WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20140035380A1
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: STEVENS, GREGORY LOUIS, XING, RONGZHI
• Granted Patent: US 9,490,650 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that enable power regulation during wireless power transfer, such as during magnetic resonance (MR) charging of one or more devices from a power transfer device, while enabling the one or more devices to access a network drive via a routing mechanism while the network drive is operatively coupled to an apparatus that includes the power transfer device and the routing mechanism.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a device including a wireless power transfer device and a routing mechanism, wherein the device is configured to be operatively coupled to a network drive, performing;

receiving, wirelessly, from a wireless device, an indication of a power receiving state of the wireless device and determining whether the power receiving state of the wireless device is at or below a threshold; and

in response to the power receiving state being at or below the threshold, transmitting a portion of available power of the power transfer device to the wireless device,

wherein, while the device is operatively coupled to the network drive, the routing mechanism enables access by the wireless device to the network drive via wireless communication between the wireless device and the routing mechanism during wireless power transfer to the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the portion of available power includes allocating the portion of available power to enable wireless power transfer to the wireless device while the wireless device accesses the network drive.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein allocating the portion of available power includes tuning a power transfer device transmitter to match a frequency of the wireless device to transmit power to the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising allocating a second portion of available power to enable wireless power transfer to a second wireless device while the second wireless device accesses the network drive.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein allocating the portion of available power includes tuning a first power transfer device transmitter to match a frequency of the wireless device to transmit power to the wireless device, and wherein allocating the second portion of available power includes tuning a second power transfer device transmitter to match a frequency of the second wireless device to transmit power to the second wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power receiving state of the wireless device corresponds to a percentage of battery charge of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network drive is in the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network drive is removably coupleable to the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transfer device is configured to transmit the portion of available power via magnetic resonance (MR).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, while the device is operatively coupled to the network drive, data on the network drive is available to be accessed by multiple devices via the routing mechanism to enable synchronization of the data among the multiple devices.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a power transfer device configured, in response to determining that a power receiving state of a wireless device is at or below a threshold, to transmit a portion of available power of the power transfer device to the wireless device; and

a routing mechanism configured to enable wireless access by the wireless device to a network drive while the network drive is operatively coupled to the routing mechanism.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a universal serial bus interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a micro-universal serial bus interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an interface that is compliant with a standard for a secure digital (SD) flash memory card.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an interface that is compliant with a standard for a microSD flash memory card.

12-14. -14. (canceled)

19-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a memory;

a routing mechanism, wherein the routing mechanism is configured to enable wireless access to the memory by a wireless device, wherein the routing mechanism is further configured to support wireless connectivity using network address translation while the routing mechanism is wirelessly connected to the wireless device; and

a battery, wherein the memory, the routing mechanism, and the battery are integrated within the housing.

26. The wireless apparatus of claim 25, wherein the battery is rechargeable.

27. The wireless apparatus of claim 25, wherein the wireless device corresponds to a mobile telephone, a notebook computer, a tablet, a laptop computer, a gaming console, an electronic book reader, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a combination thereof.

28. The wireless apparatus of claim 25, wherein the memory corresponds to a network drive that includes a solid state storage device, and wherein the network drive includes an embedded flash memory device.

29. The wireless apparatus of claim 25, wherein the memory is configured to store data that includes a music file, an image file, an audio file, a video file, or a combination thereof, and wherein the routing mechanism is further configured to provide to the wireless device, via the wireless connectivity, wireless access to the data.

30. The wireless apparatus of claim 29, wherein the routing mechanism is further configured to provide, via the wireless connectivity, wireless access for a plurality of wireless devices, each having wireless access to data that is distinct or common to one or more of the plurality of wireless devices.

31. The wireless apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a universal serial bus (USB) interface, wherein the USB interface enables connection of the housing to an electronic device.

32. The wireless apparatus of claim 25, further comprising an interface that is compliant with a standard associated with a secure digital (SD) flash memory card, and wherein the interface includes a receptacle configured to receive the SD flash memory card.

33. A method comprising:

in a wireless apparatus with a housing that includes a memory, a routing mechanism, and a battery, performing;

providing access to the memory, by the routing mechanism, to a wireless device via wireless communication between the wireless device and the routing mechanism; and

providing, by the routing mechanism, wireless connectivity accessible to the wireless device, wherein the wireless connectivity is provided using network address translation while the routing mechanism is wirelessly connected to the wireless device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein providing access to the memory includes:

receiving data from the wireless device, wherein the data is to be stored at the memory; and

storing the data to the memory.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the memory stores first data, wherein providing access to the memory includes sending the first data to the wireless device, wherein the memory further stores second data, and further comprising sending the second data to a second wireless device.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

sending the second data to the wireless device; and

sending the first data to the second wireless device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the first data or the second data includes image data, audio data, video data, or a combination thereof.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the wireless apparatus is coupled to an Internet-connected device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the Internet-connected device includes a computer.

40. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a memory;

a routing mechanism, wherein the routing mechanism is configured to enable wireless access to the memory by a wireless device, wherein the routing mechanism is further configured to support wireless connectivity using network address translation while the routing mechanism is wirelessly connected to the wireless device; and

a universal serial bus (USB) interface configured to supply power to the memory, wherein the memory and the routing mechanism are integrated within the housing.

41. The wireless apparatus of claim 40, wherein the wireless device comprises a mobile telephone, a notebook computer, a tablet, a laptop computer, a gaming console, an electronic book reader, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a combination thereof.

42. The wireless apparatus of claim 40, wherein the USB interface enables connection of the housing to an alternating current charging unit, to an electronic device, or a combination thereof.

43. The wireless apparatus of claim 40, wherein the USB interface extends at least partially through the housing, and wherein the memory comprises a solid state storage device.

44. The wireless apparatus of claim 40, further comprising an interface that is compliant with a standard associated with a secure digital (SD) flash memory card, and wherein the interface includes a receptacle configured to receive the SD flash memory card.

45. A method comprising:

in a wireless apparatus with a housing that includes a memory and a routing mechanism, wherein the wireless apparatus further includes a universal serial bus (USB) interface configured to supply power to the wireless apparatus, performing;

providing access to the memory, by the routing mechanism, to a wireless device via wireless communication between the wireless device and the routing mechanism; and

providing, by the routing mechanism, wireless connectivity accessible to the wireless device, wherein the wireless connectivity is provided using network address translation while the routing mechanism is wirelessly connected to the wireless device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein providing access to the memory includes receiving data from the wireless device, wherein the data is to be stored at the memory.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the memory stores first data, and wherein providing access to the memory includes sending the first data to the wireless device.