US 8013568

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 8013568, based on the provided patent text fetched on 2026-05-14:

US Patent 8013568: Summary and Claims Overview

• Title: Contact-less chargeable battery and charging device, battery charging set, and charging control method thereof
• Assignee: LS Cable and Systems Ltd
• Inventors: Dong-Young Park, Sung-Wook Moon, Sung-wook Choi, Gwang-Hee Gwon, Sub Han, Jung-Bum Kim
• Filing Date: 2006-05-08
• Issue Date: 2011-09-06

Abstract:
The present invention relates to a wireless charger for a mobile communication terminal, which allows charging a plurality of batteries in a conveniently way without any terminal connection of the batteries to chargers for various mobile communication terminals such as a cellular phone and PDA and also allows intercepting electromagnetic waves while the charger is used, by means of Faraday's law. The wireless charger of the present invention includes a charger body having an electromagnetic wave intercepting means; a charging pad received in the charger body; and at least one battery that is to be charged by means of induced electromotive force generated by the charging pad, wherein the charger body includes a power supply means, a housing having a receiver for receiving the charging pad and connected to the power supply means, and a cover hinged to the housing.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Contact-less chargeable battery): This claim describes a rechargeable battery that charges wirelessly. It includes a component to receive high-frequency alternating current (AC) via a magnetic field from an external charger, a rectifier to convert this AC into direct current (DC), and a constant voltage/current supplier to charge the battery cell. A crucial element is an overvoltage monitoring unit that checks voltages across the constant voltage/current supplier and wirelessly communicates this information back to the external charging device to prompt a change in the magnetic field's strength, thus adjusting the charging power.
• Claim 7 (Contact-less charging circuit module): This claim focuses on the contact-less charging circuit module itself, designed to be connected to a battery cell. It includes the same functional components as the battery in Claim 1: a high-frequency AC current inducing unit, a rectifier, a constant voltage/current supplier, and an overvoltage monitoring unit that communicates wirelessly to request a change in the magnetic field intensity from the charging device.
• Claim 13 (Contact-less charging device): This claim describes the charging device component of the wireless charging system. It comprises a unit to generate a magnetic field (e.g., a primary coil) by receiving an AC current, a high-frequency power driving unit to supply AC current to the magnetic field generator, and a charging power adjusting unit. This adjusting unit wirelessly receives monitoring results (such as an overvoltage indication) from the battery and then controls the high-frequency power driving unit to modify the AC current supplied to the magnetic field generator, thereby adjusting the charging power delivered to the battery.
• Claim 21 (Battery charging set): This claim covers the complete system, including both the contact-less chargeable battery and the charging device. It emphasizes that the magnetic field generation by the charger and the current induction in the battery occur intermittently. The battery's overvoltage monitoring unit transmits its feedback wirelessly during periods when no high-frequency AC current is being induced in the battery. Correspondingly, the charging device's power adjusting unit receives this feedback when it is not actively applying a high-frequency AC current to generate the magnetic field, allowing for undisturbed wireless communication and subsequent power adjustment.
• Claim 23 (Method for controlling charging): This claim details a method for managing contact-less battery charging. The method involves: (a) the charging device intermittently generating a magnetic field by applying high-frequency AC current to a primary coil; (b) the battery's secondary coil intermittently receiving an induced high-frequency AC current from this magnetic field; (c) rectifying this induced AC current to DC; (d) charging the battery cell with the DC current via a constant voltage/current supplier; (e) monitoring voltages at the constant voltage/current supplier within the battery and wirelessly sending a monitoring result to the charging device during periods when no high-frequency AC current is being induced in the secondary coil; and (f) adjusting the power of the high-frequency AC current applied to the primary coil by the charging device based on the received monitoring result.

Legal Status and Litigation:
US Patent 8013568B2 is currently Active, with an adjusted expiration date of 2028-05-27.

Litigation related to this patent family has been reported:

• A PTAB case, IPR2025-01141, was filed but was "Not Instituted - Merits".
• A US case (3:24-cv-09194) has been filed in the California Northern District Court.
• The first worldwide family litigation has also been initiated.

Searches of USPTO and CAFC 2026 dockets for the specific patent number 8013568 did not yield additional or conflicting information beyond what was already present in the provided patent text.

US patent 8013568 is involved in at least one known litigation case and one Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding.

Known Litigation:

1. District Court Case

   • Plaintiff(s): LS Cable & System Ltd.
   • Defendant(s): [Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.)
   • Jurisdiction: United States District Court for the Northern District of California
   • Case Number: 3:24-cv-09194
   • Filing Date: December 19, 2024.
   • Outcome or Current Status: This case is ongoing. LS Cable & System Ltd. alleges that Apple Inc. infringed on its patent related to wireless charging technology with products including iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods. LS Cable & System claims to have sent warnings to Apple since 2019 regarding the alleged infringement.

2. PTAB Case (Inter Partes Review)

   • Petitioner: Unified Patents
   • Patent Owner: LS Cable & Systems Ltd. (implied by the current assignee of the patent)
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: IPR2025-01141
   • Filing Date: The case was filed, indicating a date in or before 2025.
   • Outcome or Current Status: Not Instituted - Merits. This means the PTAB decided not to initiate a full review of the patent's claims based on the merits presented in the petition.

The search results provided an institution decision document for IPR2025-01141 and some context about related litigation between LS Cable & System Ltd. and [Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.). Result is a direct link to the institution decision itself, which is excellent. I will use this to extract the necessary details. Results,,,, discuss other Apple-related patent litigation or general patent law developments in 2025-2026 and are not directly relevant to IPR2025-01141 for US8013568, so I will disregard them for this specific IPR analysis.

From result:

• Patent: U.S. Patent No. 8,013,568
• Proceeding Number: IPR2025-01141
• Petitioner: Apple Inc.
• Patent Owner: LS Cable and Systems Ltd. (implied from the document context and the associated litigation)
• Status: Institution Denied
• Summary of Patent: Relates to a wireless charging system for a mobile communication terminal utilizing electromagnetic wave generation and intercepting technology, capable of solving an overvoltage state by means of a wireless feedback control.
• Institution Decision: Denied. The petition failed to carry its burden to warrant institution.

I need to parse the institution decision document (result) for:

• Judge panel
• Petition grounds (claims, art, statutory basis)
• Reasoning for denial

I will now extract these details from the provided document snippet for IPR2025-01141. The snippet itself gives the conclusion "the Petition fails to carry its burden to warrant institution and the Petition should be denied." but doesn't explicitly list the grounds or judges. I'll need to assume the full document would contain those. Since the full document is not rendered in the snippet, I will state this explicitly.

Regarding the reexamination mentioned in search result: "claim 2 of the patent was canceled, the rest of the existing claims were amended directly (or depend from an amended claim), and new claims 25-58 were added (and determined to be patentable)." This is important context for the status of claims and will be included in the strategic summary. It is not an AIA trial proceeding, but it impacts the claims.

Let's gather the available information for the IPR.
The snippet is the institution decision. I will use the information available within the snippet.
The snippet does not explicitly list the judge panel.
It does not explicitly list the specific claims challenged or prior art used in the petition grounds. It only states the patent relates to a "wireless charging system for a mobile communication terminal utilizing electromagnetic wave generation and intercepting technology" and is "capable of solving an overvoltage state by means of a wireless feedback control."

I will structure the output with the information I have and note what is unavailable.## Proceedings overview
There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 8013568. This proceeding, IPR2025-01141, was denied institution, meaning no claims were challenged on the merits. This outcome offers a strong defensive posture against future challenges based on the grounds presented in that specific petition.

IPR2025-01141 — Apple Inc. v. LS Cable and Systems Ltd.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-06-17
• Status: Institution Denied — The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) declined to initiate an inter partes review.
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available in the provided snippets.
• Petition grounds: Specific claims, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the petition are not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets of the institution decision. The patent generally relates to a wireless charging system for mobile communication terminals utilizing electromagnetic wave generation and intercepting technology, capable of solving an overvoltage state by means of a wireless feedback control.
• Institution decision: Denied. The institution decision stated that the Petition failed to carry its burden to warrant institution. The decision was issued by February 23, 2026, as per the last modified date in the initial prompt.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Defensive value: The patent owner, LS Cable and Systems Ltd., successfully defended against the IPR petition by Apple Inc. at the institution stage. This indicates that the particular combination of claims and prior art presented by Apple in this petition was deemed insufficient by the PTAB to proceed to trial, suggesting resilience against similar future challenges by Apple or its privies based on the same or substantially similar grounds.

Strategic summary

No claims of US patent 8013568 have been canceled or sustained as a result of an AIA trial proceeding. The single IPR filed, IPR2025-01141, was denied institution, meaning the trial on the merits never commenced.

It is important to note that a separate ex parte reexamination proceeding on US patent 8013568 resulted in claim 2 being canceled, while other existing claims were amended, and new claims 25-58 were added and found patentable. Therefore, the current landscape of the patent includes amended and new claims.

The estoppel landscape from IPR2025-01141 is specific to Apple Inc. and its privies under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2). Apple and its privies would be estopped from raising the same invalidity grounds or any grounds that reasonably could have been raised in that specific petition. For other potential defendants, prior art grounds remain available, subject to typical statutory limitations. The denial of institution for IPR2025-01141 suggests that the specific arguments and prior art presented by Apple in that petition were not persuasive to the PTAB.

Regarding pattern signals, Apple Inc. was the petitioner in IPR2025-01141. LS Cable and Systems Ltd. has also filed a district court complaint against Apple (3:24-cv-09194) in the Northern District of California, asserting US8013568 over Apple's wireless charging chips. This indicates active assertion of the patent against Apple, and the IPR was likely filed as a defensive measure by Apple in response to this litigation.

Recommended next steps

Given that IPR2025-01141 was denied institution, there is no Final Written Decision to link to for claim invalidation. The PTAB's decision on institution for IPR2025-01141 can be found on the USPTO website.

If facing assertion of this patent as a defendant (other than Apple or its privies), the absence of invalidated claims through IPR means the patent's claims have not been narrowed by this specific PTAB mechanism. However, it's crucial to consider the impact of the ex parte reexamination, which resulted in the cancellation of original claim 2 and the addition of new claims (25-58). Any infringement analysis should focus on the current scope of the amended and newly added claims.

