WIRELESS CHARGING OF MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120214418A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Sangmo, Lee, Jungseok, Lee, Hyunok, Kim, Seonghyok, Kang, Giwon, Choi, HyeonChang, Shim, Hongjo
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems, circuits, and devices for wirelessly charging a mobile device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system of a mobile device comprises a low power PAN module and a controller for the low power PAN module configured to monitor a connection request signal communicated from an external device while the mobile device is in a sleep mode, where the controller is supplied with quiescent current from a battery of the mobile device during the sleep mode. In addition, the system comprises an AP of the mobile device configured to wake up from the sleep mode when the connection request signal is validated by the controller, forward to the external device an equipment identity data of the mobile device and a charging status of the battery, and charge the battery of the mobile device with energy received from a wireless charging module associated with the external device.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly charging a mobile device, the system comprising:

a low power personal area network (PAN) module configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device for establishing a connection with the external device;

a controller for the low power PAN module configured to;

monitor a connection request signal communicated from the external device via the low power PAN module while the mobile device is in a sleep mode, wherein the controller is supplied with quiescent current from a battery of the mobile device during the sleep mode; and

an application processor (AP) of the mobile device, the AP configured to;

wake up from the sleep mode when the connection request signal is validated by the controller;

forward to the external device an equipment identity data of the mobile device and a charging status of the battery; and

charge the battery of the mobile device with energy received from a wireless charging module associated with the external device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the low power PAN module is a Bluetooth device with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) feature or a BLE device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device is a server, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or a mobile phone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment identity data comprises an international mobile equipment ID.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless charging module is configured to turn on or off in response to a signal forwarded by the external device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless charging module is configured to perform inductive resonance charging.

8. A method for wirelessly charging a mobile device, comprising:

monitoring, using a controller of the mobile device, a connection request signal communicated from an external device via a low power PAN module of the mobile device while the mobile device is in a sleep mode, wherein the controller is supplied with quiescent current from a battery of the mobile device during the sleep mode;

waking up an AP of the mobile device from the sleep mode when the connection request signal is validated by the controller;

forwarding to the external device an equipment identity data of the mobile device and a charging status of the battery; and

charging the battery of the mobile device with energy received from a wireless charging module associated with the external device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising terminating the charging of the battery when a level of the battery reaches a threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating an AP OFF signal to place the AP back to the sleep mode when the charging of the battery is completed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the low power PAN module is a Bluetooth device with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) feature or a BLE device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the equipment identity data comprises an international mobile equipment ID.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless charging module is configured to perform inductive resonance charging.

14. A method of a master device for charging a plurality of slave devices, comprising:

forwarding a first connection request signal to a first slave device of the plurality of slave devices to wake up a first AP of the first slave device, wherein the first slave device is supplied with quiescent current from a first battery of the first slave device prior to the wake up of the first AP;

receiving a first equipment identity data of the first slave device and a first charging status of the first battery; and

wirelessly transferring a first amount of energy using a wireless charging module associated with the master device to charge the first slave device based on the first equipment identity data and the first charging status.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forwarding a first termination signal to terminate the charging of the first battery when the first charging status indicates that a level of the first battery has reached a first threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising forwarding a first AP OFF request signal to place the first AP to sleep when the level of the first battery reaches the first threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

forwarding a second connection request signal to a second slave device of the plurality of slave devices to wake up a second AP of the second slave device, wherein the second slave device is supplied with quiescent current from a second battery of the second slave device prior to the wake up of the second AP;

receiving a second equipment identity data of the second slave device and a second charging status of the second battery; and

wirelessly transferring a second amount of energy using the wireless charging module to charge the second slave device based on the second equipment identity data and the second charging status.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising forwarding a second termination signal to terminate the charging of the second battery when the second charging status indicates that a level of the second battery has reached a second threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forwarding a second AP OFF signal to place the second AP to sleep when the level of the second battery reaches the second threshold.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of slave devices comprises a mobile device with an embedded battery.