Granted Patent B2

US 12,218,523 · App. 17/878,569 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Inventors: Alberto Peralta (Chicago, IL); Md. Nazmul Alam (Lombard, IL)

Assignee: NuCurrent, Inc.

H02J50/502H02J50/12H02J50/402

Abstract

Claims (70)

1. A modular wireless power transfer system for transmitting alternating current (AC) wireless signals, the AC wireless signals including wireless power signals and wireless data signals, the wireless power transfer system comprising:

a first wireless transmission system configured to receive input power from an input power source and generate AC wireless signals based, at least in part, on the input power, the first wireless transmission system comprising:

a first transmission antenna comprising:

a first antenna portion including a first terminal and a second terminal; and

a second antenna portion including a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

wherein the second terminal of the first antenna portion is in electrical connection with the third terminal of the second antenna portion and wherein each of the first antenna portion and the second antenna portion is configured to couple with one or more other antennas; and

an integrated circuit comprising:

a first transmission controller configured to provide first driving signals for driving the first transmission antenna; and

a demodulation circuit configured to receive the wireless data signals from a wireless receiver system and decode the wireless data signals; and

a first power conditioning system configured to receive the first driving signals and generate the AC wireless signals based, at least in part, on the first driving signals; and

one or more secondary wireless transmission systems, each of the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems comprising:

a secondary transmission antenna comprising:

a third antenna portion including a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal; and

a fourth antenna portion including a seventh terminal and an eighth terminal, wherein the sixth terminal of the third antenna portion is in electrical connection with the seventh terminal of the fourth antenna portion,

wherein each of the third antenna portion and the fourth antenna portion is configured to couple with one or more of another secondary transmission antenna, the first antenna portion, the second antenna portion, one or more receiver antennas, or combinations thereof,

wherein the fourth antenna portion is configured to receive the AC wireless signals from the second antenna portion, transmit the AC wireless signals to a receiver antenna of the wireless receiver system, and provide AC wireless signals to the third antenna portion, and wherein the third antenna portion is configured to receive the AC wireless signals from the fourth antenna portion, transmit the AC wireless signals to another receiver antenna of another wireless receiver system, and provide AC wireless signals to the fourth antenna portion.

2. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless receiver system and the another wireless receiver system is configured to receive the AC wireless signals to provide electrical power to a load, wherein the load is operatively associated with each of the wireless receiver system and the another wireless receiver system, and wherein each of the wireless receiver system and the another wireless receiver system is configured to couple with one or more of the first wireless transmission system, the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems, or combinations thereof.

3. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the first wireless transmission system, the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems, or combinations thereof are configured to directly power an electronic device operatively associated with the wireless receiver system.

4. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the first wireless transmission system, the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems, or combinations thereof are configured to provide electrical power to a load of an electronic device operatively associated with the wireless receiver system, wherein the load is an electrical energy storage device.

5. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems further includes a second transmission controller configured to provide second driving signals for driving the secondary transmission antenna, and

a second power conditioning system configured to receive the second driving signals and generate second AC wireless signals based, at least in part, on the second driving signals.

6. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 5 , wherein, when the at least one of the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems is configured to repeat the AC wireless signals, the second transmission controller and the second power conditioning system are bypassed in a signal path for the AC wireless signals.

7. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless transmission system further includes a first transmission tuning system operatively associated with the first transmission antenna, and

wherein at least one of the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems further includes a second transmission tuning system operatively associated with the secondary transmission antenna.

8. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 7 , wherein the first transmission tuning system is configured to filter the AC wireless signals to generate filtered AC wireless signals, and

the second transmission tuning system is configured to further filter the filtered AC wireless signals to generate twice-filtered AC wireless signals.

9. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the demodulation circuit is configured to decode the wireless data signals by determining a rate of change in electrical characteristics of the wireless data signals.

10. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless transmission system further includes a repeater tuning system configured to tune a portion of the first transmission antenna to function as a repeater for the AC wireless signals.

11. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems further includes a repeater tuning system configured to tune the secondary transmission antenna to function as a repeater for the AC wireless signals.

12. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 11 , wherein the repeater tuning system is configured to tune the secondary transmission antenna such that the fourth antenna portion is configured to receive the AC wireless signals from the first transmission antenna and one or more of the fourth antenna portion, the third antenna portion or combinations thereof are configured to repeat the AC wireless signals.

