DETERMINING PHYSICAL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN MAGNETIC COUPLERS FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load;
a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position;
a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold; and
an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) system. The WPT system includes secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad. The WPT system transfers energy from a primary transmitter pad to the secondary receiver pad and the secondary converter provides power to a load. The apparatus includes a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position. The apparatus includes a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold.
56 Citations
58 Claims
-
1. An apparatus comprising:
-
an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load;a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold; and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A wireless power transfer (“
- WPT”
) system comprising;a primary converter comprising a primary transmitter pad; a secondary converter comprising a secondary receiver pad; a load coupled to the secondary receiver, wherein the primary converter transmits energy wirelessly from the primary transmitter pad to the secondary receiver pad and the secondary converter sends the received energy to the load; an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to the primary converter; a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold; and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold. - View Dependent Claims (26)
- WPT”
-
27. A method for alignment, the method comprising:
-
applying an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load;measuring a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; determining if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold; and sending an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold.
-
-
28. An apparatus comprising:
-
a coupling measurement module that measures, for each set of receiver pads, a coupling coefficient, a set of receiver pads comprising a primary receiver pad mounted in a fixed location and a secondary receiver pad mounted on a movable object, wherein the primary receiver pad of a set of receiver pads transmits power wirelessly to the secondary receiver pad of the set of receiver pads, the movable object comprising two or more secondary receiver pads, each corresponding to a primary receiver pad mounted in a fixed location; a coupling comparison module that compares, for each set of receiver pads, the measured coupling coefficient with one or more pre-determined coupling coefficients to determine an alignment of each set of receiver pads, the predetermined coupling coefficients corresponding to various alignment conditions of a set of receiver pads; and an alignment module that determines an alignment of the movable object based on the determined alignments of the sets of receiver pads. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A method comprising:
-
measuring, for each set of receiver pads, a coupling coefficient, a set of receiver pads comprising a primary receiver pad mounted in a fixed location and a secondary receiver pad mounted on a movable object, wherein the primary receiver pad of a set of receiver pads transmits power wirelessly to the secondary receiver pad of the set of receiver pads, the movable object comprising two or more secondary receiver pads, each corresponding to a primary receiver pad mounted in a fixed location; comparing, for each set of receiver pads, the measured coupling coefficient with one or more pre-determined coupling coefficients to determine an alignment of each set of receiver pads, the predetermined coupling coefficients corresponding to various alignment conditions of a set of receiver pads; and determining an alignment of the movable object based on the determined alignments of the sets of receiver pads.
-
-
39. An apparatus comprising:
-
an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a first primary receiver pad and to a second primary receiver pad of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the first primary receiver pad, the second primary receiver pad, a first secondary receiver pad and a second secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the first primary receiver pad to the first secondary receiver pad and from the second primary receiver pad to the second secondary receiver pad, the first secondary receiver pad providing power for a load and the second secondary receiver pad providing power for a load;a first coupling measurement module that measures a first coupling coefficient between the first primary receiver pad and the first secondary receiver pad when the first primary receiver pad and the first secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a second coupling measurement module that measures a second coupling coefficient between the second primary receiver pad and the second secondary receiver pad when the second primary receiver pad and the second secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; an alignment module that determines alignment between the first and second primary receiver pads relative to the first and second secondary receiver pads based on the first coupling coefficient and the second coupling coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
-
-
51. A method comprising:
-
applying an amount of energy to a first primary receiver pad and a second primary receiver pad of a wireless power transfer (“
WPT”
) system, the WPT system comprising the first primary receiver pad, the second primary receiver pad, a first secondary receiver pad and a second secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the first primary receiver pad to the first secondary receiver pad and from the second primary receiver pad to the second secondary receiver pad, the first secondary receiver pad providing power for a load and the second secondary receiver pad providing power for a load;measuring a first coupling coefficient between the first primary receiver pad and the first secondary receiver pad when the first primary receiver pad and the first secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; measuring a second coupling coefficient between the second primary receiver pad and the second secondary receiver pad when the second primary receiver pad and the second secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; determining alignment between the first and second primary receiver pads relative to the first and second secondary receiver pads based on the first coupling coefficient and the second coupling coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55)
-
-
56. A wireless power transfer (“
- WPT”
) system comprising;a first primary receiver pad; a first secondary receiver pad; a second primary receiver pad; a second secondary receiver pad, wherein the WPT system transfers energy from the first primary receiver pad to the first secondary receiver pad and from the second primary receiver pad to the second secondary receiver pad; a load coupled to the secondary receiver pad, wherein energy from the second secondary receiver pad provides power to the load; an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to the first primary receiver pad and to the second primary receiver pad; a first coupling measurement module that measures a first coupling coefficient between the first primary receiver pad and the first secondary receiver pad when the first primary receiver pad and the first secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a second coupling measurement module that measures a second coupling coefficient between the second primary receiver pad and the second secondary receiver pad when the second primary receiver pad and the second secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; and an alignment module that determines alignment between the first and second primary receiver pads relative to the first and second secondary receiver pads based on the first coupling coefficient and the second coupling coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
- WPT”
Specification