Apple Inc.

Arunim Kumar

Ron Rafer Floresca

Junbo Zeng

Ya-Ting Wang

Saining Ren

Bharat K Patel

Liang Chen

Ali Abdolkhani

Antoin J Russell

Zachary Strachan Harris

Lewis Freeth Harpham

Sander Vocke

Aaron Rex Keith

Paul David Marson

Andrew Gray

Aiguo Hu

Daniel James Robertson

Rex Pius Huang

Jerald Polestico Guillermo

Mikhal S De Jesus

Atul A Salvekar

Nigel James Gray

Michael Scott Eckert

Eugenio Jr Sia Lecias

Michael Nasa

A system for inductive power transfer that may selectively transmit power in a plurality of modes based on characteristics of a power receiver and determine which transmitter coils to drive based on received signal strength information. The inductive power transfer transmitter may detect characteristics of the power receiver in order to control the mode of the power transfer and selectively control which transmitter coils are driven based on signal strength information received from a power receiver. The power transmitter may have slugs formed of a magnetically permeable material within common coil winding openings and the transmitter coils may consists of a plurality of parallel windings.

System and method for power transfer

An inductive power receiver including a switch mode regulator to control the power flow from a power receiving coil and a modulator to communicate to an inductive power transmitter via the power receiving coil. The switch mode regulator operates in a different modes during transmitting and non-transmitting periods.

Inductive power receiver

An inductive power transmitter and an inductive power receiver include communication circuitry to communicate using modulation of the power transfer field. The inductive power transmitter or the inductive power receiver includes monitoring circuitry to determine a communication fault condition. If a communication fault condition is determined, a converter of the inductive power transmitter or inductive power receiver can adjust a control parameter.

Wireless power transfer

A wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device using an output circuit that includes a wireless power transmitting coil. Measurement circuitry is coupled to the output circuit to help determine whether the wireless power receiving device is present and ready to accept transmission of wireless power. Oscillator circuitry for supplying signals to the output circuitry while making measurements with the measurement circuitry is coupled to the output circuit using an impedance injection network. The impedance injection network includes an inductor and a resistor coupled in series. Control circuitry opens a transistor in the output circuit when making measurements with the measurement circuitry and closes the transistor when transmitting the wireless power signals.

Wireless charging system having measurement circuitry with foreign object detection capabilities

An inductive power transmitter having a plurality of transmitting coils for generating an alternating magnetic field arranged in a row with each transmitting coil partially overlapping with adjacent transmitting coils in the row. A transmitting circuit connected to each transmitting coil may drive the transmitting coils so that each transmitting coil's alternating magnetic field is phase shifted with respect to the alternating magnetic field of adjacent transmitting coils in the row or so that the alternating magnetic field generated by the transmitting coils travels along a charging surface.

Transmitter for inductive power transfer systems

A wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device using output circuitry that includes an array of wireless power transmitting coils that form a wireless charging surface. During wireless power transmission operations, wireless power signals are transmitted from the array of coils to a wireless power receiving device on the charging surface. Inductance measurement circuitry such as impulse response measurement circuitry and other measurement circuitry is coupled to the output circuitry. Control circuitry in the wireless power transmitting device analyzes signals from the measurement circuitry to produce two-dimensional signal profiles across the wireless charging surface and to compare patterns in these signal profiles to predetermined signal patterns associated with the presence of known power receiving equipment on the wireless charging surface. Based on the analysis, charging parameters may be adjusted or other actions taken.

Wireless charging system with object recognition

There is provided a contactless power system, power receiver and method of operating such, in which the power receiver of the system is configured to receive power transmitted by a power transmitter of the system via contactless electromagnetic coupling of respective receiving and transmitting coils. The power receiver further has circuitry for reflecting a unique magnetic signal to the transmitting coil of the power transmitter upon receipt of a power pulse by the receiver coil of the power receiver.

Power receiver having magnetic signature and method for operating same

An inductive power transfer device including: a resonant circuit, having a power transfer coil and a power transfer capacitor; a coupling coil, magnetically-coupled to the power transfer coil; a variable impedance; and a controller configured to determine the impedance value of the variable impedance based on predetermined criteria including: substantially regulating power provided to a load; tuning the resonant circuit resonant frequency substantially to a predetermined frequency; adjusting a frequency of a magnetic field associated with the power transfer coil; and/or adjusting an impedance reflected by the power transfer coil to a corresponding coupled power transfer coil.

Coupled-coil power control for inductive power transfer systems

Growing community of inventors

Auckland, New Zealand

Arunim Kumar