SERIES RELAYED WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER IN A VEHICLE

• US 20140265555A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Hall, Katherine L., Kulikowski, Konrad, Kesler, Morris P., Kurs, Andre B., Ganem, Steve J., Schatz, David A., Giler, Eric R.
• Application Number:
  US13/834,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265555A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/06 using only one supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/20 Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 : using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 : Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 : Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 : Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 : Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 : Preventing overcharging
• 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 50/12 : of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 : using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 : 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 7/00302 : Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Described herein are improved capabilities for a system and method for wireless energy distribution across a vehicle compartment of defined area, comprising a source resonator coupled to an energy source of a vehicle and generating an oscillating magnetic field with a frequency, and at least one repeater resonator positioned along the vehicle compartment, the at least one repeater resonator positioned in proximity to the source resonator, the at least one repeater resonator having a resonant frequency and comprising a high-conductivity material adapted and located between the at least one repeater resonator and a vehicle surface to direct the oscillating magnetic field away from the vehicle surface, wherein the at least one repeater resonator provides an effective wireless energy transfer area within the defined area.

Claims

1. A system for wireless energy distribution across a vehicle compartment of defined area, the system comprising:

a source resonator coupled to an energy source of a vehicle and generating an oscillating magnetic field with a frequency; and

at least one repeater resonator positioned along the vehicle compartment, the at least one repeater resonator positioned in proximity to the source resonator, the at least one repeater resonator having a resonant frequency and comprising a high-conductivity material adapted and located between the at least one repeater resonator and a vehicle surface to direct the oscillating magnetic field away from the vehicle surface,

wherein the at least one repeater resonator provides an effective wireless energy transfer area within the defined area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a passenger compartment with an internal surface and wherein the at least one repeater resonator is positioned substantially in the plane of the internal surface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the internal surface is a floor surface of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the floor surface of the vehicle is an isle way through the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle surface is a ceiling surface of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a passenger seat within the defined area of the vehicle, wherein the passenger seat has a seat repeater resonator, the seat repeater resonator receiving wireless energy from the at least one repeater resonator and generating a second wireless energy transfer area local to the seat repeater resonator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the seat repeater resonator is located in the back of the passenger seat.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein high-conductivity material is used to shape the resonator fields of the seat repeater resonator such that they avoid lossy objects in the passenger seat.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the seat repeater resonator is located in a deployable tray of the passenger seat.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the deployable tray folds down from the back of the passenger seat.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the high-conductivity material is covered on at least one side by a layer of magnetic material.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the high-conductivity material shapes the resonator fields away from lossy objects in the vehicle surface.

13. A method for wireless energy distribution in a vehicle compartment of a defined area, the method comprising:

providing a source resonator coupled to an energy source of the vehicle and generating an oscillating magnetic field with an amplitude and a frequency;

extending the area of the magnetic field of a certain amplitude with at least one repeater resonator positioned along the vehicle compartment; and

directing the magnetic field of the repeater resonator away from the vehicle structures with a high-conductivity material adapted and located between the repeater resonator and the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle has a passenger compartment with an internal surface and wherein the at least one repeater resonator is positioned substantially in the plane of the internal surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the internal surface is a floor surface of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the floor surface of the vehicle is an isle way through the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle surface is a ceiling surface of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising a passenger seat within the defined area of the vehicle, wherein the passenger seat has a seat repeater resonator, the seat repeater resonator receiving wireless energy from the at least one repeater resonator and generating a second wireless energy transfer area local to the seat repeater resonator.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the seat repeater resonator is located in the back of the passenger seat.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein high-conductivity material is used to shape the resonator fields of the seat repeater resonator such that they avoid lossy objects in the passenger seat.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the seat repeater resonator is located in a deployable tray of the passenger seat.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the deployable tray folds down from the back of the passenger seat.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the high-conductivity material is covered on at least one side by a layer of magnetic material.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the high-conductivity material shapes the resonator fields away from lossy objects in the vehicle surface.