Detecting objects placed on wireless charger

• US 20170187221A1
• Filed: 12/24/2015
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gaskill, Steven G., Ku, Jason, Konanur, Anand S., Yang, Songnan, Shao, Lei, Lin, Xintian E., Gao, Jie
• Granted Patent: US 11,201,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A method of wirelessly charging batteries of devices includes detecting at least two devices being simultaneously present on a charging mat. It is determined, for each of the at least two devices, whether the device is compatible with a wireless charging standard. It is determined, for each of the two devices, whether the device is enabled for a near field communication. Charging of the devices is prevented if at least one of the devices is enabled for a near field communication but not compatible with the wireless charging standard.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly charging batteries of devices, comprising:

detecting at least two devices being simultaneously present on a charging mat;

determining, for each of the at least two devices, whether the device is compatible with a wireless charging standard;

determining, for each of the at least two devices, whether the device is enabled for a near field communication; and

preventing a charging of the devices if at least one of the devices is enabled for a near field communication but not compatible with the wireless charging standard.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting two devices comprises using a capacitive sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting two devices comprises using a capacitive sensor to sense a change in capacitance associated with a grounded body placing one of the two devices onto the charging mat.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting two devices comprises measuring a change in charging impedance due to one of the at least two devices being introduced onto the charging mat.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, for each of the at least two devices, whether the device is enabled for near field communication comprises using an near field communication (NFC) reader to determine whether a NFC standard compliant device is placed on the charging mat.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, for each of the at least two devices, whether the device is compatible with a wireless charging standard comprises receiving an A4WP standard compliant response from an A4WP compliant receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining, for each of the at least two devices, whether the device is enabled for near field communication comprises reading a bit in the A4WP standard compliant response that indicates existence of NFC in the device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the A4WP standard compliant response is a Bluetooth low energy response.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the devices is a telephone, an near field communication tag, a tablet computer, a wearable device, and/or a laptop computer.

10. A system for wirelessly charging batteries of devices, comprising:

a transmission coil wirelessly transmitting electrical current to a first device present on a charging mat;

a capacitive sensor detecting a second device being moved toward the charging mat while the first device is on the charging mat;

a wireless communication device receiving signals from each of the first device and the second device, the signals indicating whether the device is compatible with a wireless charging standard;

a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader determining, for each of the first device and the second device, whether the device is enabled for a near field communication; and

an electronic processor communicatively coupled to each of the transmission coil, the capacitive sensor, the wireless communication device, and the NFC reader, the electronic processor to prevent the transmission coil from charging the devices if at least one of the first device and the second device is enabled for the near field communication but not compatible with the wireless charging standard.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the capacitive sensor detects a change in capacitance associated with a grounded body placing the second device onto the charging mat.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a sensing range of the capacitive sensor is greater than a reading range of a near field communication tag, and the reading range of a near field communication tag is greater than a distance from the charging mat at which a near field communication tag is damaged during charging.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a current sensor detecting a change in charging impedance due to the second device being introduced onto the charging mat.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the NFC reader ascertains that a NFC standard compliant device has been placed on the charging mat.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device receives an A4WP standard compliant response from an A4WP compliant receiver.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the NFC reader reads a bit in the A4WP standard compliant response that indicates existence of a near field communication component in the device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the A4WP standard compliant response is a Bluetooth low energy response.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the first device and the second device is a telephone, a near field communication tag, a tablet computer, and/or a laptop computer.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, control the processor to:

detect a first device being present on a charging mat;

detect a second device being moved toward the charging mat while the first device is on the charging mat;

determine, for each of the two devices, whether the device is compatible with a wireless charging standard;

determine, for each of the two devices, whether the device is enabled for near field communication; and

prevent charging the devices if at least one of the first device and the second device is enabled for the near field communication but not compatible with the wireless charging standard.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein to detect a second device comprises to use a capacitive sensor to sense a change in capacitance associated with a grounded body placing the second device onto the charging mat.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein a sensing range of the capacitive sensor is greater than a reading range of a near field communication tag, and the reading range of the near field communication tag is greater than a distance from the charging mat at which the near field communication tag is damaged during charging.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein to detect a second device being moved toward the charging mat comprises to measure a change in charging impedance due to the second device being introduced onto the charging mat.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein to determine, for each of the two devices, whether the device is enabled for near field communication comprises to use a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader to ascertain that a NFC standard compliant device has been placed on the charging mat.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein to determine, for each of the first device and the second device, whether the device is compatible with the wireless charging standard comprises to receive an A4WP standard compliant response from an A4WP compliant receiver.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein to determine, for each of the first device and the second device, whether the device is enabled for near field communication comprises to read a bit in the A4WP standard compliant response that indicates existence of a near field communication component in the device.