Wireless power, charging technology may unplug Apple's iPhone
A Michigan company has set its sights on promoting wireless power, and suggests the technology could quickly find its way into devices like the iPhone.
The patented technology isn't entirely new; many household devices from the Philips Sonicare toothbrush to the Amway eSpring water purifier already use inductive coupling to recharge their batteries or supply direct power without any metal-on-metal contact.
What is new is the idea of setting an industry standard for wireless recharging, a concept that Fulton Innovations calls eCoupled Technology. The company compares the concept with standardized wireless networking, which has been codified under the WiFi brand to allow different hardware makers to develop interoperable devices.
With its eCoupled Technology, which racked up 20 new patents granted in 2007, multiple devices could use the same recharging station, cleaning up the mess of different cables and power adapters used by different mobile phones, MP3 players, power tools, and other devices.
Inductive coupling bridges the gap between the recharging station and a device placed on it using a magnetic field that transfers power between coils in each. Most recharging stations, such as those used by the iPod and iPhone, have direct metal contacts to transfer electrical power to their internal batteries.
The advantage to eCoupled Technology is simplicity and interoperability. The drawback is that it's less efficient and only supplies electrical power. Apple's Dock connector cables not only deliver electrical power, but also transmit audio and video output and synchronize data and media files using standard USB signals.
The technology to wirelessly synchronize and output digital data over WiFi isn't quite practical yet. As noted in the article Exploring Time Capsule: theoretical speed vs practical throughput, 802.11b/g WiFi transmits data around 3 MB/sec in ideal conditions, while USB can sync over a wire at least ten times faster, at 30MB/sec or greater.
Nonstop wireless data transmissions such as a synchronizing large media files also tax the batteries of mobile devices. Paired with the slower wireless recharging of inductive coupling, the idea of living entirely without wires still appears to be a few years out.
However, eCoupling should make progress as WiFi and battery technologies also improve. For other devices without any need data synchronization, the new technology offers a more immediate potential to greatly simplify the number of unique battery chargers consumers will need to recharge their various wireless tools and other devices.
Additionally, the inclusion of eCoupling technology in mobile devices could open up the potential for wireless public recharging stations, even for devices that also use wired connections like Apple's Dock connector-equipped mobile devices.
Adding support for inductive charging is relatively low, Dave Baarman, Fulton's director of advanced technologies, recently told the The Grand Rapids Press. It only requires a charging coil about the size of a quarter, but thinner, and the supporting circuits and software. That additional expense could be made up for in lower warranty costs related to worn, corroded, or broken contacts on existing cables and connectors.
Fulton lists a number of partners hoping to apply the new technology, including German tool maker Bosch and office furniture maker Herman Miller, and notes some companies are already offering products that use it, including PC maker Lenovo.
Baarman said that other partners' names aren't being disclosed due to confidentiality agreements, although he recently demonstrated prototypes of devices using wireless charging ranging from a George Foreman Grill to Apple's iPhone.
Apple does not comment on unannounced products.
The patented technology isn't entirely new; many household devices from the Philips Sonicare toothbrush to the Amway eSpring water purifier already use inductive coupling to recharge their batteries or supply direct power without any metal-on-metal contact.
What is new is the idea of setting an industry standard for wireless recharging, a concept that Fulton Innovations calls eCoupled Technology. The company compares the concept with standardized wireless networking, which has been codified under the WiFi brand to allow different hardware makers to develop interoperable devices.
With its eCoupled Technology, which racked up 20 new patents granted in 2007, multiple devices could use the same recharging station, cleaning up the mess of different cables and power adapters used by different mobile phones, MP3 players, power tools, and other devices.
Inductive coupling bridges the gap between the recharging station and a device placed on it using a magnetic field that transfers power between coils in each. Most recharging stations, such as those used by the iPod and iPhone, have direct metal contacts to transfer electrical power to their internal batteries.
The advantage to eCoupled Technology is simplicity and interoperability. The drawback is that it's less efficient and only supplies electrical power. Apple's Dock connector cables not only deliver electrical power, but also transmit audio and video output and synchronize data and media files using standard USB signals.
The technology to wirelessly synchronize and output digital data over WiFi isn't quite practical yet. As noted in the article Exploring Time Capsule: theoretical speed vs practical throughput, 802.11b/g WiFi transmits data around 3 MB/sec in ideal conditions, while USB can sync over a wire at least ten times faster, at 30MB/sec or greater.
Nonstop wireless data transmissions such as a synchronizing large media files also tax the batteries of mobile devices. Paired with the slower wireless recharging of inductive coupling, the idea of living entirely without wires still appears to be a few years out.
However, eCoupling should make progress as WiFi and battery technologies also improve. For other devices without any need data synchronization, the new technology offers a more immediate potential to greatly simplify the number of unique battery chargers consumers will need to recharge their various wireless tools and other devices.
Additionally, the inclusion of eCoupling technology in mobile devices could open up the potential for wireless public recharging stations, even for devices that also use wired connections like Apple's Dock connector-equipped mobile devices.
Adding support for inductive charging is relatively low, Dave Baarman, Fulton's director of advanced technologies, recently told the The Grand Rapids Press. It only requires a charging coil about the size of a quarter, but thinner, and the supporting circuits and software. That additional expense could be made up for in lower warranty costs related to worn, corroded, or broken contacts on existing cables and connectors.
