# US 11,114,895 B2 · Pinless power coupling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,895 B2 - Document ID: US11114895B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/828,410 - Filed: 2020-03-24 - Published: 2020-07-16 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-01-29 - Assignees: Powermat Technologies Ltd. - Applicants: Powermat Technologies, Ltd. - Inventors: Yossi Azancot; Amir Ben-Shalom; Oola Greenwald; Arik Rofe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114895B2 ## CPC - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H01F 27/2804: {Printed windings} - H01F 27/2885: {with shields or electrodes (shields or electrodes for pancake coils H01F27/2871; construction of electric or magnetic shields or screens H01F27/36)} - H01F 38/14: Inductive couplings - H02J 50/90: involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment - H01F 27/2809: {on stacked layers} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES ## Abstract A pinless power coupling arrangement comprises at least one pin-less power jack, the power jack comprising a primary coil shielded behind an insulating layer for inductive coupling to a pin-less power plug. The power plug comprises a secondary coil wherein said insulating layer is substantially flat and the power plug and the power jack may be aligned by an alignment means. Various such alignment means are discussed as are enabled surfaces for supporting inductive power jacks and inductive plugs coupled to various appliances. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inductive power transfer system comprising: a power-outlet positioned on a side of a surface layer, the power-outlet comprising: at least one primary coil; a driver for driving the at least one primary coil; an electromagnetic radiation receiver; and a secondary unit positioned on an opposite side of the surface layer, wherein the secondary unit is used to supply power to a load and comprising: at least one secondary coil used to receive power transmitted by the at least one primary coil; and an electromagnetic radiation transmitter configured to transmit to the electromagnetic radiation receiver a modulation signal that is based at least in part on monitoring said power to the load; and wherein the modulation signal provides at least one indication of alignment of the at least one secondary coil with respect to the at least one primary coil and to regulate a duty-cycle of the driver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one primary coil is arranged in an array, wherein the power-outlet further comprises at least one additional primary coil arranged in an additional-array, and wherein the at least one primary coil is arranged in a way that overlaps the at least one additional primary coil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one primary coil is activated selectively based on the at least one indication of alignment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the secondary unit further comprises an indicator for providing the at least one indication of alignment, wherein the indicator is selected from a group consisting of: visual indicator; audible indicator; tactile indicator; and any combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the driver selectively drives the at least one primary coil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the power-outlet further comprises a multiplexer configured to select between an initialization signal and the modulation signal for driving the at least one primary coil. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The inductive power transfer system of claim 6, wherein the initialization signal drives the at least one primary coil for generating a low power detection signal while the power-outlet is not coupled with the secondary unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The inductive power transfer system of claim 6, wherein the modulation signal drives the at least one primary coil while the power-outlet is coupled with the secondary unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the modulation signal is related to parameters of the load that are selected from a group consisting of operating voltage; operating current; operating temperature; and any combination thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The inductive power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation transmitter is a light emitting diode operating in visible spectrum. ### Claim 11 A power-outlet to be positioned on a side of a surface layer for inductively powering a secondary unit to be positioned on an opposite side of the surface layer, wherein the secondary unit that supplies power to a load has at least one secondary coil and an electromagnetic radiation transmitter, the power-outlet comprising: at least one primary coil used for the powering the at least one secondary coil; a driver for driving the at least one primary coil; an electromagnetic radiation receiver used for receiving from the electromagnetic radiation transmitter a modulation signal that is based at least in part on monitoring of the power to the load; and wherein the modulation signal provides an indication of alignment of the at least one secondary coil with respect to the at least one primary coil and to regulate a duty-cycle of the driver. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The power-outlet of claim 11, wherein the at least one primary coil is arranged in an array, wherein the power-outlet further comprises at least one additional primary coil arranged in an additional-array, and wherein the at least one primary coil is arranged in a way that overlaps the at least one additional primary coil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The power-outlet of claim 12, wherein the at least one primary coil is activated selectively based on the indication of alignment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The power-outlet of claim 11, wherein the driver selectively drives the at least one primary coil. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The power-outlet of claim 11, wherein the power-outlet further comprises a multiplexer configured to select between an initialization signal and the modulation signal for driving the at least one primary coil. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The power-outlet of claim 15, wherein the initialization signal drives the at least one primary coil for generating a low power detection signal while the power-outlet is not coupled with the secondary unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The power-outlet of claim 15, wherein the modulation signal drives the at least one primary coil while the power-outlet is coupled with the secondary unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The power-outlet of claim 11, wherein said modulation signal is related to parameters of the load that are selected from a group consisting of operating voltage; operating current; operating temperature; and any combination thereof. ### Claim 19 A secondary unit to be positioned on a side of a surface layer for suppling power to a load, wherein the secondary unit is inductively powered by a power-outlet to be positioned on an opposite side of the surface layer, wherein the power-outlet has at least one primary coil and an electromagnetic radiation receiver, the secondary unit comprising: at least one secondary coil used to receive power transferred by the at least one primary coil; an electromagnetic radiation transmitter used for transmitting a modulation signal to the electromagnetic radiation receiver, wherein the modulation signal is based at least in part on monitoring of power supplied to the load; and wherein the power-outlet utilizes the modulation signal for providing at least one indication of alignment of the at least one secondary coil with respect to the at least one primary coil and to regulate the power transferred by the at least one primary coil. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The secondary unit of claim 19, further comprising at least one indicator for providing the at least one indication of alignment, wherein the indicator is selected from a group consisting of: visual indicator; audible indicator; tactile indicator; and any combination thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The secondary unit of claim 19, wherein the modulation signal drives the at least one primary coil while the power-outlet is coupled with the secondary unit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The secondary unit of claim 19, wherein said modulation signal is related to parameters of the load that are selected from a group consisting of operating voltage; operating current; operating temperature; and any combination thereof. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The secondary unit of claim 19, wherein the electromagnetic radiation transmitter is a light emitting diode operating in the visible spectrum.