Controlled Wireless Charging of an Accumulator in a Chipcard

• US 20080296978A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giesecke + Devrient Mobile Security GmBH (Giesecke & Devrient GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: Ness, Werner, Finkenzeller, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

Method, apparatus and system for contactless charging of an energy storage unit of an energy sink (2) by an energy source (1). Data are transferred between the energy source and the energy sink via an alternating field in a first operating mode of the energy source. In a second operating mode of the energy source, an energy necessary for charging is transferred from the energy source to the energy sink via the alternating field. In the second operating mode, no data are transferred from the energy source to the energy sink and the alternating field is therefore produced with a field strength that is greater than a possible field strength upon simultaneous transfer of data and charging energy.

Claims

1. A method for contactless charging of an energy storage unit of an energy sink by an energy source, comprising the steps:

transferring data between the energy source and the energy sink via an alternating field in a first operating mode of the energy source; and

transferring an energy necessary for charging from the energy source to the energy sink via the alternating field in a second operating mode of the energy source;

in the second operating mode no data are transferred from the energy source to the energy sink and the alternating field is produced with a field strength that is greater than a possible field strength upon simultaneous transfer of data and charging energy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy source changes from the second operating mode to the first operating mode to terminate charging.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy source receives a request to terminate charging from the energy sink in the second operating mode.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy source changes from the second operating mode to the first operating mode when it no longer receives presence information of the energy sink.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the presence information of the energy sink is received at time intervals.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer from the energy sink to the energy source is effected by means of load modulation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the field strength is used as a first field strength for a fast energy transfer in the second operating mode, the possible field strength upon simultaneous transfer of data and charging energy is used as a second field strength for a slow energy transfer in the first operating mode, and a third field strength that is smaller than the first and second field strengths is used for a data transfer in the first operating mode.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein no data are transferred from the energy sink to the energy source in the second operating mode.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy source changes from the second operating mode to the first operating mode to check in the first operating mode whether charging is to be continued in the second operating mode.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein charging is continued or not in the second operating mode in dependence on information exchanged in the first operating mode about a state of charge of the energy storage unit of the energy sink.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein charging is not continued in the second operating mode if the energy source recognizes a further communication partner in the alternating field.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein charging is terminated or continued in the second operating mode in dependence on information about the state of power supply of the energy source.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy source changes to the second operating mode only after the end of a predetermined minimal dwell time of the energy sink in the alternating field.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined minimal dwell time is measured after the end of a completed transaction between energy source and portable data carrier.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined minimal dwell time is adapted to an average transaction time measured in the energy source.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined minimal dwell time is adapted to an average dwell time measured in the energy source.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the efficiency of the charging process is signaled to a user of the energy sink.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the energy source and the energy sink is usable alternatively as the source or as the sink for an energy transfer.

19. The method according to claim 18, including determining in the step of data transfer that the energy source is to work as the source for energy transfer.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy sink is a portable data carrier.

21. A system comprising an energy source and an energy sink, including apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1 for contactless charging of an energy storage unit of the energy sink by the energy source.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the energy source is adapted for contactless charging of the energy sink according to the method of claim 2.

27. A portable data carrier adapted for contactless charging of an energy storage unit of a portable data carrier as an energy sink according to the method of claim 1.

22. An apparatus for contactless charging of an energy storage unit of an energy sink, comprising:

an interface unit adapted for transferring data between an energy source and the energy sink via an alternating field;

a controller which is adapted to transfer data between the energy source and the energy sink via the alternating field in a first operating mode of the energy source, and to transfer an energy necessary for charging from the energy source to the energy sink via the alternating field in a second operating mode;

said controller being adapted not to transfer any data from the energy source to the energy sink and to produce the alternating field with a field strength that is greater than a possible field strength upon simultaneous transfer of data and charging energy, in the second operating mode.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the apparatus is a mobile terminal.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the apparatus is a portable data carrier.

26. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the interface unit is an NFC interface.