Temperature sensor interface for wireless and wired charging

• US 8,704,484 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rosik, Raymond K., Li, Pengfei, Irish, Linda S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US12/959,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20110291613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• 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 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to an electronic device for enabling a temperature of a battery unit to be sensed with a wired power charger or a wireless power. A device may include a wireless power receiver and a wired charging module operably coupled to the wireless power receiver. The device may also include an interface configured to couple to a battery unit and for selectively enabling one of the wireless power receiver and the wired charging module to determine a temperature of the battery unit.

Claims

1. A device for charging a battery unit, comprising:

a wireless power receiver configured to provide power to charge the battery unit in a wireless charging mode;

a wired charging module configured to provide power to charge the battery unit in a wired charging mode; and

an interface configured to couple to the battery unit and to selectively enable the wireless power receiver to determine a temperature of the battery unit during the wireless charging mode and to selectively enable the wired charging module to provide a bias voltage for determining the temperature of the battery unit during the wired charging mode.

4. The device of claim 1, the wireless power receiver comprising the interface.

5. The device of claim 1, the interface coupled to the wired charging module and configured to receive a bias voltage therefrom and to convey one of the bias voltage and an internal wireless receiver bias voltage to the battery unit.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a module for receiving a voltage output from a sensor of the battery unit and comprising an analog-to-digital converter coupled to a microcontroller or a digital comparator circuit to compare the voltage to one or more threshold levels to determine whether a temperature of the battery unit is within an acceptable range.

9. The device of claim 1, the wireless power receiver comprising an array of comparators to compare a sensor voltage to one or more threshold levels to determine whether a temperature of the battery unit is within an acceptable range.

10. The device of claim 1, the interface comprising a multiplexer and a maximum voltage selector.

11. The device of claim 10, the multiplexer comprising one of a plurality of switches and a plurality of amplifiers.

12. The device of claim 1, the interface configured for selectively enabling one of the wireless power receiver and the wired charging module to bias a sensor of the battery unit to determine a temperature thereof.

2. A device for charging a battery unit, comprising:

a wireless power receiver;

a wired charging module operably coupled to the wireless power receiver; and

an interface configured to couple to the battery unit and to selectively enable one of the wireless power receiver and the wired charging module to determine a temperature of the battery unit, the interface configured to enable the wired charging module to bias a sensor of the battery unit and determine the temperature of the battery unit if a bias voltage from the wired charging module is greater than or equal to a bias voltage generated by the wireless power receiver.

3. The device of claim 2, the sensor comprising a thermistor.

7. A device for charging a battery unit, comprising:

a wireless power receiver;

a wired charging module operably coupled to the wireless power receiver;

an interface configured to couple to the battery unit and to selectively enable one of the wireless power receiver and the wired charging module to determine a temperature of the battery unit; and

a module configured to receive a voltage output from a sensor of the battery unit and comprising an analog-to-digital converter coupled to a microcontroller or a digital comparator circuit to compare the voltage to one or more threshold levels to determine whether a temperature of the battery unit is within an acceptable range, the module further comprising a first switch for coupling a thermistor bias voltage to the analog-to-digital converter and a second switch for coupling a reference voltage to the analog-to-digital converter.

8. A device for charging a battery unit, comprising:

a wireless power receiver;

a wired charging module operably coupled to the wireless power receiver; and

an interface configured to couple to the battery unit and to selectively enable one of the wireless power receiver and the wired charging module to determine a temperature of the battery unit, the wireless power receiver comprising a first plurality of switches to configure a plurality of connections between the wired charging module, wireless power receiver, the interface, and the battery unit and a second plurality of switches to couple an analog-to-digital converter within the wireless power receiver to one of a reference voltage and a thermistor bias voltage.

13. A method for charging a battery unit, comprising:

coupling a wireless power receiver to the battery unit via an interface, the wireless power receiver configured to provide power to charge the battery unit in a wireless charging mode;

coupling a wired charging module to the battery unit via the interface, the wired charging module configured to provide power to charge the battery unit in a wired charging mode; and

selectively enabling the wireless power receiver to determine a temperature of the battery unit via the interface during the wireless charging mode and selectively enabling the wired charging module to provide a bias voltage for determining the temperature of the battery unit via the interface during the wired charging mode.

14. The method of claim 13, the selectively enabling the wired charging module comprising biasing a sensor associated with the battery unit with a bias voltage of the wired charging module and receiving a voltage output from the sensor at the wired charging module.

15. The method of claim 13, the selectively enabling the wireless power receiver comprising biasing a sensor associated with the battery unit with a bias voltage of the wireless power receiver and receiving a voltage output from the sensor at the wireless power receiver.

17. The method of claim 13, the selectively enabling the wired charging module comprising coupling an output of the wired charging module to the battery unit and an output of the battery unit to the wired charging module via a multiplexer.

18. The method of claim 13, the selectively enabling the wireless power receiver comprising coupling a bias voltage internal to the wireless power receiver to the battery unit and an output of the battery unit to a monitoring circuit of the wireless power receiver via a multiplexer.

19. The method of claim 13, the selectively enabling the wired charging module comprising conveying a bias voltage to a thermistor within the battery unit to monitor a temperature thereof.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling a thermistor bias voltage to an analog-to-digital converter of the wireless power receiver while conveying a thermistor voltage to the analog-to-digital converter.

21. The method of claim 13, the selectively enabling the wireless power receiver comprising biasing a sensor of the battery unit via the interface to determine a temperature of the battery unit.

16. A method for charging a battery unit, comprising:

coupling a wireless power receiver to the battery unit via an interface;

coupling a wired charging module to the battery unit via the interface;

selectively enabling one of the wireless power receiver and the wired charging module to determine a temperature of the battery unit via the interface;

comparing a bias voltage generated by the wired charging module to another bias voltage generated by the wireless power receiver;

selecting the wired charging module to bias a sensor and sense the temperature of a battery unit prior to conveying power thereto if the bias voltage is greater than or equal to the another bias voltage; and

selecting the wireless power receiver to sense the temperature of the battery unit prior to conveying power thereto if the bias voltage is less than the another bias voltage.

22. A device for charging a battery unit, comprising:

means for coupling a wireless power receiver to the battery unit via an interface, the wireless power receiver configured to provide power to charge the battery unit in a wireless charging mode;

means for coupling a wired charging module to the battery unit via the interface, the wired charging module configured to provide power to charge the battery unit in a wired charging mode;

means for selectively enabling the wireless power receiver to determine a temperature of the battery unit via the interface during the wireless charging mode; and

means for selectively enabling the wired charging module to provide a bias voltage for determining the temperature of the battery unit via the interface during the wired charging mode.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for biasing a sensor associated with the battery unit with a bias voltage of the wired charging module and receiving a voltage output from the sensor at the wired charging module while the device is coupled to a wired charger.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for biasing a sensor associated with the battery unit with a bias voltage of the wireless power receiver and receiving a voltage output from the sensor at the wireless power receiver during the wireless charging mode.

25. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for coupling a thermistor bias voltage to an analog-to-digital converter of the wireless power receiver while conveying a thermistor voltage to the analog-to-digital converter.