APPARATUSES AND RELATED METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION WITH A WIRELESS POWER RECEIVER

• US 20150215006A1
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Mehas, Gustavo J., Vitchev, Vladimir N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,954,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0205 not using a model or a simulator of the controlled system
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A wireless power enabled apparatus may comprise a wireless power receiver that includes a receive coil configured to generate an AC power signal responsive to a wireless power signal, a rectifier including a plurality of switches configured to receive the AC power signal and generate a DC rectified power signal, a regulator operably coupled with the regulator to receive the DC rectified power signal and generate an output power signal, and control logic configured to generate a communication signal responsive to adjusting an input impedance of the regulator. A method of operating a wireless power receiver includes generating a rectified voltage responsive to receiving a wireless power signal, generating an output voltage from the rectified voltage with a voltage regulator, and controlling the voltage regulator during a communication mode of wireless power receiver to modulate a characteristic of the voltage regulator with data for transmission to a wireless power transmitter.

Claims

1. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:

a wireless power receiver, including;

a receive coil configured to generate an AC power signal responsive to an wireless power signal;

a rectifier including a plurality of switches configured to receive the AC power signal and generate a DC rectified power signal;

a regulator operably coupled with the regulator to receive the DC rectified power signal and generate an output power signal; and

control logic configured to generate a communication signal responsive to adjusting an input impedance of the regulator.

2. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is configured to adjust the input impedance by dynamically adjusting a current limit in a control loop for the regulator.

3. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the regulator is selected from the group consisting of a buck converter, a boost converter, and a buck-boost converter.

4. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the regulator includes a linear regulator.

5. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 4, wherein the linear regulator is incorporated within the control logic.

6. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1 wherein the regulator includes a first regulator coupled to the load and a second regulator coupled to a secondary storage device.

7. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the regulator includes a transformer-based topology.

8. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output capacitor operably coupled between the regulator and a load.

9. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 8, wherein the regulator is configured to transfer power from the output capacitor back to the receive coil in a reactive manner or a real manner.

10. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic device including the wireless power receiver.

11. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a load operably coupled with the wireless power receiver to receive the DC output power signal.

12. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 11, wherein the load includes at least one of a battery of the electronic device and system components of the electronic device.

13. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:

a wireless power receiver, including;

a receive coil;

a rectifier configured to receive a power signal generated from the receive coil and generate a rectified voltage in response thereto;

a regulator configured to receive the rectified voltage and generate an output voltage in response thereto; and

control logic configured to adjust a characteristic of the regulator during a communication mode of the wireless power receiver for modulation of the communication signal to be detected by a wireless power transmitter.

14. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 13, wherein the adjusted characteristic of the regulator includes at least one of an output voltage generated by the regulator, a current generated by the regulator, a power output by the regulator, and an input impedance of the regulator.

15. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 13, wherein the regulator is configured to generate a constant average power to a load.

16. A method of operating a receiver side of a wireless power transfer system, the method comprising:

generating a rectified voltage responsive to receiving a wireless power signal;

generating an output voltage from the rectified voltage with a voltage regulator; and

controlling the voltage regulator during a communication mode of wireless power receiver to modulate a characteristic of the voltage regulator with data for transmission to a wireless power transmitter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling the voltage regulator includes dynamically adjusting a current limit value of a control loop for the voltage regulator.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the characteristic modulated during the communication mode includes at least one of an input impedance of the voltage regulator, a load current generated by the voltage regulator, an output power provided to a load, and the output voltage.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the output voltage includes generating a steady state operating point for a load current provided to the load when communication is not occurring between the wireless power receiver and the wireless power transmitter.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the output voltage further includes generating adjusting the load current provided to the load when communication is occurring between the wireless power receiver and the wireless power transmitter.