Wireless charging system with object recognition

• US 10,320,241 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Liang, Gray, Andrew, Kumar, Arunim, Harris, Zachary Strachan, Russell, Antoin J., Patel, Bharat K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/967,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20180337557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/28 Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002; testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers or computer components G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 ; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source

Abstract

A wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device using output circuitry that includes an array of wireless power transmitting coils that form a wireless charging surface. During wireless power transmission operations, wireless power signals are transmitted from the array of coils to a wireless power receiving device on the charging surface. Inductance measurement circuitry such as impulse response measurement circuitry and other measurement circuitry is coupled to the output circuitry. Control circuitry in the wireless power transmitting device analyzes signals from the measurement circuitry to produce two-dimensional signal profiles across the wireless charging surface and to compare patterns in these signal profiles to predetermined signal patterns associated with the presence of known power receiving equipment on the wireless charging surface. Based on the analysis, charging parameters may be adjusted or other actions taken.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitting device with a charging surface configured to receive a wireless power receiving device that has a wireless power receiving coil, the wireless power transmitting device comprising:

an array of coils;

output circuitry coupled to the array of coils and configured to transmit wireless power signals to the wireless power receiving device with at least a selected one of the coils;

oscillator circuitry that supplies the output circuitry with an oscillator output signal;

at least one measurement circuitry coupled to the output circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to;

gather at least first and second different two-dimensional signal measurement profiles with a plurality of coils including at least the selected one of the coils in the array of coils using signals from the measurement circuitry obtained as the oscillator output signal is supplied to the output circuitry at respective first and second different frequencies, wherein the two-dimensional signal measurement profiles comprise measurements gathered as a function of coil location across the charging surface of the wireless power transmitting device; and

cause an action in response to comparison of the first and second two-dimensional signal measurement profiles to predetermined two-dimensional signal measurement profile information.

2. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 1, wherein the measurement circuitry comprises a peak detector and an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the peak detector.

3. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control transmission of wireless power to the wireless power receiving device with the output circuitry based at least partly on the comparison of the first and second two-dimensional signal measurement profiles to the predetermined two-dimensional signal measurement profile information.

4. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 3 wherein the predetermined two-dimensional signal measurement profile information comprises two-dimensional information on at least one pattern of signal measurements on the array of coils gathered in the presence of a device with a wireless power receiving coil when no objects incompatible with wireless power transfer operations are present on the array of coils.

5. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 4 further comprising impulse response measurement circuitry coupled to the output circuitry.

6. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 5 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to gather inductance measurements from the array of coils using the impulse response measurement circuitry.

7. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate a two-dimensional inductance profile for the charging surface based on the inductance measurements.

8. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 7 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to compare the two-dimensional inductance profile to predetermined inductance profile information associated with inductance patterns for predetermined electronic devices oriented for wireless charging on the charging surface.

9. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 8 wherein the control circuitry is configured to take the action at least partly in response to comparing the two-dimensional inductance profile to the predetermined inductance profile information.

10. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 9 wherein the action comprises an action selected from the group consisting of:

issuing an alert, adjusting wireless power transmission settings for the wireless power transmitting circuitry, transmitting wireless communications signals.

11. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 9 wherein the action comprises issuing an alert, wherein the wireless power transmitting device includes an output component, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to present the alert with the output component.

12. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 9 wherein the action comprises issuing an alert and wherein the control circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit information on the alert to the wireless power receiving device.

13. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 9 wherein the action comprises selecting a coil in the array of coils and wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the coil and is configured to use the output circuitry to transmit the wireless power signals to the wireless power receiving device with the selected coil.

14. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 1 wherein the measurement circuitry comprises coil inductance measurement circuitry coupled to the array of coils that produces coil inductance measurements, wherein the action comprises generating an alert, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether to generate the alert based on analysis of the coil inductance measurements and comparison of at least the first and second two-dimensional signal measurement profiles to the predetermined two-dimensional signal measurement profile information, wherein the first two-dimensional signal measurement profile corresponds to signals from the measurement circuitry obtained when the oscillator signal has a first frequency, and wherein the second two-dimensional signal measurement profile corresponds to signals from the measurement circuitry obtained when the oscillator signal has a second frequency that is different from the first frequency.

