WIRELESS CHARGING FOR AN INPUT DEVICE

• US 20170256978A1
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Sauterel, Fabrice, Pate, Christopher, Plancherel, Laurent
• Application Number:
  US15/397,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20170256978A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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

Abstract

A method includes establishing, by a base device, a wireless communication connection between the base device and an input device, wirelessly emitting a continuous burst of electromagnetic (EM) power to charge the input device while the input device is on or near a surface of the base device, determining that the wireless connection with the input device has been disconnected, waiting for a threshold time period after the determination, maintaining the continuous burst of EM power during the threshold time period, maintaining the continuous burst of EM power after the threshold time period when the base device receives an indication that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been reestablished during the threshold time period, and ceasing emission of the continuous burst of EM power when the base device does not receive the indication by the end of the threshold time period.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a base device with an input device, a wireless communication connection for bi-directional wireless communication between the base device and the input device;

wirelessly emitting, by the base device, a continuous burst of electromagnetic (EM) power to charge the input device while the input device is on or near a surface of the base device;

determining, by the base device, that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been disconnected;

waiting for a threshold time period after determining that the wireless communication connection has been disconnected;

maintaining the continuous burst of EM power during the threshold time period; and

maintaining the continuous burst of EM power after the threshold time period when the base device receives an indication that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been reestablished during the threshold time period.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising ceasing emission of the continuous burst of EM power when the base device does not receive an indication that the wireless communication connection has been reestablished by the end of the threshold time period.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly emitting, by the base device to the input device, one or more discontinuous bursts of EM power to;

wake a communications circuit in the input device; and

cause the input device to establish the wireless communication connection with the base device prior to the base device emitting the continuous burst of EM power.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the base device is a powered computer mouse pad and the input device is a computer mouse.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device is on or near the base device when the input device is within 2 centimeters of the surface of the base device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold time is set to a value between 1-3 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting, by the base device, a charge level of an energy storage device on the input device; and

modulating an amount of the continuous burst of EM power based on the charge level of the energy storage device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein modulating the amount of the continuous burst of EM power includes reducing or ceasing the emission of the continuous burst of EM power when the energy storage device is detected to be at or above charge threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein after ceasing emission of the continuous burst of electromagnetic power, the method further comprises:

wirelessly emitting, by the base device, one or more discontinuous EM bursts of power to cause the input device to re-establish the wireless communication connection with the base device.

10. A computer-implemented system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

establishing, by a base device with an input device, a wireless communication connection for bi-directional wireless communication between the base device and the input device;

wirelessly emitting, by the base device, a continuous burst of electromagnetic (EM) power to charge the input device while the input device is on or near a surface of the base device;

determining, by the base device, that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been disconnected;

waiting for a threshold time period after determining that the wireless communication connection has been disconnected;

maintaining the continuous burst of EM power during the threshold time period; and

maintaining the continuous burst of EM power after the threshold time period when the base device receives an indication that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been reestablished during the threshold time period.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including ceasing emission of the continuous burst of EM power when the base device does not receive an indication that the wireless communication connection has been reestablished by the end of the threshold time period.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

wirelessly emitting, by the base device to the input device, one or more discontinuous bursts of EM power to;

wake a communications circuit in the input device; and

cause the input device to establish the wireless communication connection with the base device prior to the base device emitting the continuous burst of EM power.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the base device is a powered computer mouse pad and the input device is a computer mouse.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

detecting, by the base device, a charge level of an energy storage device on the input device; and

modulating an amount of the continuous burst of EM power based on the charge level of the energy storage device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein modulating the amount of the continuous burst of EM power includes reducing or ceasing the emission of the continuous burst of EM power when the energy storage device is detected to be at or above charge threshold.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein after ceasing emission of the continuous burst of electromagnetic power, the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

wirelessly emitting, by the base device, one or more discontinuous EM bursts of power to cause the input device to re-establish the wireless communication connection with the base device.

17. A non-transitory computer-program product tangibly embodied in a machine-readable non-transitory storage medium that includes instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

establish, by a base device with an input device, a wireless communication connection for bi-directional wireless communication between the base device and the input device;

wirelessly emit, by the base device, a continuous burst of electromagnetic (EM) power to charge the input device while the input device is on or near a surface of the base device;

determine, by the base device, that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been disconnected;

wait for a threshold time period after determining that the wireless communication connection has been disconnected;

maintain the continuous burst of EM power during the threshold time period; and

maintain the continuous burst of EM power after the threshold time period when the base device receives an indication that the wireless communication connection with the input device has been reestablished during the threshold time period.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause one or more processors to cease emission of the continuous burst of EM power when the base device does not receive an indication that the wireless communication connection has been reestablished by the end of the threshold time period.

19. The computer-program product of claim 17 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause one or more processors to:

wirelessly emit, by the base device to the input device, one or more discontinuous bursts of EM power to;

wake a communications circuit in the input device; and

cause the input device to establish the wireless communication connection with the base device prior to the base device emitting the continuous burst of EM power.

20. The computer-program product of claim 17 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause one or more processors to:

detect, by the base device, a charge level of an energy storage device on the input device; and

modulate an amount of the continuous burst of EM power based on the charge level of the energy storage device.