Recently, wireless power has seen resurgence in core technology innovation (http://www.pddnet.com/article-wireless-power-technology-generational-073009/) as well as the introduction of early products.  As a transmission technology that delivers power from a transmission source to an embedded receiver, wireless power creates an understandable desire to standardize this interface such that one can achieve interoperability between a variety of embedded receivers and transmitters.  Indeed, there are at least two efforts which may lead to one or more standards.  The first effort, known as the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), is a consortium of companies focused on standardizing a particular close-proximity, alignment-sensitive technology.  The second effort, led by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), has focused on building a more holistic view of the wireless power space based on the consumer use models in various situations.  It’s likely that multiple standards will emerge from this activity.  Interestingly, the WPC and CEA have significant membership overlap.  The central question for participants and observers of wireless power is how are these standards likely to mature?

As a technology with broad potential impact, today’s wireless power is in a similar state to the wireless data industry of 15 years ago.  Wireless data at that time, experienced a similar call to standardize the communication interfaces to ensure that interoperability was enforced between communicating devices.  In addition, there was an analogous range of base technologies offered to the market which varied on functionality, performance, and price.  As the wireless data sector matured, a whole host of communication standards have emerged (GSM, CDMA, WiFi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, etc.), in contrast to the expected single standard.  Each of these standards carved out an economically viable role based on the important factors of range, performance, and cost.  Today, contemplating a single universal wireless data standard would be considered foolhardy; many now recognize the need and roles for these various standards, even as they imply that devices such as cell phones and laptops may have to support multiple technologies.

Success of a standard within the wireless power space will depend largely on the ability of the standardized technologies to deliver differentiated customer value at economically viable price points for the participants.  Paralleling the evolution in the wireless data space, it seems very improbable that one unifying standard will emerge for wireless power, but rather we are likely to see a proliferation of technology based on the various use-models which have different economic tradeoffs.  For example, there may well be a place for close-proximity, alignment-sensitive systems such as the one defined by the WPC.  However, the success will be driven by delivering measurable value in the marketplace even in the presence of more advanced alignment in-sensitive systems.  At present, the CEA approach holds a great deal of promise, because of a recognition that consumer use-models, technical capability, and price / performance trade-offs should be well-understood before pushing toward standardization.  As predicted by standards in wireless data, one should expect a period of rapid experimentation followed by standardization within wireless power, once the economic value is well understood.

Thanks,

Rahul

CEO

Wireless power technology has been gaining steady momentum in the last few years.  Electric toothbrushes embodied the first generation technology where the primary value was safety.  However, generation one technology required the use of large components such as core material that made it unusable in the context of modern consumer devices.  In response to this shortcoming, a range of companies including eCoupled and Powermat created generation two systems that used higher frequencies, and thus enabled proportionally smaller form factors.  Indeed, in 2009, several products were introduced that took advantage of generation two technology.  However, limitations such as precise alignment have dampened the enthusiasm for these products.

At CES 2010, WiPower, the technology leader in the wireless power market, is announcing the first products based on a generation three wireless power technology.  In this generation, the limitations of precise alignment have been removed.  WiPower’s patent-pending technology enables complete freedom in the x-y plane as well as significant physical separation between the transmitter and receiver modules in the z-direction (2-3 inches).  In addition, the robustness of the underlying technology enables this functionality without the need for transmitter-receiver communication links.  The consequences of this technology shift are:

1. No magnetic or mechanical alignment systems are required.
2. A single transmitter seamlessly supports multiple devices.
3. Furniture-integrated modules can be designed such that modifications to the supporting furniture are not required.
4. Without communication links, cost is reduced, the design cycle is dramatically compressed, and regulatory compliance is simplified.

At CES, WiPower will demonstrate this technology leadership in the form of a demonstration unit that powers 15 to 20 independent receivers in continuous, random motion atop a 12 square foot surface. 

In terms of products, WiPower is announcing the immediate availability of the WiPower Receiver Design Kit ($4500).  Specifically, the design kit contains: 

1. 15W transmitter with white label options and two physical receivers enabled for prototyping.
2. EDA/MCAD files for the receiver, and highly simplified design-in process with qualified reference designs for the receiver.
3. Royalty free license for receivers as well as a qualified partner network that provides design and manufacturing services.

