Sport ball inductive charging methods and systems

• US 10,523,053 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Munson, Ian M., Mauro, Jr., Charles S., Van Wormer, Carl B., Seymour, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDaniel, Tynese V
• Application Number:
  US14/286,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20150340904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/00 Devices for handling or treating balls , e.g. for holding or carrying balls
• 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: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for inductively charging a sport ball. An embodiment operates by transmitting from a resonant circuit a calibration signal in response to detecting a charging base, and transmitting from the resonant circuit a charging state in response to receiving power at the resonant circuit. Another embodiment operates by transmitting from a resonant circuit a presence signal, receiving at the resonant circuit a calibration signal from a second resonant circuit in response to transmitting the presence signal, and transmitting from the resonant circuit power to the second resonant circuit in response to receiving the calibration signal.

Claims

1. A method for inductively charging a power supply of athletic equipment, comprising:

receiving a presence signal of a charging base;

generating a calibration signal based on a frequency of a local oscillator of the athletic equipment;

transmitting the calibration signal to the charging base in response to the receiving of the presence signal, the calibration signal being transmitted via a resonance coil of the athletic equipment;

receiving initial power from the charging base at a resonant circuit via the resonance coil;

transmitting charging information to the charging base, wherein the charging information indicates a charging voltage value of the initial power received from the charging base at the resonant circuit and a charging state, the transmitting of the charging information including;

detecting the charging voltage value and the charging state, the charging state being one of either a normal charging state or a trickle charging state;

selecting a transmission frequency range that corresponds to the detected charging state from among a first transmission frequency range and a second transmission frequency range, the first transmission frequency range identifying the trickle charging state and the second transmission frequency range identifying the normal charging state;

encoding the charging voltage value within the selected transmission frequency range; and

transmitting the charging information at the selected transmission frequency range; and

transmitting, from the charging base, adjusted power to the resonant circuit after transmitting the charging information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the charging information to the charging base comprises modulating a capacitance of the resonant circuit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging state of the power supply and the charging voltage value are transmitted simultaneously to the charging base.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the charging base by receiving the initial power from the charging base.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency range corresponds to the charging state and specifies the charging state to the charging base.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is associated with a charging state of the power supply.

5. A system, comprising:

a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator (LO) frequency;

a resonant circuit comprising a resonance coil;

a memory that stores a plurality of transmission frequency ranges in association with corresponding charging voltage values; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive a presence signal of a charging base;

generate a calibration signal based on the LO frequency;

transmit, via the resonance coil, the calibration signal to the charging base in response to the receiving of the presence signal;

monitor initial power received from the charging base at the resonant circuit;

transmit charging information to the charging base, wherein the charging information indicates a charging voltage value of the initial power received from the charging base at the resonant circuit and a charging state, the transmitting of the charging information including;

detecting the charging voltage value and the charging state, the charging state being one of either a normal charging state or a trickle charging state;

selecting a transmission frequency range from among a first transmission frequency range and a second transmission frequency range that each correspond to the detected charging state, the first transmission frequency range identifying the trickle charging state and the second transmission frequency range identifying the normal charging state;

encoding the charging voltage value within the selected transmission frequency range; and

transmitting the charging information at the selected transmission frequency range;

transmit, by the charging base, adjusted power to the resonant circuit after transmitting the charging information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the charging information to the charging base by modulating a capacitance of the resonant circuit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the charging state of the power supply and the charging voltage value are transmitted simultaneously to the charging base.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect the charging base by receiving the initial power at the resonant circuit from the charging base.

9. A non-transitory computer readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

detecting a charging base based on reception of a presence signal from the charging base;

generating a calibration signal based on a frequency of a local oscillator;

transmitting the calibration signal to the charging base in response to detecting the charging base, the calibration signal being transmitted via a resonance coil;

receiving initial power from the charging base at a resonant circuit;

transmitting charging information to the charging base, wherein the charging information indicates a charging voltage value of the initial power received from the charging base at the resonant circuit and a charging state, the transmitting of the charging information including;

detecting the charging voltage value and the charging state, the charging state being one of either a normal charging state or a trickle charging state;

selecting a transmission frequency range that corresponds to the detected charging state from among a first transmission frequency range and a second transmission frequency range, the first transmission frequency range identifying the trickle charging state and the second transmission frequency range identifying the normal charging state;

encoding the charging voltage value within the selected transmission frequency range; and

transmitting the charging information at the selected transmission frequency range; and

transmitting, from the charging base, adjusted power to the resonant circuit after transmitting the charging information.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the charging information to the charging base comprises modulating a capacitance of the resonant circuit.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 10, wherein the charging state of the power supply and the charging voltage value are transmitted simultaneously to the charging base.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise detecting the charging base by receiving the initial power from the charging base.