National Semiconductor Corporation

Texas Instruments Corporation

Ali Djabbari

Gianpaolo Lisi

Gerard G Socci

Jianhui Zhang

Kosha Mahmodieh

Ahmad Reza Bahai

Ali Kiaei

Mounir Youssef Bohsali

Xiang Gao

Bram Nauta

Eric Klumperink

Rajaram Subramoniam

Benjamin Stassen Cook

Swaminathan Sankaran

Mark William Morgan

Jeffrey Anthony Morroni

Jingwei Xu

Vijayalakshmi Devarajan

Rajaram Subramonian

Lutz Albrecht Naumann

Juan Alejandro Herbsommer

Peter Smeys

Giovanni Frattini

Ralf Jakobskrueger Muenster

Jeronimo Segovia Fernandez

Evan Reutzel

Masood Yousefi

Eric A M Klumperink

Raj Subramoniam

Andrew Ronald Chemistruck

Qingguo Liu

A removable module includes circuitry, a near field communication (NFC) coupler to provide a data signal to the circuitry, and a second NFC coupler to supply operating voltage to the circuitry.

Backplane with near field coupling to modules

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to measure a resonant sensor based on detection of group delay. An example apparatus includes a modulation manager configured to query the resonant sensor with a modulated signal including a frequency; and a resonance determiner configured to determine a resonance frequency of the resonant sensor based on a group delay associated with the resonant sensor and the frequency.

Methods and apparatus to measure resonant sensors based on detection of group delay

An apparatus includes a housing for an electronic circuit. The housing includes at least three planes that form a structure to house the electronic circuit. At least one channel is formed along at least one of the three planes to provide a waveguide in the housing for wireless communications. A wireless communications module communicates via the waveguide to control the electronic circuit enclosed in the housing.

Waveguide housing channels for wireless communications

An example apparatus includes a feedback loop to: change a direction value when a second current value is greater than a first current value, the second current value being obtained after the first current value; and maintain the direction value when the second current value is less than the first current value. When the direction value corresponds to a first direction value, a summer increases a reference signal by a step size. When the direction value corresponds to a second direction value different than the first direction value, the summer decrease the reference signal by the step size.

Methods and apparatus to increase efficiency for wireless power transfer

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to efficiently transfer power wirelessly are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a feedback loop to when a second current value is greater than a first current value, change a direction value, the second current value being obtained after the first current value; when the second current value is less than the first current value, maintain the direction value; and a summer to when the direction value corresponds to a first direction value, increase a reference signal by a step size; and when the direction value corresponds to a second direction value different than the first direction value, decrease the reference signal by the step size.

In described examples, an inductive structure includes a power coil and a data coil. The data coil is substantially centered within the power coil. A first portion of the data coil is for conducting current in a first direction. A second portion of the data coil is for conducting current in a second direction opposite the first direction. The first portion of the data coil is connected at a ground node to the second portion of the data coil. The power coil is for: receiving power without data; and outputting the received power without data.

Inductive structures with reduced emissions and interference

A resonant power transfer system includes resonant circuitry () including an inductor coil () and a resonant capacitor () coupled to a first terminal () of the inductor coil, wherein the inductor coil and the resonant capacitor resonate to produce an excitation signal (I) and a state variable signal (V). Sub-sampling circuitry () samples first and second points of the state variable signal at a rate which is substantially less than the RF frequency of the state variable signal. Information recovery circuitry () produces a state variable parameter signal representing a parameter (A) of the state variable signal from information in the first and second sampled points. Control circuitry () produces a first control signal in response to the state variable parameter signal. Detection and optimization circuitry () produces a second control signal in response to the state variable parameter signal. Voltage regulation circuitry () produces a regulated supply voltage in response to the first control signal. Switching inverter circuitry produces the excitation signal in response to the regulated supply voltage and the second control signal.

Circuit and method for extracting amplitude and phase information in a resonant system

Circuits for controlling a plurality of LEDs connected in series are disclosed herein. The circuit includes a plurality of switches, wherein each switch is connectable between the anode and cathode of one of the plurality of LEDs. Each of the switches has a first state wherein current does not pass through the switch and a second state wherein current passes through the switch. The circuit also includes an input for receiving data to program the switches and a data line for transferring data between a circuit controlling second LEDs that are connected in parallel with the first LEDs and the circuit. In addition, the circuit includes a data output for transferring data to other circuits controlling third LEDs that are connected in series with the first LEDs.

LED matrix manager

An inductive structure includes a power coil and a data coil. The data coil is substantially centered within the power coil. A first portion of the data coil conducts current in a first direction. A second portion of the data coil conducts current in a second direction opposite the first direction. The first portion of the data coil is connected at a node to the second portion of the data coil. The node is coupled to a ground.

In a wireless power transfer system with multiple receivers, receiver management may be necessary to effectively provide power to the multiple receivers. In one implementation, receiver management includes sweeping or stepping the transmitter resonant and/or operating frequency. In another implementation, receiver management includes receiver self-management, in which the receiver load current duty cycle is controlled to maintain receiver voltage even in the presence of multiple receivers. In another implementation, receiver management includes receiver self-management, in which one or more receivers use a time-sharing heuristic to identify when other receivers are charging and wait to begin receiving a transfer of power until another receiver has stopped receiving a transfer of power.

Resonant system for wireless power transmission to multiple receivers

A wireless power transfer system includes: a non-resonant transmitter, or a transmitter with a resonant circuit; and a non-resonant receiver, or a receiver with a resonant circuit. In some implementations, a transmitter with a resonant circuit is operated away from its resonance frequency. In some implementations, a receiver with a resonant circuit is operated away from the transmitter resonance frequency and/or the transmitter operating frequency. In some implementations, the selection of receiver resonance frequency is based on receiver power requirements. Thus, wireless power transfer may be accomplished by operating away from resonance in a quasi-resonant or non-resonant mode, and further may be accomplished using a non-resonant transmitter and/or a non-resonant receiver. Effective power transfer may also be achieved between a transmitter and multiple receivers. A combination of resonant and non-resonant transmitter and receiver(s) may be used for power transfer.

Non-resonant and quasi-resonant system for wireless power transmission to multiple receivers

A method for activating a local converter for one of a plurality of energy generating devices in an energy generating array is provided. The local converter includes a power stage and a local controller. The method includes comparing a device voltage for the energy generating device to a voltage activation level. The local converter is automatically activated when the device voltage exceeds the voltage activation level.

Method and system for activating and deactivating an energy generating system

A wireless charging system includes a transmitter with tunable reactive components (such as capacitance or inductance). A metric related to power transfer from the transmitter through a coil is used to determine an amount to modify a Parameter. One metric is equal to |Vs|&#xb7;|Is|&#xb7;cos(&#x3c6;)&#xb7;(Vcoil_ref/Vcoil), where |Vs| is magnitude of the power source voltage, |Is| is magnitude of the power source current, &#x3c6; is phase difference between the power source voltage and power source current, Vcoil_ref is a normalization value, and Vcoil is voltage across the coil. The transmitter can further include a phase tracking and adjustment loop (such as a phase-locked loop).

Transmitter and receiver tuning in a wireless charging system

A wireless energy transfer receiver includes an input configured to receive alternating current (AC) electric energy and an output configured to make available direct current (DC) electric energy. The receiver further includes a rectification component configured to convert the AC energy received at the input into DC energy available at the output, the DC energy made available as DC voltage; and a multiplication component configured to amplify a peak voltage of the AC energy received at the input, the DC voltage made available at the output correspondingly being higher than the peak voltage of the AC energy received at the input.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Ali Djabbari