Disclosed are a wireless power transfer apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The wireless power transfer apparatus in one example can include a power transmission circuit including a plurality of coils and configured to transfer power through the plurality of coils, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a data value of a coil with respect to each of the plurality of coils, and determine a position of an object in a charge region corresponding to the plurality of coils in a charge region based on a comparison result obtained by comparing the data value calculated for each of the plurality of coils.

Provided is a loop antenna array that can easily create a magnetic field distribution which enables the boundary of a communication area to be clearly set. 2.sup.n loop antennae are provided adjacently to one another, where n is a natural number. The directions of currents in adjacent ones of the loop antennae are opposite to each other. For example, in a loop antenna array, two loop antennae are disposed adjacently to each other on an insulator substrate. First feed points energize one loop antenna and second feed points energize the other loop antenna.

For near field communications, inductive coils coupled to each communicating circuit are brought close together so that there is inductive coupling between the two coils. Data signals can then be relayed between the two circuits without any direct connection between them. However, the system is susceptible to common mode noise, such as ambient EMI. In addition to the active coil pairs used for transmitting and receiving data, a pair of passive coils is provided, proximate to the active coil pairs, that is only used for detecting the ambient EMI. The EMI signals detected by the passive coils are processed by a noise detector/processor, and the noise detector processor then controls the transmitters and/or receivers to at least partially compensate for the detected EMI signals. Transmit power or receiver thresholds may be controlled by the noise detector/processor to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, or other compensation techniques can be used.

A wireless charging system (transmitter) has multiple transmit coils that allows for multiple receiver devices (receivers), such as cell phones, to be charged simultaneously. The receivers send data packets that include a receiver ID to the transmitter so that one of the transmitter coils can be paired with a respective one of the receivers. The transmitter can then distinguish between the communications with the receivers using the IDs such that communications with receivers connected with adjacent ones of the transmitter coils do not interfere with each other.

A sensor probe with reduced coupling between the various antenna elements and suppression of radio frequency interference. In one embodiment the sensor probe comprises a first antenna and a second antenna. A first and a second decoupling loop is electrically connected to one of the first and second antennas with current flow in opposite directions in the first and second decoupling loops. A third decoupling loop is electrically connected to another one of the first and second antennas and physically disposed between the first and second decoupling loops. Coupling between the first and second antennas is responsive to a location of the third decoupling loop relative to the first and second decoupling loops.

Disclosed are various embodiments related to an electronic device including a coil. The electronic device may include: a housing including a first face facing a first direction and a second face facing a second direction different from the first direction; and a flexible printed circuit board and a control circuit disposed between the first and second faces. The flexible printed circuit board may include a first coil including at least one turn, a second coil including at least one turn, and a third coil including at least one turn. At least a part of the second coil may surround a first portion of the first coil, a second portion of the first coil may surround at least a part of the second coil, a third portion of the first coil may surround the second portion of the first coil, and at least a part of the third coil may be disposed between at least a part of the second portion of the first coil and at least a part of the third portion of the first coil. The control circuit may be configured to: transmit a signal outward by a first transmission method using the first coil; transmit a signal outward by a second transmission method using the second coil; and transmit a signal outward by a third transmission method using the third coil.

A system for communicating with a wireless device including a base including a front surface; a plurality of communication coils disposed on the front surface and arranged in a matrix, the coils being tuned to a near-field communication frequency; a selector coupled to the coils; at least one memory storing instructions; and at least one processor coupled to the selector and executing the instructions to perform operations. The operations include at least receiving a plurality of feedback signals associated with the coils; identifying a selected one of the coils associated with a strongest one of the feedback signals; and causing the selector to couple the selected coil with a wireless communication module.

A wireless power transfer system includes a power transmitter configured to provide a power transfer to a power receiver via a power transfer signal. The power receiver includes a first mode controller configured to transmit a standby mode exit request to the power transmitter by changing a loading of a communication inductor of the power transmitter. The power transmitter includes a mode controller configured to control the power transmitter to operate in a standby mode where a presence of the power receiver is detected but no power transfer signal is generated. A detector is configured to detect an impedance change of the communication inductor. The mode controller is configured to initiate a transition from the standby mode to a power transfer mode in response to the detector detecting the impedance change.

A power transfer device (102) is disclosed. The power transfer device (102) includes a driver unit (108). The driver unit (108) includes a plurality of converters (112, 114, 116, 117) including a plurality of legs (118, 120, 122, 124, 125) coupled to each other, where at least one leg of each of the plurality of converters (112, 114, 116, 117) is common to another power converter of the plurality of converters (112, 114, 116, 117), and where each of the plurality of converters (112, 114, 116, 117) includes an output terminal (204, 206, 208, 210, 304, 406, 408). Further, the driver unit (108) includes at least one transmitter coil (110a, 110b, 110c, 110d), where the at least one transmitter coil (110a, 110b, 110c, 110d) is coupled to the corresponding output terminal (204, 206, 208, 210, 304, 406, 408).

A power transmitter module is disclosed. In embodiments, a power transmitter module includes a module LC input filter configured to receive regulated DC current, a module transmitter circuit configured to receive the regulated DC current from the module LC input filter and generate a high-frequency AC current. A power transmitter module further includes a module transmitter coil and compensation circuit comprising a transmitter coil, and a first capacitor in parallel with the transmitter coil. The module transmitter coil and compensation circuit are configured to receive the high-frequency AC current from the module transmitter circuit and generate a time-varying magnetic field emitted from the transmitter coil. Additionally, a power transmitter module further includes a module controller configured to receive a power transmission input signal and further configured to control a state of the module transmitter circuit based on the power transmission input signal.