For future defendants, exploring new and distinct prior art grounds not presented in IPR2025-01141 could be a viable strategy, as the institution denial only estops Apple and its privies from re-litigating those specific grounds.

Inventors

• Dong-Young Park (LS Cable and Systems Ltd.)
• Sung-Wook Moon (LS Cable and Systems Ltd.)
• Sung-wook Choi (LS Cable and Systems Ltd.)
• Gwang-Hee Gwon (LS Cable and Systems Ltd.)
• Sub Han (LS Cable and Systems Ltd.)
• Jung-Bum Kim (LS Cable and Systems Ltd.)

All inventors were employees of LS Cable and Systems Ltd. at the time of filing, as indicated by the assignment records.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent is LS Cable and Systems Ltd.. LS Cable & System is a South Korea-based industrial corporation and one of the largest cable manufacturers globally. Their products include power and telecommunication cables and systems, integrated modules, and other related industrial materials. They also provide engineering services, installation, and commissioning of high voltage and extra-high voltage landlines, as well as turnkey submarine cabling project execution. The company is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2008-06-17 (executed) / recorded 2008-06-17 — Reel 021115/0500
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CHOI, SUNG-WOOK; GWON, GWANG-HEE; HAN, SUB; KIM, JUNG-BUM; MOON, SUNG-WOOK; PARK, DONG-YOUNG
  • Assignee: LS CABLE LTD.
  • Correspondent: LS CABLE LTD.
  • Context: Transfer of inventors' interest to the original assignee.
• 2018-07-17 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-17 — Reel 043818/0609
  • Conveyance: Reassignment
  • Assignor: LS CORPORATION
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: HANNAH M. KIM, ESQ.
  • Context: Reassignment from LS Corporation to LS Cable & System Ltd.
• 2018-07-17 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-17 — Reel 043818/0610
  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: LS CABLE LTD.
  • Assignee: LS CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: HANNAH M. KIM, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Change of name from LS Cable Ltd. to LS Corporation.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0638
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: PARK, DONG-YOUNG
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from inventor to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0639
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: CHOI, SUNG-WOOK
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from inventor to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0640
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: GWON, GWANG-HEE
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from inventor to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0641
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: HAN, SUB
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from inventor to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0642
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: KIM, JUNG-BUM
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from inventor to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0643
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: MOON, SUNG-WOOK
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from inventor to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0644
  • Conveyance: Confirmatory Assignment
  • Assignor: LS CORPORATION
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Confirmatory assignment from prior assignee to current assignee.
• 2021-03-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-03 — Reel 053072/0645
  • Conveyance: Supplemental Assignment
  • Assignor: MOON, SUNG-WOOK; KIM, JUNG-BUM; HAN, SUB; PARK, DONG-YOUNG; CHOI, SUNG-WOOK; GWON, GWANG-HEE
  • Assignee: LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD.
  • Correspondent: ANNA H. Y. HONG, ESQ. This correspondent appears multiple times in the assignment chain.
  • Context: Supplemental assignment from inventors to current assignee.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8013568
    2008 : Assigned to LS CABLE LTD
    2011 : Issued
    2018 : LS CABLE LTD changed to LS CORP
         : Assigned to LS CABLE & SYSTEM LTD
    2021 : Confirmatory assignment from inventors
         : Supplemental assignment from inventors

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The transfers are between variations of the same corporate entity (LS Cable Ltd., LS Corporation, LS Cable & System Ltd.), indicating internal corporate restructuring or name changes rather than transfers to shell licensing entities.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. LS Cable & System Ltd. is an operating company, not identified as a known patent asserter (NPE) on public lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Hannah M. Kim, Esq. appears as the correspondent for reel 043818/0609 and 043818/0610. Anna H. Y. Hong, Esq. appears as the correspondent for reels 053072/0638, 053072/0639, 053072/0640, 053072/0641, 053072/0642, 053072/0643, 053072/0644, and 053072/0645. This recurrence suggests consistent legal representation for LS Cable & System Ltd. and its related entities.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there are multiple assignments in 2021, these are largely confirmatory and supplemental assignments from the original inventors and previous corporate names to the current operating entity, LS Cable & System Ltd., and not transfers through chained LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. There is litigation associated with this patent family (IPR2025-01141 and a US case in California Northern District Court). However, the specific dates of litigation filings relative to the assignments are not provided with enough granularity to definitively confirm pre-litigation transfers.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. LS Cable & System Ltd. is listed as an operating company.
7. Privateering — not present. There is no indication that LS Cable & System Ltd. has transferred this patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with LS Cable & System Ltd., an operating company.

Verdict

Insufficient data. While there is a strong "repeat correspondent across the chain" signal with Anna H. Y. Hong, Esq. appearing for numerous confirmatory assignments, the overall pattern of transfers primarily reflects internal corporate restructuring and name changes of the original operating company (LS Cable and Systems Ltd. and its predecessors). There is no definitive evidence of transfer to a known NPE or shell entity, nor clear indications of typical NPE assertion patterns. The patent is currently active and held by an operating company.

The US patent 8013568, titled "Contact-less chargeable battery and charging device, battery charging set, and charging control method thereof," relies on a wireless feedback control mechanism to prevent overvoltage damage during contact-less charging. This involves a battery monitoring its own internal voltage and wirelessly transmitting a monitoring result to the charging device, which then adjusts the charging power. This communication is preferably conducted during pauses in the high-frequency AC current induction to avoid interference.

The following are the most relevant prior art references cited in US8013568, along with their publication/filing dates, brief descriptions, and potential anticipation of claims, based on information from the Google Patents database.

Prior Art Analysis for US8013568

A. Baarman Patents (General Theme: Adaptive Inductive Power Supplies with Communication)

Many of the cited Baarman patents describe adaptive inductive power supply systems that include both power transfer and communication between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, often for control purposes. A common theme is the adjustment of power based on detection or communication.

1. US6664771B1

   • Full Citation: US6664771B1, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2003-12-16 (Prior art date: 2001-09-07)
   • Brief Description: Describes a system and method for providing power using an adaptive inductive power supply. The system includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, where the transmitting unit varies the inductive coupling based on information received from the receiving unit. This communication can be used to adapt the power transfer to the needs of the receiving device.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent broadly anticipates the concept of wireless communication for power adjustment in inductive charging. It potentially anticipates the general idea of claims 1, 13, 21, and 23 which involve a charging device adjusting power based on a monitoring result received from the battery. However, US8013568 specifies overvoltage monitoring at the constant voltage/constant current supplier and wireless transmission during non-induction periods. US6664771B1 does not explicitly detail these specific overvoltage monitoring and communication timing features.

2. US6747435B2

   • Full Citation: US6747435B2, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2004-06-08 (Prior art date: 2002-09-17)
   • Brief Description: This patent details a variable inductance arrangement for a contactless power supply. It focuses on adjusting inductance to control power transfer, often in response to load conditions. Communication might be implied for determining load or other conditions to trigger such adjustment.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): While dealing with adaptive power supply, its primary focus is on mechanical or magnetic variations for inductance rather than a specific wireless feedback for overvoltage protection. It might generally anticipate power adjustment (claims 1, 13, 21, 23) but lacks the specific feedback loop and overvoltage monitoring components of US8013568.

3. US6825620B2

   • Full Citation: US6825620B2, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2004-11-30 (Prior art date: 2001-09-07)
   • Brief Description: Describes a switching power supply and an inductive power transfer system where power delivery can be varied. Similar to US6664771B1, it broadly covers adaptive power transfer through inductive coupling.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US6664771B1, it broadly anticipates adaptive power adjustment in inductive charging (claims 1, 13, 21, 23) but does not specifically detail the overvoltage monitoring at the constant voltage/current supplier or the communication timing during power pauses, as claimed in US8013568.

4. US7042196B2

   • Full Citation: US7042196B2, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2006-05-09 (Prior art date: 2002-09-17)
   • Brief Description: This patent focuses on a switching power supply with a variable inductance arrangement for an inductive power supply system. It mentions communication between units for controlling the power.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to previous Baarman patents, it covers adaptive power control in inductive charging. It lacks the specific details regarding overvoltage monitoring at the constant voltage/current supplier and wireless communication during power pauses that are central to US8013568's claims.

5. US7072722B2

   • Full Citation: US7072722B2, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2006-07-04 (Prior art date: 2002-09-17)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for providing power using an adaptive inductive power supply, with emphasis on communication for adapting power. It generally covers the broad concept of adaptive power transmission.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Broadly anticipates the feedback control for power adjustment (claims 1, 13, 21, 23). However, it does not disclose the specific overvoltage monitoring features for the constant voltage/constant current supplier, nor the critical timing of wireless communication during pauses in power induction, which are key inventive steps in US8013568.

6. US7119519B2

   • Full Citation: US7119519B2, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2006-10-10 (Prior art date: 2002-09-17)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an adaptive inductive power supply, focusing on different power modes and communication to manage these modes.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Like other Baarman patents, it covers adaptive inductive power and communication for control. It likely anticipates the general concept of dynamic power adjustment (claims 1, 13, 21, 23), but not the specific overvoltage monitoring of the constant voltage/current supplier or the pause-based communication of US8013568.

7. US6967462B2

   • Full Citation: US6967462B2, Inventor: Baarman, Greg D., Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
   • Publication Date: 2005-11-22 (Prior art date: 2002-09-17)
   • Brief Description: This patent focuses on a system and method for adaptively coupling power, particularly for improving efficiency or safety in inductive power transfer. It involves communication between units to adjust the power.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to the other Baarman patents, it broadly anticipates adaptive power adjustment through communication (claims 1, 13, 21, 23). However, it lacks the explicit elements of overvoltage detection at the constant voltage/current supplier and communication during power pauses that differentiate US8013568.

8. US20040183506A1 to US20040183515A1, US20040212349A1, US20050099147A1, US20050212479A1 to US20050212493A1 (Baarman et al.)

