Systems and methods for wireless power transfer

• US 9,496,732 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Inventors: Partovi, Afshin
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US13/828,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/139, 320/150
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• 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 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/40 Means for preventing magnetic saturation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling efficient wireless power transfer, and charging of devices and batteries, in a manner that allows freedom of placement of the devices or batteries in one or multiple (e.g., one, two or three) dimensions. In accordance with various embodiments, applications include inductive or magnetic charging and power, and wireless powering or charging of, e.g., mobile, electronic, electric, lighting, batteries, power tools, kitchen, military, medical or dental, industrial applications, vehicles, trains, or other devices or products. In accordance with various embodiments, the systems and methods can also be generally applied, e.g., to power supplies or other power sources or charging systems, such as systems for transfer of wireless power to a mobile, electronic or electric device, vehicle, or other product.

Claims

1. A wireless power transfer system involving a magnetic material or layer, comprising:

a charger coil having a charger coil area;

a charger shield containing a magnetic material or layer that is disposed substantially parallel to the charger coil, the charger shield area extending beyond the charger coil area in one or more dimensions, the charger shield having an orientation;

a receiver coil having a receiver coil area; and

a receiver shield containing a magnetic material or layer that is disposed substantially parallel to the receiver coil, the receiver shield having an area that extends beyond the receiver coil area in one or more dimensions, the receiver shield having an orientation,

wherein

the charger and receiver coils are located between the charger and receiver shields,

the magnetic material or layer is selected from one or more ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic materials or layers,

the charger coil, charger shield, receiver coil, and receiver shield are effective and efficient in guiding magnetic flux associated with the wireless power transfer system in such a manner as to create a preferential path for flux flow, for use in wireless charging or power transfer, and

the charger and receiver shields have substantially orthogonal orientations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers and/or permanent magnets or electromagnets are integrated with one or more coils that are incorporated within a wireless charger or power supply, for use in charging or powering one or more vehicles, devices and/or batteries.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers and/or permanent magnets or electromagnets are used within the wireless charger or power supply to provide a degree of position independence in charging or powering the one or more vehicles, devices and/or batteries.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein an applied electromagnetic field is used to modify the magnitude and/or phase of an electromagnetic field in one or multiple dimensions of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layers, including locally modifying the properties of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer so that it acts as a magnetic flux switching layer.

5. The system of claim 4, incorporated within a system comprising a transmitter coil, wherein locally modifying the properties of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer enables the transmitter coil'"'"'s electromagnetic field to be preferentially transmitted through a locally modified area.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the locally modified area of the switching layer is created by saturating or altering the magnetization curve of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer locally, on or near where a receiver coil is placed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a charger coil is covered fully or partially by the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic materials or layer, and wherein through build-up of magnetic field strength in a location between the charger and one or more receivers operating at resonance, the material'"'"'s magnetic properties are altered or saturated locally at the location.

8. The system of claim 1, incorporated within a system comprising a charger/transmitter coil that transmits power to one or more receiver coils, wherein the one or more ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic materials or layers extends in one or more dimensions beyond an edge of the charger coil and/or receiver coil, to provide a low reluctance path to complete a flux loop.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer includes one or more materials selected from the list consisting of soft iron, silicon steel, laminated materials, silicon alloyed materials, powder iron, hydrogen reduced iron), carbonyl iron, ferrites, vitreous metals, alloys of Ni, Mn, Zn, Fe, Co, Gd, and Dy, nanomaterials, ferrofluids, magnetic polymers, or similar materials or combination thereof.

10. A system for providing positioning freedom in three dimensions for wireless power transfer, comprising comprising the system of claim 1.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more components including the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer is used to provide a degree of position independence in charging or powering the one or more devices and/or batteries.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the modifying the magnitude and/or phase of the electromagnetic field in one or multiple dimensions includes locally modifying the properties of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer so that it acts as a switching layer, allowing a transmitter coil electromagnetic field to be preferentially transmitted through a locally modified area.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the locally modified area of the switching layer is created by saturating or altering the magnetization curve of the ferromagnetic, ferrite, or other magnetic material or layer locally on or near where the receiver coil is placed.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a charger coil transmits power to one or more receiver coils, wherein the receiver coil has a magnetic shield/guide layer that extends in one or more dimensions over the edge of the charger coil, and wherein the charger coil also has a magnetic shield/guide layer or surface under it that extends beyond the area of the coil in one or more dimensions, so that the flux from the receiver coil has a low reluctance path to complete a flux loop.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein a charger coil is covered by a magnetic or switching layer and through build-up of magnetic field strength in the area between the charger and one or more receivers operating at resonance, the material is saturated locally at this location, and wherein by extending the area of the receiver and charger shields beyond the area of the charger coil in one dimension or more, a low reluctance path for the return magnetic flux is created.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a microcontroller and/or firmware that controls operation of the system.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is used in one or more mobile, electronic, electric, lighting, or other devices, batteries, power tools, kitchen, industrial applications, vehicles, and other usages.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured as a multi-protocol system for use with different communication and/or control protocols, or different means of communication.