Systems, methods, and apparatus for integrated tuning capacitors in charging coil structure

• US 9,941,708 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Keeling, Nicholas Athol, Kissin, Michael Le Gallais, Budhia, Mickel Bipin, Huang, Chang-Yu, Beaver, Jonathan, Hao, Hao, Camasca Ramirez, Claudio Armando
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Joel
• Application Number:
  US14/802,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20160126746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• 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: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• 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: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for power transfer including a plurality of coil structures located over a ferrite element, the plurality of coil structures configured to generate a high flux region and a low flux region, the low flux region being located between the plurality of coil structures, and a tuning capacitance located directly over the ferrite element in the low flux region.

Claims

1. A device for power transfer, comprising:

a plurality of coil structures located over a ferrite element, the plurality of coil structures configured to generate a high flux region and a low flux region, the low flux region being located between the plurality of coil structures; and

a tuning capacitance located directly over the ferrite element in the low flux region.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coil structures are “

D”

shaped.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coil structures comprise multiple vertically stacked coils.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the low flux region is dependent on an amount of current present in the plurality of coil structures.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the tuning capacitance comprises a plurality of surface mount capacitors located on a printed circuit board located between the plurality of coil structures directly over the ferrite element in the low flux region.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein an electrical characteristic of the high flux region defines an electrical characteristic of the low flux region.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the high flux region is formed by a plurality of high flux regions in an absence of a charging-receiving structure.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the high flux region is formed by a plurality of high flux regions in a presence of a charging-receiving structure.

9. A method for power transfer, comprising:

locating a plurality of coil structures over a ferrite element;

generating a high flux region and a low flux region, the low flux region being located between the plurality of coil structures; and

locating a tuning capacitance directly over the ferrite element in the low flux region.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the plurality of coil structures as “

D”

shaped.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the plurality of coil structures as multiple vertically stacked coils.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the low flux region is dependent on an amount of current present in the plurality of coil structures.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the tuning capacitance as a plurality of surface mount capacitors located on a printed circuit board located between the plurality of coil structures directly over the ferrite element in the low flux region.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising using an electrical characteristic of the high flux region to define an electrical characteristic of the low flux region.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the high flux region using a plurality of high flux regions in an absence of a charging-receiving structure.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming the high flux region using a plurality of high flux regions in a presence of a charging-receiving structure.

17. A device for power transfer, comprising:

means for generating a high flux region and a low flux region, the low flux region being located between a plurality of coil structures; and

means for locating a tuning capacitance directly over a ferrite element in the low flux region.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising means for forming the plurality of coil structures as “

D”

shaped.

19. The device of claim 17, further comprising means for forming the high flux region using a plurality of high flux regions in an absence of a charging-receiving structure.

20. The device of claim 17, further comprising means for forming the high flux region using a plurality of high flux regions in a presence of a charging-receiving structure.