Wireless charging systems with multiple power receiving devices

• US 10,110,030 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2018
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Colosimo, Joseph W., Kosut, Alexei E., Hamzeh, Mahdi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US16/005,498
• Time in Patent Office: 134 Days
• 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 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A wireless charging system may include a wireless power transmitting device that receives multiple wireless power receiving devices. A primary power receiving device that is used to display battery charge status information for other power receiving devices on the power transmitting device may be referred to as a hero device. The other wireless power receiving devices may be referred to as paired devices. When a paired device is added to a wireless power transmitting device where a hero device is already present, the hero device may verify that the paired device is on the same mat as the hero device. The hero device and paired device may then synchronously output a user notification. When a paired device is present on a wireless power transmitting device, the paired device may send battery charge status information to the wireless power transmitting device at predetermined intervals.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a coil that is configured to receive wireless power signals;

a display; and

control circuitry operatively coupled to the coil and display, the control circuitry configured to;

receive a first device identifier from a power transmitting device, wherein the first device identifier identifies a first wireless power transmitter;

receive a second device identifier from an external electronic device, wherein the second device identifier identifies a second wireless power transmitter; and

determine whether to present, at the electronic device, a battery charge status of the external electronic device based on the first device identifier and the second device identifier.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

in accordance with determining that the first wireless power transmitter and the second wireless power transmitter are the same wireless power transmitter, display the battery charge status of the external electronic device on the display.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

output a user notification before displaying the battery charge status of the external electronic device on the display.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein outputting the user notification comprises displaying the user notification on the display in synchronization with a displayed user notification on the external electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein outputting the user notification comprises providing audio output on the electronic device and the external electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive, using the antenna, the second device identifier from the external electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive, using the coil, the first device identifier from the power transmitting device.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive, using the coil, a notification from the power transmitting device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

before receiving the notification from the power transmitting device, scanning, using the antenna, for communications at a first rate; and

after receiving the notification from the power transmitting device, scanning, using the antenna, for communications at a second rate that is higher than the first rate.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first device identifier is a 14-bit value.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive a third device identifier from the external electronic device; and

determine whether to display the battery charge status of the external electronic device based on the first device identifier, the second device identifier, and the third device identifier.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising instructions for:

receiving a first device identifier from a power transmitting device, wherein the first device identifier identifies a first wireless power transmitter;

receiving a second device identifier from an external electronic device, wherein the second device identifier identifies a second wireless power transmitter; and

determining whether to present a battery charge status of the external electronic device based on the first device identifier and the second device identifier.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

in accordance with determining that the first wireless power transmitter and the second wireless power transmitter are the same wireless power transmitter, displaying the battery charge status of the external electronic device on a display.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

outputting a user notification before displaying the battery charge status of the external electronic device on the display.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for outputting the user notification comprise instructions for displaying the user notification on the display in synchronization with a displayed user notification on the external electronic device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

receiving, using a coil, a notification from the power transmitting device;

before receiving the notification from the power transmitting device, scanning, using an antenna, for communications at a first rate; and

after receiving the notification from the power transmitting device, scanning, using the antenna, for communications at a second rate that is higher than the first rate.

17. A method of operating an electronic device that has a coil that is configured to receive wireless power signals and a display, the method comprising:

receiving a first device identifier from a power transmitting device, wherein the first device identifier identifies a first wireless power transmitter;

receiving a second device identifier from an external electronic device, wherein the second device identifier identifies a second wireless power transmitter; and

determining whether to present, at the electronic device, a battery charge status of the external electronic device based on the first device identifier and the second device identifier.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in accordance with determining that the first wireless power transmitter and the second wireless power transmitter are the same wireless power transmitter, displaying the battery charge status of the external electronic device on the display.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

outputting a user notification before displaying the battery charge status of the external electronic device on the display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein outputting the user notification comprises displaying the user notification on the display in synchronization with a displayed user notification on the external electronic device.