SHIELD FOR A WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTER

• US 20170288445A1
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Jaejin, Chen, Chung-Hao J., Yao, Zhen, Yang, Songnan, Rosenfeld, Jonathan, Kasturi, Sreenivas
• Granted Patent: US 10,530,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Techniques for focusing the energy radiated by a wireless power transmitting unit are described. An example power transmitting unit includes a transmit coil configured to generate a magnetic field to wirelessly power a device within an active wireless charging area. The power transmitting unit also includes a power generating circuitry to deliver current to the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field. The power transmitting unit also includes a patch array disposed in parallel with the transmit coil to reduce the strength of the magnetic field at frequencies outside of the operating frequency during operation of the power transmitting unit.

Claims

1. A power transmitting unit, comprising:

a transmit coil configured to generate a magnetic field to wirelessly power a device within an active wireless charging area;

a power generating circuitry to deliver current to the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field at an operating frequency; and

a patch array disposed in parallel with the transmit coil to reduce a strength of the magnetic field at frequencies outside of the operating frequency during operation of the power transmitting unit.

2. The power transmitting unit of claim 1, wherein the patch array comprises an array of conductive patches disposed below the transmit coil.

3. The power transmitting unit of claim 2, wherein each of the conductive patches is coupled to an adjacent conductive patch of the patch array through a resonant circuit.

4. The power transmitting unit of claim 3, wherein the resonant circuit comprises an LC circuit comprising a capacitor and an inductor in parallel.

5. The power transmitting unit of claim 1, wherein the patch array comprises array of conductive patches coupled to a ground plane disposed in parallel with the conductive patches.

6. The power transmitting unit of claim 5, wherein the conductive patches are separated from the ground plane by an insulating material and conductively coupled to the ground plane by a via through the insulating material.

7. The power transmitting unit of claim 6, wherein the conductive patches comprise an outer patch separated from the via by a gap, wherein the outer patch is conductively coupled to the via through an LC circuit.

8. The power transmitting unit of claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit is built into a table top.

9. A method of manufacturing a power transmitting unit, comprising:

forming a transmit coil configured to generate a magnetic field to wirelessly power a device within an active wireless charging area;

conductively coupling a power generating circuitry to the transmit coil, the power generating circuitry to deliver current to the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field at an operating frequency; and

disposing a patch array in parallel with the transmit coil to reduce a strength of the magnetic field at frequencies outside of the operating frequency during operation of the power transmitting unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the patch array comprises an array of conductive patches disposed below the transmit coil.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the conductive patches is coupled to an adjacent conductive patch of the patch array through a resonant circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the resonant circuit comprises an LC circuit comprising a capacitor and an inductor in parallel.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the patch array comprises array of conductive patches coupled to a ground plane disposed in parallel with the conductive patches.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the conductive patches are separated from the ground plane by an insulating material and conductively coupled to the ground plane by a via through the insulating material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the conductive patches comprise an outer patch separated from the via by a gap, wherein the outer patch is conductively coupled to the via through an LC circuit.

16. The method of claim 9, comprising disposing the power transmitting unit into a table top.

17. A wireless charger, comprising:

a transmit coil configured to generate a magnetic field to wirelessly power a device within an active wireless charging area;

a power generating circuitry to deliver current to the transmit coil to generate the magnetic field at an operating frequency; and

a patch array disposed in parallel with the transmit coil to reduce a strength of the magnetic field at frequencies outside of the operating frequency during operation of the wireless charger.

18. The wireless charger of claim 17, wherein the patch array comprises an array of conductive patches disposed below the transmit coil.

19. The wireless charger of claim 18, wherein each of the conductive patches is coupled to an adjacent conductive patch of the patch array through a resonant circuit.

20. The wireless charger of claim 19, wherein the resonant circuit comprises an LC circuit comprising a capacitor and an inductor in parallel.

21. The wireless charger of claim 17, wherein the patch array comprises array of conductive patches coupled to a ground plane disposed in parallel with the conductive patches.

22. The wireless charger of claim 21, wherein the conductive patches are separated from the ground plane by an insulating material and conductively coupled to the ground plane by a via through the insulating material.

23. The wireless charger of claim 22, wherein the conductive patches comprise an outer patch separated from the via by a gap, wherein the outer patch is conductively coupled to the via through an LC circuit.

24. The wireless charger of claim 17, wherein the wireless charger is disposed within a table top.