WIRELESS POWER BRIDGE

• US 20140183969A1
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Nigel P., Sieber, Lukas, Widmer, Hanspeter
• Granted Patent: US 9,966,188 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: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/20 without armatures cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 ; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1285 with capacitive feeding through the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A wireless power bridge that allows magnetic transmission of energy across a solid barrier such as a wall. A circuit is described for controlling the operation.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. An apparatus for transferring power wirelessly, comprising:

a transmit antenna configured to transmit power wirelessly via a magnetic field; and

a transmitting unit coupled to the transmit antenna, the transmitting unit configured to cause the transmit antenna to;

transmit power wirelessly, via the magnetic field, at a first power level in a first mode;

intermittently transmit power, via the magnetic field, at a second power level, lower than the first power level, in a second mode, the second power level sufficient to detect a presence of a receiver.

30. An apparatus as in claim 29, wherein the transmitting unit is further configured to detect the presence of the receiver in the second mode.

31. An apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the transmitting unit is further configured to cause the transmit antenna to transmit power wirelessly via the magnetic field at the first power level when the receiver is detected.

32. An apparatus as in claim 31, further comprising a resonant transmit circuit comprising the transmit antenna, the transmitting unit configured to tune a resonant frequency of the transmit circuit.

33. An apparatus as in claim 29, wherein the transmitting unit is further configured to enter into the second mode in response to detecting no receiver is present or when coupling of power to the receiver is below a specified level.

34. An apparatus as in claim 29, wherein the transmitting unit is further configured to detect the presence of the receiver based on characteristics of the receiver and a behavioral pattern of the receiver.

35. An apparatus as in claim 29, wherein the transmitting unit is configured to operate at a fixed frequency for wireless power transfer.

36. A method of transferring power wirelessly, comprising:

transmitting, via a magnetic field, power wirelessly at a first power level in a first mode;

intermittently transmitting power, via the magnetic field, at a second power level, lower than the first power level, during a second mode, the second power level sufficient to detect a receiver device; and

detecting the receiver device when the receiver device is positioned within the magnetic field at the second power level.

37. A method as in claim 36, further comprising transmitting, via the magnetic field, power wirelessly at the first power level when a receiver device is detected.

38. A method as in claim 37, further comprising tuning a resonant frequency of a resonant transmit circuit configured to transmit the power wirelessly via the magnetic field.

39. A method as in claim 36, further comprising entering into the second mode when no receiver device is detected or when coupling of power to the receiver device is below a specified level.

40. A method as in claim 36, further comprising detecting a presence of the receiver device based on characteristics of the receiver device and a behavioral pattern of the receiver device.

41. A method as in claim 36, further comprising operating the transmitting unit at a fixed frequency for wireless power transfer.

42. An apparatus for transferring power wirelessly, comprising:

means for transmitting, via a magnetic field, power wirelessly at a first power level in a first mode;

means for intermittently transmitting power, via the magnetic field, at a second power level, lower than the first power level, during a second mode, the second power level sufficient to detect a receiver device; and

means for detecting the receiver device when the receiver device is positioned within the magnetic field at the second power level.

43. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the transmitting means is configured to transmit, via the magnetic field, power wirelessly the first power level higher than the second power level when the receiver device is detected.

44. An apparatus as in claim 43, wherein the means for transmitting comprises a resonant means, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a means for tuning a resonant frequency of the resonant means for transmitting the power wirelessly via the magnetic field.

45. An apparatus as in claim 42, further comprising means for entering into the second mode when no receiver device is detected or when coupling of power to the receiver device is below a specified level.

46. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the transmitting means is further configured to enter into the second mode in response to detecting no receiver device is present or when coupling of power to the receiver device is below a specified level.

47. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the transmitting means is further configured to detect the presence of the receiver device based on characteristics of the receiver device and a behavioral pattern of the receiver device.

48. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the transmitting means is configured to operate at a fixed frequency for wireless power transfer.