DETECTION AND PROTECTION OF DEVICES WITHIN A WIRELESS POWER SYSTEM

• US 20110221388A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mudrick, Adam A., Estrada, Sergio P., Low, Zhen Ning
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to detecting and limiting power transfer to non-compliant devices. A method may include detecting one or more non-compliant devices positioned within a charging region of a wireless power transmitter. The method may further include limiting an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting one or more non-compliant devices positioned within a charging region of a wireless power transmitter; and

limiting an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices.

2. The method of claim 1, the detecting one or more non-compliant devices comprising determining whether the one or more non-compliant devices are receiving power transmitted from the wireless power transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, the detecting comprising at least one of:

determining whether power transmitted from the wireless power transmitter is not being received by at least one complaint device positioned within the charging region;

monitoring at least one property of the wireless power transmitter; and

monitoring at least one property of the wireless power transmitter and at least one property of at least one compliant device positioned within a charging region of the wireless power transmitter.

4. The method of claim 3, the monitoring at least one property of the wireless power transmitter comprising monitoring at least one of a supply voltage of the wireless power transmitter, a supply current of the wireless power transmitter, an RF voltage of the wireless power transmitter, and a RF current of the wireless power transmitter.

5. The method of claim 3, the monitoring at least one property of the wireless power transmitter and at least one property of at least one compliant device comprising monitoring at least one of at least one of a supply voltage of the wireless power transmitter, a supply current of the wireless power transmitter, an RF voltage of the wireless power transmitter, a RF current of the wireless power transmitter, and a rectifier voltage of at least one compliant device positioned within the charging region.

6. The method of claim 1, the limiting an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices comprising reducing an amount of power transmitted from the wireless power transmitter.

7. The method of claim 1, the limiting an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices comprising turning off the wireless power transmitter.

8. The method of claim 1, the limiting an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices comprising reducing a load impedance of each compliant device within the charging region.

9. The method of claim 1, the detecting comprising performing one or more operations to detect the one or more non-compliant devices and limiting comprises performing one or more other operations to limit an amount of power conveyed to the one or more non-compliant devices.

10. The method of claim 1, the detecting one or more non-compliant devices comprising:

determining an amount of power transmitted by the wireless power transmitter and an efficiency of the wireless power transmitter;

determining an amount of power received by each compliant device within the charging region and an efficiency of each compliant device; and

determining whether a substantial amount of power transmitted by the wireless power transmitter is not received by any compliant device.

11. The method of claim 1, the detecting comprising cloaking each compliant device and monitoring at least one property at the wireless power transmitter.

12. The method of claim 1, the detecting comprising wirelessly transmitting power within the charging region.

13. The method of claim 1, the detecting comprising cloaking each compliant device and monitoring at least one property at the wireless power transmitter and at least one property at least one complaint device.

14. A device, comprising:

a wireless power transmitter configured to;

detect one or more non-compliant devices positioned within a charging region of a wireless power transmitter; and

limit an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices.

15. The device of claim 14, the wireless power transmitter further configured to determine whether power conveyed therefrom is not being received by one or more compliant devices positioned within the charging region.

16. The device of claim 14, the wireless power transmitter further configured to monitor at least one associated transmitter property after requesting each compliant device positioned within the charging region to cloak.

17. The device of claim 14, the device comprising a “

keep out”

zone proximate a transmit antenna of the wireless power transmitter.

18. A device, comprising:

means for detecting one or more non-compliant devices positioned within a charging region of a wireless power transmitter; and

means for limiting an amount of power delivered to at least one of the one or more non-compliant devices.

19. The device of claim 18, the device further comprising means for monitoring at least one property of the wireless power transmitter.

20. The device of claim 18, the device further comprising means for receiving a reverse link signal from a compliant device positioned within the charging region indicative of at least one property of the compliant device.