PACKAGING AND DETAILS OF A WIRELESS POWER DEVICE

• US 20130342025A1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Nigel P., Widmer, Hanspeter, Sieber, Lukas
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,714 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: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A wireless power system includes a power source, power receiver, and components thereof. The system can also include a parasitic antenna that can improve the coupling to the power source in various modes. The antenna can have both a variable capacitor and a variable inductor, and both of those can be changed in order to change characteristics of the matching.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. An apparatus configured to transmit power via a magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:

an antenna circuit configured to inductively transmit power via the magnetic field at a magnetic field strength level sufficient to charge or power a receiver device;

a detection circuit configured to detect a presence of a living being within a region of the magnetic field in which power is inductively transmitted at the magnetic field strength level; and

a controller configured to adjust the magnetic field strength level in response to detecting the presence of the living being within the region of the magnetic field.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising a driver circuit configured to drive the antenna circuit at a frequency substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the antenna circuit.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect the presence of the living being based on microwave detection.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the detection circuit comprises an infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of the living being.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the controller is configured to reduce the magnetic field strength level to at least one of a lower magnetic field strength level or substantially zero.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the region corresponds to a near-field of the antenna circuit.

46. The apparatus of claim 0, wherein the lower magnetic field strength level corresponds to a level configured to avoid biological harm to the living being.

47. The apparatus of claim 0, wherein the lower magnetic field strength level is based on a target specific energy absorption rate (SAR).

49. A method of transmitting power via a magnetic field, the method comprising:

inductively transmitting power via the magnetic field at a magnetic field strength level sufficient to charge or power a receiver device;

detecting a presence of a living being within a region of the magnetic field in which power is inductively transmitted; and

adjusting the magnetic field strength level in response to detecting the presence of the living being within the region of the magnetic field.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein adjusting the magnetic field strength level comprises reducing the magnetic field strength level to at least one of a lower magnetic field strength level or substantially zero.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the lower magnetic field strength level corresponds to a level configured to avoid biological harm to the living being.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the lower magnetic field strength level is based on a target specific energy absorption rate (SAR).

53. The method of claim 49, wherein detecting the presence of the living being comprises detecting the presence of the living being based on microwave detection.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein detecting the presence of the living being comprises detecting the presence of the living being via an infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of the living being.

55. An apparatus configured to transmit power via a magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:

means for inductively transmitting power via the magnetic field at a magnetic field strength level sufficient to charge or power a receiver device;

means for detecting a presence of a living being within a region of the magnetic field in which power is inductively transmitted; and

means for adjusting the magnetic field strength level in response to detecting the presence of the living being within the region of the magnetic field.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the means for adjusting the magnetic field strength level comprises means for reducing the magnetic field strength level to at least one of a lower magnetic field strength level or substantially zero.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the lower magnetic field strength level corresponds to a level configured to avoid biological harm to the living being.

58. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the lower magnetic field strength level is based on a target specific energy absorption rate (SAR).

59. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the means for detecting the presence of the living being comprises means for detecting the presence of the living being based on microwave detection.

60. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the means for detecting the presence of the living being comprises an infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of the living being.