Resonator fine tuning

• US 9,287,607 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Efe, Volkan, Hall, Katherine L., McCauley, Alexander Patrick, Kesler, Morris P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, GERALD D
• Application Number:
  US13/562,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20140035704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 333/205, 333/235, 333 32- 34, 333/17.1, 333/17.3, 336/30, 336/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/10 having movable part of magnetic circuit high leakage transformers H01F38/08; dynamo-electric machines with movable part of magnetic circuit H02K23/44, H02K23/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 7/00 Resonators of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

A tunable resonator assembly includes a resonator coil having an inductance, and a tile residing at a position relative to the resonator coil the position selected to produce a desired change in the inductance of the resonator coil.

Claims

1. A source for transferring power wirelessly to a receiving device, the source comprising:

a resonator coil having an inductance;

a tile contacting the resonator coil and movable relative to the resonator coil; and

a controller configured so that during wireless power transfer from the source to the receiving device, the controller;

receives a feedback signal comprising information about the wireless power transfer between the source and the receiving device; and

adjusts a position of the tile relative to the resonator coil based on the feedback signal to change the inductance of the resonator coil, thereby regulating the wireless power transfer.

2. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile comprises a magnetic material.

3. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile comprises an electrical conductor.

4. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile comprises a magnetic material and an electrical conductor.

5. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile is sized to tune the inductance of the resonator coil by at least 0.1 μ

H when the position of the tile is adjusted relative to the resonator coil.

6. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile comprises an adhesive.

7. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile is shaped such that when the tile is moved in a linear direction, an area of the resonator coil covered by the tile changes.

8. The source of claim 7, wherein the tile is triangular shaped.

9. The source of claim 1, wherein the tile is shaped such that when the tile is rotated, an area of the resonator coil covered by the tile changes.

10. The source of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a separation between the tile and the resonator coil.

11. The source of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a relative angle between the tile and the resonator coil.

12. The source of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical means coupled to the controller configured to change the position and an orientation of the tile.

13. The source of claim 1, further comprising an electromechanical means coupled to the controller and configured to change the position and an orientation of the tile.

14. A method of wireless power transfer from a source to a receiving device, the method comprising:

receiving a feedback signal comprising information about wireless power transfer between the source and the receiving device; and

regulating the wireless power transfer between the source and the receiving device by adjusting a position of at least one tile that contacts a resonator coil of the source based on the feedback signal,

wherein adjusting the position of the at least one tile changes an operating parameter of the source.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the tile comprises a material selected from a group consisting of magnetic material, conducting material, and conducting and magnetic material.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the operating parameter comprises an inductance of the resonator coil.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the operating parameter comprises a resonant frequency of the resonator coil.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the operating parameter comprises an impedance of the resonator coil.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting the position of the at least one tile using a controller.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising manually adjusting the position of the at least one tile.