VARIABLE WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION

• US 20150115885A1
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Carobolante, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 9,287,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to variable power wireless power transmission. A method may include conveying wireless power to a device at a first power level during a time period. The method may further include conveying wireless power to one or more other devices at a second, different power level during another time period.

Claims

1. A wireless charging device, comprising:

a transmit circuit comprising at least one coil, the transmit circuit configured to wirelessly charge one or more chargeable devices via a wireless field;

a controller circuit configured to;

determine a value indicative of a magnitude of a load presented to the transmit circuit by the one or more chargeable devices;

cause the transmit circuit to transmit power at a first power level to charge a first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices during a first time period;

cause the transmit circuit to transmit power at a second power level to charge at least one second chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices during a second time period different than the first time period, the first power level higher than the second power level when the magnitude of the load presented to the transmit circuit by the first chargeable device is larger than the magnitude of the load presented to the transmit circuit by the at least one second chargeable device; and

selectively determine whether to cause the transmit circuit to transmit at the first power level or the second power level based at least in part on the value indicative of the magnitude of the load presented to the transmit circuit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is configured to cause the transmit circuit to transmit power at the first power level while the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices and the transmit circuit form a tightly coupled system having a coupling factor greater than 0.1.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is configured to cause the transmit circuit to transmit power at the second power level while the at least one second chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices and the transmit circuit form a loosely coupled system having a coupling factor less than 0.1.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices comprises a receive antenna having a dimension similar to a dimension of the at least one coil of the transmit circuit.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an alignment device configured to enable alignment of a receive antenna of the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices with the at least one coil of the transmit circuit.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a charging surface configured for placement of the first and the at least one second chargeable devices of the one or more chargeable devices.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit configured to determine a value indicative of a magnitude of a load comprises a controller circuit configured to analyze a loading effect of the one or more chargeable devices positioned within a wireless field generated by the transmit circuit.

8. A method of charging one or more chargeable devices at a wireless charging device via a wireless field, comprising:

determining a value indicative of a magnitude of a load presented to a wireless charging device by the one or more chargeable devices;

causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at a first power level to charge a first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices during a first time period;

causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at a second power level to charge at least one second chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices during a second time period different than the first time period, the first power level higher than the second power level when the magnitude of the load presented to the wireless charging device by the first chargeable device is larger than the magnitude of the load presented to the transmit circuit by the at least one second chargeable device; and

selectively determining whether to cause power to be wirelessly transmitted at the first power level or the second power level based at least in part on the value indicative of the magnitude of the load presented to the wireless charging device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at the first power level comprises determining that the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices and the wireless charging device form a tightly coupled system having a coupling factor greater than 0.1 prior to causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at the first power level.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at the second power level comprises determining that the at least one second chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices and the wireless charging device form a loosely coupled system having a coupling factor less than 0.1 prior to causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at the second power level.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising aligning a receive antenna of the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices with a transmit antenna of the wireless charging device prior to causing power to be wirelessly transmitted at the first power level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein aligning comprises aligning the receive antenna of the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices with the transmit antenna of the wireless charging device using at least one alignment mechanism coupled to the wireless charging device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the first or the at least one second chargeable devices of the one or more chargeable devices at a charging surface configured for placement of the first and the at least one second chargeable devices of the one or more chargeable devices.

14. A wireless charging device for charging one or more devices at a wireless charging device, comprising:

means for wirelessly charging the one or more chargeable devices via a wireless field; and

means for determining a value indicative of a magnitude of a load presented to the wireless charging means by the one or more chargeable devices;

means for causing the wireless charging means to transmit power at a first power level to charge a first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices during a first time period;

means for causing the wireless charging means to transmit power at a second power level to charge at least one second chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices during a second time period different from the first time period, the first power level higher than the second power level when the magnitude of the load presented to the transmit circuit by the first chargeable device is larger than the magnitude of the load presented to the wireless charging means by the at least one second chargeable device; and

means for selectively determining whether to cause the wireless charging means to transmit at the first power level or the second power level based at least in part on the value indicative of the magnitude of the load presented to the wireless charging means.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the means for causing the wireless charging means to transmit power at the first power level is configured to cause the wireless charging means to transmit power at the first power level while the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices and the transmit circuit form a tightly coupled system having a coupling factor greater than 0.1.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the means for causing the wireless charging means to transmit power at the second power level is configured to cause the wireless charging means to transmit power at the second power level while the at least one second chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices and the transmit circuit form a loosely coupled system having a coupling factor less than 0.1.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the wireless charging means has a dimension similar to a dimension of a receive antenna of the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising means for aligning a receive antenna of the first chargeable device of the one or more chargeable devices with the wireless charging means.

19. The device of claim 14, further comprising means for receiving the first and the at least one second chargeable devices of the one or more chargeable devices.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the wireless charging means is positioned proximate the receiving means when the wireless charging means is placed on the receiving means.