   • General Description: This large family of Baarman applications (many with filing/prior art dates in 2003-2004 and publication in 2004-2005) generally describe inductively coupled communication systems, switching power supplies with variable inductance, and methods for providing power using adaptive inductive power supplies. They often involve communication between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit to control various aspects of power transfer, including load detection, authentication, and power level adjustment. US20050099147A1 specifically mentions a "Battery charge circuit for inductively coupled power supply," suggesting an awareness of charging batteries.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): These patents, collectively and individually, establish a strong foundation for adaptive inductive power transfer with communication. They broadly anticipate the general concept of a feedback loop for power adjustment (claims 1, 13, 21, 23). US20050099147A1's specific focus on a "battery charge circuit" makes it highly relevant for the overall system. While they establish the idea of adaptive power and communication, it is not immediately clear if they explicitly disclose the precise combination of overvoltage monitoring at the constant voltage/constant current supplier, and particularly the wireless transmission of monitoring results during a pause in high frequency AC current induction (claims 4, 19, 21, 23) to prevent magnetic field interference. These specific timing and monitoring aspects appear to be distinctive features of US8013568. Without a detailed review of each Baarman patent's claims and full specification, it's difficult to definitively say they anticipate all these specific elements. However, they represent very close prior art in the field of adaptive inductive power transfer with communication.

B. Partovi Patents (General Theme: Inductive Charging with Frequency/Voltage Adjustment)

1. US6882142B2

   • Full Citation: US6882142B2, Inventor: Partovi, Afshin, Assignee: Intel Corporation
   • Publication Date: 2005-04-19 (Prior art date: 2003-02-18)
   • Brief Description: Discloses an inductive charging system with frequency adjustment. The system can vary the operating frequency of the inductive power transfer to optimize efficiency or respond to load conditions. Communication might be used to determine when such adjustments are needed.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent anticipates the idea of adjusting charging parameters (like frequency, which affects power) in an inductive charging system (claims 13, 17, 21, 23). However, it does not specifically describe the overvoltage monitoring at the constant voltage/constant current supplier and the wireless feedback communication during power pauses as claimed in US8013568.

2. US6911796B2

   • Full Citation: US6911796B2, Inventor: Partovi, Afshin, Assignee: Intel Corporation
   • Publication Date: 2005-06-28 (Prior art date: 2003-02-18)
   • Brief Description: Describes an inductive charging system with variable output voltage. This patent is focused on controlling the output voltage delivered by the receiving unit, likely to match the charging requirements of a battery or device.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent anticipates the need for regulating output voltage in a wireless charging system. While it addresses voltage control, it doesn't detail the wireless feedback loop for overvoltage protection specifically from the constant voltage/constant current supplier or the communication timing during power pauses that characterize US8013568 (claims 1, 13, 21, 23).

C. Japanese Patent

1. JP2004072895A
   • Full Citation: JP2004072895A, Inventor: Yoshimoto Koji, Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
   • Publication Date: 2004-03-11 (Prior art date: 2002-08-28)
   • Brief Description: Describes a non-contact charging device. The abstract indicates a charging system for a battery using non-contact power supply, potentially including detection of battery status for charging control.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As a general non-contact charging device, it could broadly cover the application area. Depending on its detailed disclosure, it might anticipate basic elements of inductive charging (claims 1, 7, 13, 21, 23). However, without further details, it is unlikely to specifically anticipate the detailed overvoltage monitoring feedback and intermittent communication features of US8013568.

Summary of Potential Anticipation:

The most relevant prior art, particularly the large family of Baarman patents, broadly anticipates adaptive inductive power transfer systems where a receiver communicates with a transmitter to adjust power delivery. This touches upon the core function described in claims 1, 13, 21, and 23 of US8013568.

However, US8013568 appears to distinguish itself by the specific mechanism and timing of its feedback control for overvoltage protection:

1. Specific Monitoring Point: Monitoring voltages at both ends of the constant voltage/constant current supplier (claims 1, 7).
2. Overvoltage Focus: Explicitly using this monitoring for an overvoltage state (claims 1, 6, 7, 12, 20, 22, 24).
3. Communication Timing: The crucial step of transmitting the monitoring result while a high frequency AC current is not induced in the secondary coil / not applied to the magnetic field generating unit (claims 4, 10, 19, 21, 23). This feature aims to prevent interference between the high-frequency charging field and the wireless communication signal.

While the Baarman and Partovi patents teach adaptive power control through communication, a direct and explicit disclosure of this precise combination—especially the intermittent communication during power pauses specifically for overvoltage detection at the constant voltage/current supplier—would be required to fully anticipate the claims of US8013568 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. Without a detailed claim-by-claim analysis against the full specifications of each cited patent, it is difficult to definitively state which specific claims are fully anticipated. However, the existing prior art provides a strong foundation for inductive power transfer with feedback control, suggesting that the novelty of US8013568 lies in the specific implementation of overvoltage protection and communication timing.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 8,013,568 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis of US patent 8,013,568 considers what would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the time of the invention's priority date (July 29, 2005), based solely on the prior art acknowledged within the patent's "BACKGROUND ART" section.

Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art:
A person having ordinary skill in the art pertinent to US 8,013,568 would likely be an electrical engineer or technician with expertise in power electronics, battery management systems, inductive power transfer, and wireless communication. Such a person would understand electromagnetic induction principles, circuit design for power conversion (rectifiers, constant voltage/current suppliers), feedback control systems, and basic wireless data communication techniques, including methods for mitigating electromagnetic interference.

Acknowledged Prior Art (from US8013568 BACKGROUND ART):

1. Conventional Contact-Based Charging Systems: Batteries for personal portable devices often have exposed contact terminals, which are susceptible to contamination, wear, and corrosion, leading to poor electrical contact and potential short circuits.
2. Conventional Contact-less Charging Systems (Prior Art A - e.g., FIGS. 1 & 2): These systems use electromagnetic induction for wireless power transfer.
   • Charger (e.g., Charger 10): Includes a high-frequency power driving unit (e.g., 30) that receives power from an AC source (e.g., 20) and applies a high-frequency AC current to a primary coil (e.g., 40) to generate a magnetic field.
   • Battery (e.g., Battery 50): Includes a secondary coil (e.g., 70) where a high-frequency AC current is induced, a rectifier (e.g., 80) to convert this to DC, and a constant voltage/constant current (CV/CC) supplier (e.g., 90) to charge a battery cell (e.g., 60).
   • Acknowledged Problem: The intensity of the induced AC current in the secondary coil is proportional to the magnetic flux, which varies with the relative position of the primary and secondary coils. If the battery is positioned where a strong magnetic field is induced, an overvoltage exceeding the standards of the CV/CC supplier can occur, potentially damaging internal parts.
   • Prior Art Solution to Overvoltage: Mechanically fixing the relative positions of the charger and battery (e.g., grooves 130, 140 and protrusions 150, 160 for an electric toothbrush 100 and charger 120 in FIG. 2).
   • Identified Deficiency of Prior Art Solution: This mechanical restriction causes user inconvenience, as the user must precisely align the devices. The stated objective of US8013568 is to overcome this restriction while preventing damage.

General Knowledge of the Art (Implicit in the patent's background):

• Feedback Control Systems (Prior Art B): It is a fundamental principle in electrical engineering to monitor an output parameter (e.g., voltage or current) and use that information to adjust an input parameter (e.g., power supply output) to maintain a desired operating state or prevent component damage.
• Wireless Communication (Prior Art C): Wireless data transmission between electronic devices was a well-established technology by 2005 for various purposes, including control signals.
• Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Mitigation (Prior Art D): The potential for interference between high-power electromagnetic fields (used for charging) and low-power wireless communication signals (for data) is a known issue. Time-division multiplexing, where power transfer and data communication occur in alternating time slots, is a recognized method for mitigating such interference. The patent itself explicitly mentions that "If an adjustment request signal is wirelessly transmitted while a magnetic field is generated... the adjustment request signal may be screened due to the magnetic field and thus the adjustment request signal may not be properly received". This demonstrates that a PHOSITA would be aware of this problem.

---

Obviousness Combinations:

A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine these prior art elements to address the acknowledged problems in conventional contact-less charging systems, specifically the "inconvenience" of rigid positional requirements while ensuring protection against overvoltage.

Combination 1: Conventional Inductive Charging with Wireless Feedback Control for Power Adjustment (Rendering Claims 1 and 13 Obvious)

• Combination of References: Prior Art A (conventional contact-less charging system with overvoltage problem) + Prior Art B (feedback control principles) + Prior Art C (wireless communication).

• Motivation: The conventional contact-less charging system (Prior Art A) is known to suffer from overvoltage issues at the CV/CC supplier when relative coil positions vary, which the patent explicitly highlights as causing "inconvenience" due to mechanical fixation. A PHOSITA, aiming to eliminate this inconvenience while retaining overvoltage protection, would naturally consider implementing a dynamic adjustment mechanism. Applying fundamental feedback control principles (Prior Art B) to regulate the charging power output by the charger, based on the operating conditions of the battery's CV/CC supplier, is a logical step. Given that the power transfer itself is wireless, extending the feedback loop to be wireless (using Prior Art C) would be an obvious design choice to maintain the "contact-less" nature and enhance user convenience by removing physical contact requirements for feedback.

  • For Claim 1 (Contact-less Chargeable Battery): The elements of a high-frequency AC current inducing unit, rectifier, and CV/CC supplier are explicitly present in the conventional battery (e.g., 50) of Prior Art A. Monitoring voltages at "both ends of the constant voltage/constant current supplier" to detect an overvoltage condition is a standard diagnostic technique for protecting sensitive components, directly motivated by the known overvoltage problem in Prior Art A. Transmitting this "monitoring result" (which could be a simple "overvoltage detected" signal, voltage values, or an adjustment request as detailed in claims 5 and 6) wirelessly to the charging device (using Prior Art C) would be an obvious means for the battery to communicate its state in a contact-less manner, enabling the charger to "induce a change of intensity of the magnetic field" (via power adjustment, Prior Art B) to alleviate the overvoltage.

