INDUCTIVELY COUPLED BALLAST CIRCUIT
First Claim
1. A non-contact power transfer system for transferring power inductively comprising:
- an electronic device separable from a non-contact power supply, said electronic device being absent from physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply and absent from electrical connection with said non-contact power supply, said electronic device and said non-contact power supply capable of inductively coupling when in sufficient proximity to each other to transfer power inductively, said electronic device including;
a load;
a secondary absent from physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply, said secondary being absent from electrical connection with said non-contact power supply, said secondary configured to inductively receive power from the non-contact power supply that is intended for the load; and
said non-contact power supply including;
a primary circuit having a primary configured to inductively couple with said secondary of said electronic device to transfer power inductively to said electronic device;
a sensor configured to generate a sensor output indicative of a characteristic of power sensed in said non-contact power supply, said characteristic of power being affected by a characteristic of said load reflected through inductive coupling between said primary and said secondary;
a control system operably coupled to said primary circuit and said sensor, said control system configured to control supply of power to said primary to affect an amount of power transferred to said secondary by varying an operational characteristic of power supplied to said primary;
a wireless communication system operably coupled to said control system, said wireless communication system configured to receive information communicated from said electronic device, wherein said information is relevant to a supply of power to said load;
wherein said control system is configured to obtain said information received from the electronic device and said sensor output, wherein said control system is configured to vary said operational characteristic of said power supplied to said primary based on said information and said sensor output indicative of said characteristic of power sensed by said sensor;
whereby said electronic device is readily placeable in sufficient proximity to said non-contact power supply to inductively receive power without the need to make electrical connection with said non-contact power supply and without the need to make physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply; and
whereby said electronic device is readily removable from the sufficient proximity of said non-contact power supply without the need to disconnect electrical connection with said non-contact power supply and without the need to disconnect physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A ballast circuit is disclosed for inductively providing power to a load. The ballast circuit includes an oscillator, a driver, a switching circuit, a resonant tank circuit and a current sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit provides a current feedback signal to the oscillator that is representative of the current in the resonant tank circuit. The current feedback signal drives the frequency of the ballast circuit causing the ballast circuit to seek resonance. The ballast circuit preferably includes a current limit circuit that is inductively coupled to the resonant tank circuit. The current limit circuit disables the ballast circuit when the current in the ballast circuit exceeds a predetermined threshold or falls outside a predetermined range.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A non-contact power transfer system for transferring power inductively comprising:
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an electronic device separable from a non-contact power supply, said electronic device being absent from physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply and absent from electrical connection with said non-contact power supply, said electronic device and said non-contact power supply capable of inductively coupling when in sufficient proximity to each other to transfer power inductively, said electronic device including; a load; a secondary absent from physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply, said secondary being absent from electrical connection with said non-contact power supply, said secondary configured to inductively receive power from the non-contact power supply that is intended for the load; and said non-contact power supply including; a primary circuit having a primary configured to inductively couple with said secondary of said electronic device to transfer power inductively to said electronic device; a sensor configured to generate a sensor output indicative of a characteristic of power sensed in said non-contact power supply, said characteristic of power being affected by a characteristic of said load reflected through inductive coupling between said primary and said secondary; a control system operably coupled to said primary circuit and said sensor, said control system configured to control supply of power to said primary to affect an amount of power transferred to said secondary by varying an operational characteristic of power supplied to said primary; a wireless communication system operably coupled to said control system, said wireless communication system configured to receive information communicated from said electronic device, wherein said information is relevant to a supply of power to said load; wherein said control system is configured to obtain said information received from the electronic device and said sensor output, wherein said control system is configured to vary said operational characteristic of said power supplied to said primary based on said information and said sensor output indicative of said characteristic of power sensed by said sensor; whereby said electronic device is readily placeable in sufficient proximity to said non-contact power supply to inductively receive power without the need to make electrical connection with said non-contact power supply and without the need to make physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply; and whereby said electronic device is readily removable from the sufficient proximity of said non-contact power supply without the need to disconnect electrical connection with said non-contact power supply and without the need to disconnect physical interconnection with said non-contact power supply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for supplying power from a wireless power supply to an electronic device through an inductive coupling, said method comprising the steps of:
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removably placing at least one of a secondary of the electronic device and a primary of the wireless power supply into sufficient proximity of the other absent of physical interconnection between the electronic device and the wireless power supply and absent of electrical connection between the electronic device and the wireless power supply; supplying a power at a frequency to the primary to transfer power across an inductive coupling between the primary and the secondary absent of physical interconnection between the primary and the secondary, and absent of electrical connection between the primary and the secondary; supplying power received within the secondary to the load of the electronic device; wirelessly receiving information from the electronic device relevant to a supply of power to the load; monitoring a characteristic of power in the wireless power supply, the monitored characteristic being affected by a characteristic of the load reflected through the inductive coupling; and adjusting an operational characteristic of the power supplied to the primary based on the monitored characteristic and the information, whereby the electronic device is readily placeable in sufficient proximity to the non-contact power supply to inductively receive power without the need to make electrical connection with the non-contact power supply and without the need to make physical interconnection with the non-contact power supply, and whereby the electronic device is readily removable from the sufficient proximity of the non-contact power supply without the need to disconnect electrical connection with the non-contact power supply and without the need to disconnect physical interconnection with the non-contact power supply. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An inductive power supply for supplying power inductively to an electronic device separable from the inductive power supply, the inductive power supply comprising:
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a primary circuit including a primary configured to inductively couple with a secondary of the electronic device such that power is transferable to a load of the electronic device from the inductive power supply without a physical connection with the electronic device and without an electrical connection with the electronic device, wherein said primary is capable of inductively coupling with the electronic device when in sufficient proximity to the electronic device; a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of power in the inductive power supply, said characteristic of power being affected by a characteristic of the load reflected through inductive coupling between said primary and the secondary; a wireless communication system configured to receive information communicated from the electronic device, said information being relevant to a supply of power to the load of the electronic device; a control system operably coupled to said primary circuit, said wireless communication, and said sensor, said control system configured to control supply of power to said primary to affect an amount of power transferred to the secondary, said control system configured to vary an operational characteristic of said power supplied to said primary based on said characteristic of power sensed by said sensor and said information received from the electronic device; whereby said electronic device is readily placeable in sufficient proximity to said primary circuit to inductively receive power without the need to make electrical connection with said primary circuit and without the need to make physical interconnection with said primary circuit; and whereby said electronic device is readily removable from the sufficient proximity of said primary circuit without the need to disconnect electrical connection with said primary circuit and without the need to disconnect physical interconnection with said primary circuit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification