Efficiency indicator for increasing efficiency of wireless power transfer

• US 8,427,330 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vorenkamp, Pieter, Van Der Lee, Reinier, Van Loo, InSun
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US12/580,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/107, 455 411- 412, 455/573, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.5, 455/343.6, 340/636.1, 340/636.19, 340/636.2, 340/686.6, 340/539.13, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.34
• US Class Current: 340/636.2
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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

Techniques are described herein that are capable of using an efficiency indicator for increasing efficiency of a wireless power transfer. A wireless power transfer system includes features that allow the system to be deployed in public spaces such as airports or in commercial establishments such as restaurants or hotels to allow a user to recharge one or more portable electronic devices while away from home. The system may provide an efficiency indicator to a portable electronic device that specifies a recommended position of the portable electronic device. The recommended position may correspond to an efficiency with respect to the wireless power transfer that is greater than an efficiency with respect to the wireless power transfer that corresponds to a position of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may generate a sensory signal that indicates the recommended position with reference to the position of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving power at a portable electronic device having a position, which corresponds to a first efficiency with respect to receipt of the power, from a charging station via a wireless power link;

determining global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the portable electronic device that represent the position of the portable electronic device;

receiving an efficiency indicator at the portable electronic device via a wireless communication link, the efficiency indicator specifying a recommended position of the portable electronic device based on GPS coordinates of the charging station that corresponds to a second efficiency that is greater than the first efficiency with respect to the receipt of the power; and

generating a sensory signal that indicates the recommended position with reference to the GPS coordinates of the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

generating the sensory signal having a duty cycle that corresponds to a magnitude of difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

generating an audio signal having a frequency that corresponds to proximity between the position of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

generating an audio signal having a magnitude that corresponds to proximity between the position of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

illuminating a number of lights that are in contact with the portable electronic device, the number corresponding to a magnitude of difference between the position of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

illuminating one or more lights that are in contact with the portable electronic device to provide illumination having an intensity that corresponds to a magnitude of difference between the position of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

selectively illuminating lights on the portable electronic device to indicate a vector representation of a difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

generating a pictorial representation of a magnitude of difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device on a display of the portable electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the sensory signal comprises:

generating a pictorial vector representation of a difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device on a display of the portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the efficiency indicator specifies a two-dimensional recommended position of the portable electronic device that corresponds to the second efficiency with respect to the receipt of the power.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the efficiency indicator specifies a three-dimensional recommended position of the portable electronic device that corresponds to the second efficiency with respect to the receipt of the power.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly receiving the power is performed in accordance with an inductive coupling technique.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly receiving the power is performed in accordance with a resonant inductive coupling technique.

14. A portable electronic device comprising:

a wireless power receipt module configured to wirelessly receive power from a charging station via a wireless power link, the portable electronic device having a position that corresponds to a first efficiency with respect to receipt of the power;

an efficiency indicator receipt module configured to receive an efficiency indicator via a wireless communication link, the efficiency indicator specifying a recommended position of the portable electronic device that corresponds to a second efficiency that is greater than the first efficiency with respect to the receipt of the power;

a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to determine GPS coordinates of the portable electronic device that indicate the position of the portable electronic device and GPS coordinates of the charging station that correspond to the recommended position; and

a sensory signal module configured to generate a sensory signal that indicates the recommended position with reference to the position of the portable electronic device from the first position to the second position,

wherein the sensory signal module is configured to generate the sensory signal based on a difference between the GPS coordinates of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the sensory signal module comprises:

a plurality of lights; and

control logic that is configured to selectively illuminate the lights to generate the sensory signal.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the control logic selectively illuminates the plurality of lights on the portable electronic device to indicate a vector representation of a difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the sensory signal module comprises:

a display that is configured to display a pictorial representation of a difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device;

wherein the sensory signal includes the pictorial representation.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the sensory signal module comprises:

a display that is configured to display a pictorial representation of a magnitude of difference between the recommended position and the position of the portable electronic device;

wherein the sensory signal includes the pictorial representation.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the sensory signal module comprises:

a plurality of lights; and

control logic that is configured to illuminate one or more of the plurality of lights to provide illumination having an intensity that corresponds to a magnitude of difference between the position of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the sensory signal module comprises:

a plurality of lights; and

control logic that is configured to illuminate a number of the plurality of lights, the number corresponding to a magnitude of difference between the position of the portable electronic device and the recommended position.

21. A method comprising:

initiating a wireless power transfer from a charging station to a portable electronic device via a wireless power link;

receiving a position indicator from the portable electronic device at the charging station via a wireless communication link in response to initiation of the wireless power transfer, the position indicator specifying a position of the portable electronic device that corresponds to a first efficiency with respect to the wireless power transfer; and

providing an efficiency indicator to the portable electronic device in response to receipt of the position indicator, the efficiency indicator specifying a three-dimensional recommended position of the portable electronic device that corresponds to a second efficiency that is greater than the first efficiency with respect to the wireless power transfer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

comparing the position of the portable electronic device to the recommended position;

wherein the efficiency indicator specifies the recommended position as a change of position with reference to the position of the portable electronic device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the position indicator comprises:

receiving the position indicator at the charging station via the wireless communication link in accordance with a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, a Bluetooth™

protocol, a ZigBee®

protocol, or an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the wireless power transfer is performed in accordance with an inductive coupling technique.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the wireless power transfer is performed in accordance with a resonant inductive coupling technique.