美國新創(chuàng)公司 Humavox 悄悄地為已經(jīng)有多種技術(shù)類型的無線充電方案新增了一個(gè)選項(xiàng)，該公司開發(fā)了一種外觀是密閉容器的無線充電器，鎖定包括助聽器、智能手表、智能眼鏡等小型裝置應(yīng)用。 Humavox 的官網(wǎng)已于日前上線，但到目前為止對(duì)于該公司的Thunderbolt射頻互連以及Nest無線充電容器的細(xì)節(jié)卻著墨不多；而有趣的是，Humavox的 兩項(xiàng)產(chǎn)品名稱剛好與市面上的兩種非同類產(chǎn)品一模一樣，Thunderbolt是Apple與Intel所支持的有線互連接口技術(shù)，Nest則是一種由 Nest Labs這家公司生產(chǎn)的恒溫器。 據(jù)了解，用戶只要把可穿戴式裝置放進(jìn)名為Nest的充電容器，那些裝置所發(fā)送出 的射頻訊號(hào)會(huì)被該充電裝置內(nèi)的電子組件所接收，然后將之轉(zhuǎn)換成直流電能量。這意味著使用者不必?fù)?dān)心可穿戴式裝置在充電容器內(nèi)的擺放位置──另一種與之競爭 的電感耦合無線充電方案之缺點(diǎn)，就是必須讓待充電裝置與充電板緊密貼合。 “當(dāng)Nest容器內(nèi)有射頻訊號(hào)傳輸，我們能控制那些無線電波并使其精準(zhǔn)指向待充電的裝置，達(dá)到非常高的無線充電效率；”Humavox共同創(chuàng)辦人暨首席執(zhí)行官Omri Lachman表示。

Humavox無線充電器
5JYesmc

Humavox 的無線充電方案不但為使用者帶來方便，也提供了安全性──因?yàn)榇郎y(cè)物體是在一個(gè)密閉容器內(nèi)進(jìn)行充電。該公司計(jì)劃開放技術(shù)授權(quán)給各家系統(tǒng)廠商，讓它們能利用 現(xiàn)有的電源管理芯片或是自己的ASIC芯片，以各種方式為產(chǎn)品添加無線充電功能。不過到目前為止Humavox 并未公布任何客戶名單。 目前市面上其實(shí)已經(jīng)有太多的無線充電解決方案選項(xiàng)，而如Broadcom首席技術(shù)專家Henry Samueli最近在一場(chǎng)媒體活動(dòng)中所言：“現(xiàn)在我們有三種無線充電標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，它們應(yīng)該要整合；我認(rèn)為今年那些技術(shù)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)陣營將會(huì)認(rèn)清，只要它們不團(tuán)結(jié)、無線充電市場(chǎng)就不會(huì)起飛?！? Samueli并指出，無線充電市場(chǎng)的主要推手不會(huì)是智能手機(jī)裝置，而是各種各樣所謂“物聯(lián)網(wǎng)”應(yīng)用的裝置。 Humavox 的技術(shù)據(jù)說是共同創(chuàng)辦人Lachman與他的好朋友──公司首席技術(shù)專家、資深電子工程師Asaf Elssibony聊天時(shí)聊出來的。Lachman回憶，那是在2009年，Elssibony談到他在以色列陸軍服役時(shí)受傷，必須要用一種植入式的脊髓 神經(jīng)刺激器(spinal cord neurostimulator)來減輕疼痛。 “他跟我說那種裝置必須要?jiǎng)邮中g(shù)才能取出，而且每三年半就要更換一次，因?yàn)殡姵貕勖鼰o法維持太長時(shí)間；”Lachman表示，他當(dāng)時(shí)是數(shù)家新創(chuàng)公司的董事會(huì)成員，并在一個(gè)家族企業(yè)的汽車部門負(fù)責(zé)營銷與業(yè)務(wù)開發(fā)，于是兩個(gè)人很快激蕩出一個(gè)無線充電技術(shù)新概念。 Lachman回憶：“我們申請(qǐng)了第一個(gè)專利、進(jìn)行了一些創(chuàng)業(yè)前概念驗(yàn)證，然后在2010年完成了第一輪的募資，正式成立一家公司。” 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Startup Puts Wireless Charging in a Box，by Rick Merritt

相關(guān)閱讀：
• CES2014開展！看各大廠商發(fā)布新品及新策略
• 燃料電池能否借移動(dòng)電源應(yīng)用翻身？
• 芯傳科技推出高度整合的移動(dòng)電源解決方案5JYesmc

{pagination} Startup Puts Wireless Charging in a Box Faraday cage eases user's job Rick Merritt SAN JOSE, Calif. — Humavox emerged from stealth mode adding another wireless charging technology to what some say is already too large a set of options. The startup uses RF technology in a closed container, aiming at generally small devices such as hearing aids, smart watches, and connected glasses. Humavox formally launched its website Tuesday, but it supplies little detail so far on the company's Thunderlink RF interconnect or Nest container, which is not related to separate products from Nest Labs. Users put their wearable devices in a Farady cage called the Nest Power Station where they are zapped with RF signals. The signals are received by electronics built into the charging device and then converted to DC energy. The approach means users don't need to worry about how they place devices in a charging box. That's a drawback with competing techniques that use inductive coupling that needs close connections between the electronics in the device and a charging mat. "By using RF transmission in Nest, Humavox gained control over these waves and managed to accurately point it towards the devices under charge, setting an extremely high level of wireless power transfer efficiency," said Omri Lachman, co-founder and chief executive of Humavox, in an email exchange. Humavox eases the job for users -- and keeps them safe -- by placing objects under charge with its RF technique in a Faraday cage. Humavox aims to license its technology to OEMs that can implement it in a variety of ways in their products using existing power management ICs and their own boards or ASICs. So far the company has not disclosed any OEM customers. The company debuts at a time when some say there are already too many wireless charging options. "Today, there are three standards and they have to converge," said Henry Samueli, chief technologist at Broadcom, speaking at a recent press event. "I think this year they will figure out this market is not taking off until they get together," he said. The main driver of the wireless charging market will not be smartphones so much as a wide array of devices that are part of the so-called Internet of Things, Samueli added. The Humavox technology emerged from discussions between Lachman and a close friend, Asaf Elssibony, his chief technologist and a veteran electronics engineer. In a discussion in 2009 Elssibony described to Lachman an implanted spinal cord neurostimulator he used for pain relief after getting injured during his service in the Israeli army. "He started telling me about how the device had to be surgically removed and replaced every three-and-a-half years because the battery life expectancy is so short," said Lachman, who has served on the boards of several startups and worked in marketing and business development roles for the automotive division of a family business. Soon the two were working on new concepts for wireless charging. "We filed our first patents, did some garage proof-of-concepts, and in 2010 finalized a first round of financing and incorporated as a company," Lachman said.