英特爾公司(Intel)日前宣布采用Integrated Device Technology (IDT)的發(fā)射器與接收器芯片,用于實現(xiàn)其無線共振能量鏈接(WREL)技術(shù),并計劃進一步使這項
無線充電技術(shù)成為支持其行動運算與通訊產(chǎn)品發(fā)揮市場影響力的重要元素。
IDT預將在2012年底前出樣該共振接收器芯片,2013上半年供應發(fā)射器IC樣片。英特爾與IDT公司并計劃針對Ultrabook、 PC、智能手機與獨立式充電器等應用推出共振無線充電參考設(shè)計。
英特爾一直致力于推動這項無線充電技術(shù)的商用化上市,期望用于提高該公司Ultrabook與智能手機等移動系列產(chǎn)品在市場上的吸引力。英特爾從2008年十月起即著手開發(fā)這項無線共振充電技術(shù)。
多年來,在幾公分(或幾毫米)的距離內(nèi)利用磁感應進行無線充電一向被視為是一種具有前景的應用領(lǐng)域,但卻一直難以找到一種能夠有效轉(zhuǎn)移能量的技術(shù),也遲遲未能針對相關(guān)技術(shù)標準建立共識。
因此,英特爾此舉看來可說是立意甚佳。大多數(shù)的人可能會認為外出還必須攜帶各種不同的有線充電器以及得經(jīng)常為這些隨身設(shè)備進行充電實在是落伍了。
然而,英特爾公司的策略一向在于結(jié)合技術(shù)與商業(yè),因此,不要指望它開發(fā)這項技術(shù)的目的是為了對世界作出貢獻,或甚至只是單純地在市場上進行銷售。我認為,英特爾更著眼于從這項技術(shù)中獲得更大的影響力。
英特爾是PC處理器的主要供貨商,但在手機、智能手機與平板電腦等以ARM處理器架構(gòu)及其合作伙伴生態(tài)為主導的領(lǐng)域卻還是個“新手”。英特爾究竟能如何利用其無線充電技術(shù),進一步發(fā)揮其于計算機領(lǐng)域的主導地位,使其得以轉(zhuǎn)移到移動領(lǐng)域?
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
本文下一頁:與Ultrabook兼容是最大看點
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• IDT助力英特爾深耕無線充電市場
• 無線充電未來材料為王,本土標準掀移動電源革命
• 無線充電市場:西方不亮東方亮sfVesmc
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英特爾的無線充電技術(shù)預計將在2013下半年出現(xiàn)在幾款基于英特爾處理器的超輕薄筆電(Ultrabook)產(chǎn)品中。乍聽之下,很多人可能會以為只要將這些計算機放在連接到主電源的無線充電座上,就可以實現(xiàn)無線充電了。的確,有些產(chǎn)品類型可能是這樣。
在產(chǎn)品中嵌入英特爾的無線充電性能后,在Ultrabook附近的英特爾智能手機就能自動進行充電與同步,然而,未搭載英特爾技術(shù)的其它智能手機制造商卻無法連接到這項技術(shù)。
因此,透過這種方式,英特爾將可開始利用這種在英特爾計算機上進行手機充電的先決條件,進而提高對于采用英特爾處理器的手機與平板計算機的市場需求度。
只 要把你的英特爾手機放在桌上那臺Ultrabook旁邊,等你準備好起身離開時,它已經(jīng)完全充好電,也完成同步作業(yè)了。這聽起來不錯吧?但當你把你的 iPhone 或非英特爾的 Android 智能手機放在你的Ultrabook或甚至是 Mac 筆記型計算機旁邊看看,它卻完全不會進行充電。這就一點兒也不酷了!
透過其 Atom 處理器加上無線充電接收技術(shù),英特爾計劃開始成為智能手機與平板計算機制造商心目中的理想平臺,并進一步對ARM及其合作伙伴生態(tài)系統(tǒng)帶來沖擊。
然而,所有這一切都是基于一項假設(shè):英特爾具有充分的資源足以達到目的,而蘋果(Apple)、ARM、 Android 的支持者及其它廠商則否,或是缺乏更有利的資源。但值得注意的是,高通(Qualcomm)和三星(Samsung)已經(jīng)形成一個“無線電力聯(lián)盟” (Alliance for Wireless Power;A4WP)了,而業(yè)界多家廠商也已經(jīng)組成“無線充電聯(lián)盟”(Wireless Power Consortium;WPC),正試圖建立 Qi 作為全球性的標準,所以,這一場無線充電戰(zhàn)才剛剛開始。
顯然地,這場無線充電戰(zhàn)將會帶來標準化的問題,而且也將引發(fā)對于“強制搭售”(tied selling)的法律爭議。不過,由于無線充電技術(shù)目前的市場還不是十分明確,因此,如果英特爾這項技術(shù)真的能帶來好處的話,那么在管理機構(gòu)責令邁向開 放以前,英特爾應該還有幾年的大好時光。
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
編譯:Susan Hong
參考英文原文:Intel energizes wireless charging effort、How Intel can use wireless charging to attack ARM,by Peter Clarke
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• IDT助力英特爾深耕無線充電市場
• 無線充電未來材料為王,本土標準掀移動電源革命
• 無線充電市場:西方不亮東方亮sfVesmc
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Intel energizes wireless charging effort
Peter Clarke
LONDON – Intel Corp. has selected mixed-signal fabless chip company Integrated Device Technology Inc. to make transmitter and receiver ICs to implement Intel's resonant wireless energy transfer technology.
