wireless energy transfer
Wireless power transfer (WPT), wireless power transmission, wireless energy transmission (WET), or electromagnetic power transfer is the transmission of electrical energy without wires as a physical link. In a wireless power transmission system ...
technology developed by Fulton Innovation, a division of Alticor. It provides wireless power transfer via inductive coupling between a primary transmission coil and a secondary receiving coil. A single primary coil can provide power to multiple secondary coils at the same time.
eCoupled technology uses its wireless data transfer and authentication capabilities to automatically identify compatible products that need to be charged, the products' charge states, and the most efficient level at which to power the device(s) in question. It also stops power transmission when the device with the receiving electricity is turned off or fully charged. Power can be transferred at up to 98 percent efficiency. eCoupled is designed to provide wireless power transfer for products ranging from low-power devices such as cell phones and media players to laptop computers and power tools. Fulton Innovation has over 220 patents filed and pending on the eCoupled system.
History
eCoupled technology is not the first system developed to transmit energy wirelessly.
Transformer
A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer' ...
s use inductively coupled circuits to transmit electrical energy. Energy transmission without wires was pioneered by researchers such as
Amway
Amway (short for "American Way") is an American multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells health, beauty, and home care products. The company was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos and is based in Ada, Michigan. Amway and it ...
roughly ten years ago, and first sold as part of
Amway
Amway (short for "American Way") is an American multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells health, beauty, and home care products. The company was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos and is based in Ada, Michigan. Amway and it ...
's eSpring water purification system in 2001. Previously, the design team had experienced issues with the durability and corrosion of electrical connections inside the device. By replacing the wired power supply with an inductively coupled one, the eSpring design team was able to hermetically seal the electrical components, improve reliability, and simplify the overall product design.
In 2008, it was announced that Fulton Innovation was forming the world's first
Wireless Power Consortium
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is a multinational technology consortium formed on December 17, 2008, and based in Piscataway, New Jersey. Its mission is to create and promote wide market adoption of its interface standards Qi, Ki Cordless ...
with other companies such as
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits, which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globa ...
,
Philips
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...
, and
Sanyo
, stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...
to establish a global standard for wireless power delivery.
Wireless energy transfer
Wireless power transfer (WPT), wireless power transmission, wireless energy transmission (WET), or electromagnetic power transfer is the transmission of electrical energy without wires as a physical link. In a wireless power transmission system ...
Amway
Amway (short for "American Way") is an American multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells health, beauty, and home care products. The company was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos and is based in Ada, Michigan. Amway and it ...