Secure wireless energy transfer

• US 9,698,607 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Karalis, Aristeidis, Hall, Katherine L., Soljacic, Marin, Kesler, Morris P., Kurs, Andre B., Campanella, Andrew J., Kulikowski, Konrad J.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US14/546,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20150069831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• 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: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply, the first electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω₁/2Γ₁, and the wireless receiver includes a load configured to power a system using electrical power, a second electromagnetic resonator configured to be coupled to the load and having a mode with a resonant frequency ω₂, an intrinsic loss rate Γ₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=ω₂/2Γ₂, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator; and a communication facility to confirm compatibility of the first and second resonators and provide authorization for initiation of transfer of power.

Claims

1. A wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply, the first electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω

₁/2Γ

₁, -the wireless receiver comprising;

a load configured to power a system using electrical power;

a second electromagnetic resonator configured to be coupled to the load, the second electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₂, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=ω

₂/2Γ

₂;

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator; and

a communication facility to confirm compatibility of the first and second electromagnetic resonators and provide authorization for initiation of transfer of power;

wherein the communication facility is configured to establish an out-of-band communication channel for information exchange; and

wherein the communication facility is configured to use an in-band communication channel to verify a wireless coupling between the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator based on the information exchanged via the out-of-band communication channel.

2. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the communication facility is configured to use a secure communication channel as the out-of-band communication channel, the information exchanged via the secure out-of-band communication channel comprises a verification code, and the verification code is signaled in response through the in-band communication channel.

3. The wireless receiver of claim 2, wherein the communication facility is configured to use public key infrastructure for the secure communication channel.

4. The wireless receiver of claim 2, wherein the communication facility is configured to transmit the verification code in the out-of-band communication channel and receive in return a cryptographically modified version of the verification code signaled through the in-band communication channel from the first electromagnetic resonator to the second electromagnetic resonator to authenticate a source of power transfer.

5. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information to adjust one or more parameters of power transfer over the in-band communication channel, and verification of the wireless coupling comprises monitoring changes to the power transfer and comparing the monitored changes to expected changes based on the one or more parameters.

6. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to verify that the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator of the wireless coupling for transfer of power are a same two resonators exchanging information on the out-of-band communication channel.

7. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the load is configured to power a drive system of a vehicle that is driven at least in part by electrical power.

8. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the load is configured to power a medical device.

9. A power source for wirelessly providing power to a wireless receiver, the power source comprising:

a power supply, the power supply configured to supply power at a rate sufficient to charge a battery associated with the wireless receiver;

a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to the power supply and having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω

₁/2Γ

₁;

wherein the first electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to a second electromagnetic resonator of the wireless receiver to provide non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator, the second electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₂, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=₂/2Γ

₂; and

a communication facility to confirm compatibility of the first and second electromagnetic resonators and provide authorization for initiation of transfer of power;

wherein the communication facility is configured to establish an out-of-band communication channel for information exchange; and

wherein the communication facility is configured to use an in-band communication channel to verify a wireless coupling between the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator based on the information exchanged via the out-of-band communication channel.

10. The power source of claim 9, wherein the communication facility is configured to use a secure communication channel as the out-of-band communication channel, the information exchanged via the secure out-of-band communication channel comprises a verification code, and the verification code is signaled in response through the in-band communication channel.

11. The power source of claim 10, wherein the communication facility is configured to use public key infrastructure for the secure communication channel.

12. The power source of claim 10, wherein the communication facility is configured to transmit the verification code in the out-of-band communication channel and receive in return a cryptographically modified version of the verification code signaled through the in-band communication channel from the second electromagnetic resonator to the first electromagnetic resonator to authenticate a destination of power transfer.

13. The power source of claim 9, wherein the information comprises information to adjust one or more parameters of power transfer over the in-band communication channel, and verification of the wireless coupling comprises monitoring changes to the power transfer and comparing the monitored changes to expected changes based on the one or more parameters.

14. The power source of claim 9, wherein the power source is configured to verify that the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator of the wireless coupling for transfer of power are a same two resonators exchanging information on the out-of-band communication channel.

15. A wireless power system, comprising:

a power supply, the power supply configured to supply power at a rate sufficient to charge a battery of the system;

a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to the power supply and having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω

₁/2Γ

₁;

a load configured to power the system;

a second electromagnetic resonator configured to be coupled to the load, the second electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₂, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=ω

₂/2Γ

₂;

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator; and

a communication facility to confirm compatibility of the first and second electromagnetic resonators and provide authorization for initiation of transfer of power;

wherein the communication facility is configured to establish an out-of-band communication channel for information exchange; and

wherein the communication facility is configured to use an in-band communication channel to verify a wireless coupling between the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator based on the information exchanged via the out-of-band communication channel.

16. The wireless power system of claim 15, wherein the communication facility is configured to use a secure communication channel as the out-of-band communication channel, the information exchanged via the secure out-of-band communication channel comprises a verification code, and the verification code is signaled in response through the in-band communication channel.

17. The wireless power system of claim 16, wherein the communication facility is configured to use public key infrastructure for the secure communication channel.

18. The wireless power system of claim 16, wherein the communication facility is configured to transmit the verification code in the out-of-band communication channel and receive in return a cryptographically modified version of the verification code signaled through the in-band communication channel from the first electromagnetic resonator or the second electromagnetic resonator to authenticate a source or a destination of power transfer.

19. The wireless power system of claim 15, wherein the information comprises information to adjust one or more parameters of power transfer over the in-band communication channel, and verification of the wireless coupling comprises monitoring changes to the power transfer and comparing the monitored changes to expected changes based on the one or more parameters.

20. The wireless power system of claim 15, wherein the wireless power system is configured to verify that the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator of the wireless coupling for transfer of power are a same two resonators exchanging information on the out-of-band communication channel.

21. The wireless power system of claim 15, wherein the load is configured to power a drive system of a vehicle that is driven at least in part by electrical power.

22. The wireless power system of claim 15, wherein the load is configured to power a medical device.