Intel (Santa Clara, Calif.) is pushing hard to bring the technology to market to improve the attractiveness of mobile offerings based on its processors such as Intel-based ultrabooks and smartphones. Intel has been developing resonant wireless charging since before October 2008.
IDT (San Jose, Calif.) said it plans to be able to provide samples the resonance receiver IC by the end of 2012 and the year, and of the transmitter IC sometime in the first half of 2013. Intel and IDT also plan to deliver resonant wireless charging reference designs for use in Ultrabooks, PCs, smartphones, and standalone chargers.
Wireless charging over distances of a few millimeters or centimeters using magnetic induction has been seen as a promising application area for a number of years but has been difficult to find an efficient means of energy transfer and consensus on standards has been slow to build.
"Our extensive experience in developing the innovative and highly integrated IDTP9030 transmitter and multi-mode IDTP9020 receiver has given IDT a proven leadership position in the wireless power market,” said Arman Naghavi, vice president and general manager of the analog and power division at IDT, in a statement.
"We think the ability to have a wire-free charging experience with a broad ecosystem of devices like keyboards, mice, storage devices, cameras and smartphones will be realized in the near future," said Gary Huang, director of PC growth and innovation at Intel, in the same statement.
How Intel can use wireless charging to attack ARM
Peter Clarke
LONDON – Intel is gearing up to make its wireless resonant energy link (WREL) technology a supporting element to its mobile computing and communications offering.
IDT has announced that it has been selected by Intel to design and deliver transmit and receive ICs and to help deliver wireless charging reference designs for use in ultrabooks, PCs, smartphones, and stand-alone chargers.
That is well and good. Most of us probably think that carrying all those different wired chargers around and having to continually plug gadgets in to juice them up seems a little bit last century.
But Intel has always combined technology with business so, assuming that what the company has is any good, do not expect it to develop the technology and donate it to the world – or even to simply sell it to the world. It is my belief that Intel will be looking to obtain additional leverage from this technology.
Intel is the dominant supplier of processors for personal computers but is very much the Johnny-come-lately in mobile phones, smartphones and tablet computers where the ARM processor architecture, and ARM's ecosystem partners dominate.
So how could Intel use its wireless charging technology to leverage its leading position in computers and transfer it into the mobile sector?
The gadget swarm is the gadget
Intel's wireless charging technology is expected to arrive in the second half of 2013 in a few models of Intel-based thin notebook (ultrabook) computers. A casual glance might lead one to think that these computers would be charged wirelessly by sitting on some plate that is plugged into the main electricity supply and indeed for some models that might be so.
But the leverage comes when Intel embeds the ability to charge nearby Intel-based smartphones from the ultrabook and denies access to the technology to other smartphone makers.
In this way Intel could start to use the provision of mobile charging capability on Intel-based computers to enhance the desirability of mobile phones and tablet computers also based on its processors.
Plonk your intel-phone down on the desk next to your ultrabook and it is fully charged and synched up when you are ready to go walkabout. Does that sound good? But if you put your iPhone or non-Intel Android smartphone down next to your ultrabook, or even next to your Mac notebook, it doesn't charge up. How uncool is that?
And in this way Intel Atom processors plus wireless charging receiver technology could start to become the basis of a desirable platform for smartphone and tablet computer makers at the expense of ARM and its ecosystem partners.
All this assumes that what Intel has is sufficiently energy efficient to be justifiable in use and that Apple, ARM, Android supporters and others do not have something as good or superior. It is notable that Qualcomm and Samsung formed a wireless power consortium called the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and there is also the Wireless Power Consortium trying to set Qi as a global standard so the battle lines are being drawn.
Obviously such a battle would prompt issues over standardization but it could also prompt legal arguments over "tied selling." But as wireless charging is not a distinct market as yet Intel should have a few years in which to benefit, if its technology indeed provides a benefit, before the authorities would enforce moves to open access.
責編:Quentin