WIRELESS POWER OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION CIRCUIT WITH REDUCED POWER DISSIPATION

• US 20140063666A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kallal, Edward Kenneth, Monat, Pavel, Tseng, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,130,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/56
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/20 responsive to excess voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/04 responsive to excess voltage lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for overvoltage protection in a wireless power receiver are disclosed. One aspect of the disclosure is a wireless power receiver apparatus. The apparatus includes an antenna circuit configured to wirelessly receive power, from a transmitter, at a level sufficient to power or charge a load, wherein the antenna circuit is electrically connected to an overvoltage protection circuit that is electrically connected between the antenna circuit and the load. The apparatus also includes a matching circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit and a switching element electrically connected to the matching circuit. At least one of the matching circuit or the switching element is configured to control an amount of the received power flowing into the overvoltage protection circuit.

Claims

1. A wireless power receiver apparatus, comprising:

an antenna circuit configured to wirelessly receive power, from a transmitter, at a level sufficient to power or charge a load, wherein the antenna circuit is electrically connected to an overvoltage protection circuit that is electrically connected between the antenna circuit and the load;

a matching circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit; and

a switching element electrically connected to the matching circuit,

wherein at least one of the matching circuit or the switching element is configured to control an amount of the received power flowing into the overvoltage protection circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the matching circuit is electrically connected between the switching element and the load.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the matching circuit comprises at least two components, and wherein the switching element is electrically connected between two of the at least two components.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the switching element is connected in parallel with the two components of the matching circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the matching circuit comprises at least one capacitor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the load comprises at least one of the following:

a rectifier, a DC-to-DC converter or a battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching element comprises a field effect transistor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the overvoltage protection circuit comprises at least one of the matching circuit or the switching element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power comprises at least one of the following:

voltage, current or heat.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the matching circuit or the switching element is configured to control power dissipation to be generated at the overvoltage protection circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the matching circuit or the switching element is configured to protect the overvoltage protection circuit against an overvoltage condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an overvoltage protection controller configured to detect the overvoltage condition.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the overvoltage protection controller is further configured to determine that the overvoltage condition has occurred when a voltage detected in the antenna circuit is greater than a threshold voltage.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the overvoltage protection controller is further configured to determine that the overvoltage condition has occurred when the detected voltage remains to be greater than a threshold voltage for a predetermined period of time.

11. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of the matching circuit or the switching element is configured to reduce the power dissipation of the overvoltage protection circuit.

16. A method of operating a wireless power receiver apparatus, comprising:

wirelessly receiving power, from a transmitter, at a level sufficient to power or charge a load, wherein the load is electrically connected to an overvoltage protection circuit; and

controlling an amount of the received power flowing into the overvoltage protection circuit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling is performed by at least one of a matching circuit or a switching element that is electrically connected to each other and the load.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the overvoltage protection circuit comprises at least one of the matching circuit or the switching element.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether an overvoltage condition has occurred in the wireless power receiver apparatus, wherein the controlling is performed only when the overvoltage condition has occurred and remains for a predetermined period of time in the receiver apparatus.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling comprises reducing at least one of voltage, current or heat flowing into or to be generated at the overvoltage protection circuit.

21. One or more processor-readable storage devices having processor-readable code embodied on the processor-readable storage devices, the processor-readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of operating a wireless power receiver apparatus, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving power, from a transmitter, at a level sufficient to power or charge a load, wherein the load is electrically connected to an overvoltage protection circuit; and

controlling an amount of the received power flowing into the overvoltage protection circuit.

22. The storage devices of claim 21, wherein the controlling is performed by at least one of a matching circuit or a switching element that are electrically connected to each other and the load.

23. The storage devices of claim 22, wherein the matching circuit comprises at least two components, and wherein the switching element is electrically connected between two of the at least two components.

24. The storage devices of claim 23, wherein the switching element is connected in parallel with the two components of the matching circuit.

25. A wireless power receiver apparatus, comprising:

means for wirelessly receiving power, from a transmitter, at a level sufficient to power or charge a load, wherein the load is electrically connected to an overvoltage protection circuit; and

means for controlling an amount of the received power flowing into the overvoltage protection circuit.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the receiving means comprises an antenna circuit.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controlling means comprises at least one of a matching circuit electrically connected to the receiving means or a switching element electrically connected to the matching circuit.

28. A processing apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to

wirelessly receive power, from a transmitter, at a level sufficient to power or charge a load, wherein the load is electrically connected to an overvoltage protection circuit, and

control an amount of the received power flowing into the overvoltage protection circuit.