Smart Ring Charger Island With Multi-Antenna Alignment-Free Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless charging solutions for smart rings require precise alignment between the ring's receiving antenna and the charger's transmitting antenna, leading to inefficiencies or failure in power transfer due to misalignment, which complicates user convenience and device design.
Innovation Solution
A wireless charger with a charger island featuring multiple transmit antennas and a NFC circuit that uses switches to automatically select the active transmit antenna based on the smart ring's orientation, ensuring charging regardless of alignment, and incorporating a ferrite sheet to prevent unwanted magnetic coupling between antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single transmit antenna is used in the charger island, then the device complexity is reduced, but the charging reliability deteriorates due to misalignment between the ring's receiving antenna and the charger's transmitting antenna
Solution Approach 1:
The charger island is segmented into multiple transmit antennas (at least two) arranged in different orientations. This segmentation allows the system to provide charging capability from multiple directions, ensuring that at least one antenna maintains proper alignment with the ring's receiving antenna regardless of how the ring is placed on the charger island.
Solution Approach 2:
The charger island is designed with multi-functional antennas that can serve multiple purposes: each antenna can transmit charging signals in different orientations, and collectively they provide universal charging capability that accommodates various ring placements and orientations without requiring precise alignment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple transmit antennas are added to the charger island, then the charging reliability is improved by accommodating various ring orientations, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The charger island is segmented into multiple transmit antennas (at least two) arranged in different orientations. This segmentation allows the system to provide charging capability from multiple directions, ensuring that at least one antenna maintains proper alignment with the ring's receiving antenna regardless of how the ring is placed on the charger island.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects the optimal antenna to activate based on the ring's position and orientation. The controller selects which transmit antenna to use, eliminating the need for user intervention or precise manual alignment. The system serves itself by adapting to the user's placement choices.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical alignment features are used, then the ease of operation is improved by guiding proper placement, but the device complexity increases and the features may wear down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical alignment features (protrusions and indentations) with an electromagnetic field-based alignment system. Multiple transmit antennas create magnetic fields that can detect and adapt to the ring's orientation automatically, eliminating the need for physical alignment structures and their associated complexity and wear issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects the optimal antenna to activate based on the ring's position and orientation. The controller selects which transmit antenna to use, eliminating the need for user intervention or precise manual alignment. The system serves itself by adapting to the user's placement choices.
4Area of stationary object
If transmit antennas are placed close together in the charger island, then the area is reduced for compact design, but unwanted magnetic coupling between antennas occurs
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive sheet is introduced as an intermediary element between the transmit antennas in the charger island. This conductive sheet acts as a shield that prevents unwanted magnetic coupling between the closely spaced antennas while allowing the antennas to maintain their compact arrangement. The conductive sheet blocks the harmful magnetic field interaction between adjacent antennas.
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 solution enables efficient and reliable wireless charging of smart rings without the need for precise alignment, improving user convenience and reducing mechanical stress on the device, while maintaining a compact form factor and aesthetic design.
Implementation Method 1
Wireless charging techniques utilize magnetic field coupling between the two antennas where the orientation of the two antennas to one another affects the power transfer efficiency between the two devices.
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a ferrite sheet to prevent unwanted magnetic coupling between antennas
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a charger for a smart ring that includes a charger island disposed to the charger and configured to receive the smart ring. The charger island has a plurality of transmit antennas located in or on the charger island. When activated, a transmit antenna is configured to couple, via a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip/circuit, with a receive antenna on the smart ring for charging thereof. The active transmit antenna is based on an orientation of the smart ring on the charger island where the charging is performed regardless of alignment between the ring and the charger island. A conductive sheet can be included between the plurality of transmit antennas and an interior of the charger island in order to isolate the plurality of transmit antennas from one another.