Patent ID: 8362651

Claim:
A method for transferring energy wirelessly, the method comprising: transferring energy wirelessly from a first resonator structure to an intermediate resonator structure, wherein the coupling rate between the first resonator structure and the intermediate resonator structure is κ 1B ; transferring energy wirelessly from the intermediate resonator structure to a second resonator structure, wherein the coupling rate between the intermediate resonator structure and the second resonator structure is κ B2 ; and during the wireless energy transfers, adjusting at least one of the coupling rates κ 1B and κ B2 to reduce energy accumulation in the intermediate resonator structure and improve wireless energy transfer from the first resonator structure to the second resonator structure through the intermediate resonator structure, wherein the adjustment of the at least one of the coupling rates defines a first mode of operation, wherein the reduction in the energy accumulation in the intermediate resonator structure is relative to energy accumulation in the intermediate resonator structure for a second mode of operation of wireless energy transfer among the three resonator structures having a coupling rate κ′ 1B for wireless energy transfer from the first resonator structure to the intermediate resonator structure and a coupling rate κ′ B2 for wireless energy transfer from the intermediate resonator structure to the second resonator structure with κ′ 1B and κ′ B2 each being substantially constant during the second mode of wireless energy transfer, and wherein the adjustment of the coupling rates κ 1B and κ 2B in the first mode of operation satisfies κ 1B , κ B2 <√{square root over ((κ′ 1B 2 +κ′ B2 2 )/2)}.