a2, United States Patent
`US 6,661,197 B2
`(10) Patent No.:
`Dec. 9, 2003
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Zinketal.
`
`
`US006661197B2
`
`(54) WIRELESS BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM
`FOR EXISTING HEARING AIDS USING A
`DYNAMIC BATTERY AND A CHARGING
`PROCESSOR UNIT
`
`(76)
`
`Inventors: Uwe Zink, 4137 E. BrownSt., Tucson,
`AZ (US) 85711; Gary Skuro, 12035 E
`,
`.
`)
`Dry Gultch PI., Tueson, AZ (US) 85749
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`US.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 10/255,688
`(22)
`Filed:
`Sep. 27, 2002
`(65)
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2003/0048095 Al Mar. 13, 2003
`toa
`Related U.S. Application Data
`tas
`woes
`(62) DivisionOFPPCationNO5080.240, filed on Feb. 22,
`(60)
`Provisional application No. 60/270,147, filed on Feb. 22,
`2001.
`7
`Tint. C0cc eeecnesenenecensenesanecnees H02J 7/00
`(51)
`(52) US. Cl
`320/108; 320/107
`WS.
`CD. cc cecctesssenscnetenseeeecnees
`;
`(58) Field of Search .cccccsssssscsssssueeeee 320/108, 107,
`320/112, 113, 115; 361/145, 146, 133
`
`(56)
`
`6/1977 Boom etal. 0... 324/34
`
`w. 320/108
`4/1983 Mattatall
`......
`
`1/1998 Ruhling.....
`+++ 381/69.2
`9/1999 Rohde ..........
`w. 320/108
`
`9/1999 Schultz et al.
`w 361/151
`....
`10/2001 Saaski etal. .....
`.. 381/323
`10/2002 Aceti et al. we. 381/322
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`~~
`4,032,959 A *
`4,379,988 A
`5,712,919 A
`5,959,433 A
`5,959,824 A *
`6,310,960 B1
`6,473,511 BI
`* cited by examiner
`Primary Examiner—Lawrence Luk
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Robert Platt Bell
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`A rechargeable battery which may be used with most pres-
`ently available hearing aids (or other appliances) with no
`modification to the existing hearing aid is needed in orderto
`use the described wireless charging system. The battery may
`be known a “Dynamic battery” as the battery is actively
`charged by meansof an inductor circuit built into the battery
`housing itself or added onto the battery. The hearing aid may
`simply be placed within the charger housing (or cradle) to
`charge the battery. No electrical connection by either wires
`or electrical contacts is needed to recharge the battery, which
`is located inside the hearing aid housing. Moreover, the
`battery need not be removed from the hearing
`aid (or other
`y
`s
`appliance).
`*PPlance)
`
`12 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
`59
`
`54
`
`57
`
`
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`Div, SMD componentsto build small
`
`
`filter, resonance and chargingcircuit
`
`
`
`Ceramic carrier
`
`
`
`
`
`51
`Positive battery
`contact
`
`52
`.
`Inductor coil also the
`housing of battery
`
`53
`Negative battery contact
`also carrier for the
`Charging/Regulator
`circuit component
`
`1
`
`APPLE 1074
`Apple v. GUI
`IPR2021-00472
`
`1
`
`APPLE 1074
`Apple v. GUI
`IPR2021-00472
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 9, 2003
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`Sheet 1 of 5
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`US 6,661,197 B2
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 9, 2003
`
`Sheet 2 of 5
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 9, 2003
`
`Sheet 3 of 5
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`US 6,661,197 B2
`
`Mounting of battery
`At conventional overall size of
`battery, the inducting circuit
`takes approx. 25%of the body
`space
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`75%of body
`
`25% of body
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`31 Battery component||Inductor component
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`Figure 3
`
`4
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 9, 2003
`
`Sheet 4 of 5
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`US 6,661,197 B2
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`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 9, 2003
`
`Sheet 5 of 5
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`US 6,661,197 B2
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`Requlator component
`and Inductor coil
`
`Figure 5
`
`6
`
`

`

`US 6,661,197 B2
`
`1
`WIRELESS BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM
`FOR EXISTING HEARING AIDS USING A
`DYNAMIC BATTERY AND A CHARGING
`PROCESSOR UNIT
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a Divisional Application of US. patent
`application Ser. No. 10/080,240,filed on Feb. 22, 2002 now
`US. Pat. No. 6,498,455, incorporated herein by reference.
