TRACKING RECEIVER DEVICES WITH WIRELESS POWER SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES, AND METHODS

• US 20100248622A1
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Keating, Virginia Walker, Lauer, Craig, Mangan, Michael John, Lyell Kirby, Miles Alexander, Konertz, Anne Katrin
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.100
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to communicating information relating to wireless charging. A power transmitting system includes a host device with a transmit antenna. A communication interface conveys receiver information, which includes unique identifier information, from a receiver device to the host device. A controller on the host device monitors and processes the receiver information to generate notification information, which is presented to a user on a user-perceivable notifier. The transmit antenna generates an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency to create a coupling-mode region within a near-field of the transmit antenna. The system can detect a presence of a receiver device with a receive antenna that is in the coupling-mode region and process a request for power from the receiver device. The system can also notify a user when a host device is leaving a designated region and whether the host device includes expected receiver devices.

Claims

1. A power transmitting device, comprising:

a transmit antenna for generating a near field radiation within a coupling-mode region for coupling to a receive antenna on a receiver device;

a communication interface for conveying receiver information from the receiver device to the host device when the receiver device is in the coupling-mode region;

a controller operably coupled to the transmit antenna and the communication interface, the controller for monitoring and processing the receiver information to generate notification information; and

a user-perceivable notifier operably coupled to the controller and for communicating the notification information to a user.

2. The power transmitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier operably coupled to the controller and the transmit antenna;

a load sensing circuit operably coupled to the amplifier and the controller, the load sensing circuit for detecting changes in power consumption by the amplifier and generating a serial response signal to the controller representative of the changes in power consumption; and

wherein the controller is further for decoding the serial response to determine at least one of a presence of a new receiver device in the coupling-mode region or the receiver information of an existing receiver device in the coupling-mode region.

3. The power transmitting device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communicator operably coupled to the controller, the wireless communicator for communication with the receiver device over a communication channel different from a wireless communication of the transmit antenna, wherein the controller is further for monitoring the receiver information from the communication channel.

4. The power transmitting device of claim 3, further comprising one or more additional receiver devices with receive antennas in the coupling-mode region and wherein the communication channel is configured for a peer-to-peer communication amongst the receiver device and the one or more additional receiver devices.

5. The power transmitting device of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further for monitoring and processing additional receiver information of one or more additional receiver devices with receive antennas in the coupling-mode region to generate additional notification information; and

the user-perceivable notifier is further for communicating the additional notification information to a user.

6. The power transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the receiver information includes at least on of a device type and a unique device identifier.

7. The power transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the user-perceivable notifier includes at least one of a light, a display, and an auditory signaler.

8. The power transmitting device of claim 1, further comprising a memory operably coupled to the processor and for storing at least one of the receiver information and the notification information.

9. A power transmitting system, comprising:

a host device, comprising;

a transmit antenna for generating a near field radiation within a coupling-mode region for coupling to a receive antenna on a receiver device;

a communication interface for conveying receiver information from the receiver device to the host device when the receiver device is in the coupling-mode region; and

a controller operably coupled to the transmit antenna and the communication interface, the controller for monitoring and processing the receiver information to generate notification information; and

a remote notifier that is remote from the host device and comprising;

a remote communication interface for receiving the notification information from the host device; and

a remote user-perceivable notifier operably coupled to the remote communication interface and for presenting the notification information to a user.

10. The power transmitting system of claim 9, further comprising a designated region detector for operably communicating with the host device and communicating when the host device leaves a designated region.

11. The power transmitting system of claim 9, wherein the host device further comprises a user-perceivable notifier operably coupled to the controller and for communicating the notification information to the user from the host device.

12. The power transmitting system of claim 11, further comprising:

a designated region detector for operably communicating with the host device and communicating when the host device leaves a designated region; and

wherein the controller is configured for;

receiving the communication of when the device leaves the designated region;

being programmed to expect one or more receiver devices to be within the coupling-mode region; and

indicating on the user-perceivable notifier if the host device is missing an expected receiver device when it leaves the designated region.

