Method and system for aligning conductors for capacitive wireless power transmission

• US 9,577,713 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Christ, John Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kessie, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/248,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A method of aligning a capacitive wireless power transmission system, the method comprises: providing a transmitter device having a capacitive conductor; positioning a receiver device having a capacitive conductor in proximity to the capacitive conductor of the transmitter device; and aligning the capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device with one another using a display panel on the receiver device to optimize a transfer of power between the capacitive conductors.

Claims

1. A method of aligning a capacitive wireless power transmission system on a wall or wall-like structure, the method comprising:

providing a transmitter device having a plurality of capacitive conductors, the plurality of capacitive conductors forming a conductive plate configured to deliver a source of power;

positioning a receiver device having a plurality of capacitive conductors forming a conductive plate in proximity to the conductive plate of the transmitter device;

calculating and displaying on a display panel on the receiver device, a corresponding shape and area of each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device relative to a corresponding shape and area of each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device;

visually illustrating on the display panel each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device which are receiving power from each of the plurality of capacitive conductor of the receiver device which are not receiving power;

aligning the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device with the plurality of capacitive conductor of the transmitter device using the display panel on the receiver device to optimize a transfer of power from the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device by aligning the corresponding shape and

area of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device with the corresponding shape and area of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device and wherein each of the plurality of plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device have a hexagon shape and each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device have a circular shape.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display panel is an LED display panel comprised of a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter and receiver devices are capacitive plates.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining the position of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the receiver device based on an output of electrical characteristics of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device on the display panel on the receiver device.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

determining positioning of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the receiver device to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device by checking output of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device on the display panel on the receiver device located at a corner and/or an edge of the receiver device.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising:

determining alignment based on a known maximum output and a measured output of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device, each have a circular shape thereto and determining alignment by calculating an area of an intersection of the circular shape of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the transmitter device and the receiver device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display panel provides audio feedback to a user regarding alignment of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device.

9. A capacitive wireless power transmission system, comprising:

a transmitting device having a plurality of capacitive conductors, the plurality of capacitive conductors forming a conductive plate configured to deliver a source of power;

a receiver device having a plurality of capacitive conductors, the plurality of capacitive conductors forming a conductive plate, and wherein the plurality of capacitive conductors on the receiver device is configured to be placed in proximity to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device; and

a display panel on the receiver device, wherein the display panel is configured to align the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device with one another to optimize a transfer of power from the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device, wherein the aligning of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device comprises;

obtaining an area and a shape of the capacitive conductors the transmitter and receiver devices;

calculating and displaying on the display panel, the area and the shape of each of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the transmitter device relative to the area and the shape of each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device on the display panel

visually illustrating on the display panel each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device which are receiving power from each of the plurality of capacitive conductor of the receiver device which are not receiving power;

adjusting the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device relative to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter and wherein each of the plurality of plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device have a hexagon shape and each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device have a circular shape.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the display panel is an LED display panel comprised of a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter and receiver devices are capacitive plates.

12. The system of claim 9, comprising:

determining the position of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the receiver device based on electrical characteristics of an output of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitter device is affixed to a wall of a structure, and the receiver device is part of an electrical device having the display panel.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied therein for aligning a capacitive wireless power transmission system, the process comprising:

providing a transmitter device having a plurality of capacitive conductors, the plurality of capacitive conductors forming a conductive plate configured to deliver a source of power;

positioning a receiver device having a plurality of capacitive conductors, the plurality of capacitive conductors forming a conductive plate in proximity to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device; and

aligning the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device with one another using a display panel on the receiver device to optimize a transfer of power from the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device, wherein the aligning the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device and the receiver device comprises;

obtaining an area and a shape of the plurality of capacitive conductors the transmitter and receiver devices

calculating and displaying on the display panel, the area and the shape of each of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the transmitter device relative to the area and the shape of each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device on the display panel;

visually illustrating on the display panel each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device which are receiving power from each of the plurality of capacitive conductor of the receiver device which are not receiving power;

adjusting the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device relative to the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter and wherein each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the transmitter device have a hexagon shape and each of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device have a circular shape.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the display panel is an LED display panel comprised of a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).

16. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising:

determining the position of the plurality of capacitive conductors for the receiver device based on an output of electrical characteristics of the plurality of capacitive conductors of the receiver device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising:

determining alignment based on a known maximum output and a measured output of the plurality of capacitance conductors of the receiver device.