Inductive Power Receiver

• US 20180131411A1
• Filed: 06/01/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: PowerbyProxi (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Floresca, Ron Rafer, Kumar, Arunim
• Granted Patent: US 11,108,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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

An inductive power receiver including a switch mode regulator to control the power flow from a power receiving coil and a modulator to communicate to an inductive power transmitter via the power receiving coil. The switch mode regulator operates in a different modes during transmitting and non-transmitting periods.

Claims

1. An inductive power receiver comprising:

a power receiving coil;

a switch mode regulator configured to control the power flow from the power receiving coil; and

a modulator configured to communicate to an inductive power transmitter via the power receiving coil during one or more transmitting periods and not communicate during one or more non-transmitting periods, wherein the switch mode regulator operates in a first mode during the non-transmitting period and in a second different mode during the transmitting period.

2. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising a bypass switch, wherein during the second mode the bypass switch bypasses the switch mode regulator.

3. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the second mode comprises a substantially fixed control effort for the switch mode regulator.

4. The receiver of claim 3 wherein the substantially fixed control effort is determined based on a duty cycle of the switch mode regulator in the first mode.

5. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the second mode comprises a substantially 100% or substantially 0% duty cycle.

6. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the second mode comprises a maximum rate of change of a duty cycle or a range of duty cycle values.

7. The receiver of claim 6 wherein the maximum rate is 1% per millisecond.

8. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the receiver further comprises a non switch mode regulator.

9. The receiver of claim 8 wherein the non switch mode regulator is a linear regulator.

10. The receiver of claim 8 wherein the non switch mode regulator is configured to regulate during the transmitting period.

11. The receiver of claim 9 wherein the non switch mode regulator is configured to operate substantially as a closed switch during the non-transmitting period and/or does not regulate.

12. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising a load disconnect switch.

13. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the switch mode regulator is a coupled coil regulator.

14. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the switch mode regulator is configured to provide an AC voltage in series with the power receiving coil to regulate AC power from the receiving coil.

15. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the modulator is configured to use amplitude modulation.

16. The receiver of claim 1 wherein a component in the modulator is not a component in the switch mode regulator.

17. The receiver of claim 1 wherein a control effort of the switch mode regulator is adjusted during the second mode.

18. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the control effort is responsive to a regulated output of the receiver processed by a feedback path, and wherein during the second mode the feedback path is modified.

19. The receiver of claim 17, wherein an error signal is determined by a comparison of an output voltage of the switch mode regulator and a set-point voltage, the error signal being used to control a duty cycle of the switch mode regulator, and wherein the error signal is increased or decreased during the second mode.

20. The receiver of claim 17, further comprising a rectifier having a input arranged to receive a regulated output dependent on the switch mode regulator and an output to provide a rectified voltage, wherein an error signal is determined by a comparison of the rectified voltage and a set-point voltage, the error signal being used to control the switch mode regulator, and wherein the error signal is increased or decreased during the second mode.

21. (canceled)