WIRELESS POWER RECEIVER

• US 20110204723A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Irish, Linda S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to conveying wireless power received at a receive antenna to a load. A method may include coupling each terminal of the antenna to a ground voltage during a charging phase for storing energy within the antenna. The method may further include coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase for transferring energy from the antenna to the output.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

coupling each terminal of an antenna receiving wireless power to a ground voltage during a charging phase for storing energy within the antenna; and

coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase for transferring the energy from the antenna to the output.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising conveying energy from the output to a battery of an electronic device.

2. The method of claim 2, wherein coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase comprises coupling one terminal of the antenna to the output and another terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising coupling the one terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage and the another terminal of the antenna to the output during another output phase.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein wirelessly receiving energy at an antenna comprises wirelessly receiving energy at an inductor having one terminal coupled to a first capacitor and a second terminal coupled to a second capacitor.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising sensing a current in each terminal of the antenna.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase comprises coupling a first terminal to the output upon a current in a second terminal exceeding a threshold current level.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein coupling each terminal of the antenna to a ground voltage during a charging phase comprises coupling a first terminal and a second terminal of the antenna to a ground voltage via associated transistors.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase comprises selectively decoupling a first terminal of the antenna from the ground voltage and selectively coupling the first terminal to the output.

10. A method, comprising:

coupling each of a first terminal and a second terminal of an antenna to a ground voltage while wireless receiving energy therewith for storing energy within the antenna;

coupling one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase for transferring stored energy from the antenna to the output; and

coupling the other of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to the output during another output phase for transferring stored energy from the antenna to the output.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein coupling each of a first terminal and a second terminal of an antenna to a ground voltage comprises selectively coupling the first terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage via a first switching element and selectively coupling the second terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage via a second switching element.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sensing a voltage drop across at least one of the first switching element and the second switching element.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein coupling one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase comprises coupling the first terminal to the output via a third switching element in response to a voltage drop across the one of the first switching element and the second switching element being sufficiently high.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein coupling the other of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to the output during another output phase comprises selectively decoupling the second terminal from the ground voltage and coupling the second terminal to the output via a fourth switching element.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein coupling one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase comprises selectively decoupling the first terminal from the ground voltage and coupling the first terminal to the output via a third switching element.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising sensing a current through at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal.

17. A receiver, comprising:

a receive antenna; and

a plurality of switching elements, wherein at least one switching element is configured to selectively couple or decouple a terminal of the receive antenna to or from an output and at least one other switching element is configured to selectively couple or decouple the terminal of the receive antenna to or from a ground voltage.

18. The receiver of claim 17, wherein at least one other switching element is configured to selectively couple or decouple another terminal of the receive antenna to or from the output and at least one additional switching element is configured to selectively couple or decouple the other terminal of the receive antenna to or from the ground voltage.

19. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the receive antenna comprise a one-turn inductor coupled between matching capacitors.

20. The receiver of claim 17, wherein each switching element of the plurality of switching elements comprises a transistor.

21. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the receive antenna is configured to operate at a frequency suitable for at least one of electric vehicle charging or inductive coupling.

22. The receiver of claim 17, further comprising a first current sense comparator configured to compare a current through the terminal of the receive antenna to a threshold current and a second sense comparator configured to compare a current through another terminal of the receive antenna to the threshold current.

23. A device, comprising:

a receive antenna;

at least one current sense comparator configured to compare a current through the receive antenna with a threshold current; and

a plurality of switching elements, wherein at least one switching element is configured to selectively couple the receive antenna to an output when the current through the receive antenna is greater than the threshold current.

24. The receiver of claim 23, wherein a first current sense comparator of the at least one is configured to compare a current through a positive terminal of the antenna to the threshold current.

25. The receiver of claim 23, wherein a second current sense comparator of the at least one is configured to compare a current through a negative terminal of the antenna to the threshold current.

26. The receiver of claim 23, wherein a first current sense comparator of the at least one is configured to convey a first control signal to a switching element of the plurality of switching elements to decouple a first terminal of the antenna from a ground voltage and a second control signal to a second switching element to couple the first terminal of the antenna to an output.

27. The receiver of claim 23, wherein the output is coupled to a battery of an electronic device.

28. A device, comprising:

means for coupling each terminal of the antenna to a ground voltage during a charging phase for storing energy within the antenna; and

means for coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase for transferring energy from the antenna to the output.

29. The device of claim 28, further comprising means for coupling one terminal of the antenna to the output and another terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage during the output phase.

30. The device of claim 28, further comprising means for sensing a current in each of a positive terminal of the antenna and a negative terminal of the antenna.

31. A device, comprising:

means for coupling each of a first terminal and a second terminal of an antenna to a ground voltage while receiving energy therewith for storing energy within the antenna;

means for coupling one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase for transferring energy from the antenna to the output; and

means for coupling the other of the first terminal and the second terminal of the antenna to the output during another output phase for transferring energy from the antenna to the output.

32. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for selectively coupling the first terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage via a first switching element and selectively coupling the second terminal of the antenna to the ground voltage via a second switching element

33. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for comparing a current through at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal to a threshold current.