`The present application also claimspriority from Provisional
`US. Patent Application No. 60/270,147 filed on Feb. 22,
`2001, also incorporated herein by reference.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery
`particularly for use in hearing aids orthe like. In particular,
`the present invention is directed toward a hearing aid battery
`with a built-in inductive charging coil for recharging the
`hearing aid battery in situ.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Each hearing aid needs a battery power source to provide
`electrical current to its components. In Prior Art hearing
`aids, standard non-rechargeable batteries are used. Such
`batteries may last less than seven days before going dead.
`Constant replacement of hearing aid batteries is time
`consuming, expensive, environmentally unfriendly, and in
`many cases, a trying task.
`Because of the small physical size of the batteries and the
`hearing aid housing, a large number of individuals who
`could benefit from the use of hearing aids are unable to do
`so because of their inability to open and close the access
`doors to the battery compartment in the hearing aid. It is very
`hard for most people, and impossible for others, particularly
`the elderly, who makeup a large portion of hearing aid users.
`Rechargeable batteries are knownin theart. Various types
`of chemical compounds and mixtures for such batteries are
`know(e.g., Nickel and Cadmium, or NiCad). However, such
`Prior Art rechargeable batteries usually require removal of
`the battery or battery pack in order to charge the battery, or
`require the use of electrical contacts on the appliance for
`battery charging.
`For example, cellular phones are generally provided with
`a removable battery pack which may beeither charged while
`attached to the phone, or after removal, through use of a
`“charging stand’. Cordless phones may use a built-in (e.g.,
`hard wired) battery pack which may be charged when the
`phoneis placed in its cradle. While such designs work well
`for fairly large appliances such as cellular phonesor cordless
`phones, the use of external electrical contacts or removable
`battery packs may not be suitable for some applications,
`such as hearing aids.
`External electrical connections may bedifficult to physi-
`cally implement on an object as small as a hearing aid, and
`moreover, may present a shock hazardto the user (as well as
`potential corrosion problems when placed in contact with
`the alimentary canal). Removable battery packs present the
`same or similar problem to prior art hearing aids as
`described above—such a removable pack would be so small
`as to make it difficult,
`if not
`impossible, for a user to
`manipulate (especially elderly users which comprise a large
`majority of hearing aid customers). In addition, providing a
`removable battery pack would necessitate seam lines on the
`hearing aid housing andelectrical contacts, both of which
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`2
`may increase the size and cost of the hearing aid or present
`sharp edges which are unacceptable in an in-the-ear design.
`Rechargeable batteries in standard sizes (e.g., “D”, “C’,
`“AA” and “AAA”) are also known in the art and may be
`purchased as substitutes for standard non-rechargeable bat-
`teries. Generally, such rechargeable batteries do not last as
`long as a comparative alkaline battery before recharging is
`required. When recharging is required, the batteries must
`generally be removed from their battery compartment
`(unless a separate charging port and circuit are provided) and
`placed in a stand-alone charger.
`Presuming that a rechargeable battery could be provided
`for appliances as small as a hearing aid (orthelike), such a
`solution would not solve the fundamental underlying prob-
`lem of battery insertion and removal. In contrast, such a
`solution would only increase the frequency at which a
`hearing aid battery would need to be removed and replaced.
`Inductive chargers are knownin the art for use with small
`appliances such as electric toothbrushes and the like. Cur-
`rent passes through an inductive coil in a charging stand. A
`current is induced in a mating coil in the appliance when the
`applianceis placed in the charging stand. This current is then
`used to charge the batteries within the appliance. Such
`inductive chargers are particularly useful for appliances used
`in wet environments such aselectric toothbrushes and other
`
`dental care items. Such chargers, however, have the advan-
`tage of being able to mechanically locate the appliance in a
`predetermined orientation (e.g., via a tab or other locating
`device) in relationship to the charging coil such that the
`appliance and charger are at optimal position for inducing
`current.