  • For Claim 13 (Contact-less Charging Device): The magnetic field generating unit (primary coil) and high-frequency power driving unit are clearly taught by the conventional charger (e.g., 10) in Prior Art A. A "charging power adjusting unit" that "receives the monitoring result from the contact-less chargeable battery by means of wireless communication" (using Prior Art C) and "controls the high frequency power driving unit to adjust a power" (using Prior Art B) would be an obvious counterpart to the battery's wireless transmission mechanism. The motivation is to dynamically respond to the battery's condition to prevent overvoltage and allow for flexible positioning, directly addressing the stated "inconvenience" of Prior Art A.

Combination 2: Wireless Feedback Control with Intermittent Operation for Reliable Communication (Rendering Claims 21 and 23 Obvious)

• Combination of References: Combination 1 (Wireless Feedback Control) + Prior Art D (EMI mitigation techniques).

• Motivation: Once the PHOSITA designs a wireless feedback control system (as in Combination 1), they would immediately encounter the challenge of electromagnetic interference between the high-frequency power transfer and the wireless data communication. The patent itself identifies this problem, stating that the wireless communication signal "may be screened due to the magnetic field" generated by the primary coil. A well-known solution for enabling reliable data communication in environments with strong electromagnetic fields is to separate the high-power transmission and low-power data communication in time (Prior Art D). Therefore, a PHOSITA would be motivated to "intermittently apply a high frequency AC current" from the charger and for the battery to "transmit a monitoring result... while a high frequency AC current is not induced in the secondary coil" (i.e., during the pause periods). This time-division multiplexing would ensure that the feedback signal is reliably received by the charging device, thereby enhancing the overall functionality and reliability of the wireless feedback charging system.

  • For Claim 21 (Battery Charging Set): This claim explicitly includes both the intermittent generation of the magnetic field from the charger and the transmission of the monitoring result from the battery "while a high frequency AC current is not induced." This directly reflects the combination of the wireless feedback system with standard EMI mitigation techniques (Prior Art D) to ensure robust communication, which a PHOSITA would find obvious given the recognized interference problem.

  • For Claim 23 (Method): The steps of "intermittently applying a high frequency AC current to a primary coil" (step a) and "transmitting a monitoring result... while a high frequency AC current is not induced in the secondary coil" (step e) directly illustrate the time-division multiplexing approach (Prior Art D) to ensure reliable wireless feedback communication in an inductive charging environment. The remaining steps (b, c, d, f) represent the known inductive charging process and the feedback control mechanism, as made obvious by Combination 1.

In conclusion, the core elements of US patent 8,013,568 – a contact-less battery system with an overvoltage monitoring unit, wireless communication of this monitoring result to a charging device, and the charging device's subsequent adjustment of charging power, including the optimization of intermittent operation for communication – would have been obvious to a PHOSITA at the time of invention. The motivation would be to overcome the acknowledged "inconvenience" of rigid mechanical positioning in prior art contact-less charging systems while maintaining critical overvoltage protection, utilizing well-known engineering principles of feedback control, wireless communication, and EMI mitigation.

US patent 8013568 was filed on May 8, 2006, and issued on September 6, 2011. The statutory patent term for applications filed after June 8, 1995, is 20 years from the earliest effective filing date.

Based on the information available:

• Patent Term Adjustments (PTA): The Google Patents entry for US8013568 indicates an adjusted expiration date of May 27, 2028. This adjustment typically accounts for delays incurred by the USPTO during prosecution. Specific details on the PTA calculation (e.g., A, B, C delays, or applicant delays) are not explicitly provided in the snippets, but the existence of an adjusted expiration date confirms that PTA was applied.

• Patent Term Extensions (PTE): There is no indication in the provided information that US8013568 has received a Patent Term Extension (PTE). PTEs are typically granted for patents covering pharmaceutical products, medical devices, or other products that undergo lengthy regulatory review processes (e.g., FDA approval). The patent's subject matter (contact-less charging for batteries) does not fall under these categories, making a PTE unlikely.

• Continuation Applications: The Google Patents page for US8013568 lists "US11/997,272" as the application number, with "US99727206A" also listed, which could refer to a related application or a different format of the same application. The patent claims priority from PCT/KR2006/001713, filed on May 8, 2006, and from Korean Applications 10-2005-69871 (filed July 29, 2005) and 10-2006-38960 (filed April 28, 2006). These indicate a family of related applications.

• Divisional Applications: No explicit divisional applications are mentioned in the provided snippets for US8013568.

• Related Family Members:

  • Priority Applications:
    • Korean Application No. 10-2005-69871 filed on July 29, 2005.
    • Korean Application No. 10-2006-38960 filed on April 28, 2006.
    • International Application No. PCT/KR2006/001713 filed on May 8, 2006.
  • Other Versions/Publications:
    • US20080303479A1 (publication of the application).
    • WO2007013726A1 (international publication).
  • National/Regional Stage Filings:
    • KR100853889B1 (Korean patent).
    • JP4695691B2 (Japanese patent).
    • CN101233665B (Chinese patent).

• Projected Expiration Date: The Google Patents information for US8013568 explicitly states "Active, expires 2028-05-27" and "Adjusted expiration 2028-05-27". This date reflects the 20-year term from the earliest effective filing date (May 8, 2006, from PCT/KR2006/001713) plus any Patent Term Adjustment (PTA). The ex parte reexamination, which added new claims 25-58 and amended others, does not inherently alter the overall expiration date of the patent.

Defensive Disclosure: Derivative Works of US Patent 8013568

This document details derivative works and technical disclosures based on US Patent 8013568, titled "Contact-less chargeable battery and charging device, battery charging set, and charging control method thereof." The intent is to establish prior art for various extensions, integrations, and modifications of the core inventive concepts, rendering future incremental improvements by competitors obvious or non-novel.

Derivatives of Claims 1 and 7: Contact-less Chargeable Battery / Charging Circuit Module

The core of Claims 1 and 7 describes a contact-less chargeable battery (or its charging circuit module) featuring a high frequency AC current inducing unit, a rectifier, a constant voltage/constant current (CV/CC) supplier, and an overvoltage monitoring unit that wirelessly transmits monitoring results to the charging device to induce a change in magnetic field intensity.

1. Material & Component Substitution

Enabling Description:
Instead of traditional copper wire coils, the high-frequency AC current inducing unit (secondary coil) utilizes carbon nanotube (CNT) film windings, laminated with a flexible polymer substrate, enabling enhanced flexibility and reduced weight. The rectifier integrates gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) configured as active rectifiers for improved efficiency at very high switching frequencies and reduced reverse recovery losses. The constant voltage/constant current supplier incorporates solid-state polymer capacitors for high volumetric efficiency and improved ripple current handling. For the overvoltage monitoring unit, the first and second voltage detectors employ thin-film thermistor arrays directly coupled to voltage regulation points, leveraging temperature coefficients for indirect voltage anomaly detection, and the wireless transmitting unit is realized using a flexible patch antenna printed with silver nanoparticle ink on a polyimide substrate, operating at 13.56 MHz.

classDiagram
    class HighFrequencyACInducingUnit {
        +CarbonNanotubeFilmCoil
        +FlexiblePolymerSubstrate
    }
    class Rectifier {
        +GaN_HEMT_ActiveRectifiers
    }
    class ConstantVoltageCurrentSupplier {
        +SolidStatePolymerCapacitors
    }
    class OvervoltageMonitoringUnit {
        +ThinFilmThermistorDetectors
        +FlexiblePatchAntenna
        +SilverNanoparticleInk
    }
    HighFrequencyACInducingUnit --> Rectifier
    Rectifier --> ConstantVoltageCurrentSupplier
    ConstantVoltageCurrentSupplier --> OvervoltageMonitoringUnit
    OvervoltageMonitoringUnit --> HighFrequencyACInducingUnit : Wireless_Feedback

2. Operational Parameter Expansion

Enabling Description:

• Nanoscale/Microscale Integration: The charging circuit module is implemented as a System-on-Chip (SoC) for powering micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) or implantable biosensors. The secondary coil is a micro-fabricated spiral inductor with 50 µm trace widths on a silicon substrate, optimized for inductive coupling at 200 MHz. The rectifier, CV/CC supplier, and overvoltage monitoring unit are integrated on-chip using 65nm CMOS technology, capable of processing microwatt-level power. The overvoltage detection threshold is set to 10 mV.
• Industrial Scale Application: For charging large battery banks in grid-scale energy storage systems, the secondary coil is a multi-turn, air-core Litz wire coil with a 2-meter diameter, designed for 20 kW power transfer at 50 kHz. The rectifier uses SCR-based phase-controlled rectification for robustness. The CV/CC supplier handles 100 V / 200 A. The overvoltage monitoring unit employs isolated, high-precision Hall-effect current sensors and voltage transducers, communicating results over a secure industrial Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11ah, HaLow) link during 5-second power pauses every minute.
• Extreme Temperature Operation: A battery charging circuit for high-temperature geothermal sensors (up to 250°C). The secondary coil utilizes high-temperature magnet wire with polyimide insulation and a ferrite core stable at 300°C. SiC-based Schottky diodes form the rectifier. The CV/CC supplier incorporates high-temperature ceramic capacitors and SiC power FETs. The overvoltage monitoring unit uses high-temperature operational amplifiers and specialized data communication links (e.g., acoustic or high-frequency infrared through sapphire windows) to transmit data to the external charging device.

flowchart TD
    A[Start Charging] --> B{Scale?};
    B -- Nanoscale --> B1[Micro-fabricated Coils, 200MHz, µW];
    B1 --> B2[CMOS Integrated Circuit, 10mV Overvoltage Threshold];
    B -- Industrial Scale --> C1[2m Litz Wire Coil, 50kHz, 20kW];
    C1 --> C2[SCR Rectifier, 100V/200A CV/CC];
    C2 --> C3[Industrial Wi-Fi Comm during 5s Pause];
    B -- Extreme Temp --> D1[High-Temp Magnet Wire Coil, Ferrite Core @300°C];
    D1 --> D2[SiC Diodes & FETs, Ceramic Capacitors];
    D2 --> D3[Acoustic/IR Comm, High-Temp OpAmps];

3. Cross-Domain Application

Enabling Description:

