Wireless connector receiver module

• US 10,879,704 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2017
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Vinit, Shostak, Pavel, Peralta, Alberto, Luzinski, Jason, Babcock, Jacob D., Gotlieb, Michael, Riese, Glenn E, Alam, Md. Nazmul, Giometti, Robert, Los, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US15/686,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20180062435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• 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 1/38 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 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• 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: H01R 12/52 connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7082 Coupling device supported only by cooperation with PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7088 Arrangements for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/725 containing contact members presenting a contact carrying strip, e.g. edge-like strip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/732 Printed circuits being in the same plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/28 Impedance matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 : using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 : for isolation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0216 : Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference grounding H05K1/0215
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 : Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 : at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/148 : Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 : associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 : Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 : Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/366 : substantially perpendicularly to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/40 : Forming printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 : Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0022 : of components mounted on printed circuit boards [PCB] shields integrated within component packages H01L23/552; shields integrated within PCB H05K1/0218
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0075 : Magnetic shielding materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0081 : Electromagnetic shielding materials, e.g. EMI, RFI shielding H05K9/0003 takes precedence
• 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

Various embodiments of a wireless connector system are described. The system has a transmitter module and a receiver module that are configured to wirelessly transmit electrical energy and/or data via near field magnetic coupling. The wireless connector system is designed to increase the amount of wirelessly transmitted electrical power over a greater separation distance. The system is configured with various sensing circuits that alert the system to the presence of the receiver module to begin transfer of electrical power as well as undesirable objects and increased temperature that could interfere with the operation of the system. The wireless connector system is a relatively small foot print that is designed to be surface mounted.

Claims

1. A receiver module for wireless power transfer via near field magnetic coupling (NFMC) at an operating frequency configured for the wireless power transfer, the receiver module comprising:

a receiver antenna assembly comprising a first substrate supporting a receiver antenna, the receiver antenna configured to receive a wireless signal electrical energy, for the wireless power transfer at the operating frequency;

an electronic circuit board electrically connected to the receiver antenna;

the receiver antenna assembly and the electronic circuit board positioned within a housing;

at least one shielding material positioned between the receiver antenna and the electronic circuit board;

at least one insulator positioned between the electronic circuit board and the receiver antenna; and

a controller configured to generate and transmit, via the receiver antenna, a signal that defines an amount of power to be received from a transmitter module, the transmitter module including a receiver module detection sub-circuit and a transmitter master control sub-circuit, the receiver module detection sub-circuit electrically connected to the transmitter master control sub circuit by a sense line,

wherein the receiver module detection sub-circuit is configured to detect an electrical voltage on the sense line and calculate a detected voltage level, wherein the receiver module detection sub-circuit comprises an envelope tracker sub-circuit connected in series with a diode and a transmitter antenna,

wherein the receiver module detection sub-circuit is configured to compare the detected voltage level to an idle voltage level during an idle mode to determine a voltage change level,

wherein the receiver module detection sub-circuit is configured to compare the voltage change level to a predetermined voltage threshold level that indicates a presence of the receiver module,

wherein the receiver module detection sub-circuit enables configuration of the transmitter master control sub-circuit to communicate with the receiver module,

wherein, when the voltage change level exceeds the predetermined voltage threshold level, the transmitter master control sub-circuit transmits the electrical energy to the receiver module, and wherein, if the voltage change level exceeds the predetermined voltage threshold level, the transmitter module and the receiver module are configured to initiate identification communication that includes the controller transmitting the signal that defines the amount of power to be transmitted from the transmitter module.

2. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein the ferrite material comprises one or more of a ferrite, manganese-zinc, nickel-zinc, copper-zinc, magnesium-zinc, or combinations thereof.

3. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced apart castellations are formed within an exterior surface of the housing.

4. The receiver module of claim 3 wherein the plurality of castellations are plated with an electrically conductive material selected from a group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, and combinations thereof, and wherein at least one of the plurality of plated castellations is electrically contactable to an second electronic circuit board.

5. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive pads are formed on the housing exterior surface, wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive pads is electrically contactable to an second electronic circuit board.

6. The receiver module of claim 1 further configured to receive an electrical power that ranges from about 100 μ

W to about 10 W.

7. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein the receiver antenna comprises a coil disposed on a surface of an FR4 substrate.

8. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein the receiver antenna has a construction comprising a plurality of conductors and the at least one insulator positioned between each of the plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors having at least one turn.

9. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein the electronic circuit board comprises:

a) a receiver module master control sub-circuit comprising a master control unit;

b) an electrical impedance matching sub-circuit electrically connected to the receiver antenna, the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit comprising at least one capacitor, wherein the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit is configured to prepare the received electrical energy for use by an electrically connectable electrical device; and

c) a voltage regulator sub-circuit electrically connected to the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit and the receiver module master control sub-circuit.

10. The receiver module of claim 9 further comprising a voltage doubler sub-circuit, the voltage doubler sub-circuit electrically connected to the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit and the voltage regulator sub-circuit.

11. The receiver module of claim 9 further comprising a shunt capacitor, wherein the shunt capacitor is electrically connected within the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit.

12. The receiver module of claim 9 wherein a switch capacitor circuit is electrically connected to the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit, wherein the switch capacitor circuit is configured to dynamically modify a capacitance of the electrical impedance matching sub-circuit.

13. The receiver module of claim 1 further configured to receive and demodulate a transmitter module signal.

14. The receiver module of claim 1 further configured to modulate and transmit a receiver module signal.

15. The receiver module of claim 1 further comprising a thermal sense circuit electrically connected to the electronic circuit board, wherein the thermal sense circuit is configured to detect and measure a temperature within the receiver module.

16. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein the housing is connectable to a host device, the host device comprising an electrical device.

17. The receiver module of claim 1 wherein a flex connector, a board to board connector, a pin and socket connector, a spring contact connector, a pogo pin connector, a through-hole pin solder connector, a soldered wire connection, or a combination thereof electrically connects the receiver antenna to the electronic circuit board.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiver antenna is an antenna having a multi-layer-multi-turn (MLMT) construction.

19. The receiver module of claim 18, wherein a transmitter antenna is configured for having coil-to-coil efficiency of about 57.9% or more, when a coupling between the transmitter module and the receiver module is at about 0.26.

20. The receiver module of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of conductors has two or more turns and wherein each of the two or more turns are deposited on a surface of an insulative substrate, and wherein a gap between two of the two or more turns is in a range of about 15 microns to about 200 microns.

21. The receiver module of claim 1, wherein the operating frequency is selected from a range of about 2 MHz to about 30 MHz.

22. The receiver module of claim 1, wherein one or more of a transmitter antenna, the electronic circuit board, and the housing are hermetically sealed.

23. The receiver module of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to substantially encapsulate a transmitter antenna and the electronic circuit board such that one or more of liquid, debris, and any combinations thereof are prevented from inhibiting functionality of the transmitter module.

24. The receiver module of claim 1, wherein the receiver module is operatively associated with a host medical device, and

wherein the receiver module is configured to receive the electrical energy, via the wireless power transfer at the operating frequency, from the transmitter module, and

wherein the transmitter module is operatively associated with a transmitter host device, the transmitter host device operatively associated with the medical device.