Wireless Power Near-Field Repeater With Metamaterial Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery technology often fails to meet the charge capacity and discharge rate demands of electronic devices, limiting their mobility and requiring wired charging, which restricts usability and increases cord clutter.
Innovation Solution
The development of wireless power delivery systems using resonant coupling, where a transmit-resonator generates an oscillating magnetic or electric field, and repeaters and receive-resonators regenerate and transfer this field to extend the power transfer range, allowing efficient power transfer over long distances with high efficiency even at low coupling factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wired charging is used to recharge batteries, then power delivery reliability is improved, but device mobility and usability are worsened due to cord clutter and movement restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired charging system with a wireless electromagnetic field-based power transfer system. The transmit resonator generates an oscillating electromagnetic field that couples with the receive resonator, eliminating the need for physical wire connections and thereby improving device mobility while maintaining power delivery capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs resonant oscillation at specific frequencies to transfer power wirelessly. The transmit and receive resonators operate at matched resonant frequencies, creating periodic electromagnetic field oscillations that enable efficient energy transfer without physical contact, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable power delivery and device mobility
2Ease of operation
If wireless power delivery is implemented, then device mobility is improved, but power transfer efficiency is worsened due to low coupling factors at long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic frequency tuning and resonant frequency matching between transmit and receive resonators to maintain optimal coupling conditions. By dynamically adjusting operating parameters and maintaining resonance even at larger distances, the system preserves power transfer efficiency while enabling greater device mobility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key operational parameters including resonant frequency, quality factor (Q), and coupling coefficient to optimize wireless power transfer. By operating at high Q-factor resonant conditions and tuning frequencies to match between transmitter and receiver, the system achieves efficient power transfer over extended distances without sacrificing mobility
3Loss of energy
If resonant frequency matching is used to improve power transfer, then power transfer efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to frequency tuning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-tuning mechanisms where the resonant system automatically adjusts to maintain optimal frequency matching between transmit and receive resonators. The resonant coupling naturally seeks out and maintains the optimal frequency relationship, reducing the need for complex external control systems while preserving high power transfer efficiency
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
Enables efficient wireless power transfer with reduced proximity and positional requirements, increasing the mobility of electronic devices and reducing cord clutter by maintaining high power transfer efficiency even at low coupling factors, and can achieve greater efficiencies than wired power transfer.
Implementation Method 1
a transmit resonator configured to couple power from a power source into an oscillating field generated with a reference phase by the transmit resonator resonating at an oscillation frequency
Implementation Method 2
a repeat resonator configured to resonate at the oscillation frequency in response to coupling to the oscillating field at the respective location, where each of the one or more repeaters is configured to, in response to the coupling resonator resonating at the oscillation frequency, regenerate the oscillating field with a phase shift
Implementation Method 3
a receive resonator configured to resonate at the oscillation frequency in response to coupling to the oscillating field, where the at least one receiver is configured to, in response to the receive resonator resonating at the oscillation frequency, transfer at least a portion of power of the oscillating field to a load
Implementation Method 4
Some example systems disclosed herein use resonating elements, such as inductors and capacitors, to generate and couple with resonating magnetic and/or electric fields
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein may relate to a system including a transmit resonator configured to couple power from a source into an oscillating field generated with a reference phase by the transmit resonator resonating at an oscillation frequency; one or more repeaters, each at a respective location, each including: a repeat resonator configured to resonate at the oscillation frequency, where each of the one or more repeaters is configured to regenerate the oscillating field with a phase shift relative to a phase at the respective location; and at least one receiver, the at least one receiver including: a receive resonator configured to resonate at the oscillation frequency in response to coupling to the oscillating field, where the at least one receiver is configured to transfer a power of the oscillating field to a load associated with the at least one receiver.