BI-DIRECTIONAL POWER TRANSFER

• US 20170060207A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Backman, Juha, Yliaho, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The user of a portable device defines the charging direction when two devices with bi-directional power transfers interfaces are interconnected. The device detects a gesture of the user and starts the power transfer to the defined direction. The user may also define the amount of charge to be transferred by the same gesture. The portable device may be operational for a longer period as long as there is another device sharing the battery charge. Embodiments of portable devices include smartphones, speakers, tablets, watches or other wearable devices.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a first power source;

at least one bi-directional power transfer interface configured to connect the device to a second device having a second power source;

a gesture detecting element comprising an input sensor;

wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive through the input sensor a user gesture; and

the gesture detecting element is configured to define a power transfer direction through the bi-directional power transfer interface as a response to the user-related gesture.

2. A portable device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive information of insertion of a power transfer cable connected between the bi-directional power transfer interface of the device and the second bi-directional power transfer interface of the second device.

3. A portable device according to claim 1, wherein the input sensor is selected from the group of:

gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, camera, microphone, ambient light sensor, thermometer, force sensor and proximity sensor.

4. A portable device according to claim 1, wherein the user-related gesture is a unidirectional movement of an object along a surface and the input sensor is configured to detect the starting position of the object in the unidirectional movement and the final position of the unidirectional movement.

5. A portable device according to claim 4, comprising a display configured to display a visual cue on the power transfer direction as a response to the detected starting position of the object.

6. A portable device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive information of the amount of the charge to be transferred with the user-related gesture indicating the direction of power transfer.

7. A portable device according to claim 1, comprising a display configured to be turned off when detecting the user-related gesture on the surface of the display.

8. A system comprising:

a portable device;

a first power source configured to provide power to the portable device;

at least one bi-directional power transfer interface configured to connect the portable device to a second device having a second power source;

a gesture detecting element comprising an input sensor;

wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive through the input sensor a user-related gesture; and

the gesture detecting element is configured to define a power transfer direction through the bi-directional power transfer interface as a response to the user-related gesture.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive information of insertion of a power transfer cable connected between the bi-directional power transfer interface of the device and the second bi-directional power transfer interface of the second device.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the input sensor is selected from the group of:

gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, camera, microphone, ambient light sensor, thermometer, force sensor and proximity sensor.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the user-related gesture is a unidirectional movement of an object along a surface and the input sensor is configured to detect the starting position of the object in the unidirectional movement and the final position of the unidirectional movement.

12. A system according to claim 11, comprising a display configured to display a visual cue on the power transfer direction as a response to the detected starting position of the object.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive information of the amount of the charge to be transferred with the user-related gesture indicating the direction of power transfer.

14. A system according to claim 8, comprising a display configured to be turned off when detecting the user-related gesture on the surface of the display.

15. A method, comprising:

a portable device comprising a first power source and at least one bi-directional power transfer interface configured to connect the device to a second device having a second power source;

a gesture detecting element detecting a user-related gesture; and

the gesture detecting element defining a power transfer direction through the bi-directional power transfer interface as a response to the user-related gesture.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising the gesture detecting element receiving information of insertion of a power transfer cable connected between the bi-directional power transfer interface of the device and the second bi-directional power transfer interface of the second device.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the user-related gesture is a unidirectional movement of an object along a surface and the input sensor detecting the starting position of the object in the unidirectional movement and the final position of the unidirectional movement.

18. A method according to claim 17, comprising a display displaying a visual cue on the power transfer direction as a response to detecting the starting position of the object.

19. A method according to claim 15, comprising receiving information of the amount of the charge to be transferred with the user-related gesture indicating the direction of power transfer.

20. A method according to claim 15, comprising detecting the user-related gesture on the surface of a display when the display is turned off.