Wireless charging of mobile device

• US 8,743,856 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jungseok, Lee, Hyunok, Park, Sangmo, Kim, Seonghyok, Kang, Giwon, Choi, HyeonChang, Shim, Hongjo
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAVLESKI, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/276,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20120214418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 370/342, 455/522, 455/573
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems, circuits, and devices for wirelessly charging a mobile device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system of a mobile device comprises a low power PAN module and a controller for the low power PAN module configured to monitor a connection request signal communicated from an external device while the mobile device is in a sleep mode, where the controller is supplied with quiescent current from a battery of the mobile device during the sleep mode. In addition, the system comprises an AP of the mobile device configured to wake up from the sleep mode when the connection request signal is validated by the controller, forward to the external device an equipment identity data of the mobile device and a charging status of the battery, and charge the battery of the mobile device with energy received from a wireless charging module associated with the external device.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a battery;

a low power personal area network (PAN) module configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device for establishing a connection with the external device;

a controller for the low power PAN module configured to monitor a connection request signal communicated from the external device via the low power PAN module while the mobile device is in a sleep mode, wherein the controller is supplied with quiescent current from the battery of the mobile device during the sleep mode;

an application processor (AP) configured to;

wake up from the sleep mode when the connection request signal is validated by the controller;

forward to the external device an equipment identity data of the mobile device and a charging status of the battery; and

charge the battery with energy received from a wireless charging module associated with the external device; and

a switch physically coupled to the controller, the low power PAN module, and the AP,

wherein the switch is controlled by the controller to break a connection between the low power PAN module and the AP prior to the wake up of the AP and to establish the connection between the low power PAN module and the AP upon the wake up of the AP such that the equipment identity data and the charging status are communicated directly from the AP to the low power PAN module without being routed via the controller upon the wake up of the AP.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the low power PAN module is a Bluetooth device with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) feature or a BLE device.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the external device is a server, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or a mobile phone.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the equipment identity data comprises an international mobile equipment ID.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the wireless charging module is configured to turn on or off in response to a signal forwarded by the external device.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the wireless charging module is configured to perform inductive resonance charging.

7. A method for wirelessly charging a battery of a mobile device by the mobile device, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a controller of the mobile device, a connection request signal communicated from an external device via a low power personal area network (PAN) module of the mobile device while the mobile device is in a sleep mode, wherein the controller is supplied with quiescent current from the battery during the sleep mode;

waking up an application processor (AP) of the mobile device from the sleep mode when the connection request signal is validated by the controller, wherein the mobile device comprises a switch that is physically coupled to the controller, the low power PAN module, and the AP, and wherein the switch controlled by the controller is configured to break a connection between the low power PAN module and the AP prior to the wake up of the AP and to establish the connection between the low power PAN module and the AP upon the wake up of the AP;

forwarding to the external device an equipment identity data of the mobile device and a charging status of the battery, wherein the equipment identity data and the charging status are communicated directly from the AP to the low power PAN module, without being routed via the controller, upon the wake up of the AP; and

charging the battery with energy received from a wireless charging module associated with the external device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising terminating the charging of the battery when a level of the battery reaches a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating an AP OFF signal to place the AP back to the sleep mode when the charging of the battery is completed.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the low power PAN module is a Bluetooth device with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) feature or a BLE device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the equipment identity data comprises an international mobile equipment ID.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless charging module is configured to perform inductive resonance charging.

13. A method for charging a battery of a respective plurality of slave devices by a master device, the method comprising:

forwarding a first connection request signal to a first slave device of the plurality of slave devices to wake up a first application processor (AP) of the first slave device, wherein a first controller for a first low power personal area network (PAN) module of the first slave device is supplied with quiescent current from a first battery of the first slave device prior to the wake up of the first AP to control the first low power PAN module prior to the wake up of the first AP, wherein a first switch of the first slave device is physically coupled to the first controller, the first low power PAN module, and the first AP, and wherein the first switch controlled by the first controller is configured to break a connection between the first low power PAN module and the first AP prior to the wake up of the first AP and to establish the connection between the first low power PAN module and the first AP upon the wake up of the first AP;

receiving a first equipment identity data of the first slave device and a first charging status of the first battery, wherein the first equipment identity data and the first charging status are communicated directly from the first AP to the first low power PAN module without being routed via the first controller upon the wake up of the first AP; and

wirelessly transferring a first amount of energy using a wireless charging module associated with the master device to charge the first battery based on the first equipment identity data and the first charging status.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forwarding a first termination signal to terminate the charging of the first battery when the first charging status indicates that a level of the first battery has reached a first threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forwarding a first AP OFF request signal to place the first AP to sleep when the level of the first battery reaches the first threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

forwarding a second connection request signal to a second slave device of the plurality of slave devices to wake up a second AP of the second slave device, wherein a second controller for a second low power PAN module of the second slave device is supplied with quiescent current from a second battery of the second slave device prior to the wake up of the second AP to control the second low power PAN module prior to the