1. A wireless power transmitter comprising:
a power source configured to generate a signal at a first frequency;
a controller configured to receive information indicative of power level limits at a plurality of frequencies, and select a multiplication factor based on the power level limits;
a communication signal generator coupled to the power source and configured to receive the signal at the first frequency and generate a communication signal at a second frequency based on the selected multiplication factor;
a driver coupled to the power source and configured to receive the signal at the first frequency and generate a driving signal at the first frequency, the driving signal being substantially in phase with the communication signal; and
a transmit circuit configured to receive a combined signal including the communication signal and the driving signal to generate a wireless field.
2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the communication signal generator includes a multiplier configured to generate the reference signal at the second frequency as an integer multiple of the first frequency based on the multiplication factor.
3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a data signal, and wherein the communication signal generator further comprises a modulator configured to receive the data signal and modulate the reference signal based on the received data signal to generate the communication signal.
4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer configured to receive the communication signal and the driving signal to generate the combined signal.
5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmit circuit comprises a transmit antenna, and wherein the transmit antenna includes a transmit coil.
6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmit antenna is resonant at the first frequency.
7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is about 6.78 MHz, and wherein the second frequency is about 40.72 MHz.
8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically vary the multiplication factor to encode additional information.
9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically vary the multiplication factor to increase throughput of the communication signal.
10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the multiplication factor is an integer.
11. A method of transferring power via a wireless field comprising:
generating a signal at a first frequency;
receiving information indicative of power level limits at a plurality of frequencies;
selecting a multiplication factor based on the power level limits;
generating a communication signal at a second frequency based on the selected multiplication factor;
generating a driving signal at the first frequency, the driving signal being substantially in phase with the communication signal; and
generating the wireless field based on a combined signal including the communication signal and the driving signal.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the multiplication factor is an integer.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a data signal, and modulating the reference signal based on the data signal to generate the communication signal.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising encoding information by varying the multiplication factor.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency is about 6.78 MHz, and wherein the second frequency is about 40.72 MHz.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising dynamically varying the multiplication factor to increase throughput of the data signal.
17. An apparatus for transferring power via a wireless field comprising:
means for generating a signal at a first frequency;
means for receiving information indicative of power level limits at a plurality of frequencies;
means for selecting a multiplication factor based on the power level limits;
means for generating a communication signal at a second frequency based on the selected multiplication factor;
means for generating a driving signal at the first frequency, the driving signal being substantially in phase with the communication signal; and
means for generating a wireless field based on a combined signal including the communication signal and the driving signal.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for generating a signal at the first frequency comprises an oscillator, the means for receiving information comprises a controller, the means for selecting the multiplication factor comprises a controller, the means for generating a driving signal comprises a power amplifier, and the means for generating a wireless field comprises an antenna.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the multiplication factor is an integer.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for generating a data signal, and means for modulating the reference signal based on the data signal to generate the communication signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An instrument panel for a vehicle, comprising:
at least one positive transparent type liquid crystal display comprising information zones and neutral zones;
a transparent support backing up the display at least on the information zones, acting as a support of the display and as a light guide comprising a surface portion curved toward the display for reflecting the light originating from a light source placed outside the instrument panel, and wherein a rear face of the display, with respect to a position of a driver, is illuminated by daylight.
2. The instrument panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display is mounted on a dashboard projecting therefrom, the rear face being illuminated by light from a windshield of the vehicle.
3. The instrument panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a means for illuminating the display by night.
4. The instrument panel as claimed in claim 3 wherein the illuminating means further comprises the light source placed outside the instrument panel laterally with respect to the display.
5. The instrument panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface portion is treated with a reflective means.
6. The instrument panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface portion of the rear face of the transparent support that does not face the information zones of the display is treated with black.
7. The instrument panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display is mounted in a surround of which the surface in the driver’s sight is of a dark color.
8. An instrument panel for a vehicle, comprising
at least one positive transparent type liquid crystal display comprising information zones and neutral zones, the display being backed up against a transparent sheet acting as a light guide illuminated by illuminating means for illuminating the display and acting as the support of the display;
wherein the instrument panel is flat, thin, and emerges from an opening made in the dashboard of the vehicle and projects from the dashboard such that a rear face of the display is illuminated by ambient light and by the illuminating means through the transparent support.
9. The instrument panel of claim 8, wherein the instrument panel is secured to a housing housed inside the dashboard.
10. The instrument panel of claim 9, wherein the illuminating means is in the housing.
11. The instrument panel of claim 10, wherein a control means of the instrument panel is located in the housing.
12. The instrument panel of claim 9, wherein a control circuit of the instrument panel is located in the housing.
13. The instrument panel of claim 8, wherein an outer face of the transparent support comprises a surface portion curved towards the display for reflecting light originating from the illuminating means.
14. The instrument panel of claim 13, wherein the surface portion is treated with a reflective means which does not form a mask against the light coming from the windshield.
15. The instrument panel of claim 13, wherein a surface portion that does not face the information zones is treated with black.
16. The instrument panel of claim 8, wherein the illuminating means comprise at least one LED.
17. An instrument panel for a vehicle, comprising
at least one positive transparent type liquid crystal display comprising information zones and neutral zones;
a light source, light from the light source being usable to illuminate the display; and
a transparent sheet backing up the display, the sheet acting as a light guide illuminated by the light source; wherein the transparent sheet supports the display allowing it to be illuminated by ambient daylight from the windshield of the vehicle;
wherein the instrument panel projects from the dashboard such that a rear face of the display is illuminated by ambient light; and
wherein the instrument panel is connected to a housing located inside the dashboard.
18. The instrument panel of claim 17, wherein a control circuit configured to control the instrument panel is located in the housing.
19. The instrument panel of claim 17, wherein the outer face of the support comprises a surface portion curved towards the display for reflecting light originating from the light source.