Battery with integrated wireless power receiver and/or RFID

• US 8,390,249 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walley, John, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Seshadri, Nambirajan, Van Der Lee, Reinier
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US12/793,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery includes one or more rechargeable cells, a wireless power coil, a battery charger circuit, and may further include an RFID module. The wireless power coil is operable to generate an AC voltage from a wireless power electromagnetic field. The battery charger circuit is operable to generate a battery charge voltage from the AC voltage in accordance with a battery charge control signal and, when enabled, to charge the one or more rechargeable cells via the battery charge voltage. If the battery further includes the RFID module, it is operable to generate the battery charge control signal and communicate with a wireless power transmitter device.

Claims

1. A battery comprises:

a positive terminal;

a negative terminal;

one or more rechargeable cells operably coupled to the positive terminal and to the negative terminal;

a voltage sensing circuit operable to determine a voltage of the one or more rechargeable cells; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that includes;

a transceiver section having a coil integrated into at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal, wherein the coil transceives electromagnetic signals within a given frequency band and, at direct current (DC), is a conductive element of the at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal;

memory for storing battery information and battery charging parameters; and

a processing module operable to;

obtain the voltage;

determine battery charging requirements based on at least one of the voltage, the battery charging information, and the battery charging parameters; and

communicate the battery charging requirements via the transceiver section.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery information comprises at least one of:

battery charging parameters;

battery charging history;

age of the battery; and

remaining rechargeable life of the battery.

3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery charging requirements comprises at least one of:

battery charging parameters; and

level of need for battery charging.

4. The battery of claim 1 further comprises:

a wireless power coil operable to generate an alternating current (AC) voltage from a wireless power electromagnetic field; and

a battery charging circuit, when operable, to;

convert the AC voltage into a battery charging voltage; and

charge the one or more rechargeable cells via the battery charging voltage.

5. The battery of claim 1 further comprises:

a flexible substrate for supporting the RFID circuit and the voltage sensing circuit; and

a casing that encases the one or more rechargeable cells and the flexible substrate.

6. A battery comprises:

one or more rechargeable cells;

a wireless power coil operable to generate an alternating current (AC) voltage from a wireless power electromagnetic field; and

a battery charger circuit operable to;

generate a battery charge voltage from the AC voltage in accordance with a battery charge control signal;

when enabled, charge the one or more rechargeable cells via the battery charge voltage; and

wherein the battery charger circuit comprises output coupling circuitry operable to;

provide the battery charge voltage to the one or more rechargeable cells;

disconnect the one or more rechargeable cells from a terminal of the battery when the wireless power electromagnetic field is detected; and

connect an output of the battery charger circuit to the terminal when the wireless power electromagnetic field is detected.

7. The battery of claim 6 further comprises:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) module operable to;

generate the battery charge control signal; and

communicate with a wireless power transmitter device.

8. The battery of claim 6, wherein the battery charger circuit comprises:

a voltage sensing circuit operable to determine a voltage of the one or more rechargeable cells;

a detection circuit operable to detect the wireless power electromagnetic field; and

a processing module operable to enable the charging of the one or more rechargeable cells based on the voltage and the detection of the wireless power electromagnetic field.

9. The battery of claim 6 further comprises:

a positive terminal operably coupled to the one or more rechargeable cells; and

a negative terminal operably coupled to the one or more rechargeable cells, wherein the wireless power coil is integrated into at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal.

10. The battery of claim 9, wherein:

the coil transceives electromagnetic signals within a given frequency band; and

at direct current (DC), is a conductive element of the at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal.

11. The battery of claim 6 further comprises:

a flexible substrate for supporting at least a portion of the battery charger circuit; and

a casing that encases the one or more rechargeable cells and the flexible substrate.

12. The battery of claim 6, further comprising:

memory for storing battery information comprising at least one of;

battery charging parameters;

battery charging history;

age of the battery; and

remaining rechargeable life of the battery.

13. A battery circuit module comprises:

a wireless power coil operable to generate an alternating current (AC) voltage from a wireless power electromagnetic field;

a battery charger circuit operable to;

generate a battery charge voltage from the AC voltage in accordance with battery charge information; and

when enabled, charge the one or more rechargeable cells via the battery charge voltage; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) module operable to;

communicate with a wireless power transmitter device;

generate the battery charge information based on, at least in part, the communication with the wireless power transmitter device; and

a processing module operable to;

process detection of the wireless power electromagnetic field;

process determining a voltage of a battery;

enable the charging of the battery based on the voltage and the detection of the wireless power electromagnetic field;

process a baseband portion of the communication with the wireless power transmitter device; and

generate the battery charge information.

14. The battery circuit module of claim 13, wherein the battery charger circuit comprises:

a voltage sensing circuit operable to determine a voltage of a battery;

a detection circuit operable to detect the wireless power electromagnetic field; and

a processing module operable to enable the charging of the battery based on the voltage and the detection of the wireless power electromagnetic field.

15. The battery circuit module of claim 13 further comprises:

a flexible substrate for supporting at least a portion of the battery charger circuit and the RFID module.

16. The battery circuit module of claim 13, wherein the RFID module comprises:

a coil;

a transceiver section coupled to the coil;

memory for storing the battery charge information that includes at least one of battery information and battery charging parameters; and

a processing module operable to process the battery charging information.

17. The battery circuit module of claim 16 further comprises:

the coil integrated into the wireless power coil.

18. The battery circuit module of claim 16, wherein the battery information comprises at least one of:

battery charging history;

age of the battery; and

remaining rechargeable life of the battery.

19. The battery circuit module of claim 13 wherein the wireless power coil is integrated into a terminal of a battery to be charged.

20. The battery circuit module of claim 19, wherein:

the wireless power coil transceives electromagnetic signals within a given frequency band; and

at direct current (DC), is a conductive element of the at least one of the terminal.