13. The power transmitting system of claim 9, further comprising:

an amplifier operably coupled to the controller and the transmit antenna;

a load sensing circuit operably coupled to the amplifier and the controller, the load sensing circuit for detecting changes in power consumption by the amplifier and generating a serial response signal to the controller representative of the changes in power consumption; and

wherein the controller is further for decoding the serial response to determine at least one of a presence of a new receiver device in the coupling-mode region or the receiver information of an existing receiver device in the coupling-mode region.

14. The power transmitting system of claim 9, wherein the receiver information includes at least on of a device type and a unique device identifier.

15. The power transmitting system of claim 9, wherein the remote user-perceivable notifier includes at least one of a remote display, a remote auditory signaler, a remote computer display, and a remote computer for displaying the notification information on a web-site.

16. A method, comprising:

generating an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency of a transmit antenna of a host device to create a coupling-mode region within a near-field of the transmit antenna;

detecting a presence of a receiver device with a receive antenna in the coupling-mode region;

receiving a request for power from the receiver device over a communication channel;

receiving unique identifier information from the receiver device over the communication channel; and

indicating notification information about the receiver device on a user-perceivable notifier responsive to the unique identifier information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a presence of one or more additional receiver devices with receive antennas in the coupling-mode region; and

receiving additional unique identifier information from each of the one or more additional receiver devices.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing the unique identifier information and the additional unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

programming the host device to expect one or more receiver devices to be within the coupling-mode region; and

indicating on the user-perceivable notifier a presence of an expected receiver device in the coupling-mode region.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising indicating on the user-perceivable notifier an absence of the expected receiver device in the coupling mode region.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

programming the host device further comprises programming an expected time period for each of the one or more receiver devices to be within the coupling-mode region; and

the method further comprises indicating on the user-perceivable notifier an absence of the expected receiver device if it is not present in the coupling mode region during its expected time period.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising indicating on the user-perceivable notifier when the host device leaves a designated region and does not include the expected receiver device.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

initiating the generating the electromagnetic field when the detecting the presence indicates a presence of any receiver devices in the coupling-mode region; and

stopping the generating the electromagnetic field when the detecting the presence indicates an absence of any receiver devices in the coupling-mode region.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating the notification information to a remote user-perceivable notifier that is remote from the transmit antenna; and

indicating the notification information about the receiver device on the remote user-perceivable notifier.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising indicating on the user-perceivable notifier when the host device leaves a designated region.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising indicating on a remote user-perceivable notifier that is remote from the transmit antenna, when the host device leaves a designated region.

28. A power transmitting system, comprising:

means for generating an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency of a transmit antenna of a host device to create a coupling-mode region within a near-field of the transmit antenna;

means for detecting a presence of a receiver device with a receive antenna in the coupling-mode region;

means for receiving a request for power from the receiver device over a communication channel;

means for receiving unique identifier information from the receiver device over the communication channel; and

means for indicating notification information about the receiver device to a user responsive to the unique identifier information.

29. The power transmitting system of claim 28, further comprising means for storing the unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

30. The power transmitting system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for detecting a presence of one or more additional receiver devices with receive antennas in the coupling-mode region; and

means for receiving additional unique identifier information from each of the one or more additional receiver devices.

31. The power transmitting system of claim 30, further comprising means for storing the unique identifier information and the additional unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

32. The wireless power transfer system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for programming the host device to expect one or more receiver devices to be within the coupling-mode region; and

means for indicating to the user a presence or an absence of an expected receiver device in the coupling-mode region.

33. The power transmitting system of claim 32, wherein:

the means for programming the host device further comprises means for programming an expected time period for each of the one or more receiver devices to be within the coupling-mode region; and

further comprising means for indicating to the user an absence of the expected receiver device if it is not present in the coupling mode region during its expected time period.

34. The power transmitting system of claim 32, further comprising means for indicating to the user when the host device leaves a designated region and does not include the expected receiver device.

35. The power transmitting system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for initiating the generating the electromagnetic field when the detecting the presence indicates a presence of any receiver devices in the coupling-mode region; and

means for stopping the generating the electromagnetic field when the detecting the presence indicates an absence of any receiver devices in the coupling-mode region.

36. The power transmitting system of claim 28, further comprising means for indicating to the user when the host device leaves a designated region.