15. A wireless power transmitting device with a charging surface configured to receive a wireless power receiving device that has a wireless power receiving coil, the wireless power transmitting device comprising:

an array of coils;

output circuitry coupled to the array of coils and configured to transmit wireless power signals to the wireless power receiving device with at least a selected one of the coils;

oscillator circuitry that supplies the output circuitry with an oscillator output signal;

signal measurement circuitry coupled to the output circuitry that is configured to make measurements on the output circuitry while the oscillator circuitry supplies the output circuitry with the oscillator output signal;

impulse response measurement circuitry coupled to the output circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to;

gather a two-dimensional signal measurement profile with the array of coils using signals from the signal measurement circuitry obtained as the oscillator output signal is supplied to the output circuitry, wherein the two-dimensional signal measurement profile comprises measurements gathered using a plurality of coils in the array of coils across the charging surface of the wireless power transmitting device;

gather a two-dimensional coil inductance profile with the impulse response measurement circuitry; and

analyze at least the two-dimensional coil inductance profile and the two-dimensional signal measurement profile to determine an action to take in response to comparing the two-dimensional inductance profile and the two-dimensional signal measurement profile to predetermined two-dimensional profiles of inductance and measured signals obtained from a coil array in the presence of wireless power receiving equipment overlapping the coil array.

16. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 15 wherein the action to take comprises an action selected from the group consisting of:

issuing an alert, adjusting a wireless power transmission setting associated with transmitting the wireless power signals, initiating wireless communications with the wireless power receiving device, and gathering additional signal measurements from the output circuitry.

17. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 15 wherein the action comprises issuing an alert indicating that the wireless power receiving device is upside down on the charging surface.

18. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 15 wherein the signal measurement circuitry comprises

a first peak detector coupled to a node in the output circuitry;

and

a second peak detector coupled to the node in the output circuitry.

19. A wireless power transmitting device with a charging surface configured to receive a wireless power receiving device that has a wireless power receiving coil, the wireless power transmitting device comprising:

an array of power transmitting coils;

output circuitry coupled to the array of power transmitting coils and configured to transmit wireless power signals to the wireless power receiving device with at least a selected one of the power transmitting coils;

oscillator circuitry that supplies the output circuitry with an oscillator output signal;

signal measurement circuitry coupled to the output circuitry that is configured to make measurements on the output circuitry while the oscillator circuitry supplies the output circuitry with the oscillator output signal;

impulse response measurement circuitry coupled to the output circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to;

gather first signal measurements from the signal measurement circuitry for at least some of the power transmitting coils in the array when the oscillator output signal has a first frequency;

gather second signal measurements from the signal measurement circuitry for at least some of the power transmitting coils in the array when the oscillator output signal has a second frequency;

gather coil inductance measurements for at least some of the power transmitting coils in the array with the impulse response measurement circuitry; and

analyze patterns in the first signal measurements, second signal measurements, and coil inductance measurements to determine whether to take an action selected from the group consisting of;

initiating wireless communications with the wireless power receiving device, issuing an alert, and transmitting the wireless power signals.

20. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 19, wherein the signal measurement circuitry comprises at least one peak detector, wherein the control circuitry is configured to analyze the patterns by generating two-dimensional profiles of the first signal measurements, second signal measurements, and coil inductance measurements, and wherein the two-dimensional profiles comprise measurements gathered using different coils in the array of power transmitting coils across the charging surface.

21. The wireless power transmitting device defined in claim 19, wherein each coil in the array of power transmitting coils is coupled in series with a respective switch, wherein the first and second signal measurements are gathered while the switches associated with the at least some of the power transmitting coils are turned off, and wherein the coil inductance measurements are gathered while the switches associated with the at least some of the power transmitting coils are turned on.