WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER USING VARIABLE SIZE RESONATORS AND SYSTEM MONITORING

• US 20130278075A1
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Kurs, Andre B., Karalis, Aristeidis, Kesler, Morris P., Campanella, Andrew J., Hall, Katherine L., Kulikowski, Konrad J., Soljacic, Marin
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• 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 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• 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: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A variable effective size magnetic resonator includes an array of resonators each being one of at least two substantially different characteristic sizes and a mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency of the variable effective size magnetic resonator.

Claims

1. A variable effective size magnetic resonator comprising:

an array of resonators each being one of at least two substantially different characteristic sizes; and

a mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency of the variable effective size magnetic resonator.

2. The resonator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the array of resonators is a tunable resonator.

3. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises using a transistor to selectively open an electrical path.

4. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises using a transistor to selectively close an electrical path.

5. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises using a switch to selectively open an electrical path.

6. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises using a switch to selectively close an electrical path.

7. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises using a relay to selectively open an electrical path.

8. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises using a relay to selectively close an electrical path.

9. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises detuning the resonator by adding or removing capacitance from the resonator circuit.

10. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for detuning at least one of the resonators from the resonant frequency comprises detuning the resonator by adding or removing inductance from the resonator circuit.

11. The resonator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the array of resonators is supplied power via an inductive coupling.

12. The resonator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the array of resonators is supplied power through additional networks of electronic components.

13. A method for varying the effective size of magnetic resonators comprising:

selecting at least one magnetic resonator from an array of resonators each being one of at least two different characteristic sizes;

driving the at least one magnetic resonator at a resonant frequency;

monitoring at least one parameter of at least one of the magnetic resonators; and

adjusting the driving of at least one other magnetic resonator from the array of resonators based on the monitoring of at least one parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjusting the driving utilizes an algorithm running on a microprocessor associated with the magnetic resonator.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one parameter comprises an efficiency of a wireless power transfer to at least one other magnetic resonator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the efficiency of the wireless power transfer is greater than 10%.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the efficiency of the wireless power transfer is greater than 80%.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjusting of the driving utilizes information obtained via a wireless communication link.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjusting of at least one other magnetic resonator comprises detuning the at least one other magnetic resonator.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the detuning comprises open-circuiting a conductor of the resonator.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the detuning comprises grounding a conductor of the resonator.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the detuning comprises adding or removing capacitance from the resonator.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the detuning comprises adding or removing inductance from the resonator.

24. A variable effective size magnetic resonator comprising:

a plurality of magnetic resonators comprising at least two resonators with substantially different characteristic sizes, wherein at least one of the at least two resonators is detuned from the from the resonant frequency of the variable effective size magnetic resonator.

25. The resonator of claim 24, wherein at least one of the at least two resonators comprises magnetic material.

26. The resonator of claim 24 wherein at least one of the at least two resonators comprises a conductor to shape the field of the resonator.

27. The resonator of claim 24 wherein the at least one of the at least two resonators is tunable.

28. A variable effective size magnetic resonator comprising:

at least one resonator with a characteristic size x1,

at least a second resonator with a characteristic size x2,

at least a third resonator with a characteristic size x3;

wherein

at least one power and control circuit is adjusted to implement a power distribution protocol.

29. The resonator of claim 28, wherein the variable effective size magnetic resonator is a source resonator.

30. The resonator of claim 28, wherein the variable effective size magnetic resonator is a device resonator.

31. The resonator of claim 34, wherein the variable effective size magnetic resonator is tunable.

32. The resonator of claim 34, wherein at least the second and third resonators are tunable.

33. The resonator of claim 28, wherein the power distribution protocol achieves the desired wireless power transfer efficiencies to other resonators that are moving.

34. The resonator of claim 28, wherein the power distribution protocol achieves the desired wireless power transfer efficiencies to other resonators at different locations.

35. The resonator of claim 28, wherein the power distribution protocol achieves the desired wireless power transfer efficiencies to other resonators at different orientations.

37. The resonator of claim 34, wherein the variable effective size magnetic resonator is a source resonator.

38. The resonator of claim 34, wherein the variable effective size magnetic resonator is a device resonator.

39. The resonator of claim 34, wherein the variable effective size magnetic resonator is tunable.

40. The resonator of claim 34, wherein at least the second and third resonators are tunable.

41. The resonator of claim 34, wherein at least one of the second and third resonators is detuned from the resonant frequency of the variable effective size magnetic resonator to implement a power distribution protocol.

36. A variable effective size magnetic resonator comprising:

at least one resonator with a characteristic size x1,

at least a second resonator with a characteristic size x2,

at least a third resonator with a characteristic size x3;

wherein

the surface area circumscribed by the inductive element of the second resonator plus the surface area circumscribed by the inductive element of the third resonator is less than the surface area circumscribed by the inductive element of the at least one resonator.