Induction Charging for Portable Devices

For many, one of the biggest problems with portable technology devices is keeping the battery charged so that it works when you need it. There are car chargers and 120 volt wall chargers, but between cell phones, music players, GPS units, digital cameras and camcorders, there simply aren't cigarette lighter power sources or wall outlets required to keep everything charged. If any of these devices run down and go for a protracted period with no charge in the battery, you may even run the risk of killing the battery permanently.

The Old Way to Charge Portable Electronics

Until very recently, the only way to charge each of these devices was through a unique charging cord that worked for exactly one device. Plugging the device in and unplugging it on a near daily basis often took its toll on the power cords or the tiny connectors used to attach them to the portable device. Once the charging cord went, the device quickly became useless unless you purchased a replacement, usually for a price disproportionally high considering the cost of the device it charges.

The Electric Toothbrush Leads the Charging Technology Race

There's been a better way to charge batteries for quite a while. If you have an electric toothbrush, you may be familiar with induction charging. Essentially, induction charging doesn't require a physical connection between the battery and the charger. Instead, an electromagnetic field is created which creates of induces an electrical charge in a transforming receiver which then transfers the power to the battery. In an electric toothbrush, the receiving transformer is built into the toothbrush housing. Cell phones and other portable devices, however don't have such receiver built in, so one needs to be added to each device to make induction charging work.

Installing the Induction Charging Receiver

These receivers are quite small and are usually made to fit specific devices. Induction charging receivers connect via the device's normal charging port. They are shaped to attach to the existing device permanently, without dangling pieces or significantly increasing the size of the device. You can view the installation guide of one popular brand here for details and illustrations of how they attach.

Induction Charging Ends the Tangle of Adapter Cords

Once the receiver is installed on the device, all you need to do to charge the device is put it down on the charging mat as shown in this PowerMat promotional video. The charging mat envelops the receiver in a small electro-magnetic field and the receiver immediately begins charging the device's existing battery. Most induction charging mats are big enough for several devices at once. In other words, a single power outlet can charge multiple portable devices at once. For road warriors or vacationers, packing a single power mat to charge all their portable devices is much easier than carrying a tangle of different adapter cords in your carry-on bag and then hunting for enough hotel room outlets to plug them all in once you arrive.

Techno-geeks Welcome Induction Chargers

The principles of induction charging have been well known since the early 1800's when the principle was discovered by pioneering scientists Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry, although there is no know record of either of them actually using electromagnetic induction to charge their cell phones or iPods. Applying the principle to make charging today's ever-present portable electronic devices has been a long time coming, but is certainly welcome by techno-geeks everywhere.

Sources:

Pure Energy. WildCharge Installation Guide. Retrieved from http://www.shoppureenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/UA_InstallGuide_web_150.pdf on March 30, 2010.

PowerMatTV. PowerMat Guided Tour. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkDPzjYqe7M on March 30, 2010.