Patent ID: 7109610

Claim:
A wireless linear motor comprising: a stationary stator having permanent magnets; a movable stage having coils and a controller with a transceiver for wirelessly communicating with an external data processing system, the controller adapted to energize the coils to position the stage over the stator in response to control signals from the external system; and, a frame having first and second magnetically permeable linear guides for slideably mounting the stage over the stator to form a magnetic circuit linking the frame and stage, wherein each linear guide has a stage portion attached to the stage and wound with a stage coil, a frame portion attached to the frame and wound with a frame coil, a plurality of ball bearings disposed between and magnetically coupling the stage and frame portions, electric conductors coupling the frame coil to an external power supply for generating a magnetic flux in the frame portion, and additional electric conductors coupling the stage coil to the controller for providing electrical power induced in the stage coil by the magnetic flux.