• Medical Implants: For wirelessly charging implantable glucose sensors, the circuit module (implant side) features a hermetically sealed, titanium-encased micro-coil for power reception, operating at 6.78 MHz. The overvoltage monitoring unit, crucial for patient safety, detects voltage excursions above 50 mV and transmits coded signals via the MICS (Medical Implant Communication Service) band (402-405 MHz) during intermittent pauses of inductive power, ensuring minimal tissue heating and precise power delivery.
• Underwater Robotics: Integrated into autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) docking stations for charging. The secondary coil is encapsulated in a high-pressure, corrosion-resistant ceramic-polymer composite. The inductive frequency is lowered to 50 kHz for better propagation through water. The overvoltage monitoring unit converts detected overvoltage signals into acoustic data packets, transmitted via an ultrasonic transducer (e.g., at 100 kHz) during power pauses, to a corresponding acoustic receiver on the charging station.
• Agricultural Sensors: For field-deployed soil moisture and nutrient sensors. The charging circuit module is ruggedized against environmental ingress (IP68 rating). The secondary coil is molded into the sensor casing. Overvoltage detection results are transmitted via a LoRaWAN module (e.g., at 915 MHz in North America) during periodic sleep cycles (acting as power pauses) to a central gateway, allowing efficient monitoring of distributed sensor battery health across large farming areas.

sequenceDiagram
    ChargerDevice->>+BatteryCircuit: Inductive_Power (Intermittent)
    BatteryCircuit->>BatteryCell: Charge_Cell (CV/CC)
    alt Overvoltage Detected
        BatteryCircuit->>BatteryCircuit: Monitor_Overvoltage
        BatteryCircuit-->>-ChargerDevice: Wireless_Feedback (During Pause)
        ChargerDevice->>ChargerDevice: Adjust_Power
    else Normal Operation
        BatteryCircuit->>BatteryCircuit: Continue_Monitoring
    end
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Medical Implant (MICS)
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Underwater Robotics (Acoustic)
    Note right of ChargerDevice: AgTech Sensors (LoRaWAN)

4. Integration with Emerging Tech

Enabling Description:

• AI-driven Optimization: An on-board AI module, implemented as a tinyML model on the battery's microprocessor, continuously analyzes real-time voltage and current profiles at the CV/CC supplier, alongside historical charging data. It predicts impending overvoltage conditions based on learned patterns and proactively generates a "predictive adjustment request" signal, including recommended power reduction parameters, transmitted wirelessly to the charging device during the intermittent power pause, anticipating and mitigating overvoltage events before they become critical.
• IoT Sensors for Real-time Monitoring: The overvoltage monitoring unit is augmented with additional integrated IoT sensors: a solid-state temperature sensor within the battery cell, a MEMS accelerometer for detecting physical impacts, and a humidity sensor. The combined monitoring result, a JSON payload including voltage status, temperature, and acceleration data, is transmitted wirelessly (e.g., via Wi-Fi Direct at 2.4 GHz) during charging pauses to the charging device, which then relays this comprehensive battery health report to a cloud-based IoT platform for fleet management and predictive maintenance.
• Blockchain for Supply Chain Verification: Each charging cycle, initiated by the battery's detection and confirmation, results in a cryptographically signed "charging event" transaction by the battery's secure element. This transaction includes the initial power request, any subsequent overvoltage monitoring results, and the charger's response. This event is wirelessly communicated to the charging device during a pause, which then writes the validated transaction to a permissioned blockchain, creating an immutable ledger of battery health and usage for warranty claims and supply chain traceability.

graph TD
    A[Battery Charging Circuit] --> B{AI Module};
    B -- Predicted Overvoltage --> C[Wireless Transmitting Unit];
    A --> D{IoT Sensors};
    D -- Comprehensive Data --> C;
    A --> E{Blockchain Secure Element};
    E -- Signed Transaction --> C;
    C -- Wireless Comm (Pause) --> F[External Charging Device];
    F --> G[Cloud IoT Platform];
    F --> H[Blockchain Network];
    H --> I[Supply Chain / Warranty Mgmt];

5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

Enabling Description:

• Safe-Fail Isolation Mode: Upon detection of a severe, persistent overvoltage condition at the CV/CC supplier (exceeding a critical threshold for more than 100ms), or an internal circuit fault (e.g., short circuit in the rectifier), the battery's microprocessor immediately triggers a normally-open solid-state relay (SSR) to physically disconnect the battery cell from the entire charging circuit. Concurrently, it wirelessly transmits a "critical fault: safe isolation activated" emergency beacon with a unique device ID and fault code via its wireless transmitting unit during the next available communication window.
• Low-Power Trickle Charge Mode: If an overvoltage condition is detected but is moderate and transient, or if the magnetic coupling quality falls below a defined threshold, the battery's overvoltage monitoring unit transmits a "low-power mode requested" signal. The CV/CC supplier then automatically limits its current output to a safe, minimal trickle charge rate (e.g., C/100), sufficient to maintain charge but prevent further stress. The wireless transmitting unit continuously attempts to re-establish full feedback communication while remaining in this safe mode.
• Limited-Functionality Degradation Mode: The CV/CC supplier is designed with redundant parallel regulation stages. If the overvoltage monitoring unit detects degradation or an internal fault in one of these stages (e.g., current drift), the microprocessor dynamically reconfigures the CV/CC supplier to bypass the faulty stage. The battery then operates in a "limited-functionality" charging mode at reduced maximum current (e.g., 70% of nominal) and transmits a "degraded performance alert" to the charging device during communication pauses, allowing for continued, albeit slower, charging.

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    Idle --> Charging: Start_Inductive_Power
    Charging --> Monitoring: Power_On_Delay
    Monitoring --> OvervoltageDetected: Voltage_Exceeds_Threshold
    OvervoltageDetected --> SafeFailIsolation: Critical_Overvoltage_Persistent
    SafeFailIsolation --> [*]: Disconnect_Battery_Cell
    OvervoltageDetected --> TrickleChargeMode: Moderate_Overvoltage_Transient
    TrickleChargeMode --> Charging: Communication_Re-established
    OvervoltageDetected --> LimitedFunctionality: Component_Degradation
    LimitedFunctionality --> Charging: Continue_Reduced_Charging
    Monitoring --> Charging: No_Overvoltage
    Monitoring --> Idle: Charging_Complete_or_Stopped

Derivatives of Claim 13: Contact-less Charging Device

Claim 13 describes a contact-less charging device comprising a magnetic field generating unit, a high frequency power driving unit, and a charging power adjusting unit that receives monitoring results from the battery and controls the high frequency power driving unit.

1. Material & Component Substitution

Enabling Description:
The magnetic field generating unit (primary coil) utilizes amorphous metal ribbon windings, encapsulated in a high-thermal-conductivity ceramic matrix for improved magnetic coupling efficiency and reduced eddy current losses. The high-frequency power driving unit employs a multi-level inverter topology with silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, enabling switching frequencies up to 1 MHz and highly granular control over the output waveform. The charging power adjusting unit integrates a software-defined radio (SDR) platform (e.g., using a Zynq SoC) for the wireless receiving unit, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of modulation schemes (e.g., FSK, PSK) and adaptive frequency hopping (e.g., 902-928 MHz ISM band) based on detected interference, ensuring robust communication. The power supply's overvoltage filter incorporates active rectification and power factor correction (PFC) using advanced resonant converters.

classDiagram
    class MagneticFieldGeneratingUnit {
        +AmorphousMetalRibbonCoil
        +CeramicMatrixEncapsulation
    }
    class HighFrequencyPowerDrivingUnit {
        +SiC_MOSFET_MultiLevelInverter
        +1MHz_Switching
    }
    class ChargingPowerAdjustingUnit {
        +SDR_WirelessReceivingUnit
        +DynamicModulation
        +AdaptiveFrequencyHopping
    }
    class PowerSupply {
        +ActivePFC_ResonantConverter
    }
    PowerSupply --> HighFrequencyPowerDrivingUnit
    HighFrequencyPowerDrivingUnit --> MagneticFieldGeneratingUnit
    ChargingPowerAdjustingUnit ..> HighFrequencyPowerDrivingUnit : Controls
    ChargingPowerAdjustingUnit <.. MagneticFieldGeneratingUnit : Feedback(Wireless)

2. Operational Parameter Expansion

Enabling Description:

• High-Power Industrial Charging: A charging device designed for high-power electric vehicle (EV) charging. The primary coil is a large, liquid-cooled, flat-plate inductor embedded in the pavement, capable of 50 kW power transfer at 85 kHz. The high-frequency power driving unit consists of modular, paralleled IGBT-based inverters with redundant power paths for reliability. The charging power adjusting unit is a real-time Linux-based industrial controller, receiving overvoltage feedback from the EV's battery management system via a secure Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) link, coordinating power adjustments with grid load management systems.
• Miniaturized/Wearable Charging: A charging device for smart rings or medical patches. The magnetic field generating unit is a micro-coil (e.g., 10mm diameter) manufactured via laser micromachining on a flexible substrate. The high-frequency power driving unit is a compact Class-E amplifier integrated onto a single PMIC (Power Management IC), operating at 13.56 MHz for milliwatt-level charging. The charging power adjusting unit is a tiny microcontroller (MCU) that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for receiving feedback and making fine-grained pulse-width modulation adjustments.
• High-Frequency Multi-Resonant Charging: A charging device utilizing multiple resonant primary coils (e.g., three coils arranged in a triangular pattern) to create a larger, more flexible charging zone. The system operates at 10 MHz, using highly efficient Class-D amplifiers in the high-frequency power driving unit. The charging power adjusting unit dynamically tunes the impedance matching networks for each primary coil and adjusts their relative phases based on overvoltage feedback and spatial positioning data from the battery, optimizing power delivery and magnetic field homogeneity across the charging surface.

