Systems and methods for ubiquitous charging

• US 7,973,513 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wihlborg, Anders, Claesson, Jonas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fantu; Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US11/930,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20090108807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

A device is provided that includes a battery, a positive node and a negative node and logic configured to send a first signal through the positive node into a charging surface; send a second signal through the negative node into the charging surface; receive current from the charging surface in response to the first and second signals; and charging the battery with the received current from the charging surface.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a battery;

a positive node and a negative node;

an electromagnetic sensor to receive electromagnetic energy from a charging surface and to convert the electromagnetic energy to a first current; and

a processor to;

send a first control signal through the positive node into a first portion of the charging surface,

send a second control signal through the negative node into a second portion of the charging surface,

receive the first current from the electromagnetic sensor,

receive, in response to sending the first control signal and the second control signal, a second current through the positive node from the first portion of the charging surface and through the negative node from the second portion of the charging surface, and

charge the battery with the first current from the electromagnetic sensor and the received second current from the charging surface.

2. The communication device of claim 1, where the positive node and negative node are in contact with the charging surface.

3. The communication device of claim 1, where the positive node further includes:

a plurality of nodes.

4. The communication device of claim 1, where the negative node further includes:

a plurality of nodes.

16. The communication device of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

sense a voltage of the battery; and

determine that the battery requires charging based on the sensed voltage of the battery.

17. The communication device of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

determine that the battery is fully charged; and

terminate the charging of the battery that is determined to be fully charged.

18. The communication device of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

detect a short circuit; and

terminate the charging of the battery when the short circuit is detected.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device, electromagnetic energy from a charging surface;

converting the received electromagnetic energy to a first current;

transmitting a first control signal through at least one positive node of the device into the charging surface;

transmitting a second control signal through at least one negative node of the device into the charging surface;

receiving a second current through the at least one positive node and the at least one negative node of the device from the charging surface in response to transmitting the first control signal and the second control signal; and

charging a battery within the device with the first current and the received second current from the charging surface.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sensing a voltage of the battery; and

determining that the battery requires charging.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the battery is fully charged; and

terminating the charging of the battery that is determined to be fully charged.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a short circuit; and

terminating the charging of the battery when the short circuit is detected.

9. A method comprising:

supplying, via a charging surface, to a device with a battery, where the electromagnetic energy is to enable the device to charge the battery;

receiving, at the charging surface, a first control signal from the device;

determining positive electrodes, in the charging surface, that received the first control signal;

receiving, at the charging surface, a second control signal from the device;

determining negative electrodes, in the charging surface, that received the second control signal; and

providing, by a charging circuit that includes the determined positive electrodes and the determined negative electrodes, a current to the device to charge the battery.

10. The method of claim 9, where the determined positive electrodes are selected from a plurality of electrodes.

11. The method of claim 10, where the determined negative electrodes are selected from the plurality of electrodes.

12. A device comprising:

a plurality of first electrodes;

one or more coils being connected to the plurality of first electrodes and being to radiate electromagnetic energy produced from current transmitted from the plurality of first electrodes, where the radiated electromagnetic energy enables a first charging current in an external device located in close proximity to the one or more coils;

a plurality of second electrodes; and

a processor to;

receive via a first number of the plurality of the second electrodes, a first control signal from the external device;

determine that the first number of the plurality of the second electrodes, that received the first control signal, are positive electrodes;

receive, via a second number of the plurality of the second electrodes, a second control signal from the external device;

determine that the second number of the plurality of the second electrodes, that received the second control signal, are negative electrodes; and

supply a second charging current to the external device via the determined positive electrodes and the determined negative electrodes.

13. The device of claim 12, where the plurality of second electrodes include at least one of nano-wires or nano-structures.

14. The device of claim 12, where the charging current is supplied from a power source external to the device.

15. The device of claim 14, where the device further comprises at least one of a flexible surface or a cloth surface.

19. The device of claim 12, where each of the one or more coils include nano-wires.

20. The device of claim 12, comprising:

a first surface that includes the plurality of second electrodes; and

at least one second surface, each of the at least one second surface including a plurality of third electrodes, and the at least one second surface being positioned between the first surface and the external device,

where the plurality of third electrodes, in each of the at least one second surface, transmit the supplied second charging current between the first surface and the external device.