Flat power coil for wireless charging applications

• US 9,225,392 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lehr, Michael, Chatterjee, Manjirnath, Shaffer, Dyke, Liu, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Norris, Jeremy C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milakovich, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US13/982,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed 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 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A coil assembly is disclosed. The coil assembly includes a coil that is provided on a substrate. The coil includes a trace element that is wound on the substrate. The trace element includes an interior gap that extends or is present along at least a portion of the trace element. The interior gap is dimensioned to reduce a presence of eddy currents that would otherwise be generated when the coil is active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

Claims

1. A coil assembly for a mobile computing device, comprising:

a circuit board;

a first coil printed on the circuit board, the first coil comprising an inwardly winding trace; and

a second coil printed on an opposing side of the circuit board in relation to the first coil, the second coil comprising an outwardly winding trace, wherein the inwardly winding trace connects to the outwardly winding trace through the circuit board;

wherein the inwardly winding trace and the outwardly winding trace each comprise an interior gap dimensioned to reduce eddy currents generated when the first coil and the second coil are active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

2. The coil assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more contacts to electrically connect the coil assembly with one or more electrical components of the mobile computing device.

3. The coil assembly of claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises a flex printed circuit board.

4. The coil assembly of claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises a FR-4 printed circuit board.

5. The coil assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a third coil printed on the circuit board, the third coil comprising a winding trace that does not overlap the first coil or the second coil.

6. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the third coil circumscribes the first coil and the second coil.

7. The coil assembly of claim 6, wherein the circuit board is a multi-layered printed circuit board.

8. The coil assembly of claim 7, wherein the third coil is printed on a separate layer of the multi-layered printed circuit board in relation to the first coil and the second coil.

9. The coil assembly of claim 7, wherein the third coil is printed on a middle layer in between two outer layers of the multi-layered printed circuit board, the two outer layers comprising the first coil and the second coil, respectively.

10. The coil assembly of claim 1, wherein the inwardly winding trace and the outwardly winding trace comprise a second interior gap parallel to the interior gap, the second interior gap extending along at least a portion of the inwardly winding trace and the outwardly winding trace.

11. The coil assembly of claim 1, wherein the interior gap includes one or more bridges partitioning the interior gap into two or more portions.

12. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to inductively transmit or receive power, and wherein the third coil is configured to inductively transmit or receive data.

13. The coil assembly of claim 2, wherein the coil assembly is configured to transmit power and/or data to the one or more electrical components of the mobile computing device via the one or more contacts.

14. The coil assembly of claim 13, wherein the one or more electrical components of the mobile computing device comprise at least one of:

(i) a power circuit component, or (ii) a signal processing component.

15. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the inwardly and outwardly winding of the first and second coils comprise a different trace thickness in comparison to the winding trace of the third coil.

16. A mobile computing device comprising:

a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly comprises;

a circuit board;

a first coil printed on the circuit board, the first coil comprising an inwardly winding trace; and

a second coil printed on an opposing side of the circuit board in relation to the first coil, the second coil comprising an outwardly winding trace, wherein the inwardly winding trace connects to the outwardly winding trace through the circuit board;

wherein the inwardly winding trace and the outwardly wind trace each comprise an interior gap dimensioned to reduce eddy currents generated when the first coil and second coil are active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the coil assembly further comprises a third coil printed on the circuit board, the third coil comprising a winding trace that the not overlap the first coil or the second coil, wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to inductively transmit or receive power, and wherein the third coil is configured to inductively transmit or receive data.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the circuit board comprises one of:

(i) a FR-4 printed circuit board, or (ii) a flex printed circuit board.

19. An inductive signal interface comprising:

a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly comprises;

a circuit board;

a first coil printed on the circuit board, the first coil comprising an inwardly winding trace;

a second coil printed on an opposing side of the circuit board in relation to the first coil, the second coil comprising an outwardly winding trace, wherein the inwardly winding trace connects to the outwardly winding trace through the circuit board;

wherein the inwardly winding trace and the outwardly winding trace each comprise an interior gap dimensioned to reduce eddy currents generated when the first coil and the second coil are active to inductively transmit or receive signals.

20. The inductive signal interface of claim 19, wherein the circuit board comprises one of:

(i) a FR-4 printed circuit board, or (ii) a flex printed circuit board.

21. The inductive signal interface of claim 19, wherein inwardly winding trace and the outwardly winding trace comprise a second interior gap parallel to the first interior gap, the second interior gap extending along at least a portion of the inwardly winding trace and the outwardly winding trace.

22. The inductive signal interface of claim 19, wherein the coil assembly further comprises a third coil printed on the circuit board, the third coil comprising a winding trace that circumscribes the first coil and second the coil.

23. The inductive signal interface of claim 22, wherein the circuit board is a multi-layered printed circuit board, and wherein the third coil is printed on a middle layer in between two outer layers of the multi-layered printed circuit board, the two outer layers comprising the first coil and the second coil respectively.

24. The inductive signal interface of claim 23, wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to inductively transmit or receive power, and wherein the third coil is configured to inductively transmit or receive data.