Patents Assigned to SPARK CONNECTED LLC
  • Patent number: 12053055
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for heating a personal device using a wirelessly-powered heating device includes: wirelessly receiving power with a receiving coil of the wirelessly-powered heating device, the receiving coil located inside the personal device, where the receiving coil is coupled to a capacitor of the wirelessly-powered heating device to form a receiver resonant tank; and heating the personal device with heat produced by a resistance of the receiving coil, where the receiving coil functions as a receiver antenna and as a heat producing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Malek Ramezani, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11888331
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: wirelessly transmitting power to a receiving coil from a transmitting coil, where the receiving coil is in a wireless power transmission space of the transmitting coil; measuring an output of a sensor during a first time to generate a first measurement; measuring the output of the sensor during a second time to generate a second measurement, the second time being after the first time; and when a magnitude of a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement is higher than a predetermined threshold, stopping wirelessly transmitting power to the receiving coil with the transmitting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Yulong Hou, Kenneth Moore, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11881719
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: wirelessly transmitting power using a transmitter LC tank; wirelessly receiving power from the transmitter LC tank using a receiver LC tank; interrupting wirelessly transmitting power for a slot period; during the slot period, shorting the receiver LC tank; during the slot period and after shorting the receiver LC tank, measuring a transmitter signal associated with the transmitter LC tank; determining a power loss associated with the wirelessly transmitting power based on the measured transmitter signal; and detecting a metallic object based on the determined power loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11881720
    Abstract: An electronic device, a wireless charger and a wireless charging system are disclosed. In an embodiment an electronic device includes a metal housing including electronic components of the electronic device, a recess in the metal housing, a receiver coil configured to receive wireless power, the receiver coil located in the recess outside of the metal housing and a holding structure for the receiver coil, wherein the holding structure comprises a material with a high magnetic permeability, and wherein the receiver coil is electrically connected to the electronic components inside the metal housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11855463
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an enclosure, a first ferrite core disposed inside the enclosure, a wireless power receiver that includes a first receiving coil wrapped around the first ferrite core between the first ferrite core and the enclosure, and an alignment mark configured to be aligned with a center of a transmitting coil of a wireless power transmitter, wherein the alignment mark is not aligned with a center of the first receiving coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Malek Ramezani, Kenneth Moore, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11770023
    Abstract: A method for wirelessly providing power to a LED includes: receiving an AC input voltage having a first frequency via a cable; generating a first rectified voltage at a first node from the AC input voltage, the first node coupled to a first filtering non-electrolytic capacitor; powering a driver with the first rectified voltage; wirelessly transmitting power by driving a first resonant tank with the driver with a driving voltage at a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the driving voltage having a sinusoidal envelope at the first frequency and approximating a square-wave at the second frequency; receiving the wirelessly transmitted power with a second resonant tank; generating a second rectified voltage at second node from a voltage across the second resonant tank, the second node coupled to a second filtering capacitor; generating a DC voltage from the second rectified voltage; and powering the LED with the DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Malek Ramezani, Kenneth Moore, Ruwanga Dassanayake, Yulong Hou
  • Patent number: 11621592
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a wireless power transmitter module includes a sensing grid configured to detect a receiver, a movable wireless power transmitter unit including a wireless power transmitter coil, and a two-dimensional linear motor including a plurality of linear motor coils configured to move the movable wireless power transmitter unit in a two-dimensional plane towards a location of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11581757
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a wireless power transmitter includes a charging surface, a transmitting antenna configured to generate an electromagnetic field extending above the charging surface, a sensing array disposed between the transmitting antenna and the charging surface, and a controller coupled to the sensing array. The sensing array includes a plurality of sensors. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate a respective signal indicative of a strength of the electromagnetic field. The controller is configured to detect a presence of a metallic object, other than a receiving antenna of a power receiver, in the electromagnetic field based on the respective signal generated by one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore
  • Patent number: 11515739
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: wirelessly transmitting power using a transmitter LC tank to a wireless power receiver having a receiver LC tank; receiving a first received power packet from the wireless power receiver, the first received power packet including a received power value field indicative of a power level; determining a first power difference between transmitted power and received power based on the first received power packet; calculating a first received power compensation factor based on the first power difference; interrupting wirelessly transmitting power for a first slot period after receiving the first received power packet; performing a first measurement of a first signal associated with the transmitter LC tank during the first slot period; determining a first Q factor value based on the first measurement; comparing the first Q factor value with a reference Q factor value; and detecting a metallic object based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Ruwanga Dassanayake, Yulong Hou, Kenneth Moore
