Granted Patent B2

US 12,374,921 · App. 17/406,629 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Philippe Boulanger (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, CA); Xavier Bidaut (Montréal, CA)

H02J50/12H02J50/005H02J50/402H02J50/50

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A wireless power transfer apparatus configured for providing wireless power at an operating frequency within a defined boundary to a device, through a receiver resonator for the device, to be placed on a surface associated with an array of resonators within the defined boundary, the apparatus comprising:

the array of resonators comprising resonators that are interconnected to other resonators of the array of resonators achieved through intermediary components that are one or more of capacitive components and inductive components, wherein each resonator of the array of resonators comprises a coil, wherein at least one of the resonators of the array of resonators is connected through two of the intermediary components to two other resonators of the array of resonators, the coils of neighbouring resonators of the array of resonators loosely coupled with respect to one another, wherein at least one of the intermediary components has at least two ports with each of the at least two ports being connected to a different resonator of the array of resonators;

a powered resonator for providing power through electromagnetic resonance to the array of resonators,

wherein the powered resonator is powered at the operating frequency,

wherein the powered resonator is an external resonator for powering the array of resonators from above or below the array of resonators;

wherein power is transferred through electromagnetic field coupling at the operating frequency from the powered resonator to any resonator of the array of resonators for delivering wireless power to the device through the resonators of the array of resonators across the surface associated with the array of resonators.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein each resonator of the array of resonators has a different tuning frequency with respect to one another.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least some resonators of the array of resonators are positioned at an angle with respect to one another or are positioned on different parallel planes.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein coupling coefficients between the receiver resonator of the device and a resonator of the array of resonators are not equal for different resonators of the array of resonators.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein coupling coefficients between the powered resonator and a resonator of the array of resonators are not equal for different resonators of the array of resonators.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:

a plurality of the powered resonators;

a plurality of the receiver resonators;

one or a plurality of repeater resonators that are not positioned in the array of resonators; and

a plurality of the array of resonators.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the array of resonators has an internal or external adaptive reactance or wherein the resonators of the array of resonators have an internal or external adaptive reactance.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the array of resonators improves one or more characteristics provided by a metamaterial selected from:

a change in direction of an electromagnetic field;

a focusing of an electromagnetic field;

a defocusing of an electromagnetic field;

an increase in electromagnetic isolation of a component from its environment; and

an increase in electromagnetic field coupling between two or more electromagnetic components.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the wireless power transfer is used for transfer of data contained within a wirelessly transferred wave between the powered resonator, the array of resonators and the receiver resonator of the device.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of reactance, inductance and capacitance of one or more of the resonators of the array of resonators is adaptive, or at least one of reactance, inductance and capacitance of the array of resonators is adaptive, wherein the array of resonators does not lose functionality at the operating frequency when one or more resonators of the array of resonators is cut, deactivated or electromagnetically interfered with.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the resonators of the array of resonators are integrated into a floor, a ceiling or a wall.

12. Furniture comprising the apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the array of resonators is joined to a flat surface of the furniture.

13. A method of providing wireless power at an operating frequency within a defined boundary to a device, through a receiver resonator for the device, to be placed on a surface within the defined boundary, comprising:

receiving wireless power at the operating frequency from a powered resonator that provides power through electromagnetic resonance to an array of resonators comprising resonators that are interconnected to other resonators of the array of resonators achieved through intermediary components that are one or more of capacitive components and inductive components, wherein each resonator of the array of resonators comprises a coil, wherein at least one of the resonators of the array of resonators is connected through two of the intermediary components to two other resonators of the array of resonators, the coils of neighbouring resonators of the array of resonators loosely coupled with respect to one another, wherein at least one of the intermediary components has at least two ports with each of the at least two ports being connected to a different resonator of the array of resonators;

transferring power from the powered resonator to any resonator of the array of resonators for delivering wireless power to the device through the resonators of the array of resonators across the surface associated with the array of resonators.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein the array of resonators improves an increase in magnetic field coupling provided by a metamaterial.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (57)