Funkwerk Dabendorf joins “Wireless Power Consortium”

Mobile electronic devices to be charged in future by wireless transmission – International exchange on technologies and standards for cross-manufacturer interoperability – High utility for use in the vehicle

Funkwerk Dabendorf GmbH has joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). The members of this international group of companies and institutions are developing a standard by which the devices of different manufacturers will be able to be charged by wireless at a charging station. The Brandenburg specialist in mobile communications systems is developing solutions for the contact-free power supply of mobile phones and Smartphones which comply with the specifications of the WPC in vehicles.

Norbert Stünkel, OEM Business Unit manager of Funkwerk Dabendorf reports on the involvement of his company in the consortium: We intend to apply our many years of expertise, for example in high-frequency technology, to promote the development of specifications for wireless energy transmission. This will be a great advantage, particularly in vehicles. In this respect, the mobile telephone will in future play an increasingly more central role as a net access medium for online and multimedia services, and be used as an application centre and personal data storage in the vehicle. This aim places high requirements on the continual power supply of mobile end-devices. The technology of wireless charging is very convenient, and therefore ideally suited for this purpose.

Electrical devices from the toothbrush to the camera and the mobile phone all need power. Up to now, charging has had to be carried out by means of a product-specific, physical connection. This procedure is inconvenient, expensive and harmful to the environment. In order to keep the market launch obstacles for a new wireless technology as manageable as possible, a cross-sector range of companies from Europe, the USA and Asia are working together in the WPC on technical capabilities and standards. The interoperability of charging stations and end-devices of different manufacturers will be confirmed by means of a certificate with the name Qi.

Funkwerk Dabendorf has already realised numerous solutions for high-performance and stable data transmission systems, which are in use in their millions in vehicles. The latest new development is a universal mobile telephone holder for the flexible connection of mobile telephones and Smartphones. The technology used will in future not only allow for wireless charging, but also for connection to the external antenna of the vehicle.