System and Method for Energy Transfer

• US 20110169335A1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Jinyun, Teo, Koon Hoo
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system configured to exchange energy wirelessly is disclosed. The system comprises 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 is a resonant having a resonant mode, wherein the structure is configured to exchange the energy when the structure is in the resonant mode, and to store the energy when the structure is not in the resonant mode; a tuning module configured to transition the structure in and out of the resonant mode based on an instruction; an energy monitor module configured to determine the instruction based on information indicative of the energy stored and/or exchanged by the structure; and a transceiver configured to transmit and/or to receive the instruction.

Claims

1. A system configured to exchange energy wirelessly, comprising:

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 is a resonant having a resonant mode, wherein the structure is configured to exchange the energy when the structure is in the resonant mode, and to store the energy when the structure is not in the resonant mode;

a tuning module configured to transition the structure in and out of the resonant mode based on an instruction;

an energy monitor module configured to determine the instruction based on information indicative of the energy stored and/or exchanged by the structure; and

a transceiver configured to transmit and/or to receive the instruction.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

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

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a driver configured to supply the energy to the structure.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a load configured to receive the energy from the structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the resonant mode is in a diapason from MHz to GHz.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the resonant mode is an odd resonant mode.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the resonant mode is an even resonant mode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the information indicates that the structure is ready to exchange the energy.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information indicates that the structure has no energy for exchange.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure is configured to transmit the energy to a next structure, further comprising:

a discovery module configured to identify the next structure.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the discovery module uses a wireless or wireline discovery process.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure is configured to have a first resonant mode and a second resonant mode, wherein the tuning module is a first tuning module, and the resonant mode is the first resonant mode such that the first tuning module is configure to transition the structure in and out of the first resonant mode, further comprising:

a second tuning module configured to transition the structure in and out the second resonant mode.

13. A method for exchanging energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves, comprising steps of:

providing a structure configured to exchange the energy wirelessly via the coupling of evanescent waves, wherein the structure is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative, and wherein the structure is a resonant structure having a resonant mode, wherein the structure is configured to exchange the energy when the structure is in the resonant mode, and to store the energy when the structure is not in the resonant mode;

transitioning the structure in the resonant mode;

receiving an instruction regarding a status of the exchange of the energy; and

transitioning the structure out of the resonant mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the instruction is received wirelessly from a sink.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring the energy stored and/or exchanged by the structure; and

determining the instruction based on the monitoring.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

increasing amplitudes of the evanescent waves using a negative index material (NIM), such that the coupling is enhanced.

17. A method for transmitting energy wirelessly in a network of nodes from a source node to a sink node through at least one relay node, wherein each node include a structure configured to exchange the energy wirelessly via the coupling of evanescent waves, wherein the structure is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative, and wherein the structure is a resonant structure having a resonant mode, wherein the structure is configured to exchange the energy when the structure is in the resonant mode, and to store the energy when the structure is not in the resonant mode, comprising steps of:

discovering the relay node to receive the energy;

transitioning the structure of the source node and the structure of the relay node in the resonant mode;

receiving an instruction regarding a status of the exchange of the energy; and

transitioning the structure out of the resonant mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifying uses a discovery process.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting, to the relay node, an information indicative of a status of the exchange of the energy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the status indicates that the node is ready to exchange the energy.