The kit’s materials lower technical and business related barriers to adoption and thus radically reduce design time and product development cost.  Partners interested in incorporating this highly differentiating product feature can complete a prototype in as little as a day, and be in volume production in 2-3 months.  At CES, WiPower will showcase demonstrations from partners building devices such as skins, electronic picture frames, and embedded furniture transmitters.  Many of these partners will be offering products to customers in 2010. 

The WiPower Booth is located at booth number 15409 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (near Sony) and will be open throughout the CES show (Jan 7-10).  WiPower will also be offering a Design Kit Tutorial on Saturday, January 9 at 2 p.m. in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, conference room 1.  To register for the tutorial, please sign up on the home page of the WiPower website (www.wipower.com).  To schedule meetings with WiPower, please contact Danielle McCallum (dmccallum@wipower.com or 1-321-228-5351).

We have been busy getting ready for our debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. It has been a fun, creative process, and we have just finished the design for our booth – see below. We are really looking forward to this show and hope that if you are there, you will stop by booth number 15409 in the central hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and say hello!

Today’s story begins with an unintentional lie to an unsuspecting person.

The other day I was purchasing a few more 60″ plasma TVs for my living room and I couldn’t help but notice Powermat’s new flashy display at Best Buy. The product looked fantastic in the display case and even the packaging looked sexy and fresh. Fascinated, I grabbed the box and began reading everything about the system and how it worked. A Best Buy employee approached me while I was admiring the product and upon my inquiry, told me two units had already been sold.

“A great start!” I exclaimed as the employee and I exchanged an awesome, deafening high-five. We shared a few more laughs while he helped me carry the plasma TVs to the parking lot, and I told him I’d return tomorrow to purchase my own Powermat charging unit.

I never did.

Little did I know, as I uttered that false promise, the two sold units were already sitting comfortably in WiPower’s office.

When I walked into WiPower the following day and noticed the two Powermat units laying on the table, I lit up like a child on Christmas morning. I hastily picked through the packaging, plugged in the Powermat, and locked my iPhone into the charging case. I carefully placed the phone near one of the charging zones and it snapped into place like magic. Before I could register what had happened, an LED flashed on, and the phone was already charging! It’s so simple, a caveman could do it!

The sleek looking pad has three charging zones that can deliver power to three different loads (electronics) simultaneously. The company has already released receiver skins that allow the iPhone, Blackberry’s, Nintendo DS, and other various electronics to become Powermat compatible. They even designed a smaller, but equally effective travel version of the Powermat that folds up for convenient packing.

Powermat has made a great step toward bringing wireless power solutions to consumers…their system is easy to use and they’ve demonstrated to the world a unique vision of what the future will look like with wireless charging. But before you start to wonder who paid for my plasma TVs, let me point out some compelling differences between Powermat’s and WiPower’s technologies:

With WiPower’s wireless power system, devices will charge anywhere on top of the charging pad, whereas on a Powermat, a device will only charge if it is placed in a specific position, hence the magnetic alignment system Powermat has had to employ. A second point of differentiation is though it appears you can charge multiple devices on a Powermat, you are actually charging one device on one transmitter at a time. Each charging zone on a Powermat represents a single transmitter – so there are actually three transmitters required in one Powermat to charge three devices, whereas in a WiPower pad, there is just one transmitter that is capable of charging up to four devices. Also, as I appreciate the benefit Powermat offers by eliminating the hassle of carrying different power adapters for different devices, now you have to carry a Powermat… WiPower envisions a world where its wireless power system is built into desks, tables, kitchen countertops, airports, and hotels so that carrying any sort of power supply will be completely unnecessary.

As I said before, Powermat’s products are a great introduction to wireless power and I would like to congratulate them on an impressive product launch! But please stay tuned for further developments on the wireless power frontier, courtesy of my hard-working teammates at WiPower…

Thanks,
Nick
(the intern)

One of the consistent topics of interest to our technology integrators and end-consumers is a future development of a common wireless power standard. Standardization would maximize the value that consumers derive from wireless power, however deciding how to arrive at such a standard and what that standard will look like are still uncertain. Like the development of personal computers and mobile phone adapters, the answer to these questions should and will be dictated by consumers and the way they use wireless power.

While the development of any such standard is likely to take several years and generations of products, there are two fundamental approaches to development currently being pursued. First, a technology driven standard that relies on what is currently feasible with today’s technology and molding consumer needs to that technology. This approach has received significant media exposure, because of its connection to the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Second, a consumer driven standard that focuses on the incremental value to consumers of wireless power and designing the technology around the needs and desires of consumers. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has adopted this ideology and contains a broader, more diverse range of consumer products and developers than its counterpart at the WPC.

