WIRELESS BATTERY CHARGER AND CHARGE-RECEIVING DEVICE

• US 20150326061A1
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Larsen, James C., Davison, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,698,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless charger includes a plurality of conductive coils and electronic circuitry. The coils are disposed around a perimeter and face a generally central area of the perimeter. The coils are connected to and controlled by the electronic circuitry, which includes an electric power receiving circuit and a coil controller. The electric power receiving circuit receives electrical power from an external source and conditions the power for provision to the coil controller. The coil controller controls provision of an oscillating current to select coils within the plurality of coils. A protective enclosure or portable electronic device may have receiving coils disposed at its sides for corresponding to at least two of the conductive coils of the wireless charger.

Claims

1. A wireless charging apparatus for charging a battery of a portable electronic device, the wireless charging apparatus comprising;

a plurality of electrically conductive coils, the conductive coils each forming a portion of a perimeter around a receiving area configured to receive the portable electronic device, each conductive coil having a central axis around which the respective conductive coil is formed, the central axis of each conductive coil directed inward from the perimeter, each conductive coil in the plurality of conductive coils including at least one loop of electrically conductive material, the ends of each conductive coil constituting electrical leads; and

electronic circuitry, comprising;

an electric power receiving circuit configured to receive electrical power and to provide at least a portion of the electrical power to a coil controller, and

the coil controller, electrically connected to the electric power receiving circuit and to the electrical leads of the conductive coils, the controller configured to selectively provide a changing electric current to at least one of the conductive coils, the changing electric current inducing a magnetic field around the respective conductive coil selected for receiving the changing electrical current.

2. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coil controller provides the changing electric current simultaneously to at least two of the conductive coils.

3. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the coil controller is further configured to provide the changing electric current to each of the at least two conductive coils using a predetermined electric current waveform.

4. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive coils includes one or more pairs of the conductive coils, and the coil controller is further configured to provide the changing electrical current to a selectable one pair of the one or more pairs of conductive coils, each pair of conductive coils having a first coil disposed across the perimeter approximately opposite a second coil of the pair of coils, each pair of conductive coils positioned to be respectively proximate a corresponding pair of receiver coils of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is disposed in the receiving area in alignment with the selected one of the one or more pair of coils.

5. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the coil controller is configured to provide the predetermined electric current waveform to each of the at least two conductive coils at a different phase of the waveform such that at any given time the current at one of the at least two conductive coils has a different amplitude compared with the current provided to another of the at least two conductive coils.

6. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined electric current waveform is a sine wave.

7. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least two conductive coils comprises three or more conductive coils, and the coil controller simultaneously provides the predetermined electric current waveform at three different phases of the sine wave, each phase being separated from the other two phases of the three different phases by about 120 degrees and being applied respectively to the three or more conductive coils.

8. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising at least one target charging region within the receiving area, wherein the coil controller is configured to provide the changing electric current to each of the at least two conductive coils at respective magnitudes and phases of the electric current that induce complementary magnetic fields, the complementary magnetic fields combining to provide an aggregate oscillating magnetic field at the target charging region.

9. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a detection unit of the electronic circuitry, wherein,

the coil controller is further configured to perform a detection sequence at least once after receiving power from the power receiving circuit, the detection sequence including at least provision of the changing electric current temporarily to each of the conductive coils in a predetermined order, and

the detection unit includes:

a data communication receiver configured to receive, for each conductive coil, a communication from the portable electronic device reporting an amount of power received at the portable electronic device, and

a processing circuit configured to compare each reported amount of power received to a predetermined power amount value and, based on the reported amounts of power received, to determine at least one of the conductive coils to which the coil controller shall supply the changing electrical current.

10. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processing circuit of the detection unit is further configured to determine the at least one of the conductive coils to which the coil controller shall supply the changing electrical current by calculating whether any reported amount of power received is within one of a first predetermined threshold range or a second predetermined threshold range, wherein

the detection unit is further configured to:

if the reported amount of power received is within the first predetermined threshold range, prevent further provision of power to the corresponding conductive coil, and

if the reported amount of power received is within the second predetermined threshold range, initiate transmission of power to the corresponding conductive coil.

