| US 11,757,369 B1 | ||
| Apparatus, system, and method for optically transforming ac electrical inputs into stepped-down dc outputs | ||
| Maik Andre Scheller, Redmond, WA (US); Jonathan Robert Peterson, Woodinville, WA (US); and Andrew John Ouderkirk, Redmond, WA (US) | ||
| Assigned to Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US) | ||
| Filed by META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/775,607. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 62/900,672, filed on Sep. 16, 2019. | ||
| Int. Cl. H02M 7/06 (2006.01); H02M 7/00 (2006.01) | ||
| CPC H02M 7/06 (2013.01) [H02M 7/003 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
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1. An optical transformer comprising:
an alternating current (AC) component that incorporates:
an array of light-emitting devices that:
are electrically coupled between a ground node and an electrical node configured to carry electric current from an AC power source; and
are connected in series with one another;
at least one additional array of light-emitting devices that:
are electrically coupled between the ground node and the electrical node;
are connected in series with one another and in parallel with the array of light-emitting devices; and
are arranged along a vertical plane within the AC component; and
an optical transmitter that transmits a modulated light signal carrying information; and
a direct current (DC) component that is optically coupled to the AC component and incorporates:
an array of photovoltaic cells that:
are optically coupled to the array of light-emitting devices via beams of light energy;
each produce a constituent DC electrical signal;
are arranged to accumulate the constituent DC electrical signals into a DC electrical output;
are arranged along a vertical plane within the DC component; and
include a certain number of photovoltaic cells designed to produce the DC electrical output at a specific voltage level sufficient to power or charge a consumer device; and
an optical receiver that receives the modulated light signal carrying the information from the optical transmitter via a transmission beam that is external to the beams of light energy; and
wherein the optical transformer comprises a form factor that fits in tight spaces, the form factor being dimensioned such that the vertical planes within the AC and DC components are at least twice as long as a horizontal plane that is orthogonal to the vertical planes and spans across the AC and DC components.
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