Systems, apparatus, and method for a dual mode wireless power receiver

• US 10,020,683 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Carobolante, Francesco, Kasturi, Sreenivas, Jeong, Seong Heon
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Htun, Win
• Application Number:
  US14/521,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for a dual mode wireless power receiver. In accordance with on aspect, an apparatus for receiving wireless power is provided. The apparatus includes a first coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a first transmitter configured to generate a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency. The apparatus further includes a second coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a second transmitter configured to generate a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency higher than the first frequency. The second coil is positioned to enclose the first coil. A first coupling factor between the first coil and a coil of the first transmitter is higher than a second coupling factor between the second coil and a coil of the second transmitter when the first and second coils are positioned within respective charging regions of the first and second transmitters.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving wireless power, the apparatus comprising:

a first coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a first transmitter configured to generate a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency;

a second coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a second transmitter configured to generate a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the second coil positioned to enclose the first coil;

a receive circuit electrically connected to the first coil;

a filter circuit electrically connected to the receive circuit and configured to reduce energy received by the first coil at the second frequency; and

a detection circuit electrically connected to the first coil and configured to;

detect power being received at the second frequency, and upon detection of power received at the second frequency, reduce an amount of power received by the first coil via the second alternating magnetic field at the second frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the first coil.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first coupling factor between the first coil and a coil of the first transmitter is higher than a second coupling factor between the second coil and a coil of the second transmitter when the first and second coils are positioned within respective charging regions of the first and second transmitters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is electrically connected to the second coil.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to:

detect power being received at the first frequency, and upon detection of power received at the first frequency, reduce an amount of power received by the second coil via the first alternating magnetic field at the first frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the second coil in response to detecting the power received at the first frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second coils share at least a portion of a conductive structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coil is configured to wirelessly receive power as defined by a first set of wireless power requirements and wherein the second coil is configured to wirelessly receive power as defined by a second, different, set of wireless power requirements.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic material positioned between circuitry of the apparatus and the first and second coils.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic material further comprises a first portion under the first coil physically separated from a second portion under the second coil by a gap extending along an entire perimeter of the first portion, the gap attenuating an amount of magnetic flux flowing from the first portion to the second portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic material further defines a gap disposed between the first coil and the second coil and extending along at least one side of the first coil, the gap attenuating an amount of magnetic flux flowing between the first coil and the second coil in the magnetic material.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic material further comprises:

a first portion of the magnetic material under the first coil,

a second portion of the magnetic material under the second coil, and

at least one ring of magnetic material having a different magnetic permeability than at least one of the first and second portions, the at least one ring of magnetic material attenuating an amount of magnetic flux flowing between the first and the second portions.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second receive circuit including the second coil, the second receive circuit configured to substantially resonate at the second frequency.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second coils are positioned to have a distance between an outermost turn of the first coil and an innermost turn of the second coil sufficient to attenuate losses due to parasitic coupling between the first and second coils.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect the first or second transmitter, the detection circuit configured to selectively couple the first or second coil to a load based on detecting the first or second transmitter.

14. A method of receiving wireless power, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving power via a first coil from a first transmitter configured to generate a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency;

wirelessly receiving power via a second coil from a second transmitter configured to generate a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the second coil positioned to enclose the first coil;

reducing energy received by the first coil at the second frequency utilizing a filter circuit electrically connected to a receive circuit that is electrically connected to the first coil;

detecting power being received at the second frequency, and

reducing an amount of power received by the first coil via the second alternating magnetic field at the second frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the first coil in response to detecting the power received at the second frequency.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a first coupling factor between the first coil and a coil of the first transmitter is higher than a second coupling factor between the second coil and a coil of the second transmitter when the first and second coils are positioned within respective charging regions of the first and second transmitters.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting power being received at the first frequency, and

reducing an amount of power received by the second coil via the first alternating magnetic field at the first frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the second coil in response to detecting the power received at the first frequency.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving power as defined by a first set of wireless power requirements utilizing the first coil, and

wirelessly receiving power as defined by a second, different, set of wireless power requirements utilizing the second coil.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising attenuating an amount of magnetic flux flowing between a first portion of a magnetic material under the first coil and a second portion of the magnetic material under the second coil utilizing a gap defined in the magnetic material and extending along an entire perimeter of the first portion.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising attenuating an amount of magnetic flux flowing between the first coil and the second coil in a magnetic material utilizing a gap in the magnetic material defined between the first coil and the second coil and extending along at least one side of the first coil.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising attenuating an amount of magnetic flux flowing between a first portion of a magnetic material under the first coil and a second portion of the magnetic material under the second coil utilizing at least one ring of magnetic material disposed in a plane of the first and second portions and having a different magnetic permeability than at least one of the first and second portions.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

wirelessly receive power via a first coil from a first transmitter configured to generate a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency;

wirelessly receive power via a second coil from a second transmitter configured to generate a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the second coil positioned to enclose the first coil;

reduce energy received by the first coil at the second frequency utilizing a filter circuit electrically connected to a receive circuit that is electrically connected to the first coil;

detect power being received at the second frequency, and

reduce an amount of power received by the first coil via the second alternating magnetic field at the second frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the first coil in response to detecting the power received at the second frequency.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein a first coupling factor between the first coil and a coil of the first transmitter is higher than a second coupling factor between the second coil and a coil of the second transmitter when the first and second coils are positioned within respective charging regions of the first and second transmitters.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to:

detect power being received at the first frequency, and

reduce an amount of power received by the second coil via the first alternating magnetic field at the first frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the second coil in response to detecting the power received at the first frequency.

24. The medium of claim 21, wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to:

wirelessly receive power as defined by a first set of wireless power requirements utilizing the first coil, and

wirelessly receive power as defined by a second, different, set of wireless power requirements utilizing the second coil.

25. An apparatus for receiving wireless power, the apparatus comprising:

first means for wirelessly receiving power from a first transmitter configured to generate a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency; and

second means for wirelessly receiving power from a second transmitter configured to generate a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the second means for wirelessly receiving power positioned to enclose the first means for wirelessly receiving power;

means for blocking energy at the second frequency received by the first means for wirelessly receiving power;

means for detecting power being received at the second frequency; and

means for reducing an amount of power received via the second alternating magnetic field at the second frequency by the first means for wirelessly receiving power by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the first means for wirelessly receiving power in response to detecting the power received at the second frequency.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein a first coupling factor between the first means and the first transmitter is higher than a second coupling factor between the second means and the second transmitter when the first and second means for wirelessly receiving power are positioned within respective charging regions of the first and second transmitters.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for detecting power being received at the first frequency; and

means for reducing an amount of power received via the first alternating magnetic field at the first frequency by the second means for wirelessly receiving power by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the second means for wirelessly receiving power in response to detecting the power received at the first frequency.

28. An apparatus for receiving wireless power, the apparatus comprising:

a first coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a first transmitter configured to generate a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency;

a second coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a second transmitter configured to generate a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the second coil positioned to enclose the first coil;

a receive circuit electrically connected to the first coil;

a filter circuit electrically connected to the receive circuit and configured to reduce energy received by the first coil at the second frequency; and

a detection circuit electrically connected to the second coil and configured to;

detect power being received at the first frequency, and upon detection of power received at the first frequency, reduce an amount of power received by the second coil via the second alternating magnetic field at the first frequency by altering a characteristic of circuitry including the second coil.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the detection circuit is electrically connected to the first coil.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first coil is configured to wirelessly receive power as defined by a first set of wireless power requirements and wherein the second coil is configured to wirelessly receive power as defined by a second, different, set of wireless power requirements.