IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,260,986
Granted Patent B2
US 12,260,986 · App. 18/608,870 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Dynamic multi-coil tuning

Inventors: Eric Heindel Goodchild (Phoenix, AZ); John Winters (Chandler, AZ)
Assignee: AIRA, INC.
H01F38/14H02J7/02H02J50/12H02J50/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,260,986
App. No.
18/608,870
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A wireless charging device has a plurality of charging cells provided on a first surface and a processor configured to provide a charging current to a first charging coil in a surface of the wireless charging device, determine that an impedance of a resonant circuit has varied from a threshold or setpoint impedance, and restore the threshold or setpoint impedance by modifying frequency of the charging current. The resonant circuit may include the first charging coil. A method for operating the wireless charging device includes providing a charging current to a first charging coil in a surface of the wireless charging device, determining that an impedance of a resonant circuit has varied from a threshold or setpoint impedance, and restoring the threshold or setpoint impedance by modifying frequency of the charging current. The resonant circuit may include the charging coil.

Claims (32)

1. A method for operating a wireless charging device, comprising:

providing a charging current at a first frequency to a resonant circuit when the resonant circuit includes a first transmitting coil of the wireless charging device;

coupling a second transmitting coil of the wireless charging device to the resonant circuit;

determining an impedance of the resonant circuit after coupling the second transmitting coil to the resonant circuit;

providing the charging current at a second frequency to the resonant circuit based on the impedance of the resonant circuit after the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit; and using a lookup table to determine the second frequency.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charging current is provided at the second frequency to restore a nominal impedance of the resonant circuit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency corresponds to a first resonant frequency associated with the resonant circuit before the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency corresponds to a second resonant frequency associated with the resonant circuit after the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein changes in impedance of the resonant circuit are tracked using a current sense feedback loop.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein changes in impedance of the resonant circuit are tracked using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) tuning.

7. A non-transitory processor readable storage medium, comprising code for:

providing a charging current at a first frequency to a resonant circuit when the resonant circuit includes a first transmitting coil of a wireless charging device;

coupling a second transmitting coil of the wireless charging device to the resonant circuit;

determining an impedance of the resonant circuit after coupling the second transmitting coil to the resonant circuit;

providing the charging current at a second frequency to the resonant circuit based on the impedance of the resonant circuit after the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit; and comprising code for: using a lookup table to determine the second frequency.

8. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the charging current is provided at the second frequency to restore a nominal impedance of the resonant circuit.

9. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the first frequency corresponds to a first resonant frequency associated with the resonant circuit before the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit.

10. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the second frequency corresponds to a second resonant frequency associated with the resonant circuit after the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit.

11. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein changes in impedance of the resonant circuit are tracked using a current sense feedback loop.

12. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein changes in impedance of the resonant circuit are tracked using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) tuning.

13. A wireless charging device, comprising:

a plurality of transmitting coils provided at a surface of the wireless charging device;

a resonant circuit that includes a first transmitting coil of the plurality of transmitting coils; and

a controller configured to:

cause a power source to provide a charging current at a first frequency to the resonant circuit;

cause a second transmitting coil of the wireless charging device to be coupled to the resonant circuit;

determine an impedance of the resonant circuit after coupling the second transmitting coil to the resonant circuit;

cause the power source to provide the charging current at a second frequency to the resonant circuit based on the impedance of the resonant circuit after the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit; and the controller is further configured to: use a lookup table to determine the second frequency.

14. The wireless charging device of claim 13 , wherein the charging current is provided at the second frequency to restore a nominal impedance of the resonant circuit.

15. The wireless charging device of claim 13 , wherein the first frequency corresponds to a first resonant frequency associated with the resonant circuit before the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit.

16. The wireless charging device of claim 13 , wherein the second frequency corresponds to a second resonant frequency associated with the resonant circuit after the second transmitting coil is coupled to the resonant circuit.

17. The wireless charging device of claim 13 , wherein changes in impedance of the resonant circuit are tracked using a current sense feedback loop.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2024
From: GOODCHILD, ERIC HEINDEL; WINTERS, JOHN
To: AIRA, INC.
Reel/Frame 067033/0170 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17963481 · Oct 11, 2022
Continuation 17140948 · Jan 4, 2021
Provisional Application 62957420 · Jan 6, 2020
Related Publication 20240222004A1 · Jul 4, 2024
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