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Wireless Power Now A Reality

Posted by Zonk on from the just-think-of-the-possibilities dept.

SlashRating© 35 slashdottit! tm CSMastermind writes "CNN is reporting on a breakthrough technology. A startup called Powercast has developed and patented a device, the size of a dime and costing 5$ to make, which allows power to be transmitted wirelessly. The device has already gained FCC approval and the company has inked deals with the likes of Phillips. From the article: 'Powercast says it has signed nondisclosure agreements to develop products with more than 100 companies, including major manufacturers of cell phones, MP3 players, automotive parts, temperature sensors, hearing aids, and medical implants. The last of those alone could be a multibillion-dollar market: Pacemakers, defibrillators, and the like require surgery to replace dead batteries. But with a built-in Powercast receiver, those batteries could last a lifetime. '"

5 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Not april fools by benh57 · · Score: 5, Informative
    This one's real kids.

    Write-up from Jan.

    Official Site

  2. This story is legit. by aphexbrett · · Score: 5, Informative

    See this arstechnica article from Jan 17 2007.

    http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070117-8639 .html

  3. Re:dupe? by The+Great+Pretender · · Score: 5, Informative

    There was a report on cnet Jan 7 this year. They unveiled the concept and Philips interest at CES 2007 http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12760_7-9673092-5.htm l

    --
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
  4. This is actually actually real, here's the patent by Tatarize · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/q?db=pat& pat=7027311

      Total Assignments: 2
    Patent #:7027311
    Issue Dt: 04/11/2006
    Application #: 10966880
    Filing Dt: 10/15/2004
    Publication #:US20050104453
    Pub Dt:05/19/2005
    Inventors:Timm A. Vanderelli, John G. Shearer, John R. Shearer
    Title:

    METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A WIRELESS POWER SUPPLY

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    It is no longer uncommon to be uncommon.
  5. Re:dupe? by naoursla · · Score: 4, Informative

    Radio waves are alternating magnetic fields. The faster the field is alternated the more power it has and the further it travels. Go study how an AM transmitter and receiver works. Most AM antennas are simple inductive coils that pick up a modulations in a magnetic field. Building an AM transmitter is one of the simplest projects you can do (and was a project in my first circuits class). All you do is make a periodic signal and bound the amplitude by some input (like from a microphone). Then you run it through a coil of wire to create the alternate magnetic field. The magnetic field then hits the coil in the antenna of the receiver and induces a current. The current passes over a resistor and you measure the voltage level. You run that voltage level through a band pass filter and then through an amplifier and then to a speaker and voila! you get to hear whatever the microphone on the other end is picking up.