WIRELESS INTERROGATION AND WIRELESS CHARGING OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES
First Claim
1. A wireless charger, comprising:
- a housing comprising;
a wireless power-receiving device comprising receive circuitry and a receive coil located within the housing;
a separate wireless power-transmitting device comprising transmit circuitry and a transmit coil located within the housing;
a power-handling controller comprising electronic hardware connecting the receive circuitry with the transmit circuitry and located within the housing to transfer the power received by the wireless power-receiving device to the wireless power-transmitting device; and
interrogation circuitry in communication with the transmit coil, comprising;
signal transmitting circuitry to cause the transmit coil to generate a wireless interrogation signal; and
signal receiving circuitry to obtain information from a wireless interrogation response signal in response to the transmit coil receiving the wireless interrogation response signal,wherein the wireless charger is capable of simultaneously receiving power wirelessly and transmitting the power wirelessly from the power-transmitting device outside of the wireless charger, wherein the wireless charger is also capable of accomplishing at least one of transmitting the wireless interrogation signal and obtaining the information from the wireless interrogation response signal.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, wireless chargers combined with wireless interrogators. The wireless chargers can transmit power wirelessly, while also wirelessly interrogating a nearby transponder, such as an RFID tag. The wireless chargers with wireless interrogators can also be programmable to allow user-implemented rules operable in response to an interrogation. Such rules can impose restrictions upon whether wireless charging is allowed to take place. Such rules can also be used to select a power-transmitting protocol that is particularly suited for the electronic device being charged. Other embodiments are disclosed.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A wireless charger, comprising:
a housing comprising; a wireless power-receiving device comprising receive circuitry and a receive coil located within the housing; a separate wireless power-transmitting device comprising transmit circuitry and a transmit coil located within the housing; a power-handling controller comprising electronic hardware connecting the receive circuitry with the transmit circuitry and located within the housing to transfer the power received by the wireless power-receiving device to the wireless power-transmitting device; and interrogation circuitry in communication with the transmit coil, comprising; signal transmitting circuitry to cause the transmit coil to generate a wireless interrogation signal; and signal receiving circuitry to obtain information from a wireless interrogation response signal in response to the transmit coil receiving the wireless interrogation response signal, wherein the wireless charger is capable of simultaneously receiving power wirelessly and transmitting the power wirelessly from the power-transmitting device outside of the wireless charger, wherein the wireless charger is also capable of accomplishing at least one of transmitting the wireless interrogation signal and obtaining the information from the wireless interrogation response signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method, comprising:
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receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a first wireless power signal by way of a power-receiving coil; generating, by the system, a transmitting coil-drive current responsive to the receiving of the first wireless power signal; generating, by the system, a second wireless power signal, by way of a power-transmitting coil, in response to the generating of the transmitting coil-drive current; transmitting, by the system, a wireless interrogation signal, by way of the power-transmitting coil, to cause a transponder to generate a wireless interrogation reply signal; and receiving, by the system, by way of the power-transmitting coil, the wireless interrogation reply signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wireless-charging system, comprising:
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a power-receiving coil to generate an electrical current in response to a first wireless power signal; power conversion circuitry coupled to the power-receiving coil to convert the electrical current to a coil-driving current; a power-transmitting coil coupled to the power conversion circuitry to transmit a second wireless power signal responsive to the coil-driving current, to transmit an interrogation signal to cause a transponder to generate a wireless reply signal, and to receive the wireless reply signal; and a controller in communication with the power-transmitting coil, wherein the controller comprises; a memory to store computer instructions; and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising; determining from the wireless reply signal that the transponder is proximate to the power-transmitting coil. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification