Abstract: A powered joint having a first joint component and second joint component in which the first joint component has multiple degrees of rotational freedom with respect to the second joint component, the powered joint including one or more power transmission coils associated with the first component; a plurality of power receiving coils associated with the second component; a sensor which determines the orientation of the second component with respect to the first component; and a control circuit for selectively connecting one of the plurality of power receiving coils to a power receiving circuit based on information received from the sensor.

Abstract: In an inductively coupled power transmitter a force detector that detects the presence of a potential device by monitoring forces applied to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. An inductively coupled power transmitter having a proximity detector that detects the presence and location of a potential device by monitoring the proximity of devices to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. The transmitter preferably has one or more detection coils each having an area much greater than that of the transmitter coils for detecting the presence of a potential device.

Abstract: In an inductively coupled power transmitter a force detector that detects the presence of a potential device by monitoring forces applied to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. An inductively coupled power transmitter having a proximity detector that detects the presence and location of a potential device by monitoring the proximity of devices to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. The transmitter preferably has one or more detection coils each having an area much greater than that of the transmitter coils for detecting the presence of a potential device.

Abstract: A powered joint having a first joint component and second joint component in which the first joint component has multiple degrees of rotational freedom with respect to the second joint component, the powered joint including one or more power transmission coils associated with the first component; a plurality of power receiving coils associated with the second component; a sensor which determines the orientation of the second component with respect to the first component; and a control circuit for selectively connecting one of the plurality of power receiving coils to a power receiving circuit based on information received from the sensor.

Abstract: A system for charging electronic devices, the system comprising: one or more wireless power transmitters 202, each transmitter having one or more power transmitting elements 212; one or more receiver electronic devices 204 including wireless power receivers, each receiver having one or more power receiving elements 216, the transmitters 202 and receivers 204 being configured to transfer electrical power wirelessly between the transmitting 212 and receiving 216 elements; and one or more non-receiver electronic devices configured to receive electrical power from a power supply via a wired connection, wherein the one or more transmitters 202 are configured to receive electrical power from the power supply via the wired connection of the one or more non-receiver electronic devices.

Abstract: A magnetic shield for shielding adjacent coils of an ICPT system. One or more conductors are configured to distribute induced eddy currents from the surface of the shield to below the surface and thus reduce heating due to eddy currents. The magnetic shield may be employed to transfer power over rotary couplings, such as the shaft of a wind turbine.

Abstract: A contactless inductively coupled power transfer system is provided including multiple pairs of power transmitter and power receiver coils and a power management module for controlling the supply of power to transmitter coils or the power supplied by the power receiver module to loads. The design is particularly suited for use in a wind turbine to supply power to the nacelle. The transmitter coils may be driven in phase at the same frequency or at different frequencies selected to avoid interaction between transmitter coils and the power transmitter module. The transmitter and receiver coils may be arranged in a traditional slip ring type configuration with adjacent coil pairs are physically spaced apart to avoid cross coupling with adjacent transmitter and receiver coil pairs shielded from each other. The power transmitter module may employ Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS).

Abstract: A magnetic shield for shielding adjacent coils of an ICPT system. One or more conductors are configured to distribute induced eddy currents from the surface of the shield to below the surface and thus reduce heating due to eddy currents. The magnetic shield may be employed to transfer power over rotary couplings, such as the shaft of a wind turbine.

Abstract: A magnetic shield for shielding adjacent coils of an ICPT system. One or more conductors are configured to distribute induced eddy currents from the surface of the shield to below the surface and thus reduce heating due to eddy currents. The magnetic shield may be employed to transfer power over rotary couplings, such as the shaft of a wind turbine.

Abstract: In an inductively coupled power transmitter a force detector that detects the presence of a potential device by monitoring forces applied to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. An inductively coupled power transmitter having a proximity detector that detects the presence and location of a potential device by monitoring the proximity of devices to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. The transmitter preferably has one or more detection coils each having an area much greater than that of the transmitter coils for detecting the presence of a potential device.

Abstract: A contactless power receiver is provided with a dynamically tuned pick up coil. The power transfer capacity of this power receiver is dynamically tuned using semiconductor devices that are operated in linear mode over part of their operation. The semiconductor devices are driven by a controller that is configured to implement a range of control strategies depending on system requirements. The semiconductor device may be used by itself or in conjunction with reactive elements to dynamically tune the pick up coil. In some implementations the contactless power receiver maybe configured to work with a consumer electronic or a wireless sensor device. The contactless power receiver can be integrated with the energy storage component of the device to provide a retrofit solution for existing products. The device can then be placed in vicinity of a planar magnetic field generated by a charging pad.

Abstract: A contactless inductively coupled power transfer system is provided_including multiple pairs of power transmitter and power receiver coils and a power management module for controlling the supply of power to transmitter coils or the power supplied by the power receiver module to loads. The design is particularly suited for use in a wind turbine to supply power to the nacelle. The transmitter coils may be driven in phase at the same frequency or at different frequencies selected to avoid interaction between transmitter coils and the power transmitter module. The transmitter and receiver coils may be arranged in a traditional slip ring type configuration with adjacent coil pairs are physically spaced apart to avoid cross coupling with adjacent transmitter and receiver coil pairs shielded from each other. The power transmitter module may employ Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS).

Abstract: A magnetic shield for shielding adjacent coils of an ICPT system. One or more conductors are configured to distribute induced eddy currents from the surface of the shield to below the surface and thus reduce heating due to eddy currents. The magnetic shield may be employed to transfer power over rotary couplings, such as the shaft of a wind turbine.

Abstract: A method for removing the effects of metallic objects in an inductively coupled power transfer system by providing a metallic casing around transmitting and/or receiving coils and compensating for their effect in the design of transmitting and/or receiving circuits. Whilst incurring some loss in performance this design reduces variability due to different metallic influences in an operating environment. Power transmitters and receivers and a system including the power transmitter and the power receiver are also disclosed.

Abstract: A contactless power receiver is provided with a dynamically tuned pick up coil. The power transfer capacity of this power receiver is dynamically tuned using semiconductor devices that are operated in linear mode over part of their operation. The semiconductor devices are driven by a controller that is configured to implement a range of control strategies depending on system requirements. The semiconductor device may be used by itself or in conjunction with reactive elements to dynamically tune the pick up coil. In some implementations the contactless power receiver maybe configured to work with a consumer electronic or a wireless sensor device. The contactless power receiver can be integrated with the energy storage component of the device to provide a retrofit solution for existing products. The device can then be placed in vicinity of a planar magnetic field generated by a charging pad.