Wireless energy transfer

Abstract

An apparatus comprising monitoring circuitry configured to monitor a resonant frequency of a supply source, a receiving component, and a control unit configured to vary a resonant frequency of said receiving component, wherein the apparatus is configured to vary the resonant frequency of said receiving component in dependence of the resonant frequency of said supply source.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 monitoring circuitry configured to monitor a resonant frequency of a supply source;   a receiving component; and   a control unit configured to vary a resonant frequency of said receiving component, wherein the apparatus is configured to vary the resonant frequency of said receiving component in dependence of the resonant frequency of said supply source.   
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving component is adapted to receive energy Tirelessly from the supply source by resonant inductive coupling. 
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a plurality of electrical components, and the apparatus is configured to supply electrical energy to at least one of these electrical components. 
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a battery for supplying electrical energy to at least one of the electrical components when energy is not being received from the supply source. 
   
   
       5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving component comprises an adaptive receiving component having a variable resonant frequency. 
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to match the resonant frequency of said receiving component with the resonant frequency of said supply source. 
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a voltage is induced in the receiving component by a magnetic field generated by the supply source, and the control unit is configured to vary the resonant frequency of the receiving component to match the resonant frequency of the supply source. 
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a portable electronic device. 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile telephone. 
   
   
       10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA). 
   
   
       11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a laptop computer. 
   
   
       12 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for detecting a presence of a supply source;   means for monitoring a resonant frequency of said supply source; and   means for varying a resonant frequency of a receiving component in dependence of the resonant frequency of said supply source.   
   
   
       13 . An apparatus comprising a receiving component having variable resonance characteristics for receiving energy wirelessly from a supply source, wherein the resonance characteristics of the receiving component may be varied to match resonance characteristics of the supply source to increase the efficiency at which energy is received from the supply source. 
   
   
       14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising monitoring circuitry for detecting and monitoring the resonance characteristics of the supply source. 
   
   
       15 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the receiving component comprises an adaptive receiving component having variable resonance characteristics and the apparatus further comprises:
 a control unit configured to automatically vary the resonance characteristics of the adaptive receiving component to match the resonance characteristics of the supply source.   
   
   
       16 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more electrical components and the receiving component is coupled to power supply circuitry to supply power to at least one of these electrical components. 
   
   
       17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising a battery for supplying electrical energy to at least one of the electrical components when energy is not being received from the supply source. 
   
   
       18 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus comprises a portable electronic device. 
   
   
       19 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile telephone. 
   
   
       20 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA). 
   
   
       21 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus comprises a laptop computer. 
   
   
       22 . A system comprising:
 a supply source; and   an apparatus comprising:
 monitoring circuitry configured to monitor a resonant frequency of the supply source; 
 a receiving component; and 
 a control unit configured to vary a resonant frequency of said receiving component, wherein the apparatus is configured to vary the resonant frequency of said receiving component in dependence of the resonant frequency of said supply source. 
   
   
   
       23 . A method comprising:
 detecting a presence of a supply source;   monitoring a resonant frequency of said supply source; and   varying a resonant frequency of a receiving component in dependence of the resonant frequency of said supply source.   
   
   
       24 . A method according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 matching the resonant frequency of said receiving component with the resonant frequency of said supply source.   
   
   
       25 . A method according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving energy wirelessly at the receiving component from the supply source by resonant inductive coupling.   
   
   
       26 . A method according to  claim 23 , wherein said receiving component comprises an adaptive receiving component having a variable resonant frequency and the method further comprises:
 inducing a voltage in the adaptive receiving component using a magnetic field generated by the supply source; and   varying the resonant frequency of the adaptive receiving component to match the resonant frequency of the supply source.   
   
   
       27 . A method according to  claim 23 , further comprising supplying electrical energy to an electrical apparatus. 
   
   
       28 . A method according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving energy at the receiving component from the supply source by resonant inductive coupling;   supplying energy received by resonant inductive coupling to at least one component of an electrical device; and   supplying energy to at least one component of an electrical device from a battery when energy is not being received at the receiving component from the supply source.   
   
   
       29 . A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, comprising:
 a computer-readable program code configured to detect a presence of a supply source;   a computer-readable program code configured to monitor a resonant frequency of said supply source; and   a computer-readable program code configured to vary a resonant frequency of a receiving component in dependence of the resonant frequency of said supply source.