Wireless energy transfer

• US 8,823,214 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Haiyang, Zhang, Chunbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US13/015,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 307/149, 307/34, 307/38, 307/29, 343/748, 343/866, 336/206, 336/219, 336/198, 607/61, 607/33
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A system includes at least one active energy transfer coil and a first passive energy transfer coil. The active energy transfer coil is configured to couple with a power supply. The at least one active energy transfer coil has an active coupling range. The first passive energy transfer coil is magnetically coupled to the active energy transfer coil and is located within the active coupling range. The first passive energy transfer coil has a passive coupling range. The first passive energy transfer coil is configured to provide energy to a first device located within the passive coupling range and based on energy received from the at least one active energy transfer coil.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of energy transfer coils distributed throughout a region and forming a mesh, each coil of the plurality of energy transfer coils having a common resonant frequency and the plurality of energy transfer coils including at least two active coils, each active coil configured to receive power from a supply and magnetically couple with a load; and

a synchronizing module in communication with the plurality of energy transfer coils and configured to selectively control phase alignment of the at least two active coils such that energy delivery to the load is based on the supply and based on the phase alignment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the common resonant frequency is between approximately 4 MHz and 15 MHz.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the mesh further includes at least one passive energy transfer coil.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the phase alignment is selected based on a position of the load relative to an energy transfer coil of the plurality of energy transfer coils.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein a form factor of an energy transfer coil of the plurality of energy transfer coils exceeds a form factor of a receiver coil coupled to the load.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one coil includes a ferromagnetic core.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the energy transfer coils are helical in shape.