`
`One approach to solving the hearing aid battery problem
`would be to apply such a Prior Art inductive charging system
`to a hearing aid (or other small appliance) design. Mattatall,
`US. Pat. No. 4,379,988, issued Apr. 12, 1983 and incorpo-
`rated herein by reference, discloses such a design. However,
`to implement such a design would require that the hearing
`aid manufacturer re-design the hearing aid (or other small
`appliance) to include the necessary charging circuitry. To the
`best of applicant’s knowledge, no hearing aid designer has
`yet undertaken such a design change, and no commercial
`embodimentof the Mattatall Patent has yet been placed into
`production. Mattatall also discloses (Col. 5, lines 2-12) the
`use of an LEDforrectifying current and for indicating to the
`user when the hearing aid is in optimal position for charging.
`Hearing aids, being very small, may bedifficult to properly
`orient with relationship to an inductive charger. Thus, Mat-
`tatall uses his LED to allow the user to manually position the
`hearing aid for charging purposes.
`Even if such a design were commercially available, it
`would still present problemsto users. For example, existing
`hearing aid users would be forced to discard their present
`hearing aids and purchase a new,rechargeable model, if such
`a recharging feature were desired. Moreover, most recharge-
`able appliances (as in Mattatall) feature “built-in” batteries,
`such that when the battery is no longer capable of being
`charged, the entire appliance must be discarded. Moreover,
`it may bedifficult for users to manually position the hearing
`aid in the charger for optimal current induction.
`Rohde, U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,433, issued Sep. 28, 1999, and
`incorporated herein by reference, discloses battery pack for
`a laptop or the like, with an inductive charging circuit. The
`design of Rhode allowsthe battery pack to be removed and
`placed on an inductive charger without the need for physical
`electrical connections. There are several problems with this
`design. To begin with, it is not cost-effective to install an
`
`7
`
`

`

`US 6,661,197 B2
`
`3
`inductive charging circuit in a battery pack which already
`contains external electrical contacts.
`
`As illustrated in FIG. 2 of Rohde, the battery pack 14 is
`provided with external electrical contacts at one end. It
`makeslittle or no sense to incorporate a relatively expensive
`and complex inductive charger into a batter pack when the
`battery pack can be readily recharged through inexpensive
`electrical contacts. Moreover, the inductive charging coil of
`Rohde appears to take up a substantial portion of the battery
`pack.
`Moreover, the Rohde design appears to require that the
`battery pack be removed before charging. As noted above,
`the use of removable batteries or battery packs does not
`solve the fundamental problem with hearing aids and other
`small appliances where removalof the battery pack presents
`difficulty to the user. In addition, it does not appear that the
`device of Rohde would be scalable to something as small as
`a hearing aid.
`Thus, a needstill exists in the art to provide a method and
`apparatus for recharging a battery for a hearing aid (or other
`small appliance) without requiring removal of the battery
`from the appliance, without require the use of external
`physical electrical contacts, and without requiring the
`re-design of the appliance to incorporate such a charging
`circuit. The present invention solves all of these problems.
`
`SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION
`
`The object of the invention is to provide a user-friendly
`system of recharging existing hearing aid batteries, saving
`time, money and frustration. Rechargeable batteries are
`available for a variety of applications, but have not been
`utilized in hearing aids. The invention utilizes a wireless
`solution of charging a battery by inductively coupling
`energy between the battery and the charging unit. Therefore,
`no removal of the battery from the hearing aid is necessary.
`The user may simply place the hearing aid into the charging
`cradle at night for recharge.