Unfortunately for many developers of wireless power applications, the push for standardization has been exclusively limited to a technology-first approach, leaving the consumer perspective out of the standardization discussion. A standard is useful only in the sense that it creates value for end-consumers of wireless power. By not letting the consumers’ needs dictate the development of wireless power, groups such as the Wireless Power Consortium are actually limiting adoption by application developers and end consumers. Limiting in the sense that future potential consumer uses/applications are being foreclosed for short-term technological restrictions.

However, this is not to suggest that the CEA approach is not without flaws. Letting consumer needs drive the standardization creates higher burdens for technology providers as well as an extended development time for creating such a standard. Greater utility is likely to lead to higher technological requirements, which require a significant period of consumer use before any standard can actually be implemented. Much like the development of the standardized mobile phone adapters, which could not have been adopted until the understanding of consumer uses and the industry surrounding those uses had matured.

In the end, consumers will be the final judges of what standard to adopt. Wireless power innovators must focus their resources on developing technologies that meet and exceed the needs of consumers, not work to limit consumer choice and mandate a standard inconsistent with consumer needs and wants.

Thanks,
John
(Business Development)

Over the last 6-8 months, my teammates at WiPower have pointed to a drastic increase in my usage of a short yet profound word – “subtleties” – for good reason.

Technology development companies, such as WiPower and others in the wireless power space, spend a lot of brainpower and resources coming up with innovative technologies to enhance the way we live. In these years of development, novel electronic systems are created and patented. For most technology development companies, this is where the engineering slows and business development picks up – sell the underlying technology to companies that will productize it.

What can often occur with this business model is the “missed expectations” or “broken promises” phenomena – where the “subtleties” of taking a technology into a product stage are not as straight-forward as expected.

Take for example a small subset of the subtleties involved in creating wireless power products:
1. EM considerations: The electromagnetic fields emitted by a transmitter and coupled into a secondary coil are dependent on the environment that the product is in. For wireless power systems with flat coils, this involves inventing new types of materials with the right EM characteristics and very thin form factors, and creating processes to manufacture them.
2. Thermal management: Electronics dissipate heat. When integrated inside of a phone or other portable device, this heat must be well managed. However, most typical heat management techniques can no longer be used because they involve metal – something that interferes with wireless power signals.
3. Manufacturing: When moving from the prototypes displayed at CES to manufacturing 100,000 units cost-efficiently, the tuning of wireless power systems becomes quite difficult – the inherent variability in electronic components makes the tuning necessary for each unit different.

WiPower has had the good fortune to take its core technology and develop it into products for mass-production. Through this process, the team has been able to design a core wireless power technology that inherently solves the product issues many other wireless power technologies face. For me, this has resulted in a high level of confidence in our team’s ability to execute robust and cost-efficient wireless power systems for virtually any portable electronic device.

Thanks,
Ashish
(Product Development)

Last Monday, the Wireless Power Consortium released their “0.95″ technical specifications and revealed a new logo. The logo designates that a product is compatible with their wireless charging standard. Similarly, the well-established “WiFi” logo denotes interoperability between wireless local area network (WLAN) devices communicating via IEEE 802.11 specifications. Unlike the widely accepted “WiFi” logo, the Wireless Power Consortium’s “Qi” logo lacks any semblance of intuitiveness. The Wireless Power Consortium chose “Qi” because it means “vital energy” in Chinese. I have a slight suspicion that the average consumer will fail to see the natural relationship between the “Qi” logo and wireless power. “WiFi” is simple and intuitive…and it sounds like wireless! Based on initial reactions (one blogger asked, “Does anyone else see this and see someone seated, hands on knees, boaking his guts up?”), others seem to agree that “Qi” is obscure and overcomplicated.

The Wireless Power Consortium’s technical specifications follow this trend with their overly-complicated receiver specifications. Their specifications require digital communication between the transmitter and the receiver. The receiver must send a digital signal to the transmitter to indicate that it is a compatible receiver and to specify its power requirements. Additionally, the receiver provides an error signal to a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller on the transmitter. All of these complexities are unnecessary. No communication requirements exist with WiPower’s technology. We use the principles of magnetic induction to detect appropriate loads. There is no communication module or PID controller required. This allows us to maintain low component counts, low BOM costs and therefore, low cost points.

Thanks,
Ed
(Electrical Engineer)