Apparatus for transferring energy to an accumulator and system for charging an electric accumulator

• US 9,590,445 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Daenen, Steven, Aerts, Steven, Thoen, Steven Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIBENEDETTO, MICHAEL N
• Application Number:
  US13/082,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/107, 320/115, 336/221, 336/229, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

It is provided an apparatus for transferring energy to an accumulator, the apparatus having a core and a wire wound around the core thereby forming a coil, wherein the coil is adapted to receive energy from a magnetic field, wherein the wire is connectable to the accumulator to transfer the received energy to the accumulator. A charging station for generating a magnetic field for transferring energy to an accumulator is provided, and a system for charging an electric accumulator is provided, wherein the system includes an apparatus as described above; and a charging station having a further wire wound such as to form a further coil.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an accumulator configured and arranged to store electric charge;

audio amplification circuit configured to amplify an audio signal using energy stored in the accumulator;

a core;

a wire wound around the core in a coil, wherein the coil is adapted to receive energy from a magnetic field;

a tuning circuit configured and arranged to

align a resonance frequency for transmission on the wire, in response to an increased energy demand based on an amount of electric charge stored in the accumulator and based upon differences in signal strengths for two tones surrounding the resonance frequency, with a frequency of the magnetic field to increase the energy received from the magnetic field, and

adjust, in response to a decreased energy demand based on the amount of electric charge stored in the accumulator, the resonance frequency of the wire away from the frequency of the magnetic field to decrease the energy received from the magnetic field; and

a communication circuit having

a modulator circuit configured to modulate a radio frequency (RF) signal according to information indicative of energy demand corresponding to an amount of electric charge stored in the accumulator, and

an amplifier circuit configured and arranged to amplify the RF signal and provide the amplified RF signal to the wire for wireless transmission,

wherein the wire is configured and arranged to connect to the accumulator and to transfer the received energy to the accumulator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the RF signal and the magnetic field have about the same frequency.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the core has a rod shape, wherein the core has an extent between 1 mm and 15 mm, and the communication circuit is further configured and arranged to transmit the signal indicative of an energy demand in the absence of the magnetic field as provided by an external charging controller.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the core has a permeability greater than 30.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a charging controller including a rectifier, wherein the wire is connectable to the accumulator at least via the charging controller.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit includes a near-field communication system connectable to the wire, and

wherein the apparatus is configured to selectively connect at least one of the accumulator and the near-field communication system to the wire.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the near-field communication system is adapted to generate the signal indicative of an energy demand of the accumulator, the coil being configured and arranged to transmit the signal indicative of an energy demand of the accumulator and receive a magnetic field associated with the indicated energy demand of the accumulator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an audio amplification system for amplifying an audio signal using energy stored in the accumulator.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit includes a near-field communication circuit configured and arranged to generate a signal indicative of the energy demand of the accumulator and transmit the signal via the coil, further including

an amplification circuit configured and arranged to amplify a received audio signal using energy stored in the accumulator, and

a charging station configured and arranged to receive the signal indicative of an energy demand of the accumulator, and to charge the accumulator by supplying a magnetic field to the coil based on the energy demand of the accumulator.

10. A system for charging an electric accumulator, the system comprising:

an apparatus including

an accumulator configured and arranged to store electric charge,

a core,

audio amplification circuit configured to amplify an audio signal using energy stored in the accumulator;

a wire coil wound around the core and connected to the accumulator, the wire being configured and arranged to collect energy from a magnetic field and to transfer the collected energy to the accumulator, the accumulator being configured and arranged to store the transferred energy as the electric charge,

a tuning circuit configured and arranged to

align a resonance frequency for transmission on the wire coil, in response to an increased energy demand based on an amount of electric charge stored in the accumulator and based upon differences in signal strengths for two tones surrounding the resonance frequency, with a frequency of the magnetic field to increase the energy received from the magnetic field, and

adjust, in response to a decreased energy demand based on the amount of electric charge stored in the accumulator, the resonance frequency of the wire coil away from the frequency of the magnetic field to decrease the energy received from the magnetic field; and

a communication circuit configured and arranged to control the magnetic field by generating a signal indicative of an energy demand based on an amount of electric charge stored in the accumulator; and

a charging station for generating the magnetic field for transferring energy to the accumulator, the charging station comprising;

a further wire wound such as to form a further coil, the further wire being connectable to an electric energy source for generating a magnetic field,

a further core around which the further wire is wound, the further core comprising a first surface region and a second surface region opposite to the first surface region, the first surface region and the second surface regions being configured to form regions of enhanced density of magnetic flux, relative to magnetic flux at other surface regions of the further core, and

wherein the apparatus and the charging station are configured and arranged relative to each other such that the magnetic field generated by the further coil induces a current in the wire thereby transferring energy from the charging station to the apparatus for transferring energy.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the further core has one of a U-shape, a horse-shoe shape, and a toroid shape.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the further core comprises a material having a relative magnetic permeability greater than 30.

13. The system according to claim 11,

wherein the charging station and the apparatus are arrangeable such that the core is arranged between the first surface region and the second surface region.

14. The system according to claim 11,

wherein a distance between a first end of the core and a first surface region of the further core is between 0 mm and 20 mm, and

wherein a distance between a second end of the core, the second end of the core being opposite to the first end of the core, and a second surface region of the further core is between 0 mm and 20 mm.