`The present invention further provides an inductive charg-
`ing circuit within the housing of a standard hearing aid
`battery cell. By placing the inductive charging circuit within
`a standard hearing aid battery cell, a user can convert a Prior
`Art hearing aid which uses disposable batteries into a
`rechargeable hearing aid, simply be substituting the
`rechargeable battery/charger of the present invention for the
`non-rechargeable battery. The hearing aid (or other small
`appliance) may then be readily recharged without the need
`for battery removal. Moreover, the user need not remove the
`battery for months or even years. In addition, in an alterna-
`tive embodiment, a novel charging station is provided with
`a rotatable induction coil. The induction coil may be auto-
`matically rotated by a controller until optimal current induc-
`tion in the hearing aid battery coil occurs. This feature
`allowsthe hearing aid to be charged regardlessofits relative
`position to the charging stand.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the combined
`battery and inductive coil of the present invention showing
`the charging components in block diagram form.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a charging station for use
`with the combined battery and inductive coil of FIG. 1.
`FIG. 3 is a side view of the combined battery and
`inductive coil of the present invention illustrating how the
`inductive coil and charging circuit can be incorporated into
`a standard sized battery case.
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`FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the combined
`battery and inductive coil of a second embodimentof the
`present invention showing the charging components in block
`diagram form.
`FIG. 5 is a side view of the combined battery and
`inductive coil of the second embodiment of the present
`invention illustrating how the inductive coil and charging
`circuit can be incorporated into a standard sized battery case.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`The Wireless Battery Charging System for hearing aids of
`the present invention may comprise two main components.
`The first of these is the combined battery and inductive
`charging coil and associated electronics whichis referred to
`in the present invention as a “dynamic battery”. FIG. 1 is a
`perspective exploded view of the combined battery and
`inductive coil of the present invention showing the charging
`components in block diagram form. FIG. 3 is a side view of
`the combined battery and inductive coil of the present
`invention illustrating how the inductive coil and charging
`circuit can be incorporated into a standard sized battery case.
`Referring to FIG. 3, the dynamic battery may include two
`components. The first component is rechargeable battery
`portion 31 which may occupy about 75% of the battery
`overall housing. The battery housing is designed to be the
`same shape and size of a conventional non-rechargeable
`battery for use in a hearing aid or other small appliance such
`that the housing maybeinserted into the hearing aid or other
`appliance without need to modify the appliance.
`Again referring to FIG. 3, the second component of the
`dynamic battery is integrated electrical inductor circuit 32
`made up of a tuned resonancecircuit. FIG. 1 is a perspective
`exploded view of the inductive component 32 of FIG. 1 of
`the present invention showing the charging components in
`block diagram form. Electrical inductor component 32 of
`FIG. 3 may comprise a tuned resonance circuit including
`Coil 13 and Capacitor 14 as well as a regulated charging
`circuit 15 utilizing components such as surface mount
`resistors and regulators 14, 19, 18, and 17 to accommodate
`the small available space requirements of the dynamic
`battery.
`The components of inductor circuit 32 of FIG. 3 may be
`mounted on a thin layer of ceramic 16 as illustrated in FIG.
`1 to provide a carrier surface for all discreet components or
`in other words to create a small enough inductor hybrid to
`be placed inside the 25% of the overall dynamic battery
`housing. The wiring of the circuitry of FIG. 1 is not
`illustrated here, as such inductive charging circuits per se are
`knownin the art, as discussed above.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a charging station for use
`with the combined battery and inductive coil of FIG. 1. The
`charging processor unit is a generator for controlling mag-
`netic field lines. The charging processor may comprise the
`following components. SMP (Switch Mode Power Supply)
`power supply 21 provides the necessary current
`to the
`charging processor and its electrical components. Other
`types of power supplies may also be used within the spirit
`and scope of the present invention.
`Control circuit to control the charging process and its
`stages may comprise digital control logic 22 containing a
`single chip processor and discreet components. Digital con-
`trol logic 22 may monitor the charging process and deter-
`mine when the rechargeable battery is fully charged by use
`of a timing mechanism or other means. Digital to analog
`converter 23 may convert digital charging information into
`
`8
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`

`

`US 6,661,197 B2
`
`5
`an analog signal driving output stage 24, which powers an
`electromagnetic sending core 25.
