SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING A UNIVERSAL BACK-COVER WIRELESS CHARGING SOLUTION

• US 20150028803A1
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shevde, Sumukh Ashok, Maalouf, Joseph Najib, Carobolante, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 9,490,653 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/80 Telephone line holding circuits

Abstract

Systems and methods for converting voltages between different voltage levels in a receiver are disclosed. In an aspect, a wireless power receiver apparatus for charging a chargeable device is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of receive antennas disposed on a cover of the chargeable device, wherein at least one of the plurality of receive antennas is configured to wirelessly receive power according to a wireless charging protocol different from at least one other of the plurality of receive antennas. The apparatus includes a switching circuit disposed on the cover and configured to receive the wireless power from at least one of the plurality of receive antennas and selectively provide a respective voltage from a corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas across an output configured to be connected to an input of the chargeable device.

Claims

1. A wireless power receiver apparatus for charging a chargeable device, comprising:

a plurality of receive antennas disposed on a cover of the chargeable device, at least one of the plurality of receive antennas configured to wirelessly receive power according to a wireless charging protocol different from at least one other of the plurality of receive antennas; and

a switching circuit disposed on the cover and configured to receive the wireless power from at least one of the plurality of receive antennas and selectively provide a respective voltage from a corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas across an output configured to be connected to an input of the chargeable device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one front end circuit disposed on the cover and configured to rectify an alternating current received from at least one of the plurality of receive antennas and provide a direct current to the switching circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output comprises a first output terminal and a second output terminal and the switching circuit comprises a plurality of switches configured to selectively provide the respective voltage across the first and second output terminals when the wireless power is received from the corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of switches comprise at least one pair of transistors having source electrodes connected together.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit is configured to disable a circuit path to the output for wireless power received from any other receive antenna of the plurality of receive antennas when wireless power is received from the corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit comprises a first switch configured to disable a first circuit path from a first antenna of the plurality of antennas to the output, and wherein a rectified DC voltage generated via a second antenna of the plurality of antennas in response to a wireless field is configured to control the first switch to disable the first circuit path.

7. A method for charging a chargeable device, comprising:

wirelessly receiving power from at least one of a plurality of receive antennas disposed on a cover of the chargeable device, wherein at least one of the plurality of receive antennas is configured to wirelessly receive power according to a wireless charging protocol different from at least one other of the plurality of receive antennas; and

selectively providing a respective voltage from a corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas across an output configured to be connected to an input of the chargeable device utilizing a switching circuit disposed on the cover.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising rectifying an alternating current received from at least one of the plurality of receive antennas and providing a direct current to the switching circuit.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising selectively providing the respective voltage across a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the output when the wireless power is received from the corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas, utilizing a plurality of switches within the switching circuit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of switches comprise at least one pair of transistors having source electrodes connected together.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising disabling a circuit path between the output and any other receive antenna of the plurality of receive antennas when wireless power is received from the corresponding one of the plurality of receive antennas.

12. The method of claim 7, comprising disabling a first circuit path from a first antenna of the plurality of antennas to the output in response to detecting a presence of a rectified DC voltage generated via a second antenna of the plurality of antennas.

13. A wirelessly chargeable apparatus, comprising:

an input configured to be connected to an output of a cover of the chargeable apparatus;

a converter circuit configurable to be coupled to one of a plurality of receive antennas on the cover of the chargeable apparatus via the input, the one of the plurality of receive antennas configured to wirelessly receive power according to a wireless charging protocol different from at least one other of the plurality of receive antennas, the converter circuit configured to;

selectively receive an input voltage from the one of the plurality of receive antennas; and

produce an output voltage that is scaled relative to the input voltage based on a relationship between the input voltage and a voltage level threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the converter circuit is configured to produce the output voltage as substantially equal to the input voltage when the input voltage is less than the voltage level threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the converter circuit is configured to multiply the input voltage by a scaling factor to produce the output voltage when the input voltage is greater than or equal to the voltage level threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the converter circuit comprises a charge pump circuit.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the charge pump circuit is disposed on an integrated circuit that is physically separate from at least a rectifier circuit connected to one or more of the plurality of receive antennas and disposed on the cover of the chargeable apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the converter circuit comprises a master charge pump circuit and at least one slave charge pump circuit connected in parallel with the master charge pump circuit, wherein the master charge pump circuit is configured to control the operation of the at least one slave charge pump circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of the master charge pump circuit and the at least one slave charge pump circuit provide the output voltage.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein an amount of power provided by the converter circuit is based at least in part on a total amount of current provided at the output voltage from the master charge pump circuit and the at least one slave charge pump circuit.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a communication circuit configured to communicate with at least one of a plurality of chargers for controlling a charging sequence.

22. A method for wirelessly charging a chargeable device, comprising:

selectively receiving an input voltage at an input of the chargeable device, from one of a plurality of receive antennas disposed on a cover of the chargeable device, the one of the plurality of receive antennas configured to wirelessly receive power according to a wireless charging protocol different from at least one other of the plurality of receive antennas; and

producing an output voltage that is scaled relative to the input voltage based on a relationship between the input voltage and a voltage level threshold.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising producing the output voltage as substantially equal to the input voltage when the input voltage is less than the voltage level threshold.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising multiplying the input voltage by a scaling factor to produce the output voltage when the input voltage is greater than or equal to the voltage level threshold.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising producing the output voltage utilizing a charge pump circuit.

26. The method of claim 25, the charge pump circuit is disposed on an integrated circuit that is physically separate from a rectifier circuit connected to one or more of the plurality of receive antennas and disposed on the cover of the chargeable apparatus, the rectifier circuit configured to generate the input voltage.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the charge pump circuit comprises a master charge pump circuit connected in parallel with at least one slave charge pump circuit, the method comprising controlling the operation of the at least one slave charge pump circuit via the master charge pump circuit.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each of the master charge pump circuit and the at least one slave charge pump circuit produce the output voltage.

29. The method of claim 27, comprising adjusting an amount of power provided to the chargeable device by adjusting a total amount of current provided at the output voltage from the master charge pump circuit and the at least one slave charge pump circuit.

30. The method of claim 22, comprising communicating with at least one of a plurality of chargers via a communications circuit for controlling a charging sequence.