Ecoupled
Encyclopedia
eCoupled is a proprietary near-field wireless energy transfer
technology developed by Fulton Innovation, a division of Alticor
. It provides wireless power transfer via inductive coupling
between a primary transmission coil and a secondary receiving coil. A single primary coil can provide power to multiple secondary coils at the same time.
eCoupled technology uses its wireless data transfer and authentication capabilities to automatically identify compatible products that need to be charged, the products’ charge states, and the most efficient level at which to power the device(s) in question. It also stops power transmission when the device with the receiving electricity is turned off or fully charged. Power can be transferred at up to 98 percent efficiency. eCoupled is designed to provide wireless power transfer for products ranging from low-power devices such as cell phones and media players to laptop computers and power tools. Fulton Innovation has over 220 patents filed and pending on the eCoupled system.
s use inductively coupled circuits to transmit electrical energy. Energy transmission without wires was pioneered by researchers such as Nikola Tesla
, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
, and Guglielmo Marconi
.
eCoupled was developed by researchers at sister company Amway
roughly ten years ago, and first sold as part of Amway
's eSpringTM water purification system in 2001. Previously, the design team had experienced issues with the durability and corrosion of electrical connections inside the device. By replacing the wired power supply with an inductively coupled one, the eSpring design team was able to hermetically seal the electrical components, improve reliability, and simplify the overall product design.
In 2008, it was announced that Fulton Innovation was forming the world's first Wireless Power Consortium
with other companies such as Texas Instruments
, Philips
, and Sanyo
to establish a global standard for wireless power delivery.
Wireless energy transfer
Wireless energy transfer or wireless power is the transmission of electrical energy from a power source to an electrical load without artificial interconnecting conductors. Wireless transmission is useful in cases where interconnecting wires are inconvenient, hazardous, or impossible...
technology developed by Fulton Innovation, a division of Alticor
Alticor
Alticor is a privately held corporation, owned and run by members of the DeVos and Van Andel families. It was established in 1999 to serve as the parent company for a handful of business ventures, most notably the direct selling company Amway and Quixtar and a manufacturing and distribution...
. It provides wireless power transfer via inductive coupling
Inductive coupling
In electrical engineering, two conductors are referred to as mutual-inductively coupled or magnetically coupled when they are configured such that change in current flow through one wire induces a voltage across the ends of the other wire through electromagnetic induction...
between a primary transmission coil and a secondary receiving coil. A single primary coil can provide power to multiple secondary coils at the same time.
eCoupled technology uses its wireless data transfer and authentication capabilities to automatically identify compatible products that need to be charged, the products’ charge states, and the most efficient level at which to power the device(s) in question. It also stops power transmission when the device with the receiving electricity is turned off or fully charged. Power can be transferred at up to 98 percent efficiency. eCoupled is designed to provide wireless power transfer for products ranging from low-power devices such as cell phones and media players to laptop computers and power tools. Fulton Innovation has over 220 patents filed and pending on the eCoupled system.
History
eCoupled technology is not the first system developed to transmit energy wirelessly. TransformerTransformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s use inductively coupled circuits to transmit electrical energy. Energy transmission without wires was pioneered by researchers such as Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz was a German physicist who clarified and expanded the electromagnetic theory of light that had been put forth by Maxwell...
, and Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
.
eCoupled was developed by researchers at sister company Amway
Amway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
roughly ten years ago, and first sold as part of Amway
Amway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
's eSpringTM water purification system in 2001. Previously, the design team had experienced issues with the durability and corrosion of electrical connections inside the device. By replacing the wired power supply with an inductively coupled one, the eSpring design team was able to hermetically seal the electrical components, improve reliability, and simplify the overall product design.
In 2008, it was announced that Fulton Innovation was forming the world's first Wireless Power Consortium
Wireless Power Consortium
The Wireless Power Consortium is a business alliance of more than 60 firms to develop open standards for inductive charging.-History:The organization was started in 2008 to create a universal wireless power charging standard so that electronic products and charging stations using the same standard...
with other companies such as Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, and Sanyo
Sanyo
is a major electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo targets the middle of the market and has over 230 Subsidiaries and Affiliates....
to establish a global standard for wireless power delivery.
See also
- Fulton Innovation
- Inductive chargingInductive chargingInductive charging uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through inductive coupling to an electrical device, which then can use that energy to charge batteries....
- Inductive couplingInductive couplingIn electrical engineering, two conductors are referred to as mutual-inductively coupled or magnetically coupled when they are configured such that change in current flow through one wire induces a voltage across the ends of the other wire through electromagnetic induction...
- Near fieldNear fieldNear field may refer to:*Near-field , an algebraic structure*Near and far field, parts of an electromagnetic field*Near field communication, a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less...
- SplashpowerSplashpowerSplashpower Ltd. was a United Kingdom-based company founded in June 2001. It had been attempting to develop technology for wireless charging of portable devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, mp3 players and cameras...
- Wireless energy transferWireless energy transferWireless energy transfer or wireless power is the transmission of electrical energy from a power source to an electrical load without artificial interconnecting conductors. Wireless transmission is useful in cases where interconnecting wires are inconvenient, hazardous, or impossible...
- AlticorAlticorAlticor is a privately held corporation, owned and run by members of the DeVos and Van Andel families. It was established in 1999 to serve as the parent company for a handful of business ventures, most notably the direct selling company Amway and Quixtar and a manufacturing and distribution...
- AmwayAmwayAmway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...