VARIABLE MODE WIRELESS POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

• US 20140015336A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weber, Richard J., Turner, Kaitlyn J., Moes, Benjamin C., Kuyvenhoven, Neil W., Eurich, Sean T., Baarman, David W., Van Den Brink, Joseph C., Anderson, J. Scott, Tiedemann, Scott A., Johnson, Carolyn E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,870,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

The present invention provides a wireless power supply system in which a remote device is provided with different control methodologies depending on one or more factors. One type of wireless power supply can selectively control one or more remote devices according to a first control methodology and another type of wireless power supply can control the remote device according to a second control methodology. In one embodiment, a wireless power supply system is provided for wirelessly powering a display circuit in a product located at a point of display differently than when charging at a point of use, or when the device is in use. In another embodiment, a wireless power supply is programmed to operate a remote device according to a primary control methodology and the remote device is programmed to operate the remote device according to a secondary control methodology where the remote device includes circuitry for enabling the primary control methodology instead of the secondary control methodology.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply system comprising:

a remote device capable of receiving wireless power, said remote device including a display load;

a point of display wireless power supply including a point of display controller programmed with a demonstration mode having a point of display control methodology that controls the display load of the remote device; and

a point of use wireless power supply including a point of use controller programmed with a use mode having a point of use control methodology that controls said load of said remote device differently than said point of display wireless power supply.

2. The wireless power supply system of claim 1 wherein said point of display controller is programmed with a demonstration mode that controls said display load of said remote device to demonstrate a feature of said remote device.

3. The wireless power supply system of claim 1 wherein said use mode includes illuminating said one or more lights to indicate said device is being charged.

4. The wireless power supply system of claim 1 wherein said load includes one or more lights and said demonstration mode includes illuminating said one or more lights to attract attention to said device.

5. The wireless power supply system of claim 1 wherein said point of use control methodology includes controlling said load of the remote device while charging a battery in said remote device.

6. The wireless power supply system of claim 1 wherein said remote device includes a controller programmed with said use mode having a point of use control methodology that controls said load of the remote device differently than said point of display wireless power supply.

7. The wireless power supply system of claim 6 wherein said remote device is an article of footwear, said load is one or more lights, said remote device includes a pressure sensor, and said point of use control methodology includes illuminating said one or more lights depending on output from said pressure sensor so that said article of footwear lights up in response to a user walking, running, or jumping.

8. A remote device for receiving wireless power from a wireless power supply, the wireless power supply programmed to control the remote device according to a primary control methodology, the remote device comprising:

a wireless power receiver for receiving wireless power;

a load;

a controller programmed to control said load according to a secondary control methodology;

circuitry for selectively enabling the wireless power supply primary control methodology instead of the secondary control methodology.

9. The remote device of claim 8 wherein the circuitry for selectively enabling the wireless power supply primary control methodology instead of said secondary control methodology includes a bypass switch that selectively provides a current path from said wireless power receiver to said load, which enables said wireless power supply to control said load directly.

10. The remote device of claim 9 wherein said bypass switch is manually accessible by a user.

11. The remote device of claim 9 wherein said remote device includes communication circuitry to communicate with the wireless power supply and the controller is programmed to activate the bypass switch in response to communication from the wireless power supply.

12. The remote device of claim 9 including a sensor that senses a characteristic of power from the wireless power supply and activates said bypass switch in response.

13. The remote device of claim 8 wherein said remote device includes communication circuitry to communicate with the wireless power supply, said circuitry for selectively enabling the wireless power supply primary control methodology instead of the secondary control methodology is said controller, and said controller is programmed to carry out instructions from the wireless power supply to implement the primary control methodology indirectly.

14. The remote device claim 8 wherein said circuitry for selectively enabling the wireless power supply primary control methodology instead of the secondary control methodology is configured to enable the wireless power supply primary control methodology in response to wireless power being received by said wireless power receiver.

15. A remote device for receiving wireless power from a wireless power supply, the wireless power supply programmed to control the remote device according to a primary control methodology, the remote device comprising:

a resonator circuit for receiving wireless power from the wireless power supply;

a display circuit electrically connected to said resonator circuit;

a removable wireless power receiver circuit including;

a wireless power receiver for receiving energy via said resonator circuit from the wireless power supply;

a controller having a secondary control methodology; and

a battery;

wherein said resonator circuit is capable of receiving wireless power regardless of whether said removable wireless power receiver is present, enabling the wireless power supply to directly control said display circuit.

16. The remote device of claim 15 wherein said resonator circuit includes circuit components having a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency, wherein in response to receiving wireless power at the first resonant frequency, said display circuit is energized and in response to receiving wireless power at said second resonant frequency, said display circuit is not energized.

17. The remote device of claim 15 wherein said removable wireless power receiver circuit detects whether the wireless power supply is in proximity, and in response to a determination that the wireless power supply is not in proximity the removable wireless power receiver circuit configures the wireless power receiver to transmit energy to the resonator circuit and energize said display circuit using said secondary control methodology.

18. The remote device of claim 15 wherein the wireless power supply is a point of display wireless power programmed with a demonstration mode that controls said display circuit of said remote device to demonstrate a feature of said remote device without communicating to said remote device.

19. The remote device of claim 18 wherein said load includes one or more lights and said demonstration mode includes illuminating said one or more lights to attract attention to said device.

20. The wireless power supply system of claim 15 wherein said remote device is an article of footwear, said removable wireless power receiver includes a sensor, and said secondary control methodology includes activating said display circuit in response to output from said sensor.

21. A wireless power supply system comprising:

a remote device;

a first type of wireless power supply that supplies energy inductively to said remote device and controls the remote device according to a first control methodology;

a second type of wireless power supply that supplies energy inductively to said remote device and controls the remote device according to a second control methodology;

wherein said first control methodology and said second control methodology are different, and said control methodologies enable said wireless power supply system to operate said remote device in different modes depending on the nature of said wireless power supply.

22. The wireless power supply system of claim 21 wherein said first control methodology includes a demonstration mode that controls said remote device to demonstrate a feature of said remote device.

23. The wireless power supply system of claim 21 wherein said remote device is an article of footwear and said first control methodology includes reconfiguring cushioning characteristics of said article of footwear.

24. The wireless power supply system of claim 21 wherein said remote device is an article of footwear, said article of footwear includes a cooling system, and said first control methodology includes controlling operation of said cooling system.

25. The wireless power supply system of claim 24 wherein said remote device includes a removable monitor that includes a controller having a third control methodology for controlling said cooling system.