Dynamic adjustment of power for wireless power transmission
First Claim
1. An apparatus for wireless power transmission, the apparatus comprising:
- a resonator circuit configured to generate a magnetic field to couple to a power receiving unit, the resonator circuit comprising a transmit coil and at least one electromechanical reactive device, the at least one electromechanical reactive device comprising a plurality of components including one or more moveable components and having a reactance that is determined by a physical arrangement of the plurality of components;
a power circuit electrically connected to the resonator circuit and configured to provide power to drive the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field; and
a controller electrically connected to the at least one electromechanical reactive device of the resonator circuit and configured to actuate one or more of the at least one electromechanical reactive device to move at least one of the one or more moveable components to change the physical arrangement of the plurality of components, and hence to change an available reactance providable by the at least one electromechanical reactive device, wherein to move at least one of the one or more moveable components the controller is configured to;
change a relative physical relationship of a dielectric layer relative to a plurality of first conductive plates;
orchange a relative physical relationship of a second conductive plate relative to a plurality of third conductive plates;
orchange a relative physical relationship of a plurality of side-by-side windings;
orchange a relative physical relationship of a plurality of stacked windings;
orvary an amount of overlap between a moveable ferrite slug and a winding of conductive material to vary an inductance, the moveable ferrite slug being disposed within the winding of conductive material of an electromechanical inductor of the at least one electromechanical reactive device, and shape-memory alloy wire being attached to the moveable ferrite slug;
ora combination of two or more of these.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed for wireless power transmission. The apparatus may include a resonator circuit configured to generate a magnetic field to couple to a power receiving unit. The resonator circuit may include a transmit coil and an electromechanical reactive device having one or more moveable components, and having a reactance that is determined by a physical arrangement of those components. A power circuit connected to the resonator circuit can provide power to drive the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field. The electromechanical reactive device of the resonator circuit can be actuated to change the physical arrangement of the one or more moveable components, and hence change the reactance.
13 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for wireless power transmission, the apparatus comprising:
-
a resonator circuit configured to generate a magnetic field to couple to a power receiving unit, the resonator circuit comprising a transmit coil and at least one electromechanical reactive device, the at least one electromechanical reactive device comprising a plurality of components including one or more moveable components and having a reactance that is determined by a physical arrangement of the plurality of components; a power circuit electrically connected to the resonator circuit and configured to provide power to drive the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field; and a controller electrically connected to the at least one electromechanical reactive device of the resonator circuit and configured to actuate one or more of the at least one electromechanical reactive device to move at least one of the one or more moveable components to change the physical arrangement of the plurality of components, and hence to change an available reactance providable by the at least one electromechanical reactive device, wherein to move at least one of the one or more moveable components the controller is configured to; change a relative physical relationship of a dielectric layer relative to a plurality of first conductive plates;
orchange a relative physical relationship of a second conductive plate relative to a plurality of third conductive plates;
orchange a relative physical relationship of a plurality of side-by-side windings;
orchange a relative physical relationship of a plurality of stacked windings;
orvary an amount of overlap between a moveable ferrite slug and a winding of conductive material to vary an inductance, the moveable ferrite slug being disposed within the winding of conductive material of an electromechanical inductor of the at least one electromechanical reactive device, and shape-memory alloy wire being attached to the moveable ferrite slug;
ora combination of two or more of these. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
13. An apparatus for wireless power transmission, the apparatus comprising:
-
a resonator circuit configured to generate a magnetic field to couple to a power receiving unit, the resonator circuit comprising a transmit coil and at least one electromechanical reactive device, the at least one electromechanical reactive device comprising a plurality of components including one or more moveable components and having a reactance that is determined by a physical arrangement of the plurality of components; a power circuit electrically connected to the resonator circuit and configured to provide power to drive the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field; and a controller electrically connected to the at least one electromechanical reactive device of the resonator circuit and configured to actuate one or more of the at least one electromechanical reactive device to move at least one of the one or more moveable components to change the physical arrangement of the plurality of components, and hence to change an available reactance providable by the at least one electromechanical reactive device; wherein the at least one electromechanical reactive device comprises an electromechanical inductor that comprises a pair of rotatable plates, each rotatable plate having a winding comprising a conductive material wound about the rotatable plate, wherein an inductance of the electromechanical inductor is determined by a relative orientation of the windings between the rotatable plates. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
18. A method for wirelessly transmitting power comprising:
-
providing power to a resonator circuit to generate a magnetic field at a resonant frequency that can couple to a power receiving unit; detecting that the resonator circuit has become detuned; and retuning the resonator circuit in response to detecting that the resonator circuit has become detuned, including actuating at least one electromechanical reactive device in the resonator circuit to change an available reactance providable by the at least one electromechanical reactive device, and hence the resonant frequency of the resonator circuit, by; changing a relative physical relationship of a dielectric layer relative to a plurality of first conductive plates;
orchanging a relative physical relationship of a second conductive plate relative to a plurality of third conductive plates;
orchanging a relative physical relationship of a plurality of side-by-side windings;
orchanging a relative physical relationship of a plurality of stacked windings;
orvarying an amount of overlap between a moveable ferrite slug and a winding of conductive material to vary an inductance, the moveable ferrite slug being disposed within the winding of conductive material of an electromechanical inductor of the one or more electromechanical reactive device, the electromechanical inductor comprising shape-memory alloy wire attached to the moveable ferrite slug;
ora combination of two or more of these. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power comprising:
-
means for generating a magnetic field configured to couple to an external device for wireless power transfer to the external device; means for sensing a power used to generate the magnetic field and for generating a control signal depending on the power sensed; and means for mechanically adjusting a resonant frequency of the means for generating the magnetic field in response to the control signal, the means for mechanically adjusting comprising means for changing an available reactance providable by an electromechanical reactance device of the means for generating the magnetic field, the means for changing an available reactance comprising; means for changing a relative physical relationship of a dielectric layer relative to a plurality of first conductive plates;
ormeans for changing a relative physical relationship of a second conductive plate relative to a plurality of third conductive plates;
ormeans for changing a relative physical relationship of a plurality of side-by-side windings;
ormeans for changing a relative physical relationship of a plurality of stacked windings;
ormeans for varying an amount of overlap between a moveable ferrite slug and a winding of conductive material to vary an inductance, the moveable ferrite slug being disposed within the winding of conductive material, the means for varying comprising shape-memory alloy wire attached to the moveable ferrite slug;
ora combination of two or more of these. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
-
26. An apparatus for wireless power transmission comprising:
-
a transmit coil configured to generate a magnetic field to couple to a power receiving unit, the transmit coil comprising; a shell having an interior volume of the shell; a conductive material wound about the shell; and a fluid contained within the interior volume of the shell, the fluid having suspended therein ferromagnetic particles; a power circuit configured to provide power to the conductive material wound about the shell; and a controller configured to selectively control movement of the ferromagnetic particles into and out of the interior volume of the shell in response to a power output of the power circuit to change an available reactance providable by the transmit coil. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
-
Specification