Fulton lists a number of partners hoping to apply the new technology, including German tool maker Bosch and office furniture maker Herman Miller, and notes some companies are already offering products that use it, including PC maker Lenovo.
Baarman said that other partners' names aren't being disclosed due to confidentiality agreements, although he recently demonstrated prototypes of devices using wireless charging ranging from a George Foreman Grill to Apple's iPhone.
Apple does not comment on unannounced products.
Comments
Putting aside the iPhone/iPod applications for a minute, I would love to see the laptops get charged like this using a docking pad, and also connect to them wirelessly for network, graphics, USB, Firewire, audio using the same 'docking' pad.
Seriously, the idea of having enough distributed inductive coils planted around your average public spot with enough juice to run and charge a laptop is a bit out there. On the plus side you could likely heat up that metal commuter mug at the same time at SBUX as you work...
No junior, don't sit on the... OOPS!
Summary:
1) take longer to charge/sync (USB cables are 10x faster than bluetooth, and induction is slower than direct cable too)
2) waste electricity / bad for environment (induction is less effecient transfer, wifi uses more power to transmit data than wire)
3) still tethered (especially the wireless power stuff since it only works on very small distances)
Now just looking at #3, wtf is the point then? I guess if you are in a highly corrosive or water environment then you don't have to worry about cleaning metal contacts. But i know my house is not such an environment.
The tech is cool, and I await the day that this stuff makes sense to use.
Wireless power from a distance would be game-changing!
Also, it's funny how the benefit of being able to charge multiple handheld devices simultaneously on a single pad is being touted as the trend started with the iPhone is to consolidate multiple devices into one. Wireless charging that requires close contact may be a technology whose time has past.
I guess i understand why people are always hyped up about this.
Summary:
1) take longer to charge/sync (USB cables are 10x faster than bluetooth, and induction is slower than direct cable too)
2) waste electricity / bad for environment (induction is less effecient transfer, wifi uses more power to transmit data than wire)
3) still tethered (especially the wireless power stuff since it only works on very small distances)
Now just looking at #3, wtf is the point then? I guess if you are in a highly corrosive or water environment then you don't have to worry about cleaning metal contacts. But i know my house is not such an environment.
The tech is cool, and I await the day that this stuff makes sense to use.
I agree 100%. The cool factor would be quickly overwhelmed by the drawbacks.
Standardization makes sense, but they will have to find a way to increase efficiency for me to ever want this to catch on. I don't know if that is in the cards/physics.
I guess with smaller devices like phones and such, the waste is less apparent, but I imagine with laptops and bigger things that could be a lot of electricity wasted...
I imagine this technology would be very beneficial for the keyboard and mouse. As far as being "eco-friendly", it would definitely cut down on the amount of batteries that are thrown away. I know you can use rechargeable, but I'm pretty sure that group is a minority. (Although I wouldn't argue that to be true for the members of this forum).
Good point. I hadn't thought about that use...
Regarding wireless syncing: that's why many of the next generation integrated circuits include USBOTG. The desktop hardware simply needs to have an adapter plugged into it's USB port or Express slot.
How about Bluetooth ? 2+EDR is pretty good and fast
There are drawbacks and certain individuals (such as longtime Windows users) do not have sufficient brain wave activity to initiate the mental commands and will have to resort to using more traditional methods. A new input tablet which can be used with crayons is being considered for such individuals. Bill Gates has demoed an early prototype and is said to be quite pleased with it.
It is noted that all tinfoil hats will have to be removed in order for these new features to work so many Mac Security analysts will not be able to access this new feature.
Apple, of course, does not comment on future products. We did, however, read their minds and received a very positive affirmation of this coming trend.
How about this: just standardize on USB or Firewire for devices. then you still don't have to "look" for the "right" charger, they're all the same. And you don't lose the efficiency by going to inductive charging.
While this story is interesting, your labeling it with "iPhone" in the caption is shameless, it really has nothing to do specifically with the iPhone.
Agreed. This is a non-story.
Ultra Wideband could be used as the next bluetooth, and i think i heard of it being used somewhere for a wireless USB hub, though I'm not sure. The speed atvantages UWB over Bluetooth would be like USB 1.1 over USB 2.0. It would have approximately the same range as bluetooth does.
Contrast that with a single nice pad where you just drop your rechargeable devices when you get home and pick them up in the morning. No ugly wires. No fumbling looking for the connector in the dark. No docking stations. Who cares if it takes 6 hours to recharge instead of 2. I can't wait for this technology to become standardized.
I would much prefer the MobileWise system that has a plate with a grid of electrical contacts. Just drop your device on top and you get conductive charging rather than inductive as with this system. Much more efficient. Just what would be the advantage of eCoupling? "Simplicity and interoperability?" The MobileWise design is even simpler and just as interoperable if devices are designed for it. Devices have to be redesigned to use this system anyway.
After some google searching all I found were some articles circa 2002 and one link that was posted in a discussion forum.
http://www.mobilewise.com/
Seems like MobileWise never made it out of 2002..
Dave
Inductive coupling bridges the gap between the recharging station and a device placed on it using a magnetic field that transfers power between coils in each. Most recharging stations, such as those used by the iPod and iPhone, have direct metal contacts to transfer electrical power to their internal batteries.
Apple does not comment on unannounced products
.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Magnetic? Maybe I'm wrong but I can't imagine a magnetic field is a good thing to have running through your iPhone, course I may be wrong.