Wireless charging technology

"Wireless" is flooding our lives - WiFi, Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, 4G, etc. The digital world is even more connected with "wireless." However, from smartphones to tablets to laptops, we are still unable to escape the shackles of the power cord. When we go out, we always think about when the battery will be dead and where we can find a place to recharge. Once there is no electricity, all electronic devices are like dead and no response. So it's time - "wireless charging."

This cut the "line"

In fact, the electromagnetic induction theory supporting wireless power supply technology has long existed, but the wireless power supply technology has not been out of the laboratory until the emergence of a "charging station". The charging station is a device that can achieve wireless charging through electromagnetic induction technology. As long as you are standing near the charging station, there is electricity in your phone, tablet, and laptop through the principle of electromagnetic induction. Of course, your device needs to have the appropriate power. receiver.

At present, this charging method only performs well on short-distance power transmission. However, long-distance power transmission has a problem of low charging efficiency due to the dispersion of radio waves. However, there are companies that are experimenting with long-distance wireless charging. The distance limit will gradually be resolved as time progresses.

Another solution to distance is to embed power transmitters that use wireless charging technology into furniture, such as tables in coffee shops and offices, or nightstands in homes. Joshua Schwannecke, technical director of Fulton Innovation, said that they are working with furniture manufacturers and hope to embed power transmitters into furniture and put the idea of ​​wireless charging into practice.

Fortunately, not having to wait for furniture in the foreseeable future, there are already several mobile phones on the market such as the iPhone, Nexus 4, and Nokia Lumia 920 that can accept power transmission from charging stations. Wireless charging is almost universal in Japan, and Intel has also released new types in the United States. The notebook with a built-in wireless charger, the 2013 Dodge Dart, was the first car to have a charging pad in the car, and now other cars are starting to provide similar services.

Push down the wall of blocking compatibility

To achieve wireless charging, the most important thing is the seamless connection between the equipment - all charging stations must be able to charge all the equipment, or wireless charging will become a false proposition. An organization, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), is currently doing this. The WPC is an organization that joins major wireless charging and receiving device manufacturers and hopes to promote unified standards for wireless charging. Currently they have more than 100 partner companies including Fulton Innovation mentioned above, and well-known companies such as HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Verizon and Philips.

For WPC’s chairman Menno Treffers, the biggest advantage of wireless charging is that people are no longer bothered by “fear and no electricity.” What people need to do in the future is to put a mobile phone on the table and start charging automatically. When it's time, pick it up at any time. So he hopes that this convenient usage scenario will not be blocked by the compatibility issues of the device.

Treffers and Schwannecke expect that wireless charging will eventually become as popular as WiFi — free WiFi is available in every coffee shop and wireless charging is available in the future. Unlike WiFi, the cost of wireless charging increases with usage, so wireless charging may not be completely free, but it does not rule out the possibility of cafes attracting customers through free wireless charging.

From the current development point of view, wireless charging seems to apply only to portable devices, but in the future, it can also be applied to large devices such as cars. For example, the power transmitter can be implanted in a parking lot or along the freeway, and as long as the car is parked on the transmitter, it can be charged with constant current. Fulton Innovation's eCoupled technology enables intelligent identification, which uses electromagnetic induction principles to detect the magnetic field induced in the car receiver and charge a fee for each car that uses their device for charging.

So the future scenario is likely to be like this - you drive into the parking lot, take out your cell phone, and buy a certain amount of power, just as you do at the gas station. Still further, wireless charging can also be applied to the medical field to recharge "medical implants" implanted in the human body. These medical implants can help improve human body functions or other capabilities without the need to plug into the current computer. A cumbersome power cord.

Schwannecke stated that this kind of inductive charging can ensure safety without causing harm to the human body, and the radiation level is at least lower than the currently used electronic products.

Who will take this step first?

When it comes to commercial issues, wireless charging technology is also faced with the ancient chicken-egg problem. Even if the charging stations are spread all over the country, business people have not been motivated to implant receivers in the equipment because the number of users is too high. With less products, it is impossible for people to see profitability possible. But the question is, who will take this step first?

Treffers believes that time can solve this problem. “Once a receiver can be compatible with various devices that need recharging, furniture manufacturers have built-in power transmitters in their furniture, and people can enjoy this convenience at home. With strong demand, we hope to enjoy this convenience wherever we go, and other products will gradually advance this work."

He once again mentioned WiFi, and he felt that wireless charging would take a path very similar to that of WiFi, and that it would take several years to complete and advance before it became popular. Now wireless charging is still in its initial stage. “Once these technologies are recognized, people are able to recharge wherever they are accustomed to, and the places where the services are provided will start to be tempted, just as the cafes provide WiFi to attract customers.”

“In my opinion, wireless charging is a great technology, and it can give birth to great products and imaginations built on it.” Schwannecke said that in the future we don’t have to worry about no electricity because electricity is there.