FLOOR COVERING AND INDUCTIVE POWER SYSTEM

• US 20100314946A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Der Poel, Lucas Leo Disiree, Teeven, Victor Adrianus Joseph, Waffenschmidt, Eberhard, Budde, Wolfgang Otto, Snijder, Pieter Jacob
• Application Number:
  US12/446,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20100314946A1
• 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 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

The invention relates to a floor covering (100) comprising: a plurality of coils (110), each coil (110) being operable to supply inductive energy to a power receiver circuit (200); wherein the plurality of coils comprises a transmitter area occupying the largest area of the floor covering (100); and a charging current through the coils is operable to generate said inductive energy.

Claims

1. A floor covering (100) comprising:

a plurality of coils (110), each coil (110) being operable to supply inductive energy to a power receiver circuit (200);

wherein the plurality of coils comprises a transmitter area occupying the largest area of the floor covering (100); and

a charging current through the coils is operable to generate said inductive energy.

2. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, further comprising an upper protection layer (140, 150) and a wiring system (113114, 113′

, 114′

) which is operable to supply said charging current from a power supply (310) to said plurality of coils (110);

wherein wires (113, 114, 113′

, 114′

) of said wiring system (113, 114, 113′

, 114′

) and/or said plurality of coils (110) are integrated in a flexible substrate (120); and

said flexible substrate (120) is attached to said protection layer (140, 150).

3. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, further comprising an upper protection layer (140, 150) and a wiring system (113114, 113′

, 114′

) which is operable to supply said charging current from a power supply (310) to said plurality of coils (110);

wherein wires of said wiring system and/or said coils are woven and/or embroidered and/or sewn into the upper protection layer.

4. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, wherein at least two coils (110) of the plurality of coils (110) are positioned adjacent to each other.

5. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of switches (111), each switch (111) corresponding to at least one coil (110) of said plurality of coils (110), wherein each switch (111) is operable to switch said charging current to said at least one connected coil (110).

6. The floor covering (100) of claim 5, wherein said wiring system (113′

, 114′

) further comprises at least one power rail (114′

) connected to each switch (111) and to said power supply.

7. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic material (130) which is capable of improving the magnetic coupling between said coils (110) and said power receiver circuit (200).

8. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator (115) indicating areas for cutting the floor covering (100) or a predetermined point of fracture, disconnecting parts of said coils (110).

9. The floor covering (100) of claim 1, further comprising a respective plurality of detector circuits (111), each detector circuit (111) corresponding to one of the plurality of coils (100) and each detector circuit (111) being operable to electromagnetically sense a power receiver circuit (200);

wherein, upon electromagnetically sensing a power receiver circuit (200), each detector circuit (111) enables switching of its corresponding coil (110) to a power supply, thereby supplying a charging current to said corresponding coil (110), said charging current being operable to generate inductive energy for transmission to said power receiver circuit (200).

10. An inductive power system comprising:

a floor covering (100) and a power receiver circuit (200) which is movable across the floor covering (100) and is operable to receive inductive energy;

wherein the floor covering (100) comprises;

a plurality of coils (110), each coil (110) being operable to supply said inductive energy to said power receiver circuit (200);

the plurality of coils comprises a transmitter area occupying the largest area of the floor covering (100); and

said charging current is operable to generate said inductive energy.

11. The inductive power system of claim 10, comprising a remote control device (1000) with a transmitter which is operable to remotely control an electronic device (1050) wirelessly, wherein the remote control device (1000) comprises said power receiver circuit (200).

12. The inductive power system of claim 10, further comprising a transmitting circuit (300) connected to said plurality of coils (110), said circuit being operable to transmit data to the power receiver circuit (200).