11. The wireless charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive coils are disposed edge-adjacent each other, one side portion of each conductive coil being proximate an opposite-side portion of a first adjacent conductive coil and the other side of said each conductive coil being proximate an opposite-side portion of a second adjacent conductive coil.

12. A cupholder of a vehicle, comprising a substantially cylindrical wall having an open top and a closed bottom, the cylindrical wall compassed by the wireless charging apparatus according to claim 1, the perimeter of the wireless charging apparatus disposed around the cylindrical wall between the open end of the cylindrical wall and the closed bottom of the cylindrical wall.

13. A mounting apparatus for a portable electronic device, the mounting apparatus comprising:

a gripping device having a first side-engaging portion and a second side engaging portion, the first and second side-engaging portions disposed opposite each other and configured to engage sides of the portable electronic device, each side-engaging portion having a respective electrically conductive coil, each electrically conductive coil having at least one electrical lead for electrically connecting the coil; and

electronic circuitry, comprising;

an electric power receiving circuit configured to receive electrical power and to provide at least a portion of the electrical power to a coil controller, and

the coil controller, electrically connected to the electric power receiving circuit and to the electrical leads of the electrically conductive coils, the controller configured to provide a changing electric current to at least each of the electrically conductive coils in the gripping device, the changing electric current inducing a magnetic field around the electrically conductive coil.

14. The mounting apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a substantially planar portion configured to receive a back of the portable electronic device, the substantially planar portion including a third conductive coil in addition to the electrically conductive coils disposed in the first and second side-engaging portions; and

a base portion electrically connected to at least the substantially planar portion.

15. The mounting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first and second side-engaging portions extend respectively from first and second sides of the substantially planar portion, and

at least one of the first and second side-engaging portions includes an extension-length adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an extension length of the at least one of the first and second side-engaging portions from the substantially planar portion.

16. A protective enclosure for a portable electronic device, the protective enclosure comprising:

a hard shell having;

a substantially planar portion configured to receive a back of the portable electronic device and to house power-receiving circuitry;

side walls extending from each of two opposing side edges of the substantially planar portion of the hard shell, the side walls each including a respective power-receipt coil, each power-receipt coil configured to correspond to one or more charging coils provided in a charging apparatus, each power-receipt coil including leads connected to the power-receiving circuitry, and

an internal connector connected at a bottom wall of the hard shell, the internal connector disposed to interface with an electrical connector of the portable electronic device, wherein,

in response to an oscillating magnetic field at a predetermined frequency, an electric current is induced in the power-receipt coils, and the power-receiving circuitry processes the electric current for use by at least one of the protective enclosure and the portable electronic device.

17. The protective enclosure according to claim 16, wherein the power-receiving circuitry includes:

power conditioning hardware components configured to produce conditioned power, based on the induced electric current, to at least one of a battery charging circuit and the internal connector, the power conditioning components including at least one of voltage regulation components, AC to DC conversion components, and DC to DC conversion components; and

a processor configured to monitor and control the function of the power conditioning hardware components and to control provision of the conditioned power to the battery charging circuit, wherein

the processor controls provision of the conditioned power to the internal connector of the protective enclosure for transmission to the portable electronic device.

18. The protective enclosure according to claim 17, further comprising:

a battery of the protective enclosure, the battery being disposed in an enclosed cavity within the substantially planar portion of the hard shell;

the battery charging circuit, configured to control provision of the conditioned power to the battery of the protective enclosure, wherein

the processor is further configured to control provision of power stored in the battery of the protective enclosure to the internal connector for use by the portable electronic device.

19. The protective enclosure according to claim 17, wherein the hard shell further comprises another power-receipt coil disposed at the substantially planar portion, each of the power-receipt coils configured to individually or in combination provide power to the power conditioning components.