Abstract: This invention relates to a vehicle power coupling apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus has a pickup coil arrangement for receiving an alternating magnetic field applied to the vehicle for generating power to operate the vehicle. The apparatus further has a shield for shielding a region including the pickup coil arrangement from an interior of the vehicle where a user of the vehicle may be present when the vehicle is in operation, and the shield includes at least one hole therein for providing access to one or more components of the vehicle for working on the one or more components. Additional aspects of the invention relate to receiving an alternating magnetic field and converting the alternating magnetic field into electrical power for recharging a vehicle and/or for providing motive power to the vehicle.

Abstract: This invention relates to a wireless vehicle recharging apparatus for an energy storage element of a vehicle. The apparatus has at least one drive unit arrangement coupled to at least one drive coil arrangement disposed for generating a magnetic field extending from the drive coil arrangement, and includes a corresponding vehicle-mounted pickup coil arrangement coupled to a power conditioning circuit arrangement for receiving the extending magnetic field. The drive unit arrangement is operable to excite the drive coil arrangement at a fundamental frequency and the drive coil arrangement is implemented to be substantially devoid of ferromagnetic components for providing a path for the extending magnetic field. Additional aspects of the invention relate to vehicle power coupling apparatus including pickup coil arrangements.

Abstract: This invention relates to a wireless vehicle recharging apparatus for an energy storage element of a vehicle. The apparatus has at least one drive unit arrangement coupled to at least one drive coil arrangement disposed for generating a magnetic field extending from the drive coil arrangement, and includes a corresponding vehicle-mounted pickup coil arrangement coupled to a power conditioning circuit arrangement for receiving the extending magnetic field. The drive unit arrangement is operable to excite the drive coil arrangement at a fundamental frequency and the drive coil arrangement is implemented to be substantially devoid of ferromagnetic components for providing a path for the extending magnetic field. Additional aspects of the invention relate to vehicle power coupling apparatus including pickup coil arrangements.

Abstract: An inductive power transfer system (10) for roadways includes at least one drive unit arrangement (50) coupled to at least one drive coil arrangement (40) disposed along a roadway (20) for generating a magnetic field extending upwardly from the roadway (20), and at least one vehicle (30) including a corresponding pickup coil arrangement (60) coupled to a power conditioning circuit arrangement (80, 200) for receiving the extending magnetic field for providing power to operate the at least one vehicle (30). The at least one drive unit arrangement (50) is operable to excite, for example at resonance, the at least one drive coil arrangement (40) at a fundamental frequency (f0) of at least 30 kHz, preferably at least 50 kHz, more preferably at least 100 kHz, and most preferably at least 140 kHz. The at least one drive coil arrangement (40) is implemented to be substantially devoid of ferromagnetic components for providing a path for the extending magnetic field.

Abstract: An inductive power transfer system (10) for roadways includes at least one drive unit arrangement (50) coupled to at least one drive coil arrangement (40) disposed along a roadway (20) for generating a magnetic field extending upwardly from the roadway (20), and at least one vehicle (30) including a corresponding pickup coil arrangement (60) coupled to a power conditioning circuit arrangement (80, 200) for receiving the extending magnetic field for providing power to operate the at least one vehicle (30). The at least one drive unit arrangement (50) is operable to excite, for example at resonance, the at least one drive coil arrangement (40) at a fundamental frequency (f0) of at least 30 kHz, preferably at least 50 kHz, more preferably at least 100 kHz, and most preferably at least 140 kHz. The at least one drive coil arrangement (40) is implemented to be substantially devoid of ferromagnetic components for providing a path for the extending magnetic field.

Abstract: There is provided a smart camera (20) including: (a) a pixel sensor (110); (b) optical imaging means (100) for projecting an image of a scene onto the sensor (110) to generate a sensor signal representative of the scene; (c) processing means (120, 140) for processing the sensor signal to identify whether or not one or more events occur within the scene and for outputting an output signal indicative of occurence of one or more of the events to a communication channel coupled to the processing means. The camera (20) is deitinguished in that it includes communication means (30, 130) for remotely updating at least one of operating parameters and software of the processing means (120, 140) for modifying operation of the camera for identifying the events.