13. The modular wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless transmission system and the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems are configured to operate based on an operating frequency of about 6.78 megahertz (MHz).

14. A modular wireless transmission system for transmitting alternating current (AC) wireless signals, the AC wireless signals including wireless power signals and wireless data signals, the modular wireless transmission system comprising:

a first transmission antenna comprising:

a first antenna portion including a first terminal and a second terminal; and

a second antenna portion including a third terminal and a fourth terminal, wherein the second terminal of the first antenna portion is in electrical connection with the third terminal of the second antenna portion; and

an integrated circuit comprising:

a transmission controller configured to provide first driving signals for driving the first transmission antenna; and

a demodulation circuit configured to receive the wireless data signals from a wireless receiver system and decode the wireless data signals by determining a rate of change in electrical characteristics of the wireless data signals; and

a power conditioning system configured to:

receive the first driving signals,

receive input power from an input power source, and

generate the AC wireless signals based, at least in part, on the first driving signals and the input power source; and

wherein the first transmission antenna is configured for coupling with one or more other antennas, the first transmission antenna configured to transmit the AC wireless signals to the one or more other antennas, receive the AC wireless signals from the one or more other antennas, and repeat the AC wireless signals to the one or more other antennas.

15. The modular wireless transmission system of claim 14 , wherein the second antenna portion is configured to receive the AC wireless signals from the one or more other antennas.

16. The modular wireless transmission system of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the first antenna portion, the second antenna portion, or combinations thereof are configured to repeat the AC wireless signals to the one or more other antennas.

17. The modular wireless transmission system of claim 15 , further comprising a repeater tuning system configured to tune one or more portions of the first transmission antenna to repeat the AC wireless signals.

18. The modular wireless transmission system of claim 15 , wherein, when the wireless transmission system is configured to repeat the AC wireless signals, the transmission controller and the power conditioning system are bypassed in a signal path for the AC wireless signals.

19. The modular wireless transmission system of claim 14 , wherein the first transmission antenna is configured to operate based on an operating frequency of about 6.78 megahertz (MHz).

20. A modular wireless power transfer system for transmitting alternating current (AC) wireless signals, the AC wireless signals including wireless power signals and wireless data signals, the modular wireless power transfer system configured to operate based on an operating frequency of about 6.78 megahertz (MHz), the modular wireless power transfer system comprising:

a first wireless transmission system configured to receive input power from an input power source and generate AC wireless signals based, at least in part, on the input power, the first wireless transmission system comprising:

a first transmission antenna comprising:

a first antenna portion including a first terminal and a second terminal; and

a second antenna portion including a third terminal and a fourth terminal, wherein the second terminal of the first antenna portion is in electrical connection with the third terminal of the second antenna portion, and

wherein each of the first antenna portion and the second antenna portion is configured to couple with one or more other antennas and operate based on the operating frequency; and

an integrated circuit comprising:

a transmission controller configured to provide first driving signals for driving the first transmission antenna; and

a demodulation circuit configured to receive the wireless data signals from a wireless receiver system and decode the wireless data signals by determining a rate of change in electrical characteristics of the wireless data signals; and

a power conditioning system configured to:

receive the first driving signals,

receive input power from an input power source, and

generate the AC wireless signals based, at least in part, on the first driving signals and the input power source; and

one or more secondary wireless transmission systems, each of the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems comprising:

a secondary transmission antenna comprising:

a third antenna portion including a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal: and

a fourth antenna portion including a seventh terminal and an eighth terminal, wherein the sixth terminal of the third antenna portion is in electrical connection with the seventh terminal of the fourth antenna portion,

wherein the secondary transmission antenna is configured to operate based on the operating frequency and wherein each of the third antenna portion and the fourth antenna portion is configured to couple with one or more of another secondary transmission antenna, the first transmission antenna, one or more receiver antennas, or combinations thereof, and

wherein the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems is configured to:

receive the AC wireless signals from one or more of the first wireless transmission system, the another secondary transmission antenna, or combinations thereof, and

repeat the AC wireless signals to one or more of the secondary transmission antenna, the one or more receiver antennas, or combinations thereof; and

the wireless receiver system configured to receive the AC wireless signals to provide electrical power to a load operatively associated with the wireless receiver system, the wireless receiver system including one of the one or more receiver antennas, the one or more receiver antennas each configured to operate at the operating frequency and couple with one or more of the first wireless transmission system, the one or more secondary wireless transmission systems, or combinations thereof.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (48)