Patents by Inventor Neil Francis Joye
Neil Francis Joye has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9866073Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a power transmitter (201) arranged to provide a power transfer to a power receiver (205) via a power transfer signal. The power receiver (205) comprises a first mode controller (709) for transmitting a standby mode exit request to the power transmitter (201) by changing a loading of a communication inductor (209) of the power transmitter (201). The power transmitter (201) comprises a mode controller (405) which controls the power transmitter (201) to operate in a standby mode wherein a presence of the power receiver (205) is detected but no power transfer signal is generated. It furthermore comprises a detector (403) for detecting an impedance change of the communication inductor (209). The mode controller (405) is arranged to initiate a transition from the standby mode to a power transfer mode in response to the detector (403) detecting the impedance change.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Neil Francis Joye, Andries Van Wageningen, Simon George Abernethy, Klaas Jacob Lulofs
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Publication number: 20170257175Abstract: A wide band through-body communication system communicates data through the body ultrasonically. A MEMS device such as a CMUT transducer is configured to transmit and/or receive ultrasonic data signals within a broad band of operating frequencies. The transducer transmits the ultrasonic data signals through the body to a similarly configured ultrasonic receiver, and/or receives ultrasonic data signals which have been conveyed through the body from a similarly configured ultrasonic transmitter for decoding and processing. In a preferred implementation a CMUT transducer is operated in a collapsed mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2015Publication date: September 7, 2017Applicant: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: SOTIR FILIPOV OUZOUNOV, NEIL FRANCIS JOYE, CHRISTIANUS MARTINUS VAN HEESCH
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Publication number: 20170229920Abstract: A power transmitter (101) provides power transfer to a power receiver (105) using a wireless inductive power transfer signal. The power transmitter (101) comprises an inductor (103) generating the power transfer signal when a voltage drive signal is applied. A measurement unit (311) performs measurements of a current or voltage of the inductor (103). The measurements are performed with a time offset relative to a reference signal synchronized to the voltage drive signal. An adaptor (313) can vary the time offset to determine an optimum measurement timing offset resulting in a maximum demodulation depth which reflects a difference measure for measurements for different modulation loads of the power transfer signal. A demodulator (309) then demodulates load modulation of the inductive carrier signal from measurements with the time offset set to the optimum measurement timing offset. In some scenarios, both the timing and duration of measurements may be varied. The approach improves communication reliability.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2015Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Neil Francis JOYE, Klaas Jacob LULOFS, Andries VAN WAGENINGEN
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Publication number: 20170149286Abstract: A power transmitter (2) for transferring power to a power receiver comprises a first inductor (307) for providing power and a second inductor (407) for receiving data signals from a power receiver. The first (307) and second (407) inductors are separate inductors in a power transfer circuit (701) and a data signal receiving circuit (702). The data signal receiving circuit (702) comprises a data extracting circuit (1007) for extracting the data signals received by the second inductor (407). The power transmitter comprises a control circuit (401) for controlling the power in dependence on the data signals. The power transmitter transfers power during power transfer periods and receives data during communication periods, communication periods corresponding to periods wherein power is low.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2015Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: Neil Francis JOYE, Klaas Jacob LULOFS, Andries VAN WAGENINGEN, Wilhelmus Gerardus Maria ETTES
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Publication number: 20170093222Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a power transmitter (201) arranged to provide a power transfer to a power receiver (205) via a power transfer signal. The power receiver (205) comprises a first mode controller (709) for transmitting a standby mode exit request to the power transmitter (201) by changing a loading of a communication inductor (209) of the power transmitter (201). The power transmitter (201) comprises a mode controller (405) which controls the power transmitter (201) to operate in a standby mode wherein a presence of the power receiver (205) is detected but no power transfer signal is generated. It furthermore comprises a detector (403) for detecting an impedance change of the communication inductor (209). The mode controller (405) is arranged to initiate a transition from the standby mode to a power transfer mode in response to the detector (403) detecting the impedance change.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2015Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Neil Francis JOYE, Andries VAN WAGENINGEN, Simon George ABERNETHY, Klaas Jacob LULOFS
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Patent number: 9503250Abstract: The invention relates to a data communication system (100) and a method that can particularly be applied for communicating data from a medical instrument like a catheter or a guide-wire via a high-speedlink (101). The system (100) comprises (in-vivo) a slave component (150) with a controllable slave clock (153) and a transmitter (151) for transmitting a data signal (ds) that is clocked by the slave clock signal (clk). Moreover, it comprises (ex-vivo) a master component (110) with a clock controller (114,115,116) that receives a master clock signal (ref_clk) and the data signal (ds) and that generates a clock control signal (ccs) for adjusting the slave clock (153) to the master clock (113). The slave clock (153) may thus be realized with low space and energy requirements, e.g. by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). Moreover, the link (101) via which the data signal (ds) and the clock control signal (ccs) are exchanged may be realized by just two signal wires.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2012Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Antonia Cornelia Van Rens, Neil Francis Joye, Bout Marcelis
