Wireless charging systems with multiple power receiving devices

• US 10,277,046 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2018
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• 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:
  US16/148,958
• Time in Patent Office: 211 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. A wireless power transmitting device with a charging surface configured to receive first and second wireless power receiving devices, the wireless power transmitting device comprising:

wireless power transmitting circuitry having at least one coil that is configured to transmit wireless power signals; and

control circuitry configured to;

while the first wireless power receiving device is present on the charging surface, detect placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface; and

in accordance with detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface, transmit a device identifier and battery charge status information associated with the first wireless power receiving device to the second wireless power receiving device using the at least one coil.

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

receive the device identifier from the first wireless power receiving device using the coil.

3. The wireless power transmitting device of claim 2, wherein the device identifier includes information identifying the first wireless power receiving device.

4. The wireless power transmitting device of claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to repeatedly receive the device identifier from the first wireless power receiving device with a delay of a given length of time between each reception of the device identifier.

5. The wireless power transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

in accordance with detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface, transmit an additional device identifier associated with the wireless power transmitting device to the second wireless power receiving device.

6. The wireless power transmitting device of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is configured to transmit the additional device identifier to the second wireless power receiving device using the coil.

7. The wireless power transmitting device of claim 5, further comprising:

an antenna, wherein the control circuitry is configured to transmit the additional device identifier to the second wireless power receiving device using the antenna.

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

detecting placement of a second wireless power receiving device on a charging surface of a wireless power transmitting device while a first wireless power receiving device is present on the charging surface; and

in accordance with detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface, transmitting a device identifier and battery charge status information associated with the first wireless power receiving device to the second wireless power receiving device using at least one coil.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for:

receiving the device identifier from the first wireless power receiving device using the coil.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the device identifier includes information identifying the first wireless power receiving device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

repeatedly receiving the device identifier from the first wireless power receiving device with a delay of a given length of time between each reception of the device identifier.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for:

in accordance with detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface, transmitting an additional device identifier associated with the wireless power transmitting device to the second wireless power receiving device.

13. A method of operating a wireless power transmitting device that includes wireless power transmitting circuitry having at least one coil that is configured to transmit wireless power signals and that has a charging surface configured to receive first and second wireless power receiving devices, the method comprising:

detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface while the first wireless power receiving device is present on the charging surface;

in accordance with detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface, transmitting a device identifier associated with the first wireless power receiving device to the second wireless power receiving device using the at least one coil and transmitting battery charge status information associated with the first wireless power receiving device to the second wireless power receiving device using the at least one coil.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the device identifier from the first wireless power receiving device using the coil.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device identifier includes information identifying the first wireless power receiving device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

repeatedly receiving the device identifier from the first wireless power receiving device with a delay of a given length of time between each reception of the device identifier.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in accordance with detecting placement of the second wireless power receiving device on the charging surface, transmitting an additional device identifier associated with the wireless power transmitting device to the second wireless power receiving device.