“It’s not the strongest species, the most intelligent species, or the species that best adapts to the changing environment (in the evolution of nature).”

― Leon C. Megginson

With the development of Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, and portable devices, consumers are getting tired of cluttered cables and batteries that require frequent recharging. The advantage of wireless charging is far more than just getting rid of the constraints of cables. A variety of near-field, far-field charging wireless technologies currently on the market, including inductive, resonant, RF, ultrasonic, and infrared charging, all of which need to follow different standards and require varying degrees of compromise. With the yearning for the wireless world, charging technology is expected to grow dramatically.

What is wireless charging? What is the difference between technologies? Let's start by answering these questions.

Many people simply understand wireless charging as inductive or short-range resonant charging. Although both are wireless charging, they are not all. "Wireless" means that cables and adapters are eliminated; what consumers really want is not only to get rid of the constraints of the cable, but also to avoid cumbersome operations and maintain an uninterrupted supply of energy.

Near-field methods using induction and resonance do not meet consumer demand. Whether it's inductive or resonant charging, just replace it with “putting it out”. Fortunately, new technologies are emerging, including RF, ultrasound, WiFi and infrared.

Everlasting electricity sounds great, the future is bright, but the road is tortuous, requiring multiple entities to work together to build a pyramid of power chains.

Wireless charging technology has a multi-level ecosystem structure

1. The device manufacturer is at the top of the supply chain pyramid because we use these devices on a daily basis and are at the forefront of the user experience. These include mobile phones, sports watches/health bracelets, smart homes and cars of all brands. It is reported that the UK has launched an activity aimed at establishing a “charging channel” to reduce the chances of electric vehicles running out. Intel is also expected to release wireless notebooks in 2017. Google and other companies are working hard to build a variety of electric vehicle wireless charging systems. Each device manufacturer has its own power transmitter and receiver, such as charging pads and brackets. The device manufacturer decides which charging method to use to optimize its user experience and maximize returns.

2. The middle section of the pyramid includes standards bodies, technology enablers, and system manufacturers. The middle layer is invisible to consumers, but it is critical to the ultimate success and technology adoption. The primary risk facing this layer is outdated, as new technologies and methods continue to evolve.

Over the past decade, various charging standards have been established in an attempt to standardize near-field charging techniques. The promoter of the Qi standard is the Wireless Charging Community (WPC) (inductive: short-distance single device); established in 2008, currently claims to have more than 200 member companies. Its transmission power is about 5W, which is enough to meet the requirements of smartphones. The promoter of the Rezence standard is A4WP (Resonant Charging: multi-device charging over a wide range). PMA is very similar to Qi, the difference is in the working frequency.

The charging standard defines the compatibility between devices. The charging pad designed according to the Qi standard cannot charge the mobile phone designed according to the PMA specification. Each standard defines the coil coupling type, configuration, and communication protocol for the wireless device. In order to accommodate equipment with different charging standards, infrastructure companies must support both.

In June 2015, the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) announced a strategic merger that shook the entire wireless charging industry. In November 2015, the merged new agency was renamed the AirFuel Alliance. This merger is an important step towards achieving long-term goals: wherever consumers go, whether in restaurants, cars or at home, equipment charging will enable interoperability and is very convenient.

RF, ultrasound and infrared technologies have been involved in far field charging. Regardless of the technology, the concepts are similar, but the specific sensor technology is different: RF uses an antenna to the antenna, light transmitted to the transmitter converts light energy into electrical energy, and ultrasound converts ultrasonic pressure into electrical energy. Each technology has certain limitations: ultrasound and light cannot penetrate the wall, and RF power is attenuated with distance.

The goal of all of these techniques is to transmit power centrally to a coupling device located at a particular location rather than spatially uniformly. This directional transmission avoids health problems and increases transmission efficiency. Just like near-field charging, receivers that support a certain technology cannot use a power transmitter that transmits beams through different media to charge. RF-based health watches cannot communicate with the ultrasound power transmitter.

These standards define the language in which each device communicates. Although competition between standards bodies is a good thing, specific applications need to be combined to ensure interoperability.

