Granted Patent B2

US 12,634,614 · App. 17/976,020 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Jason Luzinski (Chicago, IL); Alberto Peralta (Chicago, IL); Rob Diebold (LaGrange, IL)

Assignee: NuCurrent, Inc.

H04R1/1025H02J7/00034H02J50/005H02J50/20H04B5/79H04R1/1008

Abstract

Claims (66)

1 . A wireless power transfer system for charging a wearable communication device comprising:

a headset comprising:

a headband;

at least one earcup; and

a wireless power receiver system comprising:

a receiver antenna operable to (i) couple with a transmitter antenna via an alternating electromagnetic field, wherein the alternating electromagnetic field is operable to deliver power and in-band data to the wireless power receiver system and (ii) produce an alternating current (“AC”) power signal based on the alternating electromagnetic field, wherein the receiver antenna is positioned proximate to or within the headset;

a power conditioning system operable to (i) receive the AC power signal, (ii) convert the AC power signal to a DC power signal, and (iii) provide the DC power signal to, at least, a load associated with the wireless power receiver system;

a receiver control system;

a controller capacitor electrically connected in series with a data input of the receiver control system; and

a voltage isolation circuit comprising:

a first isolation capacitor electrically connected to the receiver antenna and operable to receive the AC power signal; and

a second isolation capacitor electrically connected in series with respect to the first isolation capacitor and operable to provide the AC power signal to the power conditioning system, wherein the voltage isolation circuit is electrically connected to the controller capacitor at a node between the first isolation capacitor and the second isolation capacitor,

wherein the controller capacitor is operable to (i) receive the AC power signal from the voltage isolation circuit, the AC power signal having a range of voltages and including the in-band data, (ii) regulate the AC power signal to generate a scaled AC power signal having a reduced range of voltages while maintaining the in-band data, (iii) provide the in-band data, in-band of the scaled AC power signal, to the data input of the receiver control system via the controller capacitor; and (iv) isolate the reduced range of voltages of the scaled AC power signal at the receiver control system from a load voltage at the load associated with the wireless power receiver system and

a charging base comprising:

a transmitter antenna operable to (i) produce the alternating electromagnetic field and (ii) couple with the receiver antenna via the alternating electromagnetic field; and

a housing comprising a support arm and a base, wherein the transmitter antenna is positioned proximate to or within one or more of the support arm, the base, and combinations thereof, and wherein the support arm is configured to retain the headband and position the receiver antenna to receive the power and the in-band data from the transmitter antenna.

2 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver antenna couples at an operating frequency in a range of about 13.553 MHz to about 13.567 MHz.

3 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein an output power of the transmitter antenna is greater than about 1 Watt.

4 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one earcup includes at least one electroacoustic transducer.

5 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one electroacoustic transducer comprises one or more of a speaker and a microphone.

6 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one earcup is configured as one of an on-ear earcup and an around-ear earcup.

7 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one earcup includes a first earcup and a second opposed earcup.

8 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein:

the base comprises a base clip configured to attach to a surface,

the housing further comprises a vertical support that extends from the base clip, and

the support arm extends outward from the vertical support.

9 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the charging base comprises a charging hook that is configured to attach to a given electronic device.

10 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 9 , wherein the given electronic device comprises one or both of a computing device or a display.

11 . A Near-Field Communications Wireless Charging (NFC-WC) system for charging a wearable communication device comprising:

a headset comprising:

a headband;

at least one earcup; and

an NFC-WC receiver antenna operable to (i) couple with a NFC-WC transmitting antenna via an alternating electromagnetic field, wherein the alternating electromagnetic field is operable to deliver power and in-band data to the headset and (ii) produce an alternating current (“AC”) power signal based on the alternating electromagnetic field, wherein the NFC-WC receiver antenna is positioned proximate to or within the headset;

a power conditioning system operable to (i) receive the AC power signal, (ii) convert the AC power signal to a DC power signal, and (iii) provide the DC power signal to, at least, a load associated with the headset;

a receiver control system;

a controller capacitor electrically connected in series with a data input of the receiver control system; and

a voltage isolation circuit comprising:

a first isolation capacitor electrically connected to the NFC-WC receiver antenna and operable to receive the AC power signal; and

