Qualcomm & Samsung Join The Club To Promote Remote Electronic Charging
It's typical. My phone's run out of charge, and the MP3 player and
the laptop all at once. I'm in the car and I've also forgotten the chargers for
these darned appliances that go into the mains. I'm a bit disorganised, after
all.
OK, forget the MP3 player, I can cope without that, but what if I need to make a call. And I do need the laptop to do a presentation for my job interview this afternoon. It would be great if I could charge them all at once, and in the car. Not so, with the technology at the moment. If only there were a way...
Well there may be something on the horizon.
A new project called Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) has been formed and its mission is to promote the global standardisation of a wireless power transfer technology. What's more, wireless big time players, Samsung and Qualcomm have joined the club of innovators which include Ever Win Industries, Gill Industries, Peiker Acustic, Powermat Technologies, and SK Telecom.
The independently operated organisation also aims to offer spatial
freedom, to develop product testing, certification and regulatory compliance
processes, and to foster industry dialogue with regulators on wireless power
policy development.
The alliance is targeting a broad base of consumer electronic devices to establish a worldwide wireless power technology ecosystem. These include the charging of electrical devices in cars, on tabletops and for multiple devices simultaneously. So I may be able to charge my devices in the car eventually, but just not yet.
The A4WP will also try to set up and issue technical specifications and will collaborate on a wireless charging solution ecosystem. To push the project forward, the team will cooperate with existing industry organisations and secure new members from across the industry.
Analyst firm IMS Research predicts shipments of wireless power enabled devices to surpass 100 million by 2015.
Jason dePreaux, a research manager at IMS Research comments, "Wireless power has the potential to increase convenience and improve the user experience in consumer devices like mobile phones by untethering the charging process. For these benefits to be realised, wireless power infrastructure must be deployed to enable wireless charge points in the home, at work, or while traveling without concern for compatibility. Industry alliances will play a critical role in developing this infrastructure."
Benefits of this wireless power approach include a transmitter and
receiver antenna design that is easily implemented, a simple wireless power
control system, and the ability to transfer power through non-metallic
surfaces.
The A4WP expects to achieve this capability without the need for costly multi-coil repeaters, which are required for other systems. A single specification is envisioned that will address simultaneous charging of multiple devices ranging from very low power products, such as Bluetooth headsets, to today's most sophisticated tablets.
All the members had something positive to say on the formation of the A4WP.
Executive Vice President and Group President, Qualcomm, says, "WiPower Technology by Qualcomm is ideally suited for a forum like the A4WP. Going forward, we hope to welcome additional companies and organisations who are looking to contribute towards setting the best possible standard for wireless power."
KiHo Kim, Executive Vice President, Head of Digital Media & Communications R&D Centre, Samsung Electronics, adds, "As a founding member of A4WP, Samsung is committed to supporting standardisation of wireless charging technology boasting spatial freedom, contributing to the eco-system, and exploring possibilities of a variety of services."
Henry Chen, President, Ever Win International Corporation, states, "As a developer, designer and manufacturer of consumer electronic products, Ever Win International looks forward to the standardisation of a wireless power solution offering spatial freedom. Such a wireless charging solution will further enhance our wireless lifestyles. The technology also offers a tremendous amount of flexibility in product design. Ever Win International is very excited to develop new and innovative wireless charging accessories based on the standards set forth by the Alliance for Wireless Power."
"Gill Industries is excited to be part of the A4WP and partner with such outstanding innovators and leaders in their respective market segments," comments the company's President and COO Richard Perreault. "As an innovation leader, Gill's goal is to provide embedded wireless power solutions to our global customers in the automotive and furniture industry that increase productivity while enabling and enriching users' lives. The A4WP will ensure the standardisation needed to provide a true and ubiquitous wireless charging infrastructure."
Peiker Acustic COO Marketing & Sales, Reinhard Kromer-von Baerle adds, "Peiker is aware of the demands of its broad OEM customer base. To make the integration as comfortable as possible for the end consumer an adaptive charging solution is essential for our all-wireless approach, which also covers all multimedia and antenna functionality. The standardisation realised by A4WP is one important step to secure support of current and future devices and establish this wireless charging ecosystem."
"Wireless power becomes transformative when mobile devices are recharged automatically through a seamless network of wireless power," says Daniel Schreiber, President of Powermat Technologies. We look forward to working with our partners at the A4WP on extending the physical layer of wireless power so that consumers everywhere continue to enjoy the very best this technology has to offer."
SK Telecom's Senior Vice President of Network Technology R&D Centre, Jong Ryeol Kang, concludes, "We believe wireless charging technology will be the most common way to power mobile devices in the near future. SK Telecom is constantly investigating new and innovative technologies to enhance mobile life and believes the A4WP specification, with its clear path towards implementation, is the way forward."
The new organisation welcomes participation from vendors in all segments including handheld devices, consumer electronics, semiconductor products, automotive, furniture, test equipment, cellular operators, and retail.
