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Inventors: Partovi, Afshin
• Primary Examiner(s): Aisaka, Bryce M
• Application Number:
  US15/830,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20180358834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy 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 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Provided is a wireless power receiver for powering or charging an electric or electronic device or battery or a mobile electronic system such as a vehicle or robot. The receiver may consist of or consist essentially of a receiver coil of a blade or thin solenoid shape/geometry that includes a larger surface in a first dimension and a smaller surface in a second and/or third dimension, which receives power inductively from a wireless charger. The charger may be a source of an alternating magnetic field to charge or power one or multiple wireless power receivers or devices having small surface areas or volumes. The receiver coil has the smaller surface facing a charging surface of the charger. The wireless charger may include a charger coil designed to provide a substantially uniform magnetic field over an area larger than 50% of the charger surface.

Claims

1. A wireless power receiver for powering or charging an electric or electronic device or battery or a mobile electronic system such as a vehicle or robot, consisting of a receiver coil of a blade or thin solenoid shape/geometry that includes a larger surface in a first dimension and a smaller surface in a second and/or third dimension, which receives power inductively from a wireless charger,

wherein the charger is a source of an alternating magnetic field to charge or power one or multiple wireless power receivers or devices having small surface areas or volumes, and

further wherein the receiver coil has the smaller surface facing a charging surface of the charger, and

still further wherein the electric or electronic device or battery or the mobile electronic system such as the vehicle or robot communicate user data with the charger or a system that the charger is integrated into.

2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein magnetic or ferrite material or layers are added to or otherwise integrated with the top and/or bottom of the receiver coil, to aid in the guidance of flux generated in the receiver coil.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver coil includes a flux guide material such as ferrite with permeability greater than 1, wherein when the receiver is placed on the charge at an axis perpendicular to or at an angle sufficient to receive a substantially perpendicular flux from the charger, the axis is perpendicular to a tangent plane associated with the surface of the charger.

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the electronic device selected from batteries, cell phones, smart phones, cordless phones, communication devices, heads-up displays, wearable computer with head mounted display, 3-d TV glasses, wearable electronic glasses, wearable computer or communication devices, communication or display watches, pagers, personal data assistants, portable media players, global positioning (GPS) devices, powered headphones or noise cancelling headphones, Bluetooth headsets and other devices, shavers, watches, tooth brushes, calculators, cameras, optical scopes, infrared viewers, computers, laptops, tablets, netbooks, keyboards, computer mice, book readers or email devices, pagers, computer monitors, televisions, music or movie players and recorders, storage devices, radios, clocks, speakers, gaming devices, game controllers, toys, remote controllers, power tools, cash register, delivery or other type of scanners, construction tools, office equipment, robots including vacuum cleaning robots, floor washing robots, pool cleaning robots, gutter cleaning robots or robots used in hospital, clean room, military or industrial environments, industrial tools, mobile vacuum cleaners, medical or dental tools, medical stretcher batteries, military equipment or tools, kitchen appliances, mixers, cookers, can openers, food or beverage heaters or coolers such as electrically powered beverage mugs, massagers, adult toys, lights or light fixtures, signs or displays, or advertising applications, electronic magazines or newspapers or magazines or newspapers containing an electronic and/or display part, printers, fax machines, scanners, electric vehicles, electric golf carts, buses, trains, motorcycles or bicycles, personal mobility (e.g., Segway type) devices, trains or other vehicles or mobile transportation machines, and other battery or electrically powered devices or products or a product that is a combination of the products listed above.

5. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver coil includes a flux guide material such as ferrite with permeability greater than 1, with an axis perpendicular to or at an angle sufficient to receive a substantially perpendicular flux from the charger, and the axis is perpendicular to a tangent plane associated with the surface of the charger.

6. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the charger and the receiver to be powered or charged communicate to determine optimum powering or charging.

7. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver or the electronic or electric device can be configured to detect the orientation or front-back placement of the device during charging and perform additional contextually-aware functions.