METHOD OF PROVIDING A SINGLE STRUCTURE MULTI MODE ANTENNA FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION USING MAGNETIC FIELD COUPLING

• US 20170040107A1
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nucurrent, Inc.
• Inventors: Peralta, Alberto, Singh, Vinit, Rajagopalan, Ajit, Luzinski, Jason, Babcock, Jacob, Frysz, Christine A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,658,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/02 continuously variable, e.g. variometers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/12 discontinuously variable, e.g. tapped
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2828 Construction of conductive connections, of leads
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/29 Terminals; Tapping arrangements for signal inductances
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/292 Surface mounted devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/02 with tappings on coil or winding; with provision for rearrangement or interconnection of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/074 Winding flat coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/06 with core of ferromagnetic material H01Q7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A method of providing a single structure multiple mode antenna is described. The antenna is preferably constructed having a first inductor coil that is electrically connected in series with a second inductor coil. The antenna is constructed having a plurality of electrical connections positioned along the first and second inductor coils. A plurality of terminals is connected to the electrical connections that facilitate numerous electrical connections and enables the antenna to be selectively tuned to various frequencies and frequency bands.

Claims

1. A method of providing an antenna, the method comprising:

a) forming a first coil with a first conductive wire having N₁ number of turns with spaced apart first and second first coil ends contactable to a substrate surface, wherein the first coil is capable of generating a first inductance;

b) forming a second coil with a second conductive wire having N₂ number of turns with spaced apart first and second coil ends, the second coil capable of generating a second inductance positioned within an inner perimeter formed by the first coil;

c) electrically connecting a first terminal to the first end of the first coil, electrically connecting a second terminal to the second end of the second coil and electrically connecting a third terminal along either of the first or second coils; and

d) selecting a connection between two of the first, second and third terminals to tune an inductance that is generatable by the antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a gap between the inner perimeter of the first coil and an outer perimeter of the second coil.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a gap size of at least about 0.1 mm.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the first conductive wire with two or more filars electrically connected in parallel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the second conductive wire with two or more filars electrically connected in parallel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising electrically connecting the first terminal to the first end of the first coil, wherein the first end of the first coil is disposed at an end of the first wire of the first coil located at an outermost first coil perimeter, electrically connecting the third terminal to the first end of the second coil positioned at a second coil outer perimeter, and electrically connecting the second terminal to the second end of the second coil located along an interior perimeter of the second coil.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a selection circuit and electrically connecting the selection circuit to the first, second, and third terminals, wherein the selection circuit actively connects two of the first, second and third terminals to generate a tunable inductance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection circuit comprises at least one electrical component selected from the group consisting of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing N₁ at least one and N₂ at least two.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing N₂ greater than N₁.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing each terminal with a terminal lead portion that extends between a coil connection point and a terminal end, the coil connection point electrically connected to either of the first and second conductive wires of the first and second coils, respectively, and wherein the terminal lead portion extends over at least a portion of either of the first and second conductive wires of the first and second coils, respectively.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a plurality of first vias positioned adjacently along a right side of a length of the terminal lead portion and a plurality of second vias positioned along a left side of the length of the terminal lead portion and opposed from the plurality of first vias so that each of the plurality of first vias opposes one of the plurality of second vias, wherein the respective opposing vias of the plurality of first and second vias are electrically connected to the same conductive wire of either of the first or second coils, thereby establishing a conductive electrical path therebetween that bypasses the terminal lead portion.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least the first and the second coil with a variable wire width.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a quality factor greater than 10.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an electrical signal from the group consisting of a data signal, an electrical voltage, an electrical current, and combinations thereof by at least one of the first and second coils.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an electrical signal from the group consisting of a data signal, an electrical voltage, an electrical current, and combinations thereof by at least one of the first and second coils.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a substrate material from the group consisting of a polyimide, an acrylic, fiberglass, polyester, polyether imide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene napthalate, fluropolymers, copolymers, a ceramic material, a ferrite material, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna is capable of receiving or transmitting within a frequency band selected from the group consisting of about 100 kHz to about 250 kHz, about 250 kHz to about 500 kHz, 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna is capable of receiving or transmitting at frequencies of at least 100 kHz.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a connection between two of the first, second, and third terminals to generate a tunable operating frequency.