RF charger taps tiny antenna

Cairo-based Si-Ware is developing a system to charge devices wirelessly using thousands of tiny antennas.

The Cota wireless charging technology from Cairo-based Si-Ware Systems or SWS and Ossia Inc. departs from coil-based systems to serve up to eight devices simultaneously at a distance of 30 feet using 2.4GHz multipath RF.

Global revenue for wireless power receivers and transmitters will grow to more than $1.7 billion this year, according to IHS. A 2014 report puts the market at $8.5 billion by 2018.

Like RF startup Energous, Ossia and SWS envision a charging technology that mimics Wi-Fi, automatically connecting devices to power without the need for charging mats. The Cota system includes a scalable receiver and transmitter with between 1,000 and 8,000 tiny antennas.

SWS' SWS1420 receiver chip can retrieve up to 6W and will be embedded in portable devices and eventually in batteries. The receiver transmits a synchronized beacon to the transmitter to locate and focus power while also performing power management in a small, though unspecified footprint. The receiver refreshes its location 100 times per second for environmental adjustment.

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See a comparison table of chip antenna suppliers on GlobalSources.com