Technology enablers are companies that design and manufacture ICs and transmitters and provide them to equipment manufacturers. Semiconductor companies such as Maxim Integrated offer a variety of power products and solutions specifically for near-field wireless charging. These companies are both innovative and comply with the specifications set by the charging standards and have the ability to lead the market. For example, Energous and Ossia are struggling to lead the trend of near-field charging with RF power ICs.

System manufacturers design accessories for existing consumer products to enable them to enter the wireless charging arena. Powermat is a good example of intermediate technology for mobile phones that do not support wireless charging. They make a charging ring for use with the charging pad for charging the phone. uBeam is committed to providing a cellular phone case that is charged by ultrasound. Instead of embedding wireless charging technology into consumer devices, the two companies focus on manufacturing accessories to provide a complete solution for existing products.

The success of system manufacturers is highly dependent on infrastructure. Consumers are more likely to use compatible accessories if the office desk has a built-in charging pad or if the room has an ultrasound power router installed.

3. Security and infrastructure are at the bottom of the pyramid and are the least talked about in accelerating wireless charging. According to IHS's 2014 survey data, 70% of consumers charge at least one device per day. Homes, offices, and cars are common environments in which people charge their devices. Wireless charging deployment is two-way: devices should not only support wireless charging technology, but should also have enough hot spots for charging. Once the infrastructure is in place, its popularity will come to fruition.

Security is an important part of wireless charging, especially for far-field power transmission beams. Radio frequency (RF) safety depends on the amount of radiation that can be applied without compromising human health. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for regulating the safety level of human exposure to RF fields. The level of safety is specified based on the signal frequency and the energy combination it carries. Various RF technologies use weak energy packets as much as possible, and then accumulate at the receiving end to convert these energy packets to the available energy levels. Absorption rate (SAR) is used to define these limits. It has been found that at certain frequencies and power levels, the temperature of human skin rises to other frequencies at comparable power levels. The SAR specifies the frequency range and power level that can be used near the crowd to minimize temperature rise. ANSI uses SAE J2954 for wireless charging design and UL 2750 for wireless charging security. The J2954 is critical to ensuring interoperability between transmitters and receivers from different vendors. The Underwriters Laboratories Association (UL) is also developing requirements for low-energy near-field energy transmission. The UL 2738 is suitable for inductive near-field energy transmission systems. UL is also developing safety requirements for wireless charging systems for electric vehicles. These specifications mandate that the final product must be safe to work in order to be put on the market for consumer use.

IKEA is the first company to announce the deployment of wireless charging in home and office environments, and the car has begun to include wireless charging consoles. Should equipment and system manufacturers work with office facilities to install charging pads on each table and/or install routers in each meeting room?

“Good or bad, the United States is the country on wheels. In order to reach the goal, 90% of Americans claim to drive normally, and it is reported that the average time in the car is 87 minutes per day.” – ABC News Investigation, traffic in the United States.

It takes time for consumers to accept any innovative technology. Wireless technology companies need to actively seek to work with existing facility builders to accelerate this process. As homes become more intelligent, it may be worthwhile to embed wireless energy transfer technology in smart fire alarms that have been installed in the ceiling. With the explosive growth of mobile and IoT devices, and companies such as GM, Toyota and Fiat/Chrysler have begun to provide wireless charging for smart phones, the popularity of in-vehicle and near-field wireless charging is expected to accelerate.

in conclusion

Wireless charging is not just about eliminating power cords, it's about power management and convenience; it's not limited to inductive or resonant charging. Far field charging is the key to innovation. Our electronic devices need to be smart enough to charge themselves. However, major players have the opportunity to accelerate their popularity by building their own charging technology. In the early stages of commercialization of wireless charging, infrastructure companies are at risk of being too early and outdated. Wireless charging OEMs need to actively collaborate with existing infrastructure builders to leverage current standards to drive consumer acceptance.

The popularity of wireless charging technology has a multi-level ecosystem structure. Each approach is ultimately accepted by consumers as requiring close collaboration between multiple entities: semiconductors, consumer devices, furniture, retail, automotive, and public facilities.

Wireless charging technologies that are dominant in a changing ecosystem can survive and grow.

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