Why is wireless energy transmission gaining importance now even though the technical principle is over 120 years old? The behavior of smartphone and tablet users has changed dramatically over the past two years. People are constantly sending emails, texting, posting on social networks and playing online games. The average user can barely last a day on a single battery charge, because large displays, fast processors and HD graphics consume lots of power.

Public wireless charging stations offer a convenient solution to this problem. For example, a user can charge a smartphone by simply placing it on a restaurant table outfitted with a wireless charger. To make the user’s experience successful, the charger must be easy to use, fast and efficient, but more importantly, its performance must be comparable to conventional wired chargers.

Summary

Wireless energy transmission is most effective when it complies with a clearly defined standard. In particular, in the Qi standard there are various ways of positively influence the energy transmission of the coils. The selection of optimized coils, careful system design and clear guidance for the user in placing the device on the transmission station can constitute a competitive advantage for the device manufacturer. From the standardization body perspective, better optimization definitions are a work in progress that should lead to an improvement in the performance of the next system generation. Nevertheless, the transmission and receiver coils remain the key components in wireless energy transmission and are essential for the overall system efficiency.

Download: ANP014