Coordinated Wireless Communication and Power Delivery

• US 20140004912A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajakarunanayake, Yasantha
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method, apparatus, and system for managing wireless communications between wireless devices, including providing radiative power delivery to the wireless devices. The wireless devices may include a communication transceiver to wireless communicate with other wireless devices and a radiative power harvester to receive radiative power transmissions from the other wireless devices. The wireless devices may also include a switching unit to selectively provide a connection to the communication transceiver and the wireless power harvester based on the mode of operation of the wireless devices.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication transceiver to wirelessly transmit and/or receive communication transmissions to and/or from at least one other wireless communication device via an antenna during a communication mode;

a radiative power harvester to receive radiative power transmissions from the at least one other wireless communication device via the antenna during a wireless power transfer (WPT) mode, and to convert the received radiative power transmissions to a direct current (DC) charge, the DC charge capable of charging a battery;

a switching unit to selectively connect the antenna to one of the communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester, wherein the switching unit connects the antenna to the communication transceiver during the communication mode and connects the antenna to the radiative power harvester during the WPT mode; and

a controller to control the transmission and/or reception of the communication transmission by communication transceiver, and to control the selective connection of the antenna to the communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester by the switching unit.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication transmission transmitted from the wireless communication device to the at least one other wireless communication device includes a notification indicative of entry into the WPT mode by the communication device.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the notification includes at least one time of entry into the WIT mode and at least one corresponding duration of operation in the WPT mode.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of a frequency and duration that the wireless communication device operates in the WPT mode.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the adjustment of the at least one of the frequency and duration is based on at least one of a quality of service (QOS) of the wireless communication device and remaining ampere-hours (Ah) of the battery.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication transmissions are transmitted at a first frequency and the radiative power transmissions are transmitted at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein wireless communication transmissions received by the wireless communication device have a first transmission power and the radiative power transmissions received by the wireless communication device have a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power.

8. A method to wirelessly transfer power comprising:

switching from a communication mode to a wireless power transfer (WPT) mode by a first wireless communication device, wherein the switching modes by the first wireless communication device includes;

disconnecting an antenna of the first wireless communication device connected to a communication transceiver of the first wireless communication device, and

connecting the antenna to a radiative power harvester of the first communication device;

receiving, by the radiative power harvester, a communication transmission transmitted from a second wireless communication device;

converting, by the radiative power harvester, the received communication transmission to a direct current (DC) charge; and

storing the DC charge converted from the received communication transmission in a battery.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising negotiating with the second wireless communication device to establish a WPT sequence in which the first and second communication devices will operate in the WPT mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the WPT sequence includes at least one of:

a transmission output power of the communication transmission to be received by the first wireless communication device;

a transmission frequency of the communication transmission to be received by the first wireless communication device; and

at least one time period in which the first and second wireless communication devices are to operate in the WPT mode.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting at least one of the transmission output power, the transmission frequency and the at least one time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting is based on at least one of a quality of service (QOS) of the first wireless communication device and remaining ampere-hours (Ah) of the battery.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of:

the communication transmission received by the radiative power harvester is transmitted at a first frequency and a communication transmission received by the communication transceiver is transmitted at a second frequency different from the first frequency; and

the communication transmission received by the radiative power harvester is transmitted at a first transmission power and a communication transmission received by the communication transceiver is transmitted at a second transmission power different from the first transmission power.

14. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a first wireless communication devices including a first communication transceiver to wirelessly transmit and/or receive communication transmissions; and

a second wireless communication device including;

a second communication transceiver to wirelessly transmit and/or receive the communication transmissions to and/or from the first wireless communication device via an antenna during a communication mode;

a radiative power harvester to receive the communication transmissions transmitted by the first wireless communication device via the antenna during a wireless power transfer (WPT) mode, and to convert the received communication transmissions to a direct current (DC) charge; and

a switching unit to selectively connect the antenna to one of the second communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester, wherein the switching unit connects the antenna to the second communication transceiver during the communication mode and connects the antenna to the radiative power harvester during the WPT mode.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, further comprising:

a controller to control the transmission and/or reception of the communication transmission by second communication transceiver, and to control the selective connection of the antenna to the communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester by the switching unit; and

a battery to store the DC charge converted from the received communication transmissions.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the communication transmission transmitted from the second wireless communication device includes a notification indicative of at least one time of entry into the WPT mode and at least one corresponding duration in which the second wireless communication device operates in the WPT mode.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of a frequency and duration that the second wireless communication device operates in the WPT mode based on at least one of a quality of service (QOS) of the second wireless communication device and remaining ampere-hours (Ah) of the battery.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the first wireless transmission device transmits the communication transmissions at a first transmission power during the communication mode and transmits the communication transmissions at a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power during the WPT mode.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 14, further comprising:

a third wireless communication device including a third communication transceiver to, during the WPT mode, wirelessly transmit other communication transmissions to the second wireless communication device in cooperation with the first wireless communication device,

wherein the other communication transmissions and the communication transmissions transmitted by the second wireless communication device are received and converted by the radiative power harvester.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the communication transmission transmitted from the first wireless communication device includes a WPT key to establish a frequency at which the communication transmissions are transmitted during the WPT mode and a sequence at which the wireless communication system selectively operates in the communication and WPT modes.