The recent article (here) about Powermat’s release of their Charging Spot 4.0 to add the support of Inductive Qi standard (MI based) on top of their existing support of Airfuel Inductive standard (still MI based) is a very straight forward move in response to Apple’s announcement of Inductive Qi support. Is this move the holy grail to solve the current world’s real problem? Not quite. Given the fact that Resonant Qi is still fighting the laws of physics to maintain backward compatibility, until it’s done, the real world still need a solution NOW that works for all kinds of user situations. JJPlus agrees with Powermat’s move to support both wireless power standards’ MI based devices, however, we believe that by maintaining the advantages of AirFuel Resonant (MR based) while adding an extension to support Inductive Qi is a better approach.
A hybrid wireless charging system
The objective of our hybrid wireless charging system is to meet the following 6 criteria:
1. Full spatial freedom
2. Under table transmitter installation/no drilling
3. Resonant power through thick surfaces of different types
4. Multiple devices charging, one single transmitter
5. Full compatibility with both Inductive Qi and Airfuel Resonant
6. Legacy support to still billions of phones requiring wired charging
To meet the above-mentioned criteria, we start off with the abundant power of WCTC301 wireless power transmitter charging base with the capability to 1. provide 16W of resonant power through a distance of 46mm, enough to charge up to 2 phones simultaneously and 2. under table installation to power through a typical thick table. Second, we designed a ‘Power bridge’ WCRB401 which is a Qi compliant transmitter stand (for charging a Qi compliant phone) that receives the resonant power, at the base of the stand, from WCTC301. When this Power Bridge is placed within WCTC301’s effective charging area, full spatial freedom is supported and the user can still operate the phone while charging in the upright position. For legacy support, we offer an optional 3-in-one cable with selectable Lightning, Micro-USB & Type C connector on one end, and the other end connects to the power bridge. With this hybrid wireless charging system, all of the 6 criteria are met – No compromises on delivering compelling user experiences. No compromises on full compatibility and No compromises on supporting legacy devices!
(note: for infrastructure deployment, WCTC301 is equipped with WiFi connectivity and the API necessary for the remote management of your wireless power network)
Typical Qi Powermat Charge Spot 4.0 JJPlus WCTC301 Hybrid
Spatial Freedom NO NO YES
Powers Through Surface NO, typical 5mm power delivery distance YES, up to 40mm power delivery distance YES, up to 50mm power delivery distance
Maximum Transmitter Power 5W (Typical) 15W (as of today) 16W (as of today)
Under Table Installation (a.k.a. No Drilling) NO YES YES
Multiple Devices Charging NO NO YES
Dual Wireless Power Standard Suppot NO (Qi only) YES (Qi and Airfuel Inductive) YES (Qi and Airfuel Resonant)
Legacy Support for Wired Charging NO NO YES
Wireless Power Network Remote Management NO YES YES
