INDUCTIVE CHARGING

• US 20130076156A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powerkiss OY (Powermat Technologies, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Anttila, Sami, Byman, Ville
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

There is provided a method including transmitting inductively a first signal, receiving inductively a second signal in response to the first signal, determining whether the inductively received signal includes a modulation, and adjusting a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of a modulation of the received signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting inductively a first signal;

receiving inductively a second signal in response to the first signal;

determining whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation; and

adjusting a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of a modulation of the received signal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting the power comprises:

adjusting a frequency, an amplitude, or a pulse width of the transmitted signal.

3. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

transmitting inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprising a modulation, a third signal with a higher power than the first signal.

4. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

transmitting inductively, a third signal with a lower power than the first signal, when the received signal does not comprise a modulation.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising transferring power inductively, when the received signal comprises a modulation.

7. A method according to claim 1, comprising decoding the modulation of the received signal and continuing the transfer of power when the decoding fails.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

transmitting inductively a first signal;

receiving inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and

continuing the transmitting of the first signal on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

9. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

transmitting inductively a first signal;

receiving inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and

transmitting inductively a third signal, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation, wherein the third signal has a higher power than the first signal.

10. A method according to an claim 1 comprising:

transmitting inductively a first signal;

receiving inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and

transmitting inductively a third signal with a lower power than the first signal, when the received signal does not comprise a modulation.

11. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

decoding the modulation of the received signal;

identifying a device originating the received signal on the basis of a result of the decoding; and

determining a signal power to be used in inductive transmissions on the basis of the identified originating device.

12. A method according to claim 1, comprising determining that a device exists within a range of an inductive transfer if a modulation is determined in a predetermined period.

13. A method according to claim 1, comprising determining a modulation on the basis of a change in amplitude of the inductively received exceeds a threshold.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the threshold comprises a triggering threshold to determine values of data corresponding to a modulation.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the received signal comprises a modulated transmitted signal.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises a poll signal, a charging signal or a status query signal.

35. A system comprising an apparatus according to claim 14.

36. A computer program comprising program code means adapted to perform any of steps of claim 1 when the program is run on a computer.

37. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable code for executing a computer process according to claim 1.

38. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method according to claim 1.

39. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium and embodying program instructions thereon executable by a computer operably coupled to a memory which, when executed by the computer, carry out the functions in claim 1.

40. An article of manufacture comprising:

media comprising programming configured to cause processing circuitry to perform processing according to claim 1.

41. An article of manufacture according to claim 40, wherein the media comprises a memory.

6. A method comprising:

receiving inductively a signal;

determining whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation; and

transferring power inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a first signal;

a receiver configured to receive inductively a second signal in response to the first signal;

a controller configured to determine whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation; and

a controller configured to adjust a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of a modulation of the received signal.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising a controller configured to adjust a frequency, an amplitude, or a pulse width of the transmitted signal.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprising a modulation, a third signal with a higher power than the first signal.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17 comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively, a third signal with a lower power than the first signal, when the received signal does not comprise a modulation.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising a transmitter configured to transfer power inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

23. An apparatus according to claim 17 comprising a controller configured to decode the modulation of the received signal and continue the transfer of power when the decoding fails.

24. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a first signal;

a receiver configured to

receive inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and

a transmitter configured to

continue the transmitting of the first signal on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

25. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a first signal;

a receiver configured to receive inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a third signal, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation, wherein the third signal has a higher power than the first signal.

26. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a first signal;

a receiver configured to receive inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a third signal with a lower power than the first signal, when the received signal does not comprise a modulation.

27. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising:

a controller configured to decode the modulation of the received signal;

identify a device originating the received signal on the basis of a result of the decoding; and

determine a signal power to be used in inductive transmissions on the basis of the identified originating device.

28. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising a controller configured to determine that a device exists within a range of an inductive transfer if a modulation is determined in a predetermined period.

29. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising a controller configured to determine a modulation on the basis of a change in amplitude of the inductively received exceeds a threshold.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the threshold comprises a triggering threshold to determine values of data corresponding to a modulation.

31. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the received signal comprises a modulated transmitted signal.

32. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the inductively received signal comprises:

a modulated poll signal, a modulated charging signal or a modulated status query signal.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to inductively received a signal;

a controller configured to determine whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation; and

a transmitter configured to transfer power inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

33. An apparatus comprising:

transmitting means configured to transmit inductively a first signal;

receiving means configured to receive inductively a second signal in response to the first signal;

determining means configured to determine whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation; and

adjusting means configured to adjust a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of a modulation of the received signal.

34. An apparatus comprising:

receiving means configured to receive inductively a signal;

determining means configured to determine whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation; and

transmitting means configured to transfer power inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.