Systems and method for positioning freedom, and support of different voltages, protocols, and power levels in a wireless power system

A method of providing positioning freedom, and support of different voltages, protocols, and power levels in a wireless power system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a base unit having one or more transmitter coils which transmit inductive power to a receiver coil placed close to the one or more transmitter coils and configured to receive power therefrom;
• providing a switching layer having magnetic properties and covering the one or more transmitter coils, so that,
• during charging or powering of a mobile device or battery having a receiver and the receiver coil, the switching layer is layered between the one or more transmitter coils and a surface of the base unit, including
• wherein, when the mobile device or battery having the receiver coil is placed close to the base unit having the one or more transmitter coils, the switching layer's magnetic properties are locally modified, by one or more of a magnetic field of the receiver coil, or by another magnetic component, to guide magnetic flux to provide localized power transfer within a particular region of the switching layer generally aligned with the receiver coil;
• and
• providing a microcontroller within the base unit or the mobile device, for support of different voltages, protocols, and power levels including
• determining by the base unit, for the mobile device to be charged or powered, a charging protocol from within a plurality of different charging protocols to be used, and one or more voltage and power level requirements for the mobile device, and
• regulating, by the mobile device, power received at the receiver coil, including communicating between the receiver and the base unit, using the particular charging protocol, information used by the base unit to make appropriate adjustments to provide a required output voltage, current or power at the receiver output;
• wherein multiple mobile devices, batteries or receivers with different voltage or power level requirements can be simultaneously charged or powered by the base unit.