SELF OPTIMIZING ANTENNA FOR NFC AND WIRELESS CHARGING

• US 20140361735A1
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Yuk Lun, Caceres, Manuel Enrique, Qian, Nanjun
• Granted Patent: US 9,973,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A charging system may include a charging apparatus having a controller and a power transmitter. The controller may be configured to determine a device position relative to the controller based on at least one signal received from the device. The controller may also be configured to determine whether the device position is at an optimal position, and provide feedback indicative of the device position.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a charging apparatus having a controller and a power transmitter,

wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a device position of a device placed on the charging apparatus relative to the transmitter based on at least one signal received from the device,

determine whether the device position is an optimal position for charging of the device, and

provide feedback indicative of the determination of the device position relative to the optimal position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback is continuously provided and indicative of the device position to provide guidance as to the optimal position of the device with respect to the transmitter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes activating a plurality of LEDs adjacent to a border of the charging apparatus or device indicating positioning of the device on the charging apparatus relative to the optimal position, the LEDs activated in a particular order to indicate a change in positioning relative to the optimal position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes displaying arrows on the charging apparatus or device indicating directionality to reposition the device on the charging apparatus to obtain the optimal position.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes displaying concentric circles on the charging apparatus or device indicating positioning of the device on the charging apparatus relative to the optimal position, the concentric circles changing in at least one of size or number to indicate a change in positioning relative to the optimal position.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the power transmitter is at an optimal transmitter position, and adjust, in response to the transmitter position not being at the optimal transmitter position, the transmitter to achieve the optimal transmitter position.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the transmitter includes a plurality of traces configured to be interconnected by a plurality of switches to form a coil at the optimal transmitter position within the charging apparatus, the position of the coil being adjusted in response to the adjusting by the controller.

8. A method comprising:

receiving an electromagnetic field at a device having a processor and a memory, the electromagnetic field being received from a charging apparatus;

determining the strength of the electromagnetic field;

determining, based on the strength of the electromagnetic field, a device position relative to the charging apparatus;

determining whether the device position is at an optimal position for charging, and providing feedback to a device user indicative of the determination of the device position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the feedback is continuously provided via a device interface and indicates the proximity of the device with respect to a transmitter within the charging apparatus.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the feedback includes activating a plurality of LEDs adjacent to a border of the charging apparatus or device indicating positioning of the device on the charging apparatus relative to the optimal position, the LEDs activated in a particular order to indicate a change in positioning relative to the optimal position.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the feedback includes displaying arrows on the charging apparatus or device indicating directionality to reposition the device on the charging apparatus to obtain the optimal position.

12. The method of claim 8, the feedback includes displaying concentric circles on the charging apparatus or device indicating positioning of the device on the charging apparatus relative to the optimal position, the concentric circles changing in at least one of size or number to indicate a change in positioning relative to the optimal position.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a transmitter position;

determining whether a transmitter within the charging apparatus is at an optimal transmitter position; and

instructing, in response to the transmitter not being at the optimal transmitter position, the transmitter to move to the optimal transmitter position.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the optimal transmitter position includes the transmitter being at least partially aligned with a receiver of the device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitter includes a plurality of traces configured to be interconnected by a plurality of switches to form a coil at the optimal transmitter position within the charging apparatus.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions of a software program, the software program being executable by a processor of a computing device to provide operations comprising:

receiving an electromagnetic field from a charging apparatus;

determining the strength of the electromagnetic field;

determining, based on the strength of the electromagnetic field, a device position of a device placed on the charging apparatus;

determining whether the device position is an optimal device position for charging of the device, and

providing feedback indicative of the determination of the device position relative to the optimal position.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the feedback is continuously provided via a device interface and indicates the proximity of the device with respect to a transmitter within the charging apparatus to provide guidance as to the optimal device position with respect to the transmitter.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the feedback includes activating a plurality of LEDs adjacent to a border of the charging apparatus or device indicating positioning of the device on the charging apparatus relative to the optimal position, the LEDs activated in a particular order to indicate a change in positioning relative to the optimal position.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the feedback includes displaying concentric circles on the charging apparatus or device indicating positioning of the device on the charging apparatus relative to the optimal position, the concentric circles changing in at least one of size or number to indicate a change in positioning relative to the optimal position.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein the feedback includes displaying arrows on the charging apparatus or device indicating directionality to reposition the device on the charging apparatus to obtain the optimal position.