Foreign object detection manipulation method

• US 10,340,750 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Muurinen, Jari, Vuori, Petri, Kari, Juhani, Tupala, Miika
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukhari, Aqeel H
• Application Number:
  US14/728,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20150364925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/70 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

The invention relates to a method that comprises receiving wireless energy from a wireless energy transmitter device; determining a power level value of the received wireless energy; manipulating value of the determined power level to obtain a manipulated power level value; and sending the manipulated power level value to the wireless energy transmitter device so that a FOD does not prevent the power transfer from the wireless energy transmitter device. The invention further relates to an apparatus, a device and a computer program product for performing the method.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a wireless power signal from a wireless energy transmitter device;

determining a power level value of the received wireless power signal;

manipulating the determined power level value to obtain a manipulated power level value; and

sending the manipulated power level value to the wireless energy transmitter device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the manipulated power level value is obtained by increasing the determined power level value by an offset value.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a difference between a transmitting power level value and the manipulated power level value is arranged to remain below a threshold value set for a foreign object detection method.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the manipulated power level value is upper bounded by a maximum received power level.

5. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory, the memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

receive a wireless power signal from a wireless energy transmitter device;

determine a power level value of the received wireless power signal;

manipulate the determined power level value to obtain a manipulated power level value; and

send the manipulated power level value to the wireless energy transmitter device.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the manipulated power level value is obtained by increasing the determined power level value by an offset value.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a difference between a transmitting power level value and the manipulated power level value is arranged to remain below a threshold value set for a foreign object detection method.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the manipulated power level value is upper bounded by a maximum received power level.

9. A device comprising at least one processor and memory, the memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following:

transmit a wireless power signal at a transmit power level to a wireless power receiver;

in response to a determination that the transmit power level is above a threshold value set for a foreign object detection method, execute the foreign object detection method; and

in response to a determination that the transmit power level is below the threshold value, continue power transmission without executing the foreign object detection method.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the transmit power level is a maximum transmit power level and the device is further caused to receive the maximum transmit power level from the wireless power receiver.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the device is further caused to:

receive a maximum receive power level value from the wireless power receiver; and

determine the maximum transmit power level based on the received maximum receive power level value and a threshold value set for the foreign object detection method.

12. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, cause an apparatus to:

receive a wireless power signal from a wireless energy transmitter device;

determine a power level value of the received wireless power signal;

manipulate the determined power level value to obtain a manipulated power level value; and

send the manipulated power level value to the wireless energy transmitter device.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the manipulated power level value is obtained by increasing the determined power level value by an offset value.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein a difference between a transmitting power level value and the manipulated power level value is arranged to remain below a threshold value set for a foreign object detection method.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the manipulated power level value is upper bounded by a maximum received power level.