Power storage adapter for wireless power transmission

• US 10,404,105 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Gajiwala, Priyank Jatin, Sultenfuss, Andrew Thomas, Thompson, Richard Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US15/704,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20190081515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2885 with shields or electrodes shields or electrodes for pancake coils H01F27/2871; construction of electric or magnetic shields or screens H01F27/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/361 made of combinations of electrically conductive material and ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/366 made of ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/40 Structural association with built-in electric component, e.g. fuse
• 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 50/005 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A power storage adapter may include wireless power units for wireless power transmission of multiple portable information handling systems. In particular, when a wireless power unit wirelessly transmits a first wireless power to one of the portable information handling systems, another wireless power unit may wirelessly transmit a second wireless power to another portable information handling system. The transmission of the first wireless power may be simultaneous with the transmission of the second wireless power.

Claims

1. A power storage adapter (PSA), comprising:

a housing including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a PSA port;

a PSA battery;

a first wireless power unit including a first transmitter, a first receiver, a first coil in proximity to the first surface, and a first proximity sensor;

a second wireless power unit including a second transmitter, a second receiver, a second coil in proximity to the second surface, and a second proximity sensor;

a first magnetic shield to divert a first magnetic flux of the first coil away from the second coil and to generate a first opposing magnetic flux to remove effects of the first magnetic flux on the second coil;

a second magnetic shield to divert a second magnetic flux of the second coil away from the first coil and to generate a second opposing magnetic flux to remove effects of the second magnetic flux on the first coil;

a communication device; and

a PSA controller having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the PSA controller to;

detect a first electronic device having a third coil at one of the first surface and the second surface using the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor;

determine, using the communication device, whether the first electronic device is enabled to receive or transmit wireless power;

when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, receive a first wireless power from the third coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor; and

when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, transmit the first wireless power to the third coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor.

2. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is detected at the first surface:

when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, configure the first coil as a receive coil; and

when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, configure the first coil as a transmit coil.

3. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is detected at the second surface:

when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, configure the second coil as a receive coil; and

when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, configure the second coil as a transmit coil.

4. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

detect a second electronic device having a fourth coil at one of the first surface and the second surface using the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor, wherein the second electronic device and the first electronic device are detected at different surfaces;

determine, using the communication device, whether the second electronic device is enabled to receive or transmit wireless power;

when the second electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, receive a second wireless power from the fourth coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor; and

when the second electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, transmit the second wireless power to the fourth coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor,

wherein receiving or transmitting the second wireless power is simultaneous with receiving or transmitting the first wireless power.

5. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

receive a request for a third power delivery contract from a third electronic device coupled to the power storage adapter at the PSA port, the third power delivery contract to supply a third electrical power to the third electronic device; and

responsive to receiving the request, establish the third power delivery contract, wherein supplying the third wireless power is simultaneous with receiving or transmitting the first wireless power.

6. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, supply the first wireless power from the PSA battery.

7. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, supply the first wireless power from an AC line power source coupled to the power storage adapter using an AC-DC converter.

8. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, charge the PSA battery using the first wireless power.

9. The power storage adapter of claim 4, wherein the first electronic device is a portable information handling system and the second electronic device is one of a charging device and a portable information handling system.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting a first electronic device having a third coil at one of a first surface and a second surface of a housing of a power storage adapter using a first proximity sensor and a second proximity sensor of the power storage adapter, the power storage adapter including a first coil in proximity to the first surface and a second coil in proximity to the second surface, wherein the second surface opposite the first surface;

determining, using a communication device of the power storage adapter, whether the first electronic device is enabled to receive or transmit wireless power;

when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, receiving a first wireless power from the third coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor;

when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, transmitting the first wireless power to the third coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor;

diverting, by a first magnetic shield of the power storage adapter, a first magnetic flux of the first coil away from the second coil;

generating, by the first magnetic shield of the power storage adapter, a first opposing magnetic flux to remove effects of the first magnetic flux on the second coil;

diverting, by a second magnetic shield of the power storage adapter, a second magnetic flux of the second coil away from the first coil; and

generating, by the second magnetic shield of the power storage adapter, a second opposing magnetic flux to remove effects of the second magnetic flux on the first coil.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, when the first electronic device is detected at the first surface:

when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, configuring the first coil as a receive coil; and

when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, configuring the first coil as a transmit coil.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is detected at the second surface:

when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, configuring the second coil as a receive coil; and

when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, configuring the second coil as a transmit coil.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructions to:

detecting a second electronic device having a fourth coil at one of the first surface and the second surface using the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor, wherein the second electronic device and the first electronic device are detected at different surfaces;

determining, using the communication device, whether the second electronic device is enabled to receive or transmit wireless power;

when the second electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, receiving a second wireless power from the fourth coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor; and

when the second electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, transmitting the second wireless power to the fourth coil at one of the first surface and the second surface based on the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor,

wherein receiving or transmitting the second wireless power is simultaneous with receiving or transmitting the first wireless power.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructions to:

receiving a request for a third power delivery contract from a third electronic device coupled to the power storage adapter at the PSA port, the third power delivery contract to supply a third electrical power to the third electronic device; and

responsive to receiving the request, establishing the third power delivery contract, wherein supplying the third wireless power is simultaneous with receiving or transmitting the first wireless power.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, supplying the first wireless power from the PSA battery.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is enabled to receive the wireless power, supplying the first wireless power from an AC line power source coupled to the power storage adapter using an AC-DC converter.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructions to, when the first electronic device is enabled to transmit the wireless power, charging the PSA battery using the first wireless power.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first electronic device is a portable information handling system and the second electronic device is one of a charging device and a portable information handling system.