`Electromagnetic sending core 25 may comprise a motor-
`ized mechanism combined with a shaft angle de-encoder 26
`which in turn supports a re-positioning mechanism for
`sending core 25. A digital display readout 27 may provide
`information of the charging process as charging/charged.
`The functionality of the overall system may now be
`described in connection with FIGS. 1-5. If the dynamic
`battery is placed within range of the magnetic field lines
`produced by the charging processor,
`the built-in tuned
`resonance circuit of the inductor component of the dynamic
`battery may absorb energy from the charging processor unit
`which may then be used to charge the battery component.
`Since the physical size of the batteries charging compo-
`nent is very small, the position of the sending core toward
`the inducting circuit of the battery may be critical. The
`solution to this is a controlled positioning system for the
`sending core. When a charging processis started, the send-
`ing core may be turned approximately 200 Degree in both
`directions via a motorized mechanism as illustrated in FIG.
`
`2. Each position within a degree is reported to the CPU
`control logic 22 utilizing shaft angle encoder/decoder 26. At
`the same time, driver current (producing the magnetic field)
`for the sending core 25 is digitized and measured by the
`CPU control logic 22. The tuned inducting circuit of the
`battery will naturally absorb energy from the sending core
`magnetic field, which is measurable. CPU control logic 22
`will determine the final position of sending core 25 based
`upon the driver current measurement and realign the posi-
`tion of sending core 25 for an optimal charging process.
`Thus,
`the hearing aid with the battery of the present
`invention can be placed in almost any orientation within a
`charging stand andstill be charged. Unlike Prior Art induc-
`tive charging appliances, the hearing aid need not be in a
`predeterminedorientation. Unlike Mattatall, the hearing aid
`need not be reoriented manually based upon LED intensity.
`The user need only place the hearing aids (or other small
`appliances) in the charging stand and turn the unit on.
`FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the combined
`battery and inductive coil of a second embodiment of the
`present invention showingthe charging components in block
`diagram form. FIG. 5 is a side view of the combinedbattery
`and inductive coil of the second embodimentof the present
`invention illustrating how the inductive coil and charging
`circuit can be incorporated into a standard sized battery case.
`This second embodiment of the present invention may be
`substituted for the first embodimentof the present invention
`with respect to FIG. 2.
`Referring to FIG. 5, the dynamic battery may comprise
`two components. The first component is rechargeable bat-
`tery component 51 which may occupy about 95% of the
`battery overall housing. The battery housing is designed to
`be the same shape and size of a conventional non-
`rechargeable battery for use in a hearing aid or other small
`appliance such that the housing may be inserted into the
`hearing aid or other appliance without need to modify the
`appliance.
`Again referring to FIG. 5, the second componentof the
`dynamic battery is integrated electrical
`inductor circuit
`portion 52 made up of a tuned resonancecircuit. Note that
`in this second embodiment, the inductor portion takes up
`less space in the battery housing than the embodiment of
`FIGS. 1 and 3, leaving more room for battery portion 51.
`FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the combined
`battery and inductive coil of the present invention showing
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`the charging components in block diagram form. Electrical
`inductor circuit 52 of FIG. 5 may comprise a tuned reso-
`nancecircuit including coil 52 and capacitor 54 as well as a
`regulated charging circuit 55 utilizing components such as
`surface mountresistors and regulators 54, 59, 58, and 57 to
`accommodate the small available space requirements of the
`dynamic battery.
`The components of inductor circuit 52 of FIG. 5 may be
`mounted on a negative battery contact 56 as illustrated in
`FIG. 4 to provide a carrier surface for all discreet compo-
`nents or in other words to create a small enough inductor
`hybrid to be placed inside the 5% of the overall dynamic
`battery housing. The wiring of the circuitry of FIG. 4 is not
`illustrated here, as such inductive charging circuits per se are
`knownin the art, as discussed above.
