Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Philips Lighting Holding B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Klaas Jacob Lulofs

Andries Van Wageningen

Neil Francis Joye

Wilhelmus Gerardus Maria Ettes

Pascal Leonard Maria Theodoor Lebens

Eddy Gerrit Veltman

Johannes Wilhelmus Draak

Simon George Abernethy

Harald Josef Günther Radermacher

Antonius Adriaan Maria Staring

Peter Hubertus Franciscus Deurenberg

Alphonsus Tarcisius Jozef Maria Schipper

Jonathan Stanley Harold Denyer

Michael James Robbert Leppard

Lino Adriaan Nicolaas Wilhelm De Wit

Friso Rietstra

Johannes Wilhelmus Weekamp

Frederik Jan De Bruijn

Franciscus Johannes Gerardus Hakkens

Christoph Dobrusskin

Anthony Dyche

Gerben Kooijman

Geert Willem Van Der Veen

Mart Kornelis-Jan Te Velde

Patrick Alouisius Martina De Bruycker

Tijmen Cornelis Van Bodegraven

Jacob Roger Haartsen

Egbertus Reinier Jacobs

Susanne Maaike Valster

Karel Johannes Adrianus Van Den Aker

Jaap Roger Haartsen

Jasper De Vreede

Olaf Mastenbroek

Adrianus Petrus Johanna Maria Rommers

Roelf Van Der Wal

Wilhelmus Josephus Cornelissen

Koen Geenen

Martijn Gerarda Lambertus Justinus Van Uden

Tony Dyche

Pieter Geert Van Engen

A power transmitter () comprises a driver () generating a drive signal for a transmitter coil to generate a power transfer signal during a power transfer time interval and an electromagnetic test signal during a foreign object detection time interval. A set of balanced detection coils () comprise two detection coils arranged such that signals induced in the two detection coils by an electromagnetic field generated by the transmitter coil compensate each other. A foreign object detector () is coupled to the detection coils and performs foreign object detection during the foreign object detection time interval. The foreign object detector () is arranged to detect a foreign object in response to a property of a signal from the detection coils meeting a foreign object detection criterion. A transformer () has a primary winding and a secondary winding coupled in series with the set of balanced detection coils A compensation circuit () is coupled to the primary winding and arranged to generate a compensation drive signal for the primary winding which offsets a combined voltage of the set of detection coils.

Wireless power transfer and communication

A wireless power transmitter () an output circuit () comprises a transmitter coil () for which generates the power transfer signal a drive signal generated by a driver circuit () is applied. A power loop controller () implements a power control loop for controlling the drive signal to adjust a power level of the power transfer signal in response to power control error messages received from the power receiver (). A mode store () stores a plurality of power level modes for the power receiver where each power level mode is associated with a reference power level for the power transfer signal. A mode circuit () adapts the drive signal to set the power level of the power transfer signal to a first reference value in response to receiving a mode request message where the first reference value corresponds to a reference power level for a first power level mode indicated in the mode request message.

Wireless power transfer

A battery includes a first electronic circuit configured to operate in a transfer mode to wirelessly transfer power to a device and to operate in a receive mode to wirelessly receive power from the device. The first electronic circuit also configured to adapt a voltage gain of the first electronic circuit to compensate for a voltage drop between the battery and the device during any one or more of the wireless transfer of power to the device when the battery is operating in the transfer mode and the wireless receipt of power from the device when the battery is operating in the receive mode.

A wireless power transfer system includes a power transmitter () arranged to provide a power transfer to a power receiver () via a power transfer signal. The power receiver () comprises a first mode controller () for transmitting a standby mode exit request to the power transmitter () by changing a loading of a communication inductor () of the power transmitter (). The power transmitter () comprises a mode controller () which controls the power transmitter () to operate in a standby mode wherein a presence of the power receiver () is detected but no power transfer signal is generated. It furthermore comprises a detector () for detecting an impedance change of the communication inductor (). The mode controller () is arranged to initiate a transition from the standby mode to a power transfer mode in response to the detector () detecting the impedance change.

Wireless inductive power transfer

A device being a power receiver or power transmitter of a wireless power transfer system transfer powers via a power transfer signal: The device comprises power transfer coil () for receiving or generating the power transfer signal and a communication antenna () for communicating with the power receiver () or the power transmitter () via a communication signal. The communication antenna () overlaps the power transfer coil (). A magnetic shielding element () is positioned between the power transfer coil () and the communication antenna (). A controller () controls the device to perform power transfer during power transfer intervals and communication during communication time intervals, the power transfer intervals and communication time intervals being disjoint. The magnetic shielding element () comprises a magnetic shield material arranged to operate in a saturated mode during power transfer intervals and in a non-saturated mode during communication time intervals.

