Wireless Energy Transfer with Negative Material

• US 20110133566A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yerazunis, Bill, Zhang, Jinyun, Huang, Da, Teo, Koon Hoo, Wang, Bingnan
• Application Number:
  US12/630,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133566A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 7/00 Other common features of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention disclose a system configured to exchange energy wirelessly. The system includes a structure configured to exchange the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves, wherein the structure is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative, and wherein the structure generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy; and a negative index material (NIM) arranged within the EM near-field such that the coupling is enhanced.

Claims

1. A device configured to receive energy wirelessly, wherein the device has at least one degree of freedom, comprising:

a load configured to consume the energy;

a sink configured to receive the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves and supply the energy to the load, wherein the sink is an electromagnetic (EM) and a non-radiative structure; and

a negative index material (NIM) arranged such as to increase the coupling.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a portable device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device has more than one degree of freedom.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the load is selected from an engine, a motor, a processor, a lighting device, and a combination thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from a group including a car, a mobile communicator, a laptop, an audio/video device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the NIM is arranged such as to enclose the sink.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of NIMs arranged on a path of an evanescent wave such that the evanescent wave travels through each NIM in the plurality of NIMs during the coupling.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the NIM is arranged such that a distance between the NIM and the structure is proportional to dimensions of the NIM.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the sink is a resonant structure having a resonant frequency.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the NIM displays the negative electromagnetic properties in bandwidth of about 5-10% of the resonant frequency.

11. A method for receiving energy wirelessly, comprising steps of:

receiving the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves;

enhancing the coupling using a negative index material (NIM); and

consuming the energy.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

arranging the NIM such as to increase amplitudes of the evanescent waves during the coupling.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

arranging a plurality of the NIMs such as to increase amplitudes of the evanescent waves during the coupling.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a near field upon the receiving the energy; and

arranging the NIM within the near-field.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy is received from a plurality directions.

16. A device configured to receive energy wirelessly, comprising:

means for receiving the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves; and

a negative index material (NIM) arranged such as to enhance the coupling.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

means for consuming the energy.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the energy has a frequency in a diapason from MHz to GHz.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the NIM is arranged such as to increase the amplitude of the evanescent waives during the coupling.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the means for receiving the energy is an electromagnetic (EM), a non-radiative, and a resonant structure.