Methods and apparatus for power loss calibration in a wireless power system

• US 10,530,196 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Oettinger, Eric Gregory, Siddabattula, Kalyan N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dominique, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US15/410,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

In an example, an integrated circuit includes a communication and control unit. The communication and control unit controls an inverter that applies an alternating current output signal to a transmission coil for reception by a receiver. The communication and control unit causes the inverter to provide a first and second transmit powers to the transmission coil, and the communication unit receives a first and second power received signals from the receiver in response to the first and second transmit powers. The communication and control unit determines a first gain and offset using the first transmit power, the first power. When a third transmit power greater than the second transmit power is transmitted by the transmission coil, the communication and control unit determines a second gain and a second offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the third transmit power and a third power received signal.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a communication and control unit including;

a control unit for controlling an inverter, the inverter configured to convert an input voltage to an alternating current output signal for application to a transmission coil for reception by a receiver; and

a communication unit for demodulating transmissions from the receiver;

the control unit configured to cause the inverter to provide a first transmit power to the transmission coil and the communication unit configured to receive a first power received signal from the receiver in response to the first transmit power, the control unit further configured to cause the inverter to provide a second transmit power to the transmission coil and the communication unit configured to receive a second power received signal from the receiver in response to the second transmit power;

the communication and control unit using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the second transmit power and the second power received signal to determine a first gain and a first offset, in which, when a third transmit power greater than the second transmit power is transmitted by the transmission coil and a third power received signal is received by the communication unit from the receiver in response to the third transmit power, the communication and control unit determines a second gain and a second offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the third transmit power and the third power received signal.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which a foreign object detection is performed before determining the second gain and the second offset.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which, when a fourth transmit power greater than the third transmit power is transmitted by the transmission coil and a fourth power received signal is received by the communication unit from the receiver in response to the fourth transmit power, the communication and control unit determines a third gain and a third offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the fourth transmit power and the fourth power received signal.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 3 in which in which a foreign object detection is performed before determining the third gain and the third transmit power.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which the communication and control unit determines the second gain and the second offset if the third transmit power is more than a selected threshold greater than the second transmit power.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 in which the communication and control unit does not determine the second gain and the second offset in response to the third transmit power and the third power received signal unless the third transmit power and the third power received signal exceed a predetermined threshold which is greater than the second transmit power.

7. A power transmitter comprising:

a transmission coil;

an inverter for converting an input voltage to an alternating current output signal for application to the transmission coil for reception by a receiver; and

a communication and control unit for demodulating transmissions from the receiver and controlling the inverter, the communication and control unit causing the inverter to provide a first transmit power to the transmission coil and to receive a first power received signal from the receiver in response to the first transmit power, causing the inverter to provide a second transmit power to the transmission coil and receive a second power received signal from the receiver in response to the second transmit power, the communication and control unit using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the second transmit power and the second power received signal to determine a first gain and a first offset, in which, when a third transmit power greater than the second transmit power is transmitted by the transmission coil and a third power received signal is received from the receiver in response to the third transmit power, the communication and control unit determines a second gain and a second offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the third transmit power and the third power received signal.

8. The power transmitter of claim 7 in which in which a foreign object detection is performed before determining the second gain and the second offset.

9. The power transmitter of claim 7 in which, when a fourth transmit power greater than the third transmit power is transmitted by the transmission coil and a fourth power received signal is received from the receiver in response to the fourth transmit power, the communication and control unit determines a third gain and a third offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the fourth transmit power and the fourth power received signal.

10. The power transmitter of claim 9 in which in which a foreign object detection is performed before determining the third gain and the third offset.

11. The power transmitter of claim 7 in which the communication and control unit determines the second gain and the second offset if the third transmit power is over a selected threshold greater than the second transmit power.

12. The power transmitter of claim 7 in which the communication and control unit is further configured for modulating transmissions to the receiver.

13. A method for operating an integrated circuit comprising:

causing an inverter to provide a first transmit power to a transmission coil;

receiving a first power received signal from a receiver receiving power transmitted from the transmission coil in response to the first transmit power;

causing the inverter to provide a second transmit power to the transmission coil;

receiving a second power received signal from the receiver;

determining a first gain and a first offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the second transmit power and the second power received signal to determine received from the receiver;

causing the inverter to provide a third transmit power to the transmission coil;

receiving a third power received signal from the receiver;

determining, if the third transmit power is greater than the second transmit power, a second gain and a second offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the third transmit power and the third power received signal.

14. The method of claim 13 in which in which a foreign object detection is performed before determining the second gain and the second offset.

15. The method of claim 13 in which, when a fourth transmit power greater than the third transmit power is transmitted and a fourth power received signal is received from the receiver in response to the fourth transmit power, determining a third gain and a third offset using the first transmit power, the first power received signal, the fourth transmit power and the fourth power received signal.

16. The method of claim 15 in which in which a foreign object detection is performed before determining the third gain and the third offset.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining the second gain and the second offset if the third transmit power is over a selected threshold greater than the second transmit power.

18. The method of claim 13 in which the second gain and the second offset are determined if the third transmit power and the third power received signal occur before a selected period of time after the first transmit power.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising performing a foreign object detection procedure before causing the inverter to transmit the second transmit power.

20. The method of claim 13 in which a transmission of power is stopped if a calibrated received power that is calculated using the second gain and the second offset is less than a selected threshold amount of a corresponding power transmitted.