flowchart TD
    A[Start Charging Device] --> B{Application Scale?};
    B -- High-Power EV --> B1[Liquid-Cooled Primary Coil, 50kW @ 85kHz];
    B1 --> B2[Modular IGBT Inverters, Real-time Linux Controller];
    B2 --> B3[Wi-Fi 6 Feedback to Grid Management];
    B -- Miniaturized Wearable --> C1[Micro-Coil, Laser Micromachined, 10mm];
    C1 --> C2[Class-E PMIC @ 13.56MHz, mW Power];
    C2 --> C3[MCU with BLE Feedback, PWM Adjustment];
    B -- Multi-Resonant --> D1[Multiple Resonant Primary Coils @ 10MHz];
    D1 --> D2[Class-D Amplifiers, Dynamic Impedance Matching];
    D2 --> D3[Adjust Phase/Power based on Feedback/Position];

3. Cross-Domain Application

Enabling Description:

• Autonomous Vehicle Infrastructure: Charging infrastructure embedded in smart roads. The magnetic field generating unit consists of modular primary coils integrated within road segments, activated as an autonomous vehicle approaches. The high-frequency power driving unit (e.g., 20 kW per segment) is ruggedized for outdoor conditions. The charging power adjusting unit communicates with the vehicle's onboard systems via DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications, IEEE 802.11p) or 5G V2X, receiving battery state and overvoltage alerts in real-time, enabling dynamic power adjustments for vehicles in motion, ensuring continuous, safe energy transfer.
• Smart Furniture/Retail Displays: Wireless charging elements integrated into coffee tables, desks, or retail product display stands. The primary coil is an aesthetically hidden, flat-panel coil underneath the surface. The high-frequency power driving unit is a low-profile, energy-efficient converter. The charging power adjusting unit uses a multi-protocol wireless module (e.g., supporting Qi, BLE, and Zigbee) to detect and communicate with various devices (smartphones, tablets, smart home gadgets), receiving overvoltage feedback and adjusting charging power to prevent damage to diverse client devices, while also supporting user presence detection to save energy.
• Aerospace Maintenance Docks: A charging device for autonomous inspection drones or internal sensors within aircraft during hangar maintenance. The magnetic field generating unit is a robotic arm-mounted primary coil that can precisely position itself. The high-frequency power driving unit is hardened against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and operates with redundant power supplies. The charging power adjusting unit communicates with the drone's flight controller and battery management system via a secure, high-bandwidth Wi-Fi 6E link, receiving overvoltage alerts and diagnostic data, enabling precise and fault-tolerant power delivery for critical avionic applications.

sequenceDiagram
    ChargerDevice->>+ClientDevice: Inductive_Power (Intermittent)
    ClientDevice->>ClientDevice: Battery_Charging
    alt Overvoltage Detected
        ClientDevice->>ClientDevice: Monitor_Overvoltage
        ClientDevice-->>-ChargerDevice: Wireless_Feedback (During Pause)
        ChargerDevice->>ChargerDevice: Adjust_Power
    else Normal Operation
        ClientDevice->>ClientDevice: Continue_Monitoring
    end
    Note right of ChargerDevice: AV Road (DSRC/5G V2X)
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Smart Furniture (Qi/BLE/Zigbee)
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Aerospace Dock (Wi-Fi 6E)

4. Integration with Emerging Tech

Enabling Description:

• AI-driven Predictive Charging: The charging power adjusting unit integrates a deep learning inference engine. This AI analyzes historical charging data, real-time battery monitoring results (including temperature, charge rate, and overvoltage events), and ambient environmental conditions. It uses a predictive model to adjust the high-frequency AC current's pulse width, frequency, and amplitude before explicit overvoltage alerts are received, aiming to optimize battery health and charging speed while proactively preventing stress.
• IoT Sensors for Environmental Adaptation: The charging device incorporates a suite of IoT sensors: an ultrasonic proximity sensor to detect foreign objects on the charging surface, an ambient temperature/humidity sensor, and an electromagnetic field (EMF) leakage detector. This environmental data is fed into the charging power adjusting unit, allowing it to adapt charging parameters (e.g., reducing power if a metallic object is detected, or adjusting frequency to minimize EMF leakage) for enhanced safety, efficiency, and environmental compliance.
• Blockchain for Energy Transaction Auditing: The charging device operates as a verifiable node in a decentralized energy network. Each charging session, including the initial power handshake, subsequent power adjustments based on battery feedback, and final charge completion, is recorded as a cryptographically signed transaction by the charging power adjusting unit. These transactions are logged onto a public or consortium blockchain, providing an immutable audit trail for energy consumption, facilitating micro-billing, and enabling transparent regulatory oversight.

graph TD
    A[Battery Monitoring Result] --> B{Charging Power Adjusting Unit};
    C[Environmental IoT Sensors] --> B;
    B -- AI Analysis --> D[High Frequency Power Driving Unit Control];
    B -- Blockchain Tx --> E[Blockchain Network];
    D -- Adjust Power --> F[Magnetic Field Generating Unit];
    E --> G[Auditing / Billing / Compliance];

5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

Enabling Description:

• Emergency Power-Down with Redundancy: Upon receiving a critical overvoltage or thermal runaway alert from a battery, or detecting an internal fault (e.g., primary coil short, inverter failure), the charging power adjusting unit immediately commands the high-frequency power driving unit to cease all AC output. Additionally, it triggers a physical disconnect (e.g., a fast-acting circuit breaker or contactor) on the main power line to the entire charging system, ensuring absolute power cessation. A backup battery-powered communication module then broadcasts a "system fault: emergency shutdown" message via an auxiliary radio frequency.
• Low-Power Polling/Discovery Mode: When no battery is actively charging or detected, the charging device enters an ultra-low-power polling mode. The high-frequency power driving unit applies minimal, very short (e.g., 10 µs) AC pulses to the primary coil every 5 seconds. This reduced power mode is sufficient to detect the presence of a secondary coil and receive initial connection requests without significant energy consumption or electromagnetic emissions. If no response, it remains in this deep-sleep, intermittent polling state.
• Limited Current Diagnostic Mode: If the charging power adjusting unit receives inconsistent, ambiguous, or garbled monitoring results from a battery (indicating a potential communication or battery fault), it defaults to a very low, constant current diagnostic charging mode (e.g., 5W maximum output). This allows for a minimal, safe power transfer while the charging device attempts to re-establish stable communication or perform diagnostic checks on the receiving battery, preventing further damage while awaiting clear feedback.

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    Idle --> Polling: No_Battery_Detected
    Polling --> Charging: Battery_Detected
    Charging --> Monitoring: Power_Transfer
    Monitoring --> FaultDetected: Critical_Overvoltage_or_Internal_Fault
    FaultDetected --> EmergencyPowerDown: Immediate_Shutdown
    EmergencyPowerDown --> [*]: Physical_Disconnect
    Monitoring --> DiagnosticMode: Ambiguous_Feedback_or_Comm_Loss
    DiagnosticMode --> Charging: Clear_Feedback_Re-established
    DiagnosticMode --> FaultDetected: Diagnostic_Fails
    Monitoring --> Idle: Charging_Complete_or_Removed

Derivatives of Claim 21: Battery Charging Set

Claim 21 outlines a battery charging set comprising both the battery and the charging device, emphasizing intermittent operation and synchronized wireless communication for overvoltage monitoring.

1. Material & Component Substitution

Enabling Description:
The primary and secondary coils of the charging set employ flexible, multi-layer printed circuit board (FPCB) inductors with integrated thin-film magnetic shielding using amorphous metal foils, allowing for highly conformal designs and reduced leakage flux. The high-frequency power driving unit in the charger and the rectifier/CV/CC supplier in the battery utilize System-in-Package (SiP) modules comprising integrated GaN power components for both power conversion and rectification, optimizing space and efficiency. The wireless communication antennae on both sides are implemented as co-planar waveguide (CPW) structures etched directly onto the FPCB, enabling simultaneous inductive power transfer and low-power data communication on distinct frequency bands during precisely synchronized intermittency windows.

classDiagram
    class Battery {
        +FPCB_SecondaryCoil
        +SiP_GaN_Rectifier_CV_CC
        +CPW_Antenna
        +OvervoltageMonitoringUnit
    }
    class ChargingDevice {
        +FPCB_PrimaryCoil
        +SiP_GaN_PowerDriver
        +CPW_Antenna
        +ChargingPowerAdjustingUnit
    }
    Battery -- ChargingDevice : Inductive_Power_Transfer
    Battery <--> ChargingDevice : Wireless_Comm_Feedback

2. Operational Parameter Expansion

Enabling Description:

• Dynamic Intermittency Profile: The charging set dynamically adjusts the duration of charging (Δt A) and pause (Δt B) regions based on real-time factors. For example, Δt B is extended to 200 ms for comprehensive diagnostic data transmission when battery state-of-health (SOH) is below 50%, while it shrinks to 10 ms for rapid power adjustments when approaching full charge, all orchestrated by a fuzzy logic controller in the charging power adjusting unit based on incoming battery data.
• Multi-Frequency Inductive Coupling: The charging set utilizes a multi-frequency inductive power transfer system. The primary coil applies high-frequency AC current at two distinct frequencies simultaneously (e.g., 80 kHz for bulk power and 200 kHz for fine-tuned power delivery). The battery's secondary coil is designed with two resonant circuits to receive power from both frequencies. The overvoltage monitoring unit wirelessly feeds back data, allowing the charging power adjusting unit to independently modulate power on each frequency during synchronized multi-band communication pauses, optimizing efficiency and power distribution.
• Extreme Environmental Endurance: The charging set is designed for operation in harsh environments, e.g., polar research stations at -60°C. All components are selected for cryogenic operation. The inductive coils are encased in a frost-resistant polymer. The wireless communication for feedback uses frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) on the 2.4 GHz band, with redundant transmitters/receivers on both sides, to maintain robust data links despite extreme cold affecting RF propagation and component stability.

flowchart TD
    A[Start Charging Set] --> B{Operation Mode?};
    B -- Dynamic Intermittency --> B1[Fuzzy Logic Adjusts ΔtA/ΔtB];
    B1 --> B2[Longer Pause for Diagnostics (Low SOH)];
    B1 --> B3[Shorter Pause for Rapid Adjustment (High SOH)];
    B -- Multi-Frequency --> C1[Charger Emits @ F1 & F2];
    C1 --> C2[Battery Receives @ F1 & F2];
    C2 --> C3[Feedback Adjusts Power per Frequency (F1, F2)];
    B -- Extreme Environment --> D1[Cryogenic Components, Frost-Resistant Coils];
    D1 --> D2[FHSS 2.4GHz with Redundancy];

