Movable Wireless Charging Coil Self-Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless charging systems require precise alignment between the transmitting and receiving coils for efficient energy transfer, which can be challenging, especially when the charging station surface is large or when markings for positioning are obscured, leading to potential inefficiencies or failure in charging.
Innovation Solution
A wireless charging station with a movable transmitting coil platform that uses sensors such as optical, pressure, or electromagnets to detect the position of a device and automatically move the coil into alignment, ensuring optimal positioning and efficient energy transfer without requiring user precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large charging station surface is used to accommodate various devices, then device compatibility and ease of placement are improved, but alignment precision between transmitting and receiving coils deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitting coil is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position to align with the receiving coil regardless of where the device is placed on the charging surface. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling both large surface area and precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
A magnet assembly acts as an intermediary between the transmitting coil and the device, providing alignment force through magnetic attraction to guide the transmitting coil into proper alignment with the receiving coil, thus maintaining alignment precision across a large charging surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise alignment markings are provided on the charging surface, then alignment precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to obscured markings when devices are placed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment automatically without requiring user intervention to follow markings. The transmitting coil and magnet assembly autonomously adjust their positions to achieve optimal alignment with the receiving coil, eliminating the need for visible alignment markings and simplifying the user placement process.
3Ease of operation
If the transmitting coil is made movable to enable self-alignment, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional movement mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment function is segmented into separate components: the movable transmitting coil platform and the magnet assembly. This segmentation allows each component to have a specialized function (movement and magnetic attraction respectively), simplifying the overall design while maintaining ease of operation.
4Ease of operation
If magnets are used to assist alignment, then ease of operation is improved through automatic alignment, but loss of energy increases due to magnetic field interference with wireless charging
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet assembly is dynamically controlled to be activated only during the alignment phase and deactivated during the wireless charging phase. This temporal separation allows the magnets to assist alignment when needed while eliminating their interference with energy transfer when charging occurs, thus resolving the energy loss issue.
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
The solution enables efficient wireless charging by automatically aligning the transmitting and receiving coils, improving charging efficiency and reliability by ensuring proper alignment, even when the device is placed at any location on the charging surface.
Implementation Method 1
Energy can be transferred wirelessly using electromagnetic coupling between a transmitting coil and a receiving coil
Implementation Method 2
devices may include a permanent magnet to align the devices with respect to a charging station
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are described for self-alignment for wireless charging. In some implementations a method includes detecting a device to be charged by a wireless charger. The wireless charger includes a housing and a wireless power transmission coil that is movable within the housing. The method includes determining, by the wireless charger, a direction to move the wireless power transmission coil within the housing to improve alignment of the wireless power transmission coil with a wireless power receiving coil of the device to be charged. The method includes moving, by the wireless charger, the wireless power transmission coil within the housing in the determined direction to align the wireless power transmission coil improve alignment of the wireless power transmission coil with the wireless power receiving coil of the device to be charged.