`As illustrated in FIG. 4, inductor coil 53 may comprise the
`lateral housing of the overall battery case, or may be wound
`inside such a case. By providing inductor coil 53 in this
`manner, additional space is left for the battery, and the size
`of inductor coil 53 may be increased. Positive battery
`contact 51 may for another portion of the battery housing. In
`this manner, the battery portion of the present invention can
`be maximized and the inductive components further minia-
`turized and made more compact.
`While the preferred embodiment and various alternative
`embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and
`
`described in detail herein, it may be apparent to those skilled
`in the art that various changes in form and detail may be
`made therein without departing from the spirit and scope
`thereof.
`
`For example, while disclosed herein as being applied to
`hearing aids and the like, the present invention could also be
`applied to other battery operated appliances such as watches,
`cellular phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs),
`Flashlights, Toys, and the like. Battery sizes other than
`hearing aid batteries may be used (e.g., watch batteries,
`AAA,AA,C, D, and other sizes) without departing from the
`spirit and scope of the present invention.
`We claim:
`1. A method of charging a small appliance placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to a charging stand, comprising the
`steps of:
`supplying current to a sending core magnetic coil,
`measuring current to the sending core magnetic coil,
`inducing a current in a receiving magnetic coil in the
`small appliance placed in an arbitrary relationship to
`the charging stand,
`rotating the sending core magnetic coil through a prede-
`termined arc of rotation while measuring the current to
`the sending core magnetic coil,
`determining an optimal position for the sending core
`magnetic coil based upon measured current
`to the
`sending core magnetic coil, and
`locating the sending core magnetic coil at the determined
`optimal position so as to charge the small appliance.
`2. The method of claim 1, wherein the small appliance is
`provided with a rechargeable battery and current induced in
`the receiving magnetic coil charges the rechargeablebattery.
`3. A charging stand for charging a small appliance placed
`in an arbitrary relationship to a charging stand, said appa-
`ratus comprising:
`means for supplying current to a sending core magnetic
`coil;
`means for measuring current to the sending core magnetic
`coil;
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`US 6,661,197 B2
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`determining an optimal position for the sending core
`magnetic coil based upon measured current
`to the
`sending core magnetic coil,
`locating the sending core magnetic coil at the determined
`optimal position, and
`charging the rechargeable battery with the induced cur-
`rent.
`
`8. A charging stand for charging a small rechargeable
`battery placed in an arbitrary relationship to a charging
`stand, said apparatus comprising:
`sending core magnetic coil supplied with current so as to
`generate a magnetic field;
`means for measuring current to the sending core magnetic
`coil;
`a receiving magnetic coil for inducing current from the
`magnetic field in the rechargeable battery placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand;
`meansfor rotating the sending core magnetic coil through
`a predetermined arc of rotation while measuring the
`current to the sending core magnetic coil;
`means for determining an optimalposition for the sending
`core magnetic coil based upon measured current to the
`sending core magnetic coil; and
`means for locating the sending core magnetic coil at the
`determined optimal position so as to charge the
`rechargeable battery with the induced current.
`9. A method of charging a small rechargeable battery-
`operated appliance placed in an arbitrary relationship to a
`charging stand, comprising the stepsof:
`supplying current to at least one sending core magnetic
`coil so as to generate a magnetic field,
`measuring current to the at least one sending core mag-
`netic coil,
`inducing a current in a receiving magnetic coil from the
`magnetic field in the small appliance placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand,
`least one
`determining an optimal position for the at
`sending core magnetic coil based upon measured cur-
`rent to the sending core magnetic coil,
`providing current to sending core magnetic coil at the
`determined optimal position, and
`charging the rechargeable battery in the small appliance
`with the induced current.
`
`7
`means for inducing a current in a receiving magnetic coil
`in the small appliance placed in an arbitrary relation-
`ship to the charging stand;
`meansfor rotating the sending core magnetic coil through
`a predetermined arc of rotation while measuring the
`current to the sending core magnetic coil;
`meansfor determining an optimal position for the sending
`core magnetic coil based upon measured current to the
`sending core magnetic coil; and
`meansfor locating the sending core magnetic coil at the
`determined optimal position so as to charge the small
`appliance.
