Adaptive power control for wireless charging of devices

• US 8,497,658 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Von Novak, William H, Toncich, Stanley S, Braden, Stanton C, Fevrier, Ian J
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US12/616,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20100181961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power transfer. A transmitter generates an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency with a transmit antenna to create a coupling-mode region within a near field of the transmit antenna. The transmitter defines a beginning of a recurring period by on-off keying the electromagnetic field during a synchronization portion of the recurring period. During a power transmission portion of the recurring period, the transmitter couples portions of the electromagnetic field to different receive antennas of various receiver devices within the coupling-mode region. The transmitter also determines a power allocation within the recurring period for the various receiver devices disposed within the coupling-mode region and adjusts a power level of the near field radiation responsive to power requirements received from the receiver devices.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a transmit antenna configured to generate an electromagnetic field having a region for wirelessly transferring power from the transmit antenna to a plurality of receiver devices; and

a controller operably coupled to the transmit antenna, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a power allocation within a time period for a particular one of the plurality of receiver devices disposed within the region, the time period recurring at an interval, and

adjust the power allocation within a subsequent time period based on a power requirement received from the particular one of the plurality of receiver devices.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to

receive power requirements from the plurality of receiver devices;

and

control the transmit antenna to sequentially charge ones of the plurality of receiver devices in connection with cloaking on each device to be charged and cloaking off devices not receiving charging.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to apply a Radio Frequency (RF) signal to the transmit antenna; and

a power amplifier regulator operably coupled to the amplifier and the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to;

define a plurality of power allocation periods during the time period, each defined power allocation period corresponding to a specific receiver device of the plurality of receiver devices, and

control the power amplifier regulator to set a power level of the amplifier to a first power level for one of the plurality of defined power allocation periods and a second power level for other power allocation periods of the plurality of defined power allocation periods.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 3, wherein the power amplifier regulator comprises a buck converter including a potentiometer operably coupled to the controller for adjusting a power level of the amplifier.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 3, wherein the power amplifier regulator comprises a buck converter and the controller is further configured to sample a power level of the amplifier and adjust a power output of the buck converter responsive to the sampled power level.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first power level to share power between the plurality of receiver devices.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to apply a Radio Frequency (RF) signal to the transmit antenna.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein the time period includes time-multiplexed portions and the controller is further configured to:

during a synchronization portion of the period, enable the amplifier to apply the RF signal to the transmit antenna to generate the electromagnetic field; and

during a power transmission portion of the time period;

continue enabling the amplifier to apply the RF signal when there is at least one receiver device requiring power within the region designated to accept power from the electromagnetic field; and

disable the amplifier from applying the RF signal to the transmit antenna when there are no receiver devices requiring power within the region designated to accept power from the electromagnetic field.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the power level of the electromagnetic field responsive to a power level request received from a receiver device of the plurality of receiver devices.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, further comprising an amplifier configured to apply an RF signal to the transmit antenna, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the power level of the electromagnetic field by adjusting a voltage level to the amplifier responsive to a voltage indicator received from a receiver device of the plurality of receiver devices.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, further comprising an amplifier configured to apply an RF signal to the transmit antenna and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the power level of the electromagnetic field by adjusting a current level to the amplifier responsive to a current indicator received from the receiver device.

12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to apply a Radio Frequency (RF) signal to the transmit antenna; and

a load sensing circuit operably coupled to the amplifier and the controller, the load sensing circuit configured to detect changes in power consumption by the amplifier and generate a serial response signal to the controller representative of the changes in power consumption; and

wherein the controller is further configured to decode the serial response signal to determine at least one of a presence of a new receiver device in the region or receiver information of an existing receiver device in the region.

13. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate to the receiver device during a signaling portion of the time period to indicate a portion of the time period that the receiver device should be disabled from receiving power from the electromagnetic field.

14. A method of wireless power transfer, comprising:

generating an electromagnetic field having a region for wirelessly transferring power from a transmit antenna to a plurality of receiver devices;

determining a power allocation within a time period for a particular one of the plurality of receiver devices disposed within the region, the time period recurring at an interval; and

adjusting the power allocation within a subsequent time period based on a power requirement received from the particular one of the plurality of receiver devices.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring power levels delivered to the plurality of devices and changing charging parameters in response to the monitored power levels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the charging parameters include current and voltage levels for delivery to the plurality of receiver devices.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving power requirements from the plurality of receiver devices; and

sequentially charging ones of the plurality of receiver devices in connection with the cloaking on of each device to be charged and the cloaking off of devices not receiving charging.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving power requirements occurs in connection with receiving signals via on-off keying.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising charging the plurality of devices through near field wireless charging.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting an amount of power that is delivered to each receiver device by adjusting a transmitted power from the transmit antenna, adjusting an amount of time the power is transmitted for each receiver device, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising:

defining a beginning of the time period by on-off keying the electromagnetic field during a synchronization portion of the time period; and

during a power transmission portion of the time period;

coupling the electromagnetic field to a receive antenna of a first receiver device within the region; and

coupling the electromagnetic field to a receive antenna of a second receiver device within the region.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

a first portion of the electromagnetic field is coupled to the receive antenna of the second receiver device;

