WIRELESS CHARGING PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

• US 20150177293A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm technologies international, ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: MCFARTHING, Anthony Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 10,031,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/07 in circuits having distributed constants G01R21/09 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 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 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Wireless charging methods, chargers and devices are disclosed, including a method of measuring wireless charging performance comprising transmitting a wireless charging signal, measuring a transmitted power of the wireless charging signal, receiving an indication of a received power from the wireless charging signal received by a device, and determining wireless charging performance based on the transmitted power and the indication of the received power.

Claims

1. A method of measuring wireless charging performance comprising:

transmitting a wireless charging signal;

measuring a transmitted power of the wireless charging signal;

receiving an indication of a received power from the wireless charging signal received by a device; and

determining wireless charging performance based on the transmitted power and the indication of the received power.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the received power is received from the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the wireless charging performance comprises comparing the transmitted power and the indication of the received power.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the wireless charging performance comprises determining at least one of a difference between the transmitted power and the received power and a ratio of the received power to the transmitted power.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising stopping transmission of the wireless charging signal when the difference reaches or is greater than a predetermined threshold, or the ratio reaches or falls below a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping transmission of the wireless charging signal when the wireless charging performance is less than a predetermined level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the transmitted power comprises measuring voltage and current of a signal provided to an antenna for transmitting the wireless charging signal, measuring a relative phase of the voltage and the current, and calculating the transmitted power based on the voltage, the current and the relative phase.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more further indications of received power from the wireless charging signal received by each of one or more further devices, and wherein determining the wireless charging performance comprises determining the performance based on the transmitted power, the indication of the received power and the one or more further indications of received power.

9. A wireless charging method comprising:

receiving a wireless charging signal from a wireless charger;

measuring a received power of the wireless charging signal; and

transmitting an indication of the received power to the wireless charger.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein measuring the received power comprises measuring voltage and current of a signal received by an antenna for receiving the wireless charging signal, measuring a relative phase of the voltage and the current, and calculating the received power based on the voltage, the current and the relative phase.

11. A wireless charger comprising:

an antenna;

a transmitter for transmitting a wireless charging signal using the antenna;

measurement apparatus for measuring a transmitted power of the wireless charging signal;

a receiver for receiving an indication of a received power from the wireless charging signal; and

processing apparatus for determining wireless charging performance based on the transmitted power and the indication of the received power.

12. The wireless charger of claim 11, wherein the receiver is arranged to receive the indication of the received power from the device.

13. The wireless charger of claim 11, wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to determine the wireless charging performance by comparing the transmitted power and the indication of the received power.

14. The wireless charger of claim 11, wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to determine the wireless charging performance by determining at least one of a difference between the transmitted power and the received power and a ratio of the received power to the transmitted power.

15. The wireless charger of claim 14, wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to stop the transmitter from transmitting the wireless charging signal when the difference reaches or is greater than a predetermined threshold, or the ratio reaches or falls below a predetermined threshold.

16. The wireless charger of claim 11, wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to stop the transmitter from transmitting the wireless charging signal when the wireless charging performance is less than a predetermined level.

17. The wireless charger of claim 11, wherein the measuring apparatus comprises apparatus for measuring voltage and current of a signal provided to the antenna and measuring a relative phase of the voltage and the current.

18. The wireless charger of claim 17, wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to calculate the transmitted power based on the voltage, the current and the relative phase.

19. The wireless charger of claim 11, wherein the receiver is configured to receive one or more further indications of received power from the wireless charging signal received by each of one or more further devices, and wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to determining the wireless charging performance by determining the performance based on the transmitted power, the indication of the received power and the one or more further indications of received power.

20. A wireless communications device comprising:

a receiver for receiving a wireless charging signal from a wireless charger;

measuring apparatus for measuring a received power of the wireless charging signal; and

a transmitter for transmitting an indication of the received power to the wireless charger.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the measuring apparatus comprises apparatus for measuring voltage and current of a signal provided to the antenna and measuring a relative phase of the voltage and the current.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising processing apparatus for calculating the transmitted power based on the voltage, the current and the relative phase.