Qualcomm Incorporated

Witricity Corporation

Auckland Uniservices Limited

Nicholas Athol Keeling

Jonathan Beaver

Michael Le Gallais Kissin

Chang-Yu Huang

Mickel Bipin Budhia

Michael Kissin

Edward L Van Boheemen

Claudio Armando Camasca Ramirez

Felix Weidner

Joshua Reuben Lee

John Talbot Boys

Hanspeter Widmer

Martin Pavlovsky

Hans Peter Widmer

Leandro Percebon

Simon Islinger

Edward Van Boheemen

Ravi Halker

Donald Joseph Gosnell

Jayal Madhukumar Mehta

Christian Yair Reyes

Lukas Frank Sieber

Grant Anthony Covic

Marcel Fischer

Markus Bittner

Grzegorz Ombach

Daniel Kuerschner

Stefan Raabe

Hao Hao

Prasanth Venugopal

Adeel Zaheer

Héctor Rafael Rodríguez-Figueroa

Steven Daniel Niederhauser

Roman Heinrich

Edward Leonardus Van Boheemen

A wireless electric vehicle charging system comprises base-side equipment for generating a magnetic field and vehicle-side equipment for receiving energy via the magnetic field to supply power to a vehicle-driving battery. Monitoring circuitry monitors one or more of voltage, current, or phase associated with the base-side equipment and halts generation of the magnetic field in response to a change in the voltage, current, or phase associated with the operation of the base-side equipment that indicates a fault condition at the vehicle-side equipment, which may include a loss of power or disconnection of a battery. Based on detection of the change, the monitoring circuitry can halt generation of the magnetic field to prevent damage at the vehicle-side equipment.

Fault detection and monitoring methods for safe operation of a WEVC system

Techniques for wireless power transfer are disclosed. An example of an apparatus for receiving power in a wireless power transfer system includes a power receiving element, a tuning and current doubler circuit operably coupled to the power receiving element, a power flow controller circuit operably coupled to the tuning and current doubler circuit, and a controller operable coupled to the power receiving element and the power flow controller circuit and configured to detect a signal in the power receiving element and to synchronize the power flow controller circuit based on the signal.

Power flow controller synchronization

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for multi-phase coil control in power transfer systems. One example power transfer device generally includes a plurality of coils configured to generate at least one charging field, the plurality of coils comprising a first coil and a second coil, and a controller configured to identify that a coupling factor between the first coil and a third coil, which is external to the power transfer device, is at or below a threshold, and to adjust, based on the identification, one or more parameters associated with a current applied to the first coil to transfer power from the first coil to the second coil.

Methods and systems for multi-phase coil control

Systems and methods are described for a flush mount wireless charging power-transfer system. The techniques described in this document provide high mutual inductance with low leakage fields. These techniques also provide low surface flux densities in a base power transfer system, particularly for a component of a magnetic field that is tangential to the surface of the base power transfer system. Aspects include mechanical gaps located between ferrite structures in the coil window in the base power transfer system, and protrusions of ferrite on opposing sides of each gap. In addition, ferrite extensions are located beyond an outer boundary of the coil (e.g., in an x-direction) and extend upward above the plane of the coil (e.g., in a z-direction). The gaps, protrusions, and extensions separate the main flux from the side flux, reduce flux leakage, and improve mutual inductance between the base pad and a vehicle pad.

Flush-mount wireless charging power-transfer system

The present disclosure describes techniques for estimating or measuring changes in peak magnetic flux levels based on the influence of a receive coil to the overall flux density over a transmit coil. The estimated or measured changes in peak magnetic flux levels are used to adjust currents in the coils to reduce the flux density while maintaining sufficient power transfer. In some aspects, an apparatus for controlling power transfer is provided. The apparatus includes a controller configured to receive or determine a measured or estimated magnetic flux level on or outside a housing configured to house a transmit coil. The controller is further configured to determine an electrical current level for at least one or both of the transmit coil or a receive coil that reduces a peak magnetic flux density level in proximity to the transmit coil based on the measured or estimated magnetic flux level.

Surface flux control for inductive wireless charging systems

An inductive power transfer (IPT) pick-up circuit has a full-wave rectifier (D-D) coupled to a resonant circuit (LC) and adapted to rectify an AC current received from the resonant circuit. A pair of inductors (LL) are provided, being arranged to couple the rectifier to an output (V) of the pick-up circuit and alternately store and release energy to the output.

