Wireless Power Transfer for Electronic Contact Lens via Inductive Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic contact lenses used in augmented reality systems face power supply limitations due to the inability to accommodate sufficient batteries, necessitating an alternative power delivery method.
Innovation Solution
A wireless power transfer system utilizing a wearable necklace as a power source that generates a primary time-varying magnetic field, which induces a current in a conductive loop embedded in a head wearable object, further amplifying the power received by an electronic contact lens through a secondary time-varying magnetic field, potentially enhanced by resonant inductive coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a battery is embedded in the electronic contact lens to power it, then the contact lens can operate autonomously, but the battery capacity is insufficient to provide long-duration power due to the small size constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The power source (battery) is extracted from the electronic contact lens and placed in an external wearable device (necklace), allowing the contact lens to be powered wirelessly through inductive coupling. This extraction resolves the volume constraint while maintaining operational duration.
Solution Approach 2:
An external wearable device (necklace) acts as an intermediary power source that wirelessly transfers energy to the electronic contact lens through inductive coupling. This mediator enables power delivery without physical connection or embedding a battery in the lens.
2Ease of manufacture
If wireless power transfer is implemented using a necklace as power source, then power can be delivered without embedding a battery in the contact lens, but the power transfer efficiency is limited by distance and intermediate objects
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive loop in a head-wearable object (hat, headband, or glasses) serves as an intermediary element that enhances magnetic field coupling between the necklace power source and the contact lens. This intermediate conductor improves power transfer efficiency by providing a localized magnetic field amplification zone near the eye.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive loop in the head-wearable object creates a localized region of enhanced magnetic field strength specifically at the eye position, concentrating energy where it is most needed without requiring increased overall power output from the necklace.
3Loss of energy
If resonant inductive coupling is used to enhance power transfer, then power delivery efficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases due to frequency tuning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates at a resonant frequency to enhance inductive coupling efficiency. By tuning the oscillation frequency of the necklace power source to match the resonant frequency of the conductive loop and contact lens receiver, power transfer efficiency is maximized while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method efficiently increases the power transferred to the electronic contact lens, allowing for extended operation and improved functionality of augmented reality systems by providing a reliable and convenient power source.
Implementation Method 1
The conductive loop in the head wearable object is inductively coupled to the power source. The primary time-varying magnetic field generated by the power source induces a time-varying current in the conductive loop of the head wearable object
Implementation Method 2
The time-varying current generates a secondary time-varying magnetic field as it passes through the conductive loop in the head wearable object
Implementation Method 3
The electronic contact lens produces power from the time-varying magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality system can include an electronic contact lens, a power source, and a head wearable object. The contact lens, power source, and head wearable object all include corresponding conductive loops to enable wireless transfer of power between the power source and the contact lens. When current is driven through a conductive loop of the power source, the power source generates a primary time-varying magnetic field. The primary time varying magnetic field induces a current in a conductive loop of the head wearable object. The induced current in the head wearable object generates a secondary time-varying magnetic field. Both the primary and secondary time varying magnetic field generate a current in the conductive loop of the contact lens. The system can also include a haptic feedback system that allows information to be communicated between elements of the system.