3. Cross-Domain Application

Enabling Description:

• Smart City Public Charging: Public furniture (benches, lampposts) equipped with the charging set for personal devices. The charging device coordinates with a city-wide smart grid management system. The battery in a user's device monitors overvoltage and transmits feedback during intermittent charging pauses. The charging device, in response, adjusts power but also receives signals from the grid to reduce output during peak energy demand, balancing user convenience with municipal energy conservation.
• Space Exploration Robotics: A charging set deployed on a lunar rover to charge its internal batteries. Both the charging device (docking station) and the battery (rover) are radiation-hardened and vacuum-sealed. Intermittent charging cycles are synchronized with solar panel availability. The overvoltage monitoring unit transmits data via a secure, laser-based free-space optical communication link during charging pauses, crucial for fault detection in the extreme space environment, enabling precise power adjustment from the docking station.
• Hospital Medical Equipment: Charging sets for portable medical diagnostic tools (e.g., ultrasound probes, mobile vital sign monitors) within a hospital environment. The inductive charging and feedback communication are designed to meet stringent electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards to prevent interference with other medical devices. The overvoltage monitoring unit in the medical device's battery ensures safe charging, with communication during pauses utilizing secure Ultra-Wideband (UWB) to transmit battery status and overvoltage alerts to the charging device, integrating with the hospital's asset tracking system.

sequenceDiagram
    ChargerDevice->>+BatteryDevice: Inductive_Power (Intermittent)
    BatteryDevice->>BatteryDevice: Monitor_Overvoltage
    BatteryDevice-->>-ChargerDevice: Wireless_Feedback (During Pause)
    ChargerDevice->>ChargerDevice: Adjust_Power
    ChargerDevice->>GridManagement: Report_Status / Receive_Demand
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Smart City (Grid Coordination)
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Space Robotics (Laser Comm)
    Note right of ChargerDevice: Hospital Equipment (UWB Comm)

4. Integration with Emerging Tech

Enabling Description:

• AI-Orchestrated Adaptive Charging Network: A central AI platform, utilizing deep reinforcement learning, manages an entire network of charging devices and numerous batteries. This AI receives aggregated overvoltage monitoring results from all batteries (transmitted during their individual pause cycles) and environmental data from charging devices. It dynamically adjusts the intermittent charging schedules, power levels, and even prioritizes certain devices based on global network demand, predicted battery degradation, and energy grid conditions, optimizing overall battery lifespan and energy efficiency.
• Decentralized Autonomous Charging (DAC) with DLT: The charging set operates as an autonomous entity on a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) network. The battery's overvoltage monitoring unit securely hashes and signs its monitoring results. During the intermittent communication window, this signed data is transmitted to the charging device, which also signs it and adds it as a transaction to a DLT. This DLT transaction triggers smart contracts to adjust charging power (ensuring compliance and preventing overcharge) and to settle micro-payments for energy consumed, creating a trustless and auditable charging ecosystem.
• Quantum-Secured Feedback Channel: The wireless communication link between the overvoltage monitoring unit and the charging power adjusting unit (during the intermittent pauses) is secured using quantum key distribution (QKD). Entangled photon pairs or weak coherent pulses are used to establish a provably secure encryption key, ensuring that the overvoltage feedback signals and control commands cannot be intercepted or tampered with by an eavesdropper, critical for highly sensitive applications like military or medical device charging.

graph TD
    A[Battery Overvoltage Monitor] --> B{Wireless Transmit (QKD)};
    B --> C[Charging Device Adjuster (QKD)];
    C -- AI Orchestrator --> D[Network Management];
    C -- DLT Transaction --> E[Blockchain/DLT Network];
    D -- Adjust Parameters --> F[High Freq Power Driver];
    E --> G[Automated Payment/Auditing];

5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

Enabling Description:

• Tiered Fault Tolerance with Redundant Communication: The charging set implements multiple redundant communication channels for overvoltage feedback. The primary channel (e.g., 10-15 MHz inductive communication) is supplemented by a secondary channel (e.g., a low-power Wi-Fi direct link) and a tertiary channel (e.g., optical flashing via an LED/photodiode pair). If the primary link fails to transmit or receive during a pause, the system automatically attempts communication over the secondary, then tertiary, ensuring critical overvoltage alerts always reach the charger, preventing catastrophic failure.
• Adaptive "Limp Home" Charging: If the overvoltage monitoring unit detects a persistent but non-critical overvoltage or an unresolvable communication error, the battery requests a "limp home" charging profile. The charging device then reduces its output power significantly (e.g., to 10% of nominal) and applies only constant voltage mode charging, signaling a "maintenance required" alert to the user. This allows partial charging to prevent complete battery depletion while waiting for service, avoiding full shutdown.
• Predictive Shutdown Protocol: An AI model within the charging set (distributed between battery and charger) continuously analyzes charging history, internal diagnostic data, and overvoltage events. If the AI predicts a high probability of imminent, unmanageable overvoltage or battery failure (e.g., within 5 subsequent charge cycles), the system initiates a controlled, preemptive shutdown of all charging operations for that specific battery, sends a "critical maintenance" alert to a central system, preventing unexpected failures and enabling proactive replacement.

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    Idle --> Charging: Start_Charge
    Charging --> MonitorFeedback: Periodic_Comm_Pause
    MonitorFeedback --> NormalCharge: Feedback_OK
    MonitorFeedback --> CommunicationFail: No_Feedback
    CommunicationFail --> RedundantComm: Try_Secondary_Channel
    RedundantComm --> Charging: Success_Revert_Normal
    RedundantComm --> AdaptiveLimpHome: All_Comm_Fail_or_Persistent_Overvoltage
    AdaptiveLimpHome --> MaintenanceAlert: Reduced_Charge_Warning
    AdaptiveLimpHome --> [*]: User_Intervention_or_Failure
    MonitorFeedback --> PredictedFailure: AI_Predicts_Imminent_Failure
    PredictedFailure --> PredictiveShutdown: Initiate_Preemptive_Shutdown
    PredictiveShutdown --> [*]: Critical_Maintenance_Required
    NormalCharge --> Idle: Charge_Complete

Derivatives of Claim 23: Method for Controlling Charging

Claim 23 describes a method for controlling contact-less battery charging, including intermittent AC application, magnetic flux linkage, rectification, CV/CC charging, monitoring and transmitting results during pauses, and adjusting power.

1. Material & Component Substitution (Method Implications)

Enabling Description:
The method for controlling charging is implemented using advanced components. Step (a) of intermittently applying high-frequency AC current involves a digitally controlled resonant converter with GaN-based switches for precise, rapid pulse generation (e.g., 500 kHz switching frequency). For step (b), linking magnetic flux is enhanced by geometrically optimized 3D-printed ceramic coils in both primary and secondary units. Step (e) for monitoring voltages utilizes a high-resolution (16-bit) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) for real-time Fourier analysis of voltage ripple, transmitting a compressed wavelet transform of the monitoring result via a software-defined radio (SDR) during communication pauses. Step (f) of adjusting power employs a closed-loop control algorithm executed on an FPGA, dynamically modulating the duty cycle and frequency of the primary coil's AC current with microsecond precision.

flowchart TD
    A[Intermittent AC Application (GaN Switches)] --> B[Magnetic Flux Linkage (3D Printed Coils)];
    B --> C[Rectify AC to DC];
    C --> D[Apply DC to Battery (CV/CC)];
    D --> E[Monitor Voltages (16-bit ADC, DSP)];
    E -- Transmit Compressed Wavelet (SDR) --> F[Receive Monitoring Result];
    F --> G[Adjust Primary AC Power (FPGA, Dynamic Modulation)];

2. Operational Parameter Expansion (Method Implications)

Enabling Description:

• Ultra-Fast Charging Cycles: The method is optimized for extremely rapid charging. Step (a) involves applying AC current in bursts of 100 µs duration at 1 MHz, with pause regions (step e) of only 10 µs. Monitoring and transmission (step e) must be completed within this 10 µs window, requiring ultra-low latency wireless protocols (e.g., custom UWB pulses) and dedicated hardware for real-time voltage comparison. Step (f) involves instantaneous power adjustments within microseconds to achieve "charge in seconds" scenarios.
• Deep Cycle Maintenance & Diagnostics: The method is extended for long-term battery health management. Step (a) includes charging phases lasting several minutes, followed by extended pause regions (step e) of 1-5 seconds. During these longer pauses, step (e) involves transmitting not just overvoltage status, but also detailed battery impedance spectroscopy data, temperature profiles, and historical degradation metrics, enabling proactive battery conditioning and life extension through step (f)'s adaptive power profiles.
• Adaptive Spatial Power Delivery: Step (a) is refined to involve an array of smaller primary coils. The method dynamically determines which specific primary coils to activate and at what power levels, based on real-time spatial positioning of the battery and feedback from (e) indicating optimal coupling points and localized overvoltage conditions. Step (f) then adjusts not only total power but also the spatial distribution of the magnetic field, optimizing charging for moving or misaligned batteries.

sequenceDiagram
    Charger->>+Battery: Apply_AC_Pulse (100us, 1MHz)
    Battery->>Battery: Induced_AC
    Battery->>Battery: Rectify_DC_Charge_Cell
    Battery->>+Battery: Monitor_CV_CC_Voltage
    Battery-->>-Charger: Transmit_Result (10us Pause, UWB)
    Charger->>Charger: Adjust_Primary_AC_Power (µs Response)
    Note over Charger,Battery: Ultra-Fast Charging Cycle
    Charger->>+Battery: Apply_AC_Long (Minutes)
    Battery->>Battery: Induced_AC
    Battery->>Battery: Rectify_DC_Charge_Cell
    Battery->>+Battery: Monitor_CV_CC_Voltage_Detailed
    Battery-->>-Charger: Transmit_Diagnostics (1-5s Pause)
    Charger->>Charger: Adjust_Primary_AC_Power_Adaptive
    Note over Charger,Battery: Deep Cycle Diagnostics

