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US 11,888,331 B2Granted
Sub-surface wireless charging and associated method
AssigneeSpark Connected LLC
InventorsPetru Emanuel Stingu, Yulong Hou, Kenneth Moore, Ruwanga Dassanayake
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an embodiment, a method includes: wirelessly transmitting power to a receiving coil from a transmitting coil, where the receiving coil is in a wireless power transmission space of the transmitting coil; measuring an output of a sensor during a first time to generate a first measurement; measuring the output of the sensor during a second time to generate a second measurement, the second time being after the first time; and when a magnitude of a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement is higher than a predetermined threshold, stopping wirelessly transmitting power to the receiving coil with the transmitting coil.
Claims28
A method comprising:
- wirelessly transmitting power to a receiving coil from a transmitting coil of a wireless power transmitter via a magnetic field, wherein the receiving coil is in a wireless power transmission space of the transmitting coil;
- measuring, by a sensor of the wireless power transmitter, the magnetic field in the wireless power transmission space during a first time and generating an output of a first measurement;
- measuring, by the sensor of the wireless power transmitter, the magnetic field in the wireless power transmission space during a second time and generating an output of a second measurement, the second time being after the first time;
- and
- when a magnitude of a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement is higher than a predetermined threshold, determining a movement or a position of the receiving coil and stopping wirelessly transmitting power to the receiving coil with the transmitting coil,
- wherein the sensor comprises differential pizza-slice-type coils with a first pizza-slice-type element and a second pizza-slice-type element,
- wherein the first pizza-slice-type element is disposed along a first axis of the wireless power transmitter and configured to detect motion along the first axis by a wireless power receiver comprising the receiving coil, and
- wherein the second pizza-slice-type element is disposed along a second axis of the wireless power transmitter and configured to detect motion along the second axis by the wireless power receiver, the second axis being different than the first axis.
5 more elements
A wireless power transmitter comprising:
- a transmitting coil configured to wireless transmit power via a magnetic field towards a wireless power transmission space;
- a ferrite core;
- a housing disposed between the transmitting coil and the wireless power transmission space, wherein the ferrite core and the transmitting coil are disposed in the housing;
- a sensor comprising concentric differential coils having an inner coil and an outer coil so that respective currents are flowable through the inner and outer coils in opposite directions, wherein the inner coil and the outer coil have the same inductance;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- measure, via the sensor, the magnetic field in the wireless power transmission space during a first time and generate a first measurement,
- measure, via the sensor, the magnetic field in the wireless power transmission space during a second time and generate a second measurement, the second time being after the first time, and
- when a magnitude of a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement is higher than a predetermined threshold, determine a movement or a position of a wireless power receiver in the wireless power transmission space.
6 more elements
A wireless power transmitter comprising:
- a transmitting coil configured to wirelessly transmit power via a magnetic field towards a wireless power transmission space;
- a ferrite core;
- a housing disposed between the transmitting coil and the wireless power transmission space, wherein the ferrite core and the transmitting coil are disposed in the housing;
- a sensor comprising differential pizza-slice-type coils with a first pizza-slice-type element and a second pizza-slice-type element, wherein the first pizza-slice-type element is disposed along a first axis of the wireless power transmitter and configured to detect motion along the first axis by a wireless power receiver comprising the receiving coil, and wherein the second pizza-slice-type element is disposed along a second axis of the wireless power transmitter and configured to detect motion along the second axis by the wireless power receiver, the second axis being different than the first axis;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- measure, via the sensor, the magnetic field in the wireless power transmission space during a first time and generate a first measurement,
- measure, via the sensor, the magnetic field in the wireless power transmission space during a second time and generate a second measurement, the second time being after the first time, and
- when a magnitude of a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement is higher than a predetermined threshold, determine a movement or a position of the wireless power receiver in the wireless power transmission space.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.