Method and apparatus for wireless power transfer utilizing a magnetic shield

A wireless power transfer system includes a power transmitter configured to provide a power transfer to a power receiver via a power transfer signal. The power receiver includes a first mode controller configured to transmit a standby mode exit request to the power transmitter by changing a loading of a communication inductor of the power transmitter. The power transmitter includes a mode controller configured to control the power transmitter to operate in a standby mode where a presence of the power receiver is detected but no power transfer signal is generated. A detector is configured to detect an impedance change of the communication inductor. The mode controller is configured to initiate a transition from the standby mode to a power transfer mode in response to the detector detecting the impedance change.

A power transmitter () for inductively transferring power to a power receiver () comprises a resonance circuit () comprising a transmitter coil () for generating a power transfer signal. A sampler () samples a current through, or voltage over, the transmitter coil (). A message receiver () receives messages load modulated onto the power transfer signal based on the samples. A driver () generates a drive signal for the resonance circuit () and a resonance modification circuit () reduces the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit () by slowing a state change for a resonating component of the resonance circuit () for a fractional time interval of the cycles of the drive signal. A sample time controller () controls the sample times in response to at least one of start-times and end-times of the fractional time intervals, and specifically may set the sample times to be within the fractional time intervals.

A power transmitter () inductively transferring power to a power receiver () comprises a resonance circuit () comprising a transmitter coil (). A driver () generates a drive signal for the resonance circuit () and a data receiver () receives messages load modulated onto a power transfer signal by the power receiver () during communication time intervals. An error unit () determines a coil current error and a control loop () controls the current through the transmitter coil () in response to the coil current error with the control loop () being active during the communication time intervals. A loop response of the control loop is attenuated for coil current errors in a reduced control range relative to coil current error indications outside the reduced control range, where the reduced control range includes a zero coil current error.

A wireless power transmitter ()) comprises a resonance circuit () comprises a transmitter inductor () for generating a power transfer signal for wirelessly transferring power to the power receiver (). A driver () generates a drive signal for the resonance circuit () and a resonance modification circuit () aligns the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit () with the drive frequency of the drive signal by slowing a state change for resonance circuit () for a fractional time interval of cycles of the drive signal. A load estimator () generates a load estimate reflecting an equivalent load resistor for the transmitter inductor () reflecting the loading of the power transfer signal. A drive frequency adapter () then adapts the drive frequency in response to the load estimate. The invention may in particular improve load modulation communication quality.

A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver and a power transmitter providing power using an inductive power signal. The power transmitter includes a resonance circuit having capacitive and inductive impedances, and a driver configured to generate a drive signal for the resonance circuit. A frequency modification circuit is configured to control the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit by slowing a state change for the capacitive and/or inductive impedance for a fractional time interval of at least some cycles of the drive signal, The frequency modification circuit is configured to align at least one of a start time and an end time for the fractional time interval to transitions of a timing signal. In the power transmitter, the driver is configured to generate the timing signal to have transitions synchronized to the drive signal. The slowing may be by impeding current flow between the capacitive and inductive impedances.

A power transmitter () for transferring power to a power receiver comprises a first inductor () for providing power and a second inductor () for receiving data signals from a power receiver. The first () and second () inductors are separate inductors in a power transfer circuit () and a data signal receiving circuit (). The data signal receiving circuit () comprises a data extracting circuit () for extracting the data signals received by the second inductor (). The power transmitter comprises a control circuit () for controlling the power in dependence on the data signals. The power transmitter transfers power during power transfer periods and receives data during communication periods, communication periods corresponding to periods wherein power is low. The control circuit () electrically couples the data extraction circuit () and the second inductor () from each other during communication periods and electrical decouples them during at least a part of power transfer periods.

A power transmitter () is arranged to transfer power to a power receiver () via a wireless inductive power transfer signal transmitted from a transmit coil () to a power receiver (). A first communication unit () communicates a message to the power receiver () on a first communication link A second communication unit () receives data from the power receiver () on a separate second communication link having a longer range. The power receiver () comprises a third communication unit () which receives the first message. A response generator () generates a response message to the message and a fourth communication unit () transmits the response message to the power transmitter () over the second communication link. The power transmitter () determines an expected response message to the message and a power controller () controls the power level of the power transfer signal dependent on whether a message is received on the second communication link corresponding to the expected response message.

The present invention relates to a consumable recognition system for recognizing placement and/or type of consumable containing a food substance for the preparation of a beverage by use of a beverage dispenser. To enable the recognition of placement and/or type of consumable in a simple, foolproof and easily implementable way the system comprises a plurality of magnetic and/or electric field elements () for separately sensing a magnetic and/or electric field, wherein said consumable comprises one or more magnetically and/or electrically conductive elements () and the sensed magnetic fields depend on at least one characteristic of the one or more magnetically and/or electrically conductive elements, a driver () for providing drive currents to said magnetic and/or electric field elements, and a signal processor () for recognizing placement and/or type of consumable based on the sensed magnetic and/or electric fields.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Klaas Jacob Lulofs