# US 11,451,092 B2 · Wireless charging method for assembly line > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,092 B2 - Document ID: US11451092B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/629,946 - Filed: 2018-08-29 - Published: 2020-05-14 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Xingyi Shi; Huang Lee; Vivek Jain - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451092B2 ## CPC - 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} - B29D 29/06: Conveyor belts - B65G 15/02: for conveying in a circular arc - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially - H02J 50/12: of the resonant type - H02J 50/40: using two or more transmitting or receiving devices (H02J50/50 takes precedence) - H03H 11/28: Impedance matching networks - B65G 2201/0267: Pallets - B65G 2203/043: Magnetic - H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P) ## Abstract An assembly line includes a conveyor belt and an energy charging system. The energy charging system includes (i) a resonator having a TX resonator disposed along the conveyor belt and a RX resonator mounted on and transported by the conveyor belt, (ii) an impedance matching network in communication with the resonator, (iii) and an energy storage device in communication with at least one of the resonator and the impedance matching network. Vmin is a minimum voltage of the energy storage device, and Vcap is a voltage across the energy storage device measured in real time. Energy is transferred from the TX resonator to the RX resonator when the Vcap is less than Vmin of the energy storage device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assembly line comprising: a conveyor belt; a workpiece pallet that is transported by the conveyor belt; and an energy charging system comprising: a resonator comprising a TX resonator disposed along the conveyor belt and a RX resonator that is integrated with or mounted on the workpiece pallet; an impedance matching network in communication with the resonator and configured to change an impedance of at least one of the TX resonator and the RX resonator to optimize an energy transfer efficiency; and an energy storage device that is integrated with or mounted on with the workpiece pallet and configured to receive energy from the RX resonator, wherein the energy charging system is configured to transfer energy from the TX resonator to the RX resonator in response to the energy storage device having a real-time voltage that is less than a predefined minimum voltage for the energy storage device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly line of claim 1 further comprising: a charging station disposed at a position along the conveyor belt, the TX resonator being integrated into the charging station. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly line of claim 1, wherein: the RX resonator comprises a plurality of RX resonators; the energy storage device comprises a plurality of energy storage devices; and the workpiece pallet comprises a plurality of workpiece pallets, each workpiece pallet having integrated therewith or mounted thereon a respective one of the plurality of RX resonators and a respective one of the plurality of energy storage devices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The assembly line of claim 3 wherein the impedance matching network is effective to transfer energy between the TX resonator and the RX resonator at distance between the TX resonator and the RX resonator is a first predetermined distance, and, when a distance between first and subsequent resonators is greater than a diameter of the TX resonator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The assembly line of claim 4 wherein the distance between the first and the subsequent RX resonators is set to equal to the diameter of the TX resonator if the distance between the first and the subsequent resonator is greater than the diameter of the TX resonator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly line of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is one of a capacitor, a super-capacitor, a battery, and an ultra-capacitor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly line of claim 1, wherein the impedance matching network includes a switching system. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: providing a conveyor belt; providing a workpiece pallet that is transported by the conveyor belt; and providing an energy charging system including (i) a resonator having a TX resonator disposed along the conveyor belt and a RX resonator that is integrated with or mounted on the workpiece pallet, (ii) an impedance matching network that is in communication with the resonator, and (iii) an energy storage device that is integrated with or mounted on the workpiece pallet and configured to receive energy from the RX resonator and configured to change an impedance of at least one of the TX resonator and the RX resonator to optimize an energy transfer efficiency; and operating the energy charging system to transfer energy from the TX resonator to the RX resonator in response to the energy storage device having a real-time voltage that is less than a predefined minimum voltage for the energy storage device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 the TX resonator is integrated into a charging station disposed at a position along the conveyor belt. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein: the RX resonator comprises a plurality of RX resonators; the energy storage device comprises a plurality of energy storage devices; and the workpiece pallet comprises providing a plurality of workpiece pallets each workpiece pallet having integrated therewith or mounted thereon a respective one of the plurality of RX resonators and a respective one of the plurality of energy storage devices. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the impedance matching network is effective to transfer energy between the TX resonator and the RX resonator at distance between the TX resonator and the RX resonator is a first predetermined distance when a distance between first and subsequent RX resonators is greater than a diameter of the TX resonator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the distance between the first and the subsequent RX resonator is set to equal to the diameter of the TX resonator if the distance between the first and the subsequent RX resonator is greater than the diameter of the TX resonator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the energy storage device is one of a capacitor, a super-capacitor, and an ultra-capacitor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the impedance matching network includes a switching system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the switching system is a switch capacitor π-match network.