a second portion of the electromagnetic field is coupled to the receive antenna of the second receiver device; and

the first portion and the second portion are coupled to the first and second receiver devices based on a placement of the first receiver device and the second receiver device relative to the transmit antenna.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining when there are a plurality of receivers within the region designated to accept power from the electromagnetic field;

allocating time-multiplexed segments of the power transmission portion to each of the plurality of receivers designated to accept power; and

communicating the time-multiplexed segment allocated to each of the plurality of receivers during the synchronization portion.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a coupling ratio of each of the first receiver device and the second receiver device indicating a portion of the power from the region that each receiver device is consuming; and

allocating time-multiplexed segments of the power transmission portion responsive to the coupling ratio of at least one of the first receiver device and the second receiver device.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising adjusting a power output level of the transmit antenna to at least two different levels for at least two different time-multiplexed segments of the power transmission portion.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein adjusting the power output level comprises adjusting one of a voltage and a current to an amplifier operably coupled to the transmit antenna.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein adjusting the power output level is responsive to a power level request received from the first receiver device, the second receiver device, or a combination thereof.

28. A power transfer system, comprising:

means for generating an electromagnetic field having a region for wirelessly transferring power from a transmit antenna to a plurality of receiver devices;

means for determining a power allocation within a time period for a particular one of the plurality of receiver devices disposed within the region, the time period recurring at an interval; and

means for adjusting the power allocation within a subsequent time period based on a power requirement received from the particular one of the plurality of the receiver devices.

29. The power transfer system of claim 28, wherein the means for generating a region comprises a transmit antenna, the means for determining a power allocation comprises a first controller, and the means for adjusting the power allocation comprises a second controller.

30. The wireless power transmitter of claim 28, further comprising:

means for receiving power requirements from the plurality of receiver devices; and

means for controlling the transmit antenna to sequentially charge ones of the plurality of receiver devices in connection with cloaking on each device to be charged and cloaking off devices not receiving charging.

31. The power transfer system of claim 28, further comprising means for adjusting an amount of power that is delivered to each receiver device by adjusting a transmitted power from the transmit antenna, adjusting an amount of time the power is transmitted for each receiver device, or a combination thereof.

32. The power transfer system of claim 28, wherein the means for generating the electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency is configured to create a region for wirelessly transferring power within a near field of the transmit antenna, the system further comprising:

means for defining a beginning of the time period by on-off keying the electromagnetic field during a synchronization portion of the time period;

means for coupling, during a power transmission portion of the time period, the electromagnetic field to a receive antenna of a first receiver device within the region; and

means for coupling, during a power transmission portion of the time period, the electromagnetic field to a receive antenna of a second receiver device within the region.

33. The power transfer system of claim 32, wherein:

a first portion of the electromagnetic field is coupled to the receive antenna of the second receiver device; and

a second portion of the electromagnetic field is coupled to the receive antenna of the second receiver device,

wherein the first portion and the second portion are coupled to the first and second receiver devices based on a placement of the first receiver device and the second receiver device relative to the transmit antenna.

34. The power transfer system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for determining when there are a plurality of receivers within the region designated to accept power from the electromagnetic field;

means for allocating time-multiplexed segments of the power transmission portion to each of the plurality of receivers designated to accept power; and

means for communicating the time-multiplexed segment allocated to each of the plurality of receivers during the synchronization portion.

35. The power transfer system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for determining a coupling ratio of each of the first receiver device and the second receiver device indicating a portion of the power from the region that each receiver device is consuming; and

means for allocating time-multiplexed segments of the power transmission portion responsive to the coupling ratio of at least one of the first receiver device and the second receiver device.

36. The power transfer system of claim 32, further comprising means for adjusting a power output level of the transmit antenna to at least two different levels for at least two different time-multiplexed segments of the power transmission portion.

37. The power transfer system of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the power output level comprises means for adjusting one of a voltage at and a current into an amplifier operably coupled to the transmit antenna.

38. The power transfer system of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the power output level is responsive to a power level request received from the first receiver device, the second receiver device, or a combination thereof.

39. The power transfer system of claim 28, comprising:

means for wirelessly receiving power requirements from devices to be charged;

means for detecting a power component threshold; and

means for changing a power component of a signal based on the received power requirements, the signal being configured to be transmitted in response to monitoring readings from the means for detecting a power component threshold.

40. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a transmit antenna configured to generate an electromagnetic field having a region for wirelessly transferring power from the transmit antenna to a plurality of receiver devices; and

a controller operably coupled to the transmit antenna, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a power allocation within a first time period for a first one of the plurality of receiver devices disposed within the region; and

determine a power allocation within a second time period for a second one of the plurality of receiver devices disposed within the region, at least one of the first and second time periods recurring at an interval.

41. The wireless power transmitter of claim 40, wherein the controller is further configured to:

adjust the power allocation for the first one of the plurality of receiver devices during a subsequent time period based on a power requirement received from the first one of the plurality of receiver devices.

42. The wireless power transmitter of claim 40, wherein the first and second time periods recur at an interval.

43. The wireless power transmitter of claim 40, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the transmit antenna to charge only the first one of the plurality of receiver devices during a first time period.