Wireless power alignment

• US 10,090,712 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jabori, Monji G, Lim, Hui Leng, Stancil, Charles J
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US15/030,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20160336817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 320134, 320135, 320136, 320107, 320108, 320109, 320104, 320111, 320114, 320115, 320137, 320112, 320139
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

A computing device can include a wireless power module and a haptic module to move the computing device in a direction. A controller in the computing device can detect a misalignment of the wireless power module with a wireless power transmitter. The controller can control the haptic module to move the computing device to be aligned with the wireless power transmitter.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising;

a wireless power module;

a sensor to detect a direction and an amount of a misalignment with an object in a wireless power transmitter;

a haptic module to move the computing device in by the amount and in the direction; and

a controller to compare the amount of the misalignment to a threshold and to control the haptic module to move the computing device by the amount and in the direction to be aligned with the wireless power transmitter when the amount of the misalignment is below the threshold.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller does not control the haptic module to move the computing device when the amount of misalignment is above the threshold.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the threshold is a distance.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising alignment protrusions on the computing device.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising alignment indentations on the wireless power transmitter.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the haptic module includes a first haptic module and a second haptic module substantially perpendicular to the first haptic module.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the computing device has a convex shape and the wireless power transmitter includes concave shape.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor to detect misalignment with an object in a wireless power transmitter.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the haptic module provides feedback for events.

10. A method comprising:

sensing, by a computing device, a direction and an amount of a misalignment between a wireless power module and a wireless power transmitter;

comparing, by a controller, the amount of misalignment from the sensing to a threshold;

determining, by the controller, that the amount of the misalignment is below the threshold; and

activating, by the controller, a haptic module to align the wireless power module with the wireless power transmitter until the wireless power module is aligned with the wireless power transmitter.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising activating the haptic module in response to a notification event.

12. A computer readable medium comprising code that when executed by a controller in a computing device causes the controller to:

determine a direction and an amount of a misalignment between a wireless power module and a wireless power transmitter;

compare the amount of misalignment to a threshold;

determine that the amount of misalignment is below the threshold; and

activate a haptic module to align the wireless power module with the wireless power transmitter until the wireless power module is aligned with the wireless power transmitter.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising code that when executed causes the computing device to:

compare a misalignment to a range between the threshold and a second threshold.