POWER TRANSFER APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREFOR

A power transfer apparatus being a power transmitter () or power receiver () of a power transfer via a power transfer signal comprises a power coil () for transferring power with a complementary power transfer coil () being the other apparatus of the power transfer operation. A first communicator () communicates data with the complementary power transfer apparatus using modulation of the power transfer signal. A second communicator () communicates power transfer control data via a second communication channel that is independent of the power transfer signal and has a communication data rate at least ten times higher. A presence detector () determines whether the complementary power transfer apparatus is present in a proximity of the power transfer coil () in response to the first data; and a power transfer controller () restricts the wireless power transfer from the power transmitter () to the power receiver () in response to a detection of an absence of the complementary power transfer apparatus.