a second isolation capacitor electrically connected in series with respect to the first isolation capacitor and operable to provide the AC power signal to the power conditioning system, wherein the voltage isolation circuit is electrically connected to the controller capacitor at a node between the first isolation capacitor and the second isolation capacitor,

wherein the controller capacitor is operable to (i) receive the AC power signal from the voltage isolation circuit, the AC power signal having a range of voltages and including the in-band data, (ii) regulate the AC power signal to generate a scaled AC power signal having a reduced range of voltages while maintaining the in-band data, (iii) provide the in-band data, in-band of the scaled AC power signal, to the data input of the receiver control system via the controller capacitor; and (iv) isolate the reduced range of voltages of the scaled AC power signal at the receiver control system from a load voltage at the load associated with the headset; and

a charging station comprising:

an NFC-WC transmitting antenna operable to (i) produce the alternating electromagnetic field and (ii) couple with the NFC-WC receiver antenna via the alternating electromagnetic field; and

a housing comprising at least a support arm and a support base, wherein the NFC-WC transmitting antenna is positioned proximate to or within one or more of the support arm, the support base, and combinations thereof, and wherein the support arm is configured to retain the headband and position the NFC-WC receiver antenna to receive the power and the in-band data from the NFC-WC transmitting antenna.

12 . The NFC-WC system of claim 11 , wherein the NFC-WC receiver antenna couples at an operating frequency in a range of about 13.553 MHz to about 13.567 MHz.

13 . The NFC-WC system of claim 11 , wherein an output power of the NFC-WC transmitting antenna is greater than about 1 Watt.

14 . The NFC-WC system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one earcup includes at least one electroacoustic transducer.

15 . The NFC-WC system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one electroacoustic transducer comprises one or more of a speaker and a microphone.

16 . The NFC-WC system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one earcup is configured as one of an on-ear earcup and an around-ear earcup.

17 . The NFC-WC system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one earcup includes a first earcup and a second opposed earcup.

18 . A wireless power transfer system comprising:

a wireless headset for use with an electronic device comprising:

a headband,

at least one earcup, and

a receiver antenna operable to (i) couple with a transmitting antenna via an alternating electromagnetic field, wherein the alternating electromagnetic field is operable to deliver power and in-band data to the wireless headset and (ii) produce an alternating current (“AC”) power signal, wherein the receiver antenna is positioned proximate to or within the wireless headset;

a power conditioning system operable to (i) receive the AC power signal, (ii) convert the AC power signal to a DC power signal, and (iii) provide the DC power signal to, at least, a load associated with the wireless headset;

a receiver control system;

a controller capacitor electrically connected in series with a data input of the receiver control system; and

a voltage isolation circuit comprising:

a first isolation capacitor electrically connected to the receiver antenna and operable to receive the AC power signal; and

a second isolation capacitor electrically connected in series with respect to the first isolation capacitor and operable to provide the AC power signal to the power conditioning system, wherein the voltage isolation circuit is electrically connected to the controller capacitor at a node between the first isolation capacitor and the second isolation capacitor, and

wherein the controller capacitor is operable to (i) receive the AC power signal from the voltage isolation circuit, the AC power signal having a range of voltages and including the in-band data, (ii) regulate the AC power signal to generate a scaled AC power signal having a reduced range of voltages while maintaining the in-band data, (iii) provide the in-band data, in-band of the scaled AC power signal, to the data input of the receiver control system via the controller capacitor; and (iv) isolate the reduced range of voltages of the scaled AC power signal at the receiver control system from a load voltage at the load associated with the wireless headset; and

a charging base configured to charge the wireless headset, the charging base comprising:

a transmitting antenna operable to (i) produce an alternating electromagnetic field and (ii) couple with the receiver antenna via the alternating electromagnetic field, and

a housing comprising a support arm and a base, wherein the transmitting antenna is positioned proximate to or within one or more of the support arm, the base, and combinations thereof, and wherein the support arm is configured to retain the headband of the wireless headset and position the receiver antenna to receive the power and the in-band data from the transmitting antenna.

19 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 18 , wherein the receivier antenna couples at an operating frequency in a range of about 13.553 MHz to about 13.567 MHz.

20 . The wireless power transfer system of claim 18 , wherein an output power of the transmitting antenna is greater than about 1 Watt.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (31)