CENTRALLY CONTROLLED INDUCTIVE POWER TRANSMISSION PLATFORM

• US 20100219698A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powermat Ltd.
• Inventors: Greenwald, Oola, Ben-Shalom, Amir, Azancot, Yossi, Rofe, Arik, Leibovitz, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,049,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

An inductive power transmission platform includes a plurality of inductive power outlets connected to a common driver via individual power switches. The inductive power outlets are configured to couple with inductive power receivers to provide power to electrical loads wired thereto. The switches may be configured to remain closed while current passes therethrough. The common driver may be used to manage the power drawn by the transmission platform to each of the inductive power outlets.

Claims

1. An inductive power transmission platform comprising:

a plurality of primary inductors configured to couple with at least one secondary inductor wired to an electrical load; and

a common driver, said driver for providing an oscillating voltage to said primary inductors;

wherein said primary inductors are connected to said common driver via individual power switches.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein each of said power switches is configured to remain closed for as long as electric current passes therethrough.

3. The platform of claim 1 wherein each said power switch comprises a magnetic switch.

4. The platform of claim 3 further comprising a solenoid for providing a magnetic field in the vicinity of said magnetic switch when said reed switch is closed.

5. The platform of claim 3 additionally comprising a secondary sensing unit, in communication with said driver, for detecting said secondary inductor coupled to said primary inductor.

6. The platform of claim 5 said driver providing said oscillating voltage only on reception of an activation signal from the sensing unit.

7. The platform of claim 5 wherein said sensing unit comprises an optical receiver for receiving an optical signal from an optical emitter associated with said secondary inductor.

8. The platform of claim 1 further comprising an energy management system for managing the power drawn from a power source, said energy management system comprising:

at least one power monitor for monitoring the power drawn by said platform and for producing a power signal;

at least one load detector for detecting the presence of said electric load coupled to said primary inductor and for producing a detection signal; and

at least one controller configured to receive said power signal and said detection signal, to select at least one primary inductor to be activated and to control power delivered to said at least one primary inductor.

9. The platform of claim 8 additionally comprising at least one energy reservoir.

10. The platform of claim 9 wherein said energy reservoir is selectively connectable selectively couplable to at least one of a group consisting of:

the power source, the electric load or the primary inductor.

11. The platform of claim 9 additionally comprising a reservoir monitor for monitoring the level of energy stored in said energy reservoir producing a reservoir signal wherein said controller receives said reservoir signal and selectively connects said energy reservoir to said power source.

12. The platform of claim 9 wherein said energy reservoir is selected from at least one of the group consisting of a voltaic cell, a capacitor, a fuel cell, a supercapacitor, a flow battery, a chargeable cell, a superconducting magnetic energy store, power cells connected to said electric load and combinations thereof.

13. The platform of claim 9, said at least one electric load being a computer having onboard rechargeable power cells and said energy reservoir being said power cells.

14. The platform of claim 8 wherein said load detector is selected from a group consisting of a volume sensor, an infra-red sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a hall probe, a spring switch, a magnetic switch, a transmitter-receiver arrangement and inductive elements.

15. The platform of claim 8, said controller being configured to sequentially connect a plurality of said primary inductors to said power source.

16. A method for providing inductive power transmission comprising:

providing a cluster of power outlets, the cluster comprising a plurality of primary inductors each said primary inductor connected to a power switch, said power switch being configured to remain closed for as long as electric current passes therethrough;

connecting all power switches to a common driver, said driver being configured to provide an oscillating voltage to said cluster only if it receives an activation signal;

providing an inductive power receiver comprising a secondary inductor wired to an electric load and at least one trigger configured to close at least one said power switch when said secondary inductor is aligned with the primary inductor associated therewith, and

providing a secondary detector configured to send said activation signal to said driver when it detects said secondary inductor coupled to said primary inductor.

17. A method for managing the power drawn from a power source by a power board, said power board comprising a plurality of electrical power outlets connected to a common driver, said method comprising:

providing at least one power monitor;

providing at least one load detector;

providing at least one controller;

monitoring the power drawn by said power board and producing a power signal;

detecting at least one load coupled with at least one power outlet of said power board and producing a detection signal;

said controller receiving said power signal and said detection signal;

said controller selecting at least one of said power outlets to be activated;

said controller determining a duty cycle for connecting active power outlets; and

said controller connecting said active power outlets to said driver according to said duty cycle.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said duty cycle connects active power outlets individually and sequentially.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein power drawn by said power board is limited to a range of values.

20. The method of claim 17 comprising the additional steps:

providing at least one energy reservoir selectively couplable to at least one of a group consisting of;

the power source, the electric load or the power outlet; and

connecting said energy reservoir to at least one activated power outlet when said activated power outlet is disconnected from said power source.