INDUCTIVE POWER TRANSMITTER, RECEIVER AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20180131242A1
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: PowerbyProxi Limited (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Louis, Jeffrey Douglas
• Application Number:
  US15/804,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131242A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A method of communication of information as to receiver coil type to an inductive power transmitter to enable different modes of operation of inductive power transmitters and/or inductive power transmitters utilizing such information. An inductive power receiver may include a communications circuit for communicating with an inductive power transmitter to transmit information as to the receiver coil type. Transmitter coils of an inductive power transmitter may be driven in a first mode and also in a second mode if it receives receiver coil type information associated with the second mode. The power transmitter may include a controller configured to receive receiver coil type information from an inductive power receiver and to drive a plurality of power transmitting coils in one of a plurality of modes depending on the receiver coil type.

Claims

1. A method of power transfer between an inductive power transmitter and an inductive power receiver, comprising:

a. driving a plurality of transmitter coils of the inductive power transmitter in a first mode;

b. receiving a signal from the inductive power receiver including information indicating receiver coil type for the inductive power receiver; and

c. driving the plurality of transmitter coils in a second mode if the receiver coil type is associated with the second mode.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the first mode all transmitter coils are driven in phase and in the second mode one or more transmitter coils are driven in phase and one or more transmitter coils are driven in anti-phase.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the receiver coil type information is communicated using backscatter communication between the inductive power receiver and the inductive power transmitter.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the receiver coil type information is communicated as one or more bit of a configuration packet.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the receiver coil type information is a single bit which controls whether the inductive power transmitter drives the transmitter coils in the first mode or the second mode.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the mode governs both the selection of the transmitter coils driven and whether each driven coil is driven in phase or anti-phase.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the coil type is a C coil or a DDQ coil.

8. An inductive power transmitter, comprising:

a. a plurality of power transmitter coils;

b. a controller configured to receive a communications signal including information as to receiver coil type from an inductive power receiver, and to drive the plurality of power transmitting coils in one of a plurality of modes depending on the receiver coil type.

9. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 8 having a first mode in which all transmitter coils are driven in phase and a second mode in which one or more transmitter coils are driven in phase and one or more transmitter coils are driven in anti-phase.

10. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 9 wherein a transmitter driver circuit drives one coil in phase and a second coil via a switch network either in phase or in anti-phase.

11. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 9 wherein a transmitter driver circuit drives a pair of coils via a full bridge so that the coils are driven in series when driven in phase and in parallel when driven in anti-phase.

12. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the transmitter coils are in a DD coil configuration.

13. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 including a backscatter communication receiver.

14. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 13 wherein the backscatter communication receiver is adapted to extract receiver coil type information contained in a configuration packet.

15. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 14 wherein the receiver coil type information is a single bit.

16. An inductive power transmitter, comprising:

a. a power transmitting coil;

b. a controller configured to receive communications signal from an inductive power receiver including information as to a power receiver coil type in order to control operation of the power transmitting coil.

17. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 16 wherein the controller is adapted to re-configure operation of the power transmitting coils dependent upon the information as to a power receiver coil type.

18. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 16 configured to drive a plurality of power transmitting coils in one of a plurality of modes depending on the power receiver coil type information contained in the signal.

19. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 17 or 18 including a transmitter coil drive circuit which changes the transmitter coil drive topology in dependence upon the information as to power receiver coil type.

20. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 19 wherein in a first mode the transmitter coil drive circuit is configured to apply a drive signal of a first polarity to one coil and a drive signal of a second polarity to another coil and in a second mode to provide a drive signal of the same polarity to both transmitter coils.

21. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 20 wherein the transmitter coil drive circuit drives one coil in phase and a second coil via a switch network either in phase or in anti-phase.

22. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 20 wherein the transmitter coil drive circuit drives a pair of coils via a full bridge so that the coils are driven in series when driven in phase and in parallel when driven in anti-phase.

23. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 22 wherein the transmitter coils are in a DD coil configuration.

24. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 23 including a backscatter communication receiver.

25. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 24 wherein the backscatter communication receiver is adapted to extract receiver coil type information contained in a configuration packet.

26. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 25 wherein the receiver coil type information is a single bit.

27. An inductive power transmitter, comprising:

a. a pair of transmitter coils in a DD coil configuration;

b. a controller configured to receive a communications signal from an inductive power receiver including information as to a power receiver coil type and drive the transmitter coils in phase or in anti-phase in dependence upon the information as to coil type.

28. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 27 wherein the transmitter coils are driven in anti-phase when the receiver coil type is DDQ.

29. An inductive power transmitter, comprising:

a. a power transmitting coil; and

b. a controller which drives the power transmitting coil and is configured to change its mode of driving the transmitter coil in dependence upon receiver coil type.

30. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 29 including a plurality of power transmitting coils wherein the controller is configured to change its mode of driving the transmitter coils in dependence upon receiver coil type.

31. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 30 wherein the controller changes the configuration of a drive circuit driving the transmitter coils.

32. An inductive power transmitter as claimed in claim 31 wherein the drive circuit changes the coil configuration so that in a first mode a drive signal is applied to one end of a transmitter coil and in a second mode a drive signal is applied to an opposite end of that transmitter coil.

33. An inductive power receiver, comprising:

a. one or more power receiving coils;

b. a communications circuit for communicating with an inductive power transmitter, wherein the communications circuit is adapted to transmit information as to the receiver coil type.

34. An inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 33 including a backscatter communication circuit for modulating a signal applied by an inductive power transmitter to communicate coil type information.

35. An inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 33 or 34 wherein the coil type information is contained in a startup packet.

36. An inductive power receiver as claimed in claim 33 or 34 wherein the coil type information is contained in a configuration packet.

37. An inductive power receiver as claimed in claim any one of claims 33 to 36 wherein the coil type information indicates whether the coil type is DDQ or C.

38. An inductive power transfer system including:

a. an inductive power transmitter, comprising;

i. a power transmitting coil;

ii. a transmitter controller which drives the power transmitting coil in a plurality of modes; and

iii. a transmitter communications circuit for communicating with an inductive power receiver; and

b. an inductive power receiver, comprising;

i. a power receiving coil;

ii. a receiver controller which operates the power receiving coil in a plurality of modes; and

iii. a receiver communications circuit for communicating with the transmitter communications circuit,

wherein the transmitter controller and receiver controller communicate negotiate the modes of operation of the transmitter controller and receiver controller via the communications circuits.

39. An inductive power transfer system as claimed in claim 38 wherein the inductive power transmitter includes a plurality of power transmitting coils and the transmitter controller is adapted to drive the transmitter coils in a plurality of modes.

40. An inductive power transfer system as claimed in claim 38 or 39 wherein the inductive power transmitter includes a plurality of power receiving coils and the receiver controller is adapted to operate the receiver coils in a plurality of modes.