Inductive power transfer pick-up circuit with output current doubler

Certain aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to apparatus for attenuating unwanted frequencies using a feed line with integrated filtering. In certain aspects, a feed line for filtering unwanted frequencies in a wireless power transfer system is provided, the feed line including a first end, wherein the first end is configured to connect to a power source that generates a driving signal having a driving signal frequency, and a second end, wherein the second end is configured to connect to a wireless power transfer element configured to wirelessly transmit power. The feed line further includes a conductor core, wherein the conductor core is configured to transfer the driving signal from the power source to the wireless transfer element. The feed line further includes an integrated filter configured to attenuate at least one frequency generated by the wireless power transfer system.

Electrical feed line integrated filtering for inductive power transfer systems

Systems and methods are described for a ferrite arrangement that mitigates dimensional-tolerance effects on performance of a wireless charging pad, such as a WEVC pad. These systems and methods include a power-transfer structure having ferrite bars arranged to form ferrite strips in a staggered pattern to provide a path for magnetic flux induced by a magnetic field. The staggered pattern includes a series of ferrite strips that alternate defined starting-point locations at opposing sides of the power-transfer structure. Ending-point locations of the ferrite strips are not defined, but are based on an accumulation of lengthwise dimensional tolerances of the ferrite bars used to form the ferrite strips. Using the staggered pattern in a base power-transfer structure defines a coupling range for coupling with a vehicle power-transfer structure and a range limit for associated magnetic field emissions by the base power-transfer structure.

Ferrite arrangement in a wireless power-transfer structure to mitigate dimensional tolerance effects on performance

A magnetic coil suitable for wireless power transfer comprises a layer of magnetically-permeable material and plural conductors that follow respective convoluted paths relative to the layer of magnetically-permeable material to form respective inductors. In use, the conductors have substantially equalized inductances based on the convoluted paths and interaction with the magnetically-permeable material. One way of achieving this is to place the conductors such that the overall proximity of the conductors to the layer of magnetically-permeable material along their respective lengths is substantially equal. In this way, the conductors are positioned substantially symmetrically with respect to the layer of magnetically-permeable material, such that an average distance of each individual section of the conductors proximate to the permeable layer is equal.

Balanced coil for multi-filar windings

In certain aspects, methods and systems for moving a magnetic field hot spot of a wireless power transfer device are disclosed. An example power transfer device generally includes at least one coil configured to generate a charging field, and a controller configured to vary, over time, a current applied to the at least one coil such that magnetic field values of the charging field at a plurality of different positions relative to the at least one coil are configured to change with time.

Method and system for moving a magnetic field hot spot of a wireless power transfer device

An apparatus for transmitting charging power wirelessly to a vehicle is provided. The apparatus comprises a first coupler having a first reactance at an operating frequency and configured to wirelessly receive power from a power source, the first coupler wound on a ferromagnetic core. The apparatus comprises a first capacitor having a second reactance at the operating frequency and electrically connected in series with the first coupler, the second reactance having a magnitude equal to a magnitude of the first reactance. The apparatus comprises a second capacitor electrically connected in parallel across the first coupler and the first capacitor. The apparatus comprises a first base coupler configured to be electrically connected in parallel across the second capacitor via a first switch. A magnitude of a peak voltage across the second capacitor is proportional to a magnitude of a peak voltage induced in the first coupler at the operating frequency.

Methods and apparatus for tuning and controlling double couple inductive power transfer systems

According to some implementations, an apparatus for transmitting charging power wirelessly to a load is provided. The apparatus comprises at least one ferrite structure comprising a first ferrite portion, a second ferrite portion comprising at least a first ferrite leg, a second ferrite leg, and a third ferrite leg, each physically separated from the first ferrite portion by a first distance, and a third ferrite portion positioned between the second ferrite leg and the first ferrite portion and physically contacting the second ferrite leg. The at least one ferrite structure further comprises a coil wound around the second ferrite leg and configured to generate an alternating current under influence of an alternating magnetic field.

Methods and apparatus for reducing flux cancellation in ferrite of double couple inductive power transfer systems

Growing community of inventors

Auckland, New Zealand

Nicholas Athol Keeling