Wireless energy transfer

• US 9,520,228 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• 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:
  US14/473,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 307/9.1, 307/149, 455/402, 455/401, 455/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 controller configured to access a selection for a range of power transmission, the controller configured to select a parameter for the power transmission based on the range; and

a network including at least two active energy transfer coils, a first passive energy transfer coil, and a second passive energy transfer coil, the at least two active energy transfer coils configured to couple with a power supply, the at least two active energy transfer coils having an active coupling range; and

the first passive energy transfer coil magnetically coupled to at least one of the at least two active energy transfer coils and located within the active coupling range, the first passive energy transfer coil having a passive coupling range, the first passive energy transfer coil configured to provide energy to a first device located within the passive coupling range and based on energy received from at least one of the at least two active energy transfer coils, wherein at least one of the active coupling range and the passive coupling range exceeds a distance of strong coupling, and the second passive energy transfer coil located within at least one of the active coupling range and the passive coupling range, the second passive energy transfer coil configured to receive energy from at least one of the at least two active energy transfer coils and the first passive energy transfer coil and provide energy to a second device based on the received energy, wherein a phase between two of the at least two active energy transfer coils is synchronized , and wherein the network is configured based on the parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein a resonant frequency of the at least one active energy transfer coil is substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the first passive energy transfer coil.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a form factor of an active energy transfer coil exceeds a form factor of a receiver coil coupled to the device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one active energy transfer coil includes a copper conductor.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one active energy transfer coil includes a ferromagnetic core.

6. A method comprising:

selecting a range for wireless power transmission from a power supply to a load, the load having a receiver coil located within the range of at least one element of a plurality of elements of a power transmission network, each element having an energy transfer coil and at least one element coupled to the power supply, the plurality of elements including at least two active energy transfer coils, a first passive energy transfer coil, and a second passive energy transfer coil;

selecting a parameter for the power transmission network based on the range, the energy transfer coils and the receiver coil having a common resonance frequency; and

configuring the power transmission network based on the parameter, the power transmission network configured to magnetically couple energy to the receiver coil, and wherein the range exceeds a distance of strong coupling, and wherein configuring the power transmission network includes synchronizing a phase between two elements of the power transmission network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein configuring the power transmission network includes selecting a form factor for an element.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein configuring the power transmission network includes selecting a position for an active element of the power transmission network and selecting a position for a passive element of the power transmission network.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein configuring the power transmission network includes selecting a position for a passive element of the power transmission network such that the passive element magnetically couples with at least one active element of the power transmission network.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting the parameter for the power transmission network includes selecting an energy transfer efficiency rate.