Abstract:
A water treatment system is provided with an untreated water reservoir having a cavity through which a filter assembly may traverse such that untreated water in the cavity passes through the filter assembly into a treated water reservoir. Traversal of the filter assembly may be facilitated by a pressure control assembly configured to generate a vacuum.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a wireless power supply system including a remote device capable of both transmitting and receiving power wirelessly. The remote device includes a self-driven synchronous rectifier. The wireless power supply system may also include a wireless power supply configured to enter an OFF state in which no power, or substantially no power, is drawn, and to wake from the OFF state in response to receiving power from a remote device.
Abstract:
An acoustic module with a transducer and a solid waveguide. The transducer and waveguide may be curved to focus the acoustic energy along a focal line. The transducer, the top surface of the waveguide and the bottom surface of the waveguide may extend along coaxial curves. The waveguide may include a recess closely receiving the transducer. The waveguide may include an integral skirt that provides a thermal mass. The acoustic module may include a space to accommodate thermal management options. For example, the acoustic module may include a heatsink, an active ventilation system and/or a phase change material. The ultrasound device may include a controller configured to perform a uniformity scan sweep during supply of operating power to the transducer. The uniformity scan sweep can extend through a frequency range that includes the operating point of the acoustic module and does not exceed an acceptable efficiency loss.
Abstract:
A water treatment system is provided with an untreated water reservoir having a cavity through which a filter assembly may traverse such that untreated water in the cavity passes through the filter assembly into a treated water reservoir. Traversal of the filter assembly may be facilitated by a pressure control assembly configured to generate a vacuum.
Abstract:
A product interaction monitor includes sensors for measuring characteristics related to the product and/or product package or other type of container. The product interaction monitor can be installed in a container cap and used to monitor events associated with the container such as product usage. The product interaction monitor can utilize multiple sensor outputs to increase the accuracy of the detection of the events. The product interaction monitor can be used to estimate product inventory or product usage and communicate information regarding the product and/or product usage to a local display or a remote computer.
Abstract:
A power supply with a multi-bridge topology configured to provide multiple different bridge topologies during operation. The power supply includes a plurality of half-bridge circuits connected to a controller. The controller can selectively configure the power supply between a plurality of different bridge topologies during operation by controlling the half-bridge circuit.
Abstract:
A remote device in accordance with the present invention includes an adaptive power receiver that receives wireless power from the wireless power supply by induction. The adaptive power receiver may be switched among two or more modes of operation, including, for example, a high-Q mode and a low-Q mode. By controlling the duty cycle of the switching between modes, the amount of energy received by the adaptive receiver may be controlled to communicate to the wireless power supply. This control is a form of adaptive resonance communication or Q control communication. Distortion can be reduced or eliminated by ramping between duty cycles with adjustment to intermediate duty cycle values.
Abstract:
A communication system that uses keyed modulation to encode fixed frequency communications on a variable frequency power transmission signal in which a single communication bit is represented by a plurality of modulations. To provide a fixed communication rate, the number of modulations associated with each bit is dynamic varying as a function of the ratio of the communication frequency to the carrier signal frequency. In one embodiment, the present invention provides dynamic phase-shift-keyed modulation in which communications are generated by toggling a load at a rate that is a fraction of the power transfer frequency. In another embodiment, the present invention provides communication by toggling a load in the communication transmitter at a rate that is phase locked and at a harmonic of the power transfer frequency. In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides frequency-shift-keyed modulation, including, for example, modulation at one of two different frequencies.
Abstract:
A wireless power receiver capable of receiving wireless power from close-coupled and mid-range wireless power supplies. The wireless power receiver includes a principal and supplemental receiver circuits. The principle receiver circuit is adjustable to operate in a close-coupled mode or a resonator mode. In close-coupled mode, the principle receiver circuit is coupled to the power input of a remote device and functions as the principle power source. In resonator-mode, the principle power circuit is electrically disconnected/isolated from the remote device and forms a closed resonant loop to function as a resonator that amplifies an electromagnetic field from a mid-range wireless power supply. The supplemental receiver circuit is coupled to the power input of the remote device and is configured to receive wireless power from the resonator and function as the power source when the principle receiver circuit is in the resonator mode.
Abstract:
A dispenser or dispensing system. The dispenser can be a screw conveyor pill dispenser, tumbler pill dispenser, push-to-operate pill cap dispenser, twist-to-operate pill cap dispenser, or push-to-operate pill cap dispenser. The pill dispenser may include a pill dispenser control system that can interact with a personal device, such as a smart phone. The pill dispenser control system can implement communication with a personal device, pill identification, user identification and security, scheduling functions, and notifications. The pill dispenser can dispense pills manually, semi-automatically, or automatically.