Inductive Signal Transfer System for Computing Devices

• US 20100083012A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Neubarth, Stuart, Lehr, Michael, Chatterjee, Manjirnath, Rasco, Jacob, Hessenflow, Allan, Corbridge, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

At least two devices are provided that can each form part of a system to inductively exchange power and data. One device is capable of inductively transmitting a power signal to a second device, and to receive feedback from the second device in order to regulate the power signal.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a first computing device;

a second computing device;

wherein the second computing device is configured to inductively transmit a power signal to the first computing device, and wherein the first computing device is configured to inductively receive the inductively transmitted power signal from the second computing device;

wherein the first computing device signals the second computing device information that is indicative of a voltage or current state on the first computing device;

wherein the second computing device uses the information to regulate the power signal that is inductively transmitted to the first computing device.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is configured to inductively signal the data to the first computing device.

3. The computing system of claim 2 wherein each of the first computing device and the second computing device include one or more coils to signal power and data.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each of the first computing device and the second computing device are configured to inductively signal data to one another using an established communication protocol.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the communication protocol is used to provide the second computing device with data that is indicative of power requirements of the first computing device, and wherein the second computing device is configured to modulate the signaled power to accommodate the power requirements indicated by data.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the second computing device signals data under the communication protocol by pulse modulating the inductively transmitted power signal.

17. The accessory device of claim 1, further comprising:

an inductive receiver that is coupled to the processing resources and to one of the one or more coils;

wherein the receiver communicates data that is indicative of the one or more current or voltage conditions to the processing resources.

7. A computing system comprising:

a mobile computing device;

an accessory device;

wherein the mobile computing device and the accessory device are configured to be inductively coupled to one another in order for at least one of the mobile computing device or the accessory device to inductively transmit a power signal to the other of the mobile computing device or accessory device; and

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to signal the accessory device data that enables the accessory device to regulate the power signal that is inductively transmitted to the mobile computing device.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the mobile computing device signals the data to the accessory device in real-time in order to enable the accessory device to regulate the power signal.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the mobile computing device and the accessory device implement a real-time protocol to regulate the power signal transmitted from the accessory device to the mobile computing device.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the mobile computing device and the accessory device are configured to implement the real-time protocol by inductively transmitting a data signal at the same time as communicating the power signal.

11. The computing system of claim 7, further comprising:

processing resources, operative on the mobile computing device, in order to signal a feedback to the accessory device that includes information to indicate one or more power conditions on the computing device.

12. The computing system of claim 11, further comprising:

processing resources, operative on the accessory device, in order to respond to the feedback by modulating an output level of the power signal in order to supply more or less power to the mobile computing device.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the processing resources operative on the accessory device detect, from the feedback, whether power leakage is occurring in signaling the power.

14. The computing system of claim 7, further comprising:

processing resources, operative on the mobile computing, to signal information for authenticating or identifying the mobile computing device;

processing resources, operative on the accessory device, to enable or disable one or more features of the accessory device in response to the signaled information.

15. An accessory device for a mobile computing device, the accessory device comprising:

one or more coils which are coupled to a power source in order to establish an inductive link with a second device;

processing resources configured to;

control a power signal that is inductively transmitted from the one or more coils.

16. The accessory device of claim 15, wherein the processing resource controls the power signal by (i) identifying one or more current or voltage conditions on the mobile computing device, and (ii) varying a magnitude of the power signal based on presence of one or more conditions.

18. A computing device comprising:

one or more coils;

processing resources, operative with the one or more coils, to (i) detect a power signal that is inductively transmitted over the one or more coils from an accessory device, and (ii) signal a feedback to the accessory device that includes information that is indicative of a voltage or current condition on the computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 18, further comprising a housing that contains a plurality of components of the computing device, and wherein the one or more coils are embedded within a housing segment that comprises a portion of the housing, apart from a remainder of the housing.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the processing resources are configured to signal the feedback inductively using one of the coils.

21. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the processing resources, the one or more coils and the section of the housing are modularized into one manufactured unit.

22. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the processing resources are operative to signal the feedback using a pre-established communication protocol.

23. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the processing resources are operative to inductively signal data to the accessory device, the data including (i) the feedback, and (ii) the information to authenticate or identify the computing device to the accessory device.

24. An accessory device for a computing device, the accessory device comprising:

one or more coils;

processing resources, operative with the one or more coils, to (i) inductively signal over the one or more coils to the computing device, and (ii) respond to a feedback signal communicated from the computing device that includes information to indicate how the accessory device is to modulate the power signal based on a power level or consumption on the mobile computing device.

25. The accessory device of claim 24, wherein the feedback signal is inductively received using the one or more coils.

26. The accessory device of claim 24, wherein the processing resources include one or more processors.

27. The accessory device of claim 24, wherein the housing includes a platform to support a back face of the mobile computing device.

28. The accessory device of claim 27, wherein the platform includes one or more magnets that are positioned to magnetically couple to correspondingly positioned magnetically attractive material on the back face of the mobile computing device.

29. The accessory device of claim 24, wherein the processing resources are operative to inductively receive the feedback using a pre-established communication protocol.

30. The accessory device of claim 24, wherein the processing resources are operative to process and respond to information that is inductively received from the mobile computing device in order to authenticate or identify the computing device to the accessory device.

31. A device comprising:

one or more coils positioned on the device to establish an inductive link with a second device;

one or more power components to receive power from a power source and to generate a power signal over the inductive link;

processing resources configured to;

maintain the device in a low power state in which the one or more coils are substantially not powered;

detect the second device positioned to be inductively linked with the device;

respond to detecting the second device by transmitting the power signal using the one or more coils.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein in the low power state, the processing resources are configured to activate the one or more coils for short, intermittent durations in order to determine whether the second device is present.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the processing resources are configured to activate the one or more coils in response to detecting the second device by identifying one or more of (i) an identity of the second device, (ii) a type of the second device, or (iii) one or more capabilities of the second device.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the processing resources implement a communication protocol to communicate with the second device in order to control the inductive link.

35. A method for operating a device to inductively link with a second device, the method comprising:

maintaining the device in a low power state in which the one or more coils are substantially not powered;

detecting the second device positioned to be inductively linked with the device;

respond to detecting the second device by inductively signaling a power signal to the second device; and

inductively receiving data to regulate the power signal from the second device.