  • Patent number: 11509169
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a sub-surface wireless charger includes a transmitter coil and a controller. The controller is configured to generate a protective pulse having a first energy, determine a characteristic of the transmitter coil based on the generated protective pulse, determine whether it is safe to begin wireless charging based on the determined characteristic, and when the controller determines that it is safe to begin wireless charging, generate an operating pulse having a second energy, where the second energy is higher than the first energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11394242
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for transmitting data from a wireless power receiver to a wireless power transmitter includes: wirelessly receiving power at a first frequency from a transmitter LC tank using a receiver LC tank; rectifying a voltage of the receiver LC tank using a rectifier; and while wirelessly receiving power, controlling a transistor coupled to the receiver LC tank to cause inflections in a transmitter current flowing through the transmitter LC tank to transmit data, detecting time locations of the inflections of the transmitter current within an oscillating cycle of the transmitter current based on a magnitude of the transmitter current, and determining the data based on the detected time locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11159056
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for providing power to a load using a wireless power receiver includes: wirelessly receiving power using an LC tank; rectifying a voltage of the LC tank using a rectifier; setting a switched-mode power supply coupled between the rectifier and the load in bypass mode; after setting the switched-mode power supply in bypass mode, providing power to the load without switching transistors of the switched-mode power supply; and when wireless power reception is interrupted, providing power to the load by switching one or more transistors of the switched-mode power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11159063
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a wireless power transmitter includes a charging surface, a transmitting antenna configured to generate an electromagnetic field extending above the charging surface, a sensing array disposed between the transmitting antenna and the charging surface, and a controller coupled to the sensing array. The sensing array includes a plurality of sensors. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate a respective signal indicative of a strength of the electromagnetic field. The controller is configured to detect a presence of a metallic object, other than a receiving antenna of a power receiver, in the electromagnetic field based on the respective signal generated by one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore
  • Patent number: 11152823
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a wireless power transmitter module includes a sensing grid configured to detect a receiver, a movable wireless power transmitter unit including a wireless power transmitter coil, and a two-dimensional linear motor including a plurality of linear motor coils configured to move the movable wireless power transmitter unit in a two-dimensional plane towards a location of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 11043854
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a wireless power transmitter includes a charging surface, a transmitting antenna configured to generate an electromagnetic field extending above the charging surface, a sensing array disposed between the transmitting antenna and the charging surface, and a controller coupled to the sensing array. The sensing array includes a plurality of sensors. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate a respective signal indicative of a strength of the electromagnetic field. The controller is configured to detect a presence of a metallic object, other than a receiving antenna of a power receiver, in the electromagnetic field based on the respective signal generated by one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Spark Connected LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore
  • Patent number: 10847997
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for wirelessly transferring power through a low-e window includes: causing a first current to flow through a transmitter coil disposed in a first outer surface of the low-e window, the first current having a first frequency; inducing, with the first current, a second current to flow through a receiver coil disposed in a second outer surface of the low-e window, the low-e window having a metal or metal oxide layer having a first thickness; generating a voltage based on the second current; and powering an electronic device coupled to the receiver coil with the generated voltage, where the first frequency is associated with a first skin depth of the metal or metal oxide layer, and where the first skin depth is larger than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore, Yulong Hou, Ruwanga Dassanayake
  • Patent number: 10714985
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a wireless power transmitter includes a charging surface, a transmitting antenna configured to generate an electromagnetic field extending above the charging surface, a sensing array disposed between the transmitting antenna and the charging surface, and a controller coupled to the sensing array. The sensing array includes a plurality of sensors. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate a respective signal indicative of a strength of the electromagnetic field. The controller is configured to detect a presence of a metallic object, other than a receiving antenna of a power receiver, in the electromagnetic field based on the respective signal generated by one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: SPARK CONNECTED LLC
    Inventors: Petru Emanuel Stingu, Kenneth Moore