`4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the small appliance
`is provided with a rechargeable battery and current induced
`in the receiving magnetic coil charges the rechargeable
`battery.
`5. A method of charging a small rechargeable battery-
`operated appliance placed in an arbitrary relationship to a
`charging stand, comprising the stepsof:
`supplying current to a sending core magnetic coil so as to
`generate a magnetic field,
`measuring current to the sending core magnetic coil,
`inducing a current in a receiving magnetic coil from the
`magnetic field in the small appliance placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand,
`rotating the sending core magnetic coil through a prede-
`termined arc of rotation while measuring the current to
`the sending core magnetic coil,
`determining an optimal position for the sending core
`magnetic coil based upon measured current
`to the
`sending core magnetic coil,
`locating the sending core magnetic coil at the determined
`optimal position, and
`charging the rechargeable battery in the small appliance
`with the induced current.
`
`6. A charging stand for charging a small rechargeable-
`battery-operated appliance placed in an arbitrary relation-
`ship to a charging stand, said apparatus comprising:
`sending core magnetic coil supplied with current so as to
`generate a magnetic field;
`means for measuring current to the sending core magnetic
`coil;
`a receiving magnetic coil for inducing current from the
`magnetic field in the small appliance placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand;
`meansfor rotating the sending core magnetic coil through
`a predetermined arc of rotation while measuring the
`current to the sending core magnetic coil;
`meansfor determining an optimal position for the sending
`core magnetic coil based upon measured current to the
`sending core magnetic coil; and
`meansfor locating the sending core magnetic coil at the
`determined optimal position so as to charge the
`rechargeable battery in the small appliance.
`7. A method of charging a small rechargeable battery
`placed in an arbitrary relationship to a charging stand,
`comprising the steps of:
`supplying current to a sending core magnetic coil so as to
`generate a magnetic field,
`measuring current to the sending core magnetic coil,
`inducing a current in a receiving magnetic coil from the
`magnetic field in the rechargeable battery placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand,
`rotating the sending core magnetic coil through a prede-
`termined arc of rotation while measuring the current to
`the sending core magnetic coil,
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`10. A charging stand for charging a small rechargeable-
`battery-operated appliance placed in an arbitrary relation-
`ship to a charging stand, said apparatus comprising:
`at least one sending core magnetic coil supplied with
`current so as to generate a magnetic field;
`means for measuring current to the at least one sending
`core magnetic coil;
`a receiving magnetic coil for inducing current from the
`magnetic field in the small appliance placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand;
`means for determining an optimal positionfor the at least
`one sending core magnetic coil based upon measured
`current to the sending core magnetic coil; and
`providing current to the sending core magnetic coilat the
`determined optimal position so as to charge the
`rechargeable battery in the small appliance.
`11. A method of charging a small rechargeable battery
`placed in an arbitrary relationship to a charging stand,
`65 comprising the steps of:
`supplying current to at least one sending core magnetic
`coil so as to generate a magnetic field,
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`US 6,661,197 B2
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`9
`measuring current to the at least one sending core mag-
`netic coil,
`inducing a current in a receiving magnetic coil from the
`magnetic field in the rechargeable battery placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand,
`least one
`determining an optimal position for the at
`sending core magnetic coil based upon measured cur-
`rent to the sending core magnetic coil,
`providing current to the sending core magnetic coil at the
`determined optimal position, and
`charging the rechargeable battery with the induced cur-
`rent.
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`12. A charging stand for charging a small rechargeable
`battery placed in an arbitrary relationship to a charging
`stand, said apparatus comprising:
`
`10
`at least one sending core magnetic coil supplied with
`current so as to generate a magnetic field;
`means for measuring current to the at least one sending
`core magnetic coil;
`a receiving magnetic coil for inducing current from the
`magnetic field in the rechargeable battery placed in an
`arbitrary relationship to the charging stand;
`means for determining an optimal positionfor the at least
`one sending core magnetic coil based upon measured
`current to the sending core magnetic coil; and
`means for providing current to the sending core magnetic
`coil at the determine