3. Cross-Domain Application (Method Implications)

Enabling Description:

• Distributed Environmental Sensor Network: For agricultural or environmental monitoring, the method is applied to a fleet of low-power IoT sensors. Step (a) involves a mobile drone or robotic vehicle intermittently flying/driving over sensor fields, broadcasting inductive power. In step (e), individual sensors monitor their internal power converters for overvoltage and transmit concise "power request" or "overcharge warning" signals via a mesh radio network (e.g., Zigbee) during the pauses. Step (f) allows the drone to adjust its power output or even alter its flight path to optimize charging for specific sensors.
• Robotic Fleet Management in Warehouses: For charging autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in a warehouse. Step (a) involves strategically placed floor-embedded charging pads intermittently activating. In step (e), each AMR monitors its battery health and transmits overvoltage/charge status to a central fleet management system via enterprise Wi-Fi during brief, scheduled charging pauses. Step (f) allows the fleet manager to dynamically adjust charging power per pad, prioritize robots with low charge, or direct overcharged robots to a lower-power pad.
• Smart Grid Ancillary Services with EVs: Electric vehicles (EVs) integrated into a smart grid for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services. Step (a) sees grid-connected inductive chargers intermittently providing power. Step (e) involves the EV's advanced Battery Management System (BMS) monitoring cell-level voltages and reporting aggregate overvoltage status and grid-service readiness to the grid operator via ISO 15118 protocol during charging pauses. Step (f) enables the grid operator to dynamically adjust charging/discharging power across a fleet of EVs to balance grid load or provide frequency regulation.

flowchart TD
    A[Charging Device Applies AC (Intermittent)] --> B[Battery Receives Induced AC];
    B --> C[Rectify & Charge Battery];
    C --> D[Monitor Overvoltage (During Pause)];
    D -- Wireless Comm --> E[Charging Device Receives Result];
    E --> F[Adjust AC Power];
    subgraph Context
        G[Drone/Robot Patrol (Ag/Robotics)] --> A;
        H[EV BMS (Smart Grid)] --> D;
        I[Fleet/Grid Management] --> F;
    end

4. Integration with Emerging Tech (Method Implications)

Enabling Description:

• AI-Enhanced Predictive Control Method: Prior to step (a), an AI model analyzes historical charging data, battery characteristics, and real-time environmental factors to predict optimal intermittent AC application patterns, including pulse width and frequency, to preemptively avoid overvoltage. In step (e), the monitoring result is fed back to this AI, which then refines its predictive model in real-time, enabling step (f) to make proactive power adjustments that optimize battery lifespan and charging speed, rather than merely reacting to detected overvoltage.
• IoT-Contextualized Charging Method: Step (e) is expanded to include the collection of data from integrated IoT sensors (e.g., device skin temperature, ambient humidity, user presence via proximity sensor) alongside overvoltage monitoring. This contextual data is transmitted to the charging device. Step (f) then uses this combined information to adjust the primary AC power more intelligently; for instance, reducing power if the device's skin temperature is high, regardless of direct overvoltage.
• Blockchain-Verified Charging Protocol: The execution of each stage of the charging method (a) through (f) is cryptographically timestamped and recorded. Step (e) includes the generation of a hashed and signed monitoring result by the battery's secure element. This signed result is transmitted and verified by the charger. Step (f) then includes recording the power adjustment command and the new charging parameters as a transaction on a permissioned blockchain, creating an immutable, verifiable audit trail for every charging interaction, ensuring protocol compliance and facilitating transparent energy accounting.

sequenceDiagram
    ChargerAI->>Charger: Predict_Optimal_Pattern
    Charger->>Battery: Intermittent_AC (a,b)
    Battery->>Battery: Rectify_Charge (c,d)
    Battery->>Battery: Monitor_OV_and_IoT_Data (e)
    Battery->>Charger: Transmit_Result_to_AI (e)
    ChargerAI->>Charger: Refine_Model_and_Adjust_Power (f)
    Charger->>Blockchain: Record_Charging_Tx

5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode (Method Implications)

Enabling Description:

• Safety-Critical Disconnect Protocol: If step (e) detects a catastrophic overvoltage condition (e.g., cell rupture risk), the method immediately bypasses step (f). Instead, the battery sends an emergency "hard-disconnect" command. The charging device executes a safety-critical physical disconnect by de-energizing the primary coil and opening a high-current circuit breaker, ensuring complete power cessation faster than any gradual adjustment, preventing thermal runaway or fire.
• Degraded Mode Operation for Communication Loss: If wireless communication for step (e) fails persistently during pause periods (e.g., 3 consecutive failures), the method triggers a degraded operation mode. Step (f) involves the charging device automatically reverting to a predefined, ultra-conservative, low-power charging profile (e.g., a constant voltage trickle charge at 5V, 100mA). This ensures minimal power is still supplied without feedback, preventing damage, while continuously attempting to re-establish the communication link.
• Self-Correction with Local Power Capping: If step (e) detects a minor, transient overvoltage that is within safe, but undesirable, limits, the method employs a localized self-correction. Step (f) on the battery side (prior to transmitting feedback) involves the battery's microprocessor temporarily reducing the current draw from the CV/CC supplier by briefly increasing its internal impedance, allowing the charger to continue its cycle while the battery locally mitigates the transient, only transmitting a "minor adjustment made" status if the condition persists.

stateDiagram-v2
    state "Charging (Steps a-d)" as Charging
    state "Monitor & Transmit (e)" as MonitorTransmit
    state "Adjust Power (f)" as AdjustPower
    state "Emergency Disconnect" as EmergencyDisconnect
    state "Degraded Mode" as DegradedMode
    state "Self-Correcting Cap" as SelfCorrectingCap

    [*] --> Charging
    Charging --> MonitorTransmit: After_Charge_Burst
    MonitorTransmit --> AdjustPower: Feedback_Received_OK
    AdjustPower --> Charging: Continue_Charging
    MonitorTransmit --> EmergencyDisconnect: Catastrophic_Overvoltage
    EmergencyDisconnect --> [*]: Hard_Disconnect_Triggered
    MonitorTransmit --> DegradedMode: Persistent_Comm_Failure
    DegradedMode --> Charging: Comm_Reestablished
    MonitorTransmit --> SelfCorrectingCap: Minor_Transient_Overvoltage
    SelfCorrectingCap --> MonitorTransmit: Local_Correction_Applied
    DegradedMode --> [*]: Final_Failure

---

Combination Prior Art Scenarios

These scenarios combine the inventive concepts of US Patent 8013568 with existing open-source standards, demonstrating how the patent's core functionalities could be integrated into common technological frameworks.

1. US8013568 + Qi Wireless Power Standard (WPC) + MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport)

Description:
A wireless charging system built upon the widely adopted Qi wireless power transfer standard (developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, WPC) for basic inductive power transfer and low-level device identification. The advanced overvoltage monitoring and wireless feedback mechanism, as taught in US8013568, are integrated into this Qi framework. Specifically, during the Qi standard's defined "ping" or "negotiation" phases (which inherently involve intermittent power pulses), the battery's overvoltage monitoring unit transmits its monitoring result. This transmission uses a low-bandwidth, encrypted MQTT over a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) link, leveraging the existing BLE communication capabilities often found in Qi-compatible devices. The MQTT messages containing overvoltage status and adjustment requests are then interpreted by the Qi-enabled charging device, which uses this feedback to modify its output power according to US8013568's principles.

Prior Art Value: This combination demonstrates that extending existing, ubiquitous wireless charging standards like Qi with enhanced safety features (overvoltage feedback and dynamic power adjustment) via standard IoT communication protocols (MQTT over BLE) is an obvious architectural improvement. It preempts claims on adaptive charging layered over established inductive power platforms.

2. US8013568 + Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) + Modbus (Industrial Automation Protocol)

Description:
An industrial-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure employs the inductive power transfer principles of US8013568. The charging device (charger station) communicates with a central charging network management system (e.g., cloud-based or local server) using the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) for functionalities such as starting/stopping charging sessions, billing, and status reporting. Internally, the high-frequency power driving unit within the charging device communicates with the magnetic field generating unit and power conversion modules using Modbus TCP/IP for robust industrial control. The intermittent wireless overvoltage feedback from the EV's Battery Management System (BMS), which integrates the battery-side overvoltage monitoring logic of US8013568, is transmitted to the charging device. This feedback is then either encapsulated as a custom data payload within an OCPP "StatusNotification" or "MeterValues" message, or communicated directly over a dedicated Modbus TCP/IP link during the intermittent power pauses. The charging power adjusting unit within the charger uses this received data to dynamically adjust charging power via Modbus commands to its internal power driving unit.

Prior Art Value: This scenario highlights the obvious integration of US8013568's adaptive charging technology into high-power, networked industrial applications using prevalent open standards. It shows that the core feedback mechanism is not limited to consumer electronics but is readily adaptable to complex, managed charging environments, leveraging existing communication protocols for control and data exchange.

3. US8013568 + Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) + JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

Description:
A compact, personal wireless charging set (e.g., for earbuds, smartwatches, or portable medical sensors) utilizes the intermittent inductive charging and overvoltage feedback mechanism of US8013568. The wireless communication between the battery's overvoltage monitoring unit and the charging device's power adjusting unit is implemented using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and its Generic Attribute Profile (GATT). During the intermittent power pauses, the battery's wireless transmitting unit sends its monitoring result (e.g., voltage difference, overvoltage flag, battery temperature) as a JSON-formatted string, published as a GATT characteristic notification to the charging device. The charging device, upon receiving this JSON payload, parses the data and adjusts the high-frequency AC current accordingly. This BLE link can also allow a smartphone application to display real-time charging status and battery health.

Prior Art Value: This combination demonstrates that the specific wireless feedback mechanism of US8013568 can be readily implemented using ubiquitous, low-power short-range wireless communication standards like BLE and common data formats like JSON, making it an obvious choice for consumer and small-device applications. This preempts claims on using standard, efficient wireless protocols for transmitting monitoring data in an intermittent, adaptive charging system.