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Patent number: 9479013Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver (105) and a power transmitter (101) generating a wireless inductive power transfer signal for powering the power receiver (105) during a power transfer phase. An apparatus, often the power transmitter (101) comprises a first communication unit (305) communicating with a second communication unit of an entity using an electromagnetic communication signal. The entity may typically be the power receiver (105). The apparatus comprises a reference processor (307) for measuring and storing a reference value of a characteristic of the communication signal and a measurement unit (309) which repeatedly during the power transfer phase determines a measured value of the characteristic. A comparator (311) compares the measured values to the reference value and an initiator (313) triggers an entity detection process if the comparison indicates that a measured value and the reference value do not meet a similarity criterion.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2014Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Neil Francis Joye, Andries Van Wageningen, Wilhelmus Gerardus Maria Ettes
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Publication number: 20160181818Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver (105) and a power transmitter (101) generating a wireless inductive power transfer signal for powering the power receiver (105) during a power transfer phase. An apparatus, often the power transmitter (101) comprises a first communication unit (305) communicating with a second communication unit of an entity using an electromagnetic communication signal. The entity may typically be the power receiver (105). The apparatus comprises a reference processor (307) for measuring and storing a reference value of a characteristic of the communication signal and a measurement unit (309) which repeatedly during the power transfer phase determines a measured value of the characteristic. A comparator (311) compares the measured values to the reference value and an initiator (313) triggers an entity detection process if the comparison indicates that a measured value and the reference value do not meet a similarity criterion.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2014Publication date: June 23, 2016Inventors: NEIL FRANCIS JOYE, ANDRIES VAN WAGENINGEN, WILHELMUS GERARDUS MARIA ETTES
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Publication number: 20160156232Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a power transmitter (101) arranged to provide a power transfer to a power receiver (105) via a wireless inductive power transfer signal where the power transfer signal is provided in a power time interval of a repeating power transfer signal time frame. The time frame furthermore comprises a reduced power time interval. An apparatus (typically being the power receiver (105) or the power transmitter (101)) comprises a short range communication unit (305, 405) arranged to communicate data messages with a second entity (which is the complementary unit, i.e. either the power transmitter (101)) or the power receiver (105)) using short range communication. The short range communication has a range not exceeding 20 cm. The apparatus further comprises a synchronization unit (309, 409) arranged to synchronize the short range communication to the power transfer signal time frame such that short range communication is restricted to the reduced power time intervals.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2014Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: NEIL FRANCIS JOYE, ANDRIESS VAN WAGENINGEN, JR., WILHELMUS GERARDUS MARIA ETTES
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Publication number: 20150341085Abstract: A power transmitter (501) transfers power to a power receiver (505) using a wireless inductive power signal between inductors of the devices. In the power transmitter (501) a power source (601) provides a power source signal which may have level variations. A power signal generator (603) generates a drive signal from the power source signal by means of a frequency converter (605) which increases the frequency of the drive signal relative to the power source signal. A limiter (607) for restricts the power of the drive signal fed to the inductor (503) to be below a threshold in repeating time intervals. A synchronizer (611) synchronizes the repeating time intervals to the power source signal. In the power receiver(505) a load coupler (1001) decouples the power load (1003) from the inductor (507) during the repeating time intervals and a synchronizer (1005) synchronizes the repeating time intervals of the receiver to the power signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2013Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Wilhelmus Gerardus Maria ETTES, Klaas Jacob LULOFS, Adrianus Petrus Johanna Maria ROMMERS, Neil Francis JOYE, Andries VAN WAGENINGEN
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Publication number: 20140336623Abstract: The invention relates to a data communication system (100) and a method that can particularly be applied for communicating data from a medical instrument like a catheter or a guide-wire via a high-speedlink (101). The system (100) comprises (in-vivo) a slave component (150) with a controllable slave clock (153) and a transmitter (151) for transmitting a data signal (ds) that is clocked by the slave clock signal (clk). Moreover, it comprises (ex-vivo) a master component (110) with a clock controller (114,115,116) that receives a master clock signal (ref_clk) and the data signal (ds) and that generates a clock control signal (ccs) for adjusting the slave clock (153) to the master clock (113). The slave clock (153) may thus be realized with low space and energy requirements, e.g. by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). Moreover, the link (101) via which the data signal (ds) and the clock control signal (ccs) are exchanged may be realized by just two signal wires.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2012Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Antonia Cornelia Van Rens, Neil Francis Joye, Bout Marcelis