Wireless warmers

• US 10,420,175 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Saunamaki, Esa Ilmari
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelham, Joseph M
• Application Number:
  US14/865,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/10 Heat retention or warming
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/12 using temperature-controlled means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0272 For heating of fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/036 Heaters specially adapted for garment heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/347 woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/10 Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to wireless warmers are described. An embodiment integrates wireless warming into an article of clothing. For example, the article of clothing includes a heating element to receive electromagnetic energy from one or more wireless power transmitter coils based at least in part on one or more signals. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

logic, the logic at least partially comprising hardware logic, to control provision of power to one or more wireless power transmitter coils based at least in part on one or more signals,

wherein the one or more wireless power transmitter coils are to transmit electromagnetic energy to a heating element of an article of clothing proximate to the one or more wireless power transmitter coils, and

wherein the logic is to cause the article of clothing to be heated at a first temperature value in response to a determination that the article of clothing is being worn, and

wherein the logic is to cause the article of clothing to be heated at a second temperature value in response to a determination that the article of clothing is not being worn.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is to be constructed of a plurality of layers or a mixture of a plurality of material.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of layers are to comprise at least two of:

a heat spreading layer, a heating element layer, a shielding layer, a Ferrite sheet layer, a receiver coil layer, or a heating element layer with shielding properties.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more signals are to correspond to sensor data, wherein the sensor data is to comprise one or more temperature values, wherein the one or more temperature values are to be detected by one or more sensors that are to detect an ambient temperature or a temperature of the article of clothing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more signals are to correspond to proximity information, wherein the proximity information is to be determined based at least in part on one or more of:

sensor data or wirelessly transmitted data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the proximity information is to indicate proximity of the article of clothing to the logic, the one or more wireless power transmitter coils, or a computing device that includes the logic.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising logic to allow or deny access to an item based at least in part on the proximity information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the item is to be selected from a group comprising:

a lock, a car, a bus, a bicycle, a bus, a motorcycle, a house, or an office.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a portable computing device is to comprise the logic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the portable computing device is to comprise one or more of:

a System On Chip (SOC) device;

a processor, having one or more processor cores;

a flat panel display device, and memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising logic to transmit a warning signal in response to a determination that the article of clothing has a temperature value that is above a threshold temperature value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the logic, a processor having one or more processor cores, one or more sensors, and memory are on a single integrated circuit die.

13. An article of clothing comprising:

a heating element to receive electromagnetic energy from one or more wireless power transmitter coils based at least in part on one or more signals,

wherein a magnetic coupling is to maintain a distance between the article of clothing and the one or more wireless power transmitter coils.

14. The article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of layers having at least two of:

a heat spreading layer, a heating element layer, a shielding layer, a Ferrite sheet layer, a receiver coil layer, or a heating element layer with shielding properties.

15. The article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the one or more signals are to correspond to sensor data, wherein the sensor data is to comprise one or more temperature values, wherein the one or more temperature values are to be detected by one or more sensors that are to detect an ambient temperature or a temperature of the heating element.

16. The article of clothing of claim 13, further comprising a receiver coil proximate to the one or more wireless power transmitter coils.

17. The article of clothing of claim 16, wherein the receiver coil is to be coupled to a rectifier or control logic.

18. The article of clothing of claim 13, further comprising one or more sensors or one or more wireless interfaces to generate at least one of the one or more signals.

19. The article of clothing of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors are to transmit the at least one of the one or more temperature values to control logic coupled to the one or more wireless power transmitter coils.

20. The article of clothing of claim 18, wherein the control logic is to control provision of power to the one or more wireless power transmitter coils based at least in part on the one or more temperature values.

21. The article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the one or more signals are to correspond to proximity information, wherein the proximity information is to be determined based at least in part on one or more of:

sensor data or wirelessly transmitted data.

22. The article of clothing of claim 13, comprising logic to transmit a warning signal in response to a determination that the article of clothing has a temperature value that is above a threshold temperature value.

23. The article of clothing of claim 13, comprising logic to cause the article of clothing to be heated at a first temperature value in response to a determination that the article of clothing is not being worn, wherein the first temperature value is higher than a second temperature value, wherein the second temperature value is to correspond to a target heating temperature for the article of clothing when the article of clothing is worn.

24. The article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the article of clothing is to be selected from a group comprising:

a shoe, a boot, a hat, a helmet, a sock, a glove, an ear muff, a shirt, a jacket, a scarf, a pair of pants, a body protector, a safety vest, or underwear.