PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICE WITH WIRELESS POWER DISTRIBUTION

• US 20120091799A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Rofougaran, Maryam, Darabi, Hooman, Ibrahim, Brima B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A core module for a portable computing device includes a wireless power receiver module, a battery power module, a power supply module, a processing module, and an RF link interface. The wireless power receiver module, when operable, receives a wireless power transmit signal and converts it into a supply voltage. The battery power module, when operable, outputs a battery voltage. The power supply module, when operable, converts the supply voltage or the battery voltage into one or more power supply voltages. The processing module is operable to select one of the battery voltage, the supply voltage, and one of the one or more power supply voltages to produce a selected voltage. The RF link interface outputs the selected voltage on to an RF link of the portable computing device for providing power to one or more multi mode RF units within the portable computing device.

Claims

1. A core module for a portable computing device, the core module comprises:

a wireless power receiver module, when operable;

receives a wireless power transmit signal; and

converts the wireless power transmit signal into a supply voltage;

a battery power module, when operable, outputs a battery voltage;

a power supply module, when operable, converts the supply voltage or the battery voltage into one or more power supply voltages;

a processing module; and

a radio frequency (RF) link interface operably coupled to the processing module, wherein;

the processing module selects one of the battery voltage, the supply voltage, and one of the one or more power supply voltages to produce a selected voltage; and

the RF link interface outputs the selected voltage on to an RF link of the portable computing device for providing power to one or more multi mode (MM) RF units within the portable computing device.

2. The core module of claim 1, wherein the battery power module comprises:

a battery, when coupled, operable to output the battery voltage; and

a battery charger, when operable, charges the battery.

3. The core module of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

generate a control signal regarding power supply voltage generation for at least one of the one or more MM RF units; and

send, via the RF link interface, the control signal to the at least one of the one or more MM RF units.

4. The core module of claim 1 further comprises:

a wireless power transceiver operable to convert the supply voltage or the battery voltage into a second wireless power transmit signal.

5. The core module of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine whether the wireless power transmit signal is present;

when the wireless power transmit signal is present;

enable the wireless power receiver module to convert the wireless power transmit signal into the supply voltage;

determine whether a battery of the battery power module needs charging; and

when the battery needs charging, enable a battery charge of the battery power module.

6. The core module of claim 5 further comprises:

when the wireless power transmit signal is not present;

determine power needs of the core module;

determine power needs of the one or more MM RF units;

determine whether the battery can meet the power needs of the core module and of the one or more MM RF units;

when the battery cannot meet the power needs of the core module and of the one or more MM RF units, determine a power saving mode of operation for at least one of the core module and the one or more MM RF units; and

enable the power savings mode of operation.

7. The core module of claim 1 further comprises:

when an application selected for execution on the portable computing device includes a wireless communication, the processing module is further operable to;

determine a protocol for the wireless communication;

allocate, for the wireless communication, RF link communication resources of an RF link within the portable computing device based on the protocol;

allocate, for the wireless communication, one or more multi mode (MM) RF units within the portable computing device based on the protocol to produce allocated MM RF unit resources;

when the application is being executed;

the processing module is further operable to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream that addresses the allocation MM RF unit resources; and

the RF link interface is operable to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF link signal in accordance with the allocated RF link communication resources.

8. A multi module (MM) radio frequency (RF) unit of a portable computing device, the MM RF unit comprises:

a wireless power receiver module, when operable;

receives a wireless power transmit signal; and

converts the wireless power transmit signal into a supply voltage;

a battery power module, when operable, outputs a battery voltage;

a power supply module, when operable, converts the supply voltage or the battery voltage into one or more power supply voltages; and

a processing module operable to;

enable the wireless power receiver module when the wireless power transmit signal is present; and

enable the battery power module to output the battery voltage when the wireless power transmit signal is not present.

9. The MM RF unit of claim 8 further comprises:

an RF link interface; and

a plurality of RF specific protocol modules, wherein;

a first RF specific protocol module of the plurality of RF specific protocol modules is operable to convert a first inbound RF signal into a first inbound RF link signal in accordance with a first RF link resource allocation;

a second RF specific protocol module of the plurality of RF specific protocol modules is operable to convert a second inbound RF signal into a second inbound RF link signal in accordance with a second RF link resource allocation; and

the RF link interface is operable to output the first and second inbound RF link signals on to an RF link of a portable computing device for conveyance to a core module of the portable computing device.

10. The MM RF unit of claim 8, wherein the battery power module comprises:

a battery, when coupled, operable to output the battery voltage; and

a battery charger, when operable, charges the battery.

11. The MM RF unit of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine whether the wireless power transmit signal is present;

when the wireless power transmit signal is present;

enable the wireless power receiver module to convert the wireless power transmit signal into the supply voltage;

determine whether a battery of the battery power module needs charging; and

when the battery needs charging, enable a battery charge of the battery power module.

12. The MM RF unit of claim 8 further comprises:

when the wireless power transmit signal is not present;

determine power needs of the core module;

determine power needs of the one or more MM RF units;

determine whether the battery can meet the power needs of the core module and of the one or more MM RF units;

when the battery cannot meet the power needs of the core module and of the one or more MM RF units, determine a power saving mode of operation for at least one of the core module and the one or more MM RF units; and

enable the power savings mode of operation.

13. A core module for a portable computing device, the core module comprises:

a battery power module, when operable, outputs a battery voltage;

a converter drive circuit, when operable, generates, from the battery voltage, a primary voltage at a switching frequency;

a transformer operable to convert the primary voltage into a secondary voltage at the switching frequency;

a rectifying and filtering circuit operable to convert the secondary voltage into one or more power supply voltages for the core module;

a radio frequency (RF) link interface operable to coupled to an RF wired link of the portable computing device; and

a processing module operable to;

communication control information with one or more of a plurality of multi-mode RF units of the portable computing device in a first frequency band via the RF link interface and the RF wired link;

communicated data of a wireless communication with the one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the RF link interface and the RF wired link;

communicate clock information to the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a third frequency band via the RF link interface and the RF wired link; and

enable outputting of the secondary voltage to the one or more of the plurality of multi-mode RF units in a fourth frequency band via the RF link interface and the RF wired link.

14. The core module of claim 13, wherein the battery power module comprises:

a battery, when coupled, operable to output the battery voltage; and

a battery charger, when operable, charges the battery.

15. The core module of claim 13, wherein the converter drive circuit comprises at least one of:

a buck topology drive circuit;

a boost topology drive circuit;

a half-bridge topology drive circuit; and

a full-bridge topology drive circuit.

16. The core module of claim 13 further comprises:

a wireless power receiver module, when operable;

receives a wireless power transmit signal; and

converts the wireless power transmit signal into a supply voltage.

17. The core module of claim 13 further comprises:

a data module operable to generate data; and

the converter drive circuit further including a data modulation circuit this operable to modulate the control data onto the secondary voltage to produce a data modulated secondary voltage.

18. The core module of claim 17, wherein the converter drive circuit and the data modulation circuit comprise:

a power supply regulation circuit operable to generate a plurality of power supply regulated drive signals;

a plurality of transistors that are enabled in accordance with the plurality of power supply regulated drive signals;

a pair of half bridge capacitors; and

a modulation unit operable to select full bridge mode or half bridge mode based on the data being modulated.

19. The core module of claim 13, wherein the converter drive circuit and the data modulation circuit comprise:

a power supply regulation circuit operable to generate a plurality of power supply regulated drive signals;

a modulation unit operable to modulate the plurality of power supply regulated drive signals based on the data being modulated to produce a plurality of modulated power supply regulated drive signals;

a plurality of transistors that are enabled in accordance with the plurality of modulated power supply regulated drive signals; and

a pair of half bridge capacitors, wherein the modulation unit is further operable to select full bridge mode or half bridge mode based on the data being modulated.