DEVICE WITH INTEGRATED WIRELESS POWER RECEIVER

• US 20110127951A1
• Filed: 05/01/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Walley, John, Seshadri, Nambirajan, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Van Der Lee, Reinier
• Granted Patent: US 9,590,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A device includes an integrated power receive circuit, a battery charger, a battery, a processing module, one or more input/output modules, and one or more circuit modules. The integrated power receive circuit is operable to generate a DC voltage from a received magnetic field in accordance with a control signal. The battery charger is operable to convert the DC voltage into a battery charge voltage. The battery is coupled to the battery charger in a first mode and is coupled to supply power in a second mode. The processing module is operable to: generate the control signal based on desired electromagnetic properties of at least one of the received magnetic field and the integrated power receive circuit; process outbound data to produce processed outbound data; and process inbound data to produce processed inbound data.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

an integrated power receive circuit operable to generate a DC voltage from a received magnetic field in accordance with a control signal;

a battery charger operable to convert the DC voltage into a battery charge voltage;

a battery coupled to the battery charger in a first mode and to supply power in a second mode;

a processing module operable to;

generate the control signal based on desired electromagnetic properties of at least one of the received magnetic field and the integrated power receive circuit;

process outbound data to produce processed outbound data; and

process inbound data to produce processed inbound data;

one or more input/output modules operable to, at least one of;

route the processed outbound data from the processing module to a peripheral output component; and

route the inbound data from a peripheral input component to the processing module; and

one or more circuit modules operable to, at least one of;

generate the outbound data; and

perform a function on the processed inbound data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

generate a battery charging control signal; and

send the battery charging control signal to the battery charger, wherein the battery charger charges the battery in accordance with the battery charging control signal when the device is in the first mode.

3. The device of claim 1 comprises:

a DC to DC converter operably coupled to the battery to generate one or more DC power supply voltages, wherein at least one of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules is powered by the one or more DC power supply voltages.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

a power management module operable to control power consumption of the device; and

a clock generation module operable to generate one or more clock signals that are provided, as at least partially controlled by the power management module, to one or more of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the desired electromagnetic properties of the received magnetic field including at least one of frequency, interference avoidance, and magnetic coupling; and

the desired electromagnetic properties of the integrated power receive circuit including at least one of tuning, quality factor, impedance matching, and power level.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the integrated power receive circuit comprises:

a coil operable to generate an AC voltage from the received magnetic field;

an impedance matching &

rectifying circuit operably coupled to generate a rectified voltage from the AC voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching &

rectifying circuit are tuned in accordance with the control signal; and

a regulation module operable to generate the DC voltage from the rectified voltage in accordance with the control signal.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

a housing that houses the integrated power receive circuit, the battery charger, the battery, the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the integrated power receive circuit comprises:

a coil operable to;

generate an AC voltage from the received magnetic field;

receive an inbound electromagnetic modulated signal; and

transmit an outbound electromagnetic modulated signal;

an impedance matching &

rectifying circuit operably coupled to generate a rectified voltage from the AC voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching &

rectifying circuit are tuned in accordance with the control signal;

a regulation module operable to generate the DC voltage from the rectified voltage in accordance with the control signal;

a near field communication (NFC) transceiver operably coupled to;

convert outbound data into the outbound electromagnetic modulated signal; and

convert the inbound electromagnetic modulated signal into inbound data.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the integrated power receive circuit comprises:

a coil operable to generate an AC voltage from the received magnetic field;

an impedance matching &

rectifying circuit operably coupled to generate a rectified voltage from the AC voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching &

rectifying circuit are tuned in accordance with the control signal, wherein the processing module is powered by the battery or an emergency DC supply voltage during an initial phase of generating the DC voltage;

a regulation module operable to generate the DC voltage from the rectified voltage in accordance with the control signal; and

an emergency power recovery module operable to generate the emergency DC supply voltage when the battery is not capable of powering the processing module.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprises:

after the initial phase of generating the DC voltage, powering the processing module from the DC voltage.

11. An integrated circuit (IC) for using a device, the IC comprises:

a processing module operable to;

generate a control signal based on desired electromagnetic properties of at least one of a received magnetic field and an integrated power receive circuit;

send the control signal to the integrated power receive circuit;

generate a battery charger control signal based on charging requirements of a battery;

send the battery charger control signal to battery charger components;

processing outbound data to produce processed outbound data; and

processing inbound data to produce processed inbound data; and

one or more input/output modules operable to, at least one of;

route the processed outbound data from the processing module to a peripheral output component; and

route the inbound data from a peripheral input component to the processing module.

12. The IC of claim 11, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

generate a DC to DC converter control signal; and

send the DC to DC converter control signal to a DC to DC converter.

13. The IC of claim 11 further comprises:

a power management module operable to control power consumption of the device; and

a clock generation module operable to generate one or more clock signals that are provided, as at least partially controlled by the power management module, to one or more of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and one or more circuit modules.

14. The IC of claim 11 further comprises:

the desired electromagnetic properties of the received magnetic field including at least one of frequency, interference avoidance, and magnetic coupling; and

the desired electromagnetic properties of the integrated power receive circuit including at least one of tuning, quality factor, impedance matching, and power level.

15. The IC of claim 11 further comprises:

a data processing module operable to processing inbound and outbound control channel data.

16. A device comprises:

a coil operable to convert a magnetic field into an AC voltage, wherein a wireless power transmit unit generated the magnetic field;

a capacitor coupled to the coil;

a rectifying circuit operable to convert the AC voltage into a DC rail voltage;

a DC to DC converter operable to convert the DC rail voltage into a DC voltage in accordance with a DC to DC converter control signal;

a battery selectively coupled to be charged by the DC voltage or the supply a battery voltage; and

a processing module operable to;

generate a control signal based on desired electromagnetic properties;

send the control signal to at least one of the coil and the capacitor, wherein the at least one of the coil and the capacitor are tuned in accordance with the control signal;

generate a battery charge control signal to enable the selective coupling of the battery to the DC voltage;

generate the DC to DC converter control signal to achieve a desired voltage for the DC voltage;

processing outbound data to produce processed outbound data; and

processing inbound data to produce processed inbound data; and

one or more input/output modules operable to, at least one of;

route the processed outbound data from the processing module to a peripheral output component; and

route the inbound data from a peripheral input component to the processing module.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprises:

an integrated circuit (IC) that supports the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and at least a portion of at least one the capacitor, the rectifying circuit, and the DC to DC converter.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing module generates the DC to DC converter control signal to achieve a desired voltage for the DC voltage by at least one of:

generating a buck converter control signal or a boost converter control signal based on the DC voltage and battery charging requirements.

19. The device of claim 16 further comprises:

when the device is in a first mode, the processing module and the one or more input/output modules are powered by the battery voltage; and

when the device is in a second mode, the processing module and the one or more input/output modules are powered by the DC voltage.

20. The device of claim 16 further comprises:

a power management module operable to control power consumption of the device.

21. The device of claim 16 further comprises:

a data processing module operable to processing inbound and outbound control channel data.