Tracking receiver devices with wireless power systems, apparatuses, and methods

• US 8,452,235 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirby, Miles Alexander Lyell, Konertz, Anne Katrin, Keating, Virginia Walker, Lauer, Craig, Mangan, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US12/572,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20100248622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/66.1, 455/83, 455/277.1, 455/86, 455/67.16, 455/263, 455/253.2, 455/574, 307/104, 705/1.1, 705/400, 705/26.1, 320/106, 320/108, 363/21.02
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to communicating information relating to wireless charging. A power transmitting system includes a host device with a transmit antenna. A communication interface conveys receiver information, which includes unique identifier information, from a receiver device to the host device. A controller on the host device monitors and processes the receiver information to generate notification information, which is presented to a user on a user-perceivable notifier. The transmit antenna generates an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency to create a coupling-mode region within a near-field of the transmit antenna. The system can detect a presence of a receiver device with a receive antenna that is in the coupling-mode region and process a request for power from the receiver device. The system can also notify a user when a host device is leaving a designated region and whether the host device includes expected receiver devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to transmit wireless power via a wireless field, the apparatus comprising:

a transmit antenna for generating the wireless field;

an amplifier coupled to the transmit antenna;

a load sensing circuit coupled to the amplifier, the load sensing circuit configured to detect a change in power consumption by the amplifier;

a communication interface configured to receive information about an identity of a device when the load sensing circuit indicates the device is within the wireless field, the indication based at least in part on the change in power consumption; and

a controller configured to communicate information about the identity of the device based on the received information about the device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the load sensing circuit further coupled to the controller, the load sensing circuit further configured to generate a response signal to the controller representative of the changes in power consumption; and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based in part on the response signal, at least one of a presence of another device within the wireless field or the information of the device previously indicated to be within the wireless field.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communicator coupled to the controller, the wireless communicator configured to communicate with the device over a communication channel different from a wireless communication channel used to generate the wireless field, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor the information from the communication channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising another device with a receive antenna in the wireless field and wherein the communication channel is configured for a peer-to-peer communication between the device and the another device.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the different communication channel comprises a Bluetooth communication channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to monitor and process additional information about another device with a receive antenna in the wireless field to generate additional notification information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of a device type or a unique device identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a light, a display, and an auditory signaler, the at least one of a light, a display, or an auditory signaler coupled to the controller and configured to communicate the information provided by the controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store at least one of the information about the device or the notification information.

10. A power transmitting system, comprising:

a host device, comprising;

a transmit antenna configured to transmit a wireless field;

an amplifier coupled to the transmit antenna;

a load sensing circuit coupled to the amplifier, the load sensing circuit configured to detect a change in power consumption by the amplifier;

a first communication interface configured to receive information about an identity of another device when the load sensing circuit indicates the another device is within the wireless field, the indication based at least in part on the change in power consumption; and

a controller coupled to the transmit antenna and the communication interface, the controller configured to communicate notification information based on the received information about the identity of the another device; and

a second communication interface configured to transmit the notification information to a remote device to present the notification information.

11. The power transmitting system of claim 10, further comprising a designated region detector coupled to the host device, the designated region detector configured to detect when the host device leaves a designated region.

12. The power transmitting system of claim 10, wherein the host device further comprises a notifier coupled to the controller, the notifier configured to communicate the notification information communicated by the controller.

13. The power transmitting system of claim 12, further comprising:

a designated region detector coupled to the host device, the designated region detector configured to detect when the host device leaves a designated region; and

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive a signal from the designated region detector when the another device leaves the designated region; and

indicate via the notifier if any device expected to be within the wireless field is missing when the host device leaves the designated region.

14. The power transmitting system of claim 10, wherein

the load sensing circuit is further configured to generate a response signal to the controller representative of the changes in power consumption;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based in part on the response signal, at least one of a presence of another device in the wireless field for the first time or the information of any device previously determined to be present within the wireless field.

15. The power transmitting system of claim 10, wherein the information includes at least one of a device type or a unique device identifier.

16. The power transmitting system of claim 10, wherein the another device includes at least one of a display, an auditory signaler, a computer display, or a computer configured to display the notification information on a web-site.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second communication interfaces comprise Bluetooth communication interfaces.

18. A method, comprising:

detecting a presence of a device with a receive antenna within an area covered by a wireless field;

generating the wireless field at a resonant frequency of a transmit antenna of a host device upon detecting the presence of the device within the area covered by the wireless field;

receiving a request for power from the device via a communication channel;

receiving unique identifier information from the device via the communication channel;

indicating notification information about the device on a notifier responsive to the unique identifier information; and

stopping the generation of the wireless field when detecting the presence of a device within the area indicates an absence of devices within the area.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing the unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting a presence of another device with a receive antenna within the wireless field; and

receiving additional unique identifier information from the another device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing the unique identifier information and the additional unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying a device expected to be within the wireless field; and

indicating via the notifier a presence of the device expected to be within the wireless field.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising indicating via the notifier an absence of the device expected to be within the wireless field.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

indicating via the notifier an absence of the device expected to be within the wireless field if the device expected to be within the wireless field is not present in the wireless field during an expected time period; and

wherein the identifying a device expected to be within the wireless field further comprises identifying the expected time period for the device expected to be within the wireless field.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising indicating via the notifier when the host device leaves a designated region and the host device does not include the device expected to be within the wireless field.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the notification information to a remote notifier that is remote from the transmit antenna, the remote notifier configured to;

indicate the notification information about the device on the remote notifier.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising indicating via the notifier when the host device leaves a designated region.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting a signal to a remote notifier that is remote from the transmit antenna when the host device leaves a designated region.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the communication channel comprises a Bluetooth communication channel.

30. An apparatus configured to transmit wireless power via a wireless field, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a presence of a device with a receive antenna within an area covered by a wireless field;

means for generating a wireless field at a resonant frequency of a transmit antenna of a host device upon detecting the presence of the device within the area covered by the wireless field;

means for receiving a request for power from the device via a communication channel;

means for receiving unique identifier information from the device via the communication channel; and

means for indicating notification information about the device responsive to the unique identifier information, the means for generating the wireless field further configured to stop generating the wireless field when the means for detecting the presence of a device within the area indicates an absence of devices within the area.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for storing the unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

32. The apparatus of claim 30,

wherein the means for detecting are configured to detect a presence of another device with a receive antenna within the wireless field, and

wherein the means for receiving unique identifier information are configured to receive additional unique identifier information from the another device.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for storing the unique identifier information and the additional unique identifier information on a memory of the host device including the transmit antenna.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

means for identifying a device expected to be within the wireless field; and

means for indicating a presence or an absence of the device expected to be within the wireless field.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

means for indicating an absence of the device expected to be within the wireless field if the device expected to be within the wireless field is not present in the wireless field during an expected time period; and

wherein the means for identifying a device comprises means for identifying the expected time period for the device expected to be within the wireless field.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising means for indicating to the user when the host device leaves a designated region and the host device does not include the device expected to be within the wireless field.

37. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for indicating when the host device leaves a designated region.

38. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the communication channel comprises a Bluetooth communication channel.

39. A computer readable storage medium including instructions executable by a processor of an apparatus to:

detect a presence of a device with a receive antenna within an area covered by a wireless field;

generate the wireless field at a resonant frequency of a transmit antenna when the device is detected within the area covered by the wireless field;

receive a request for power from the device via a communication channel;

receive unique identifier information from the device via the communication channel;

indicate notification information about the device responsive to the unique identifier information; and

stop generating the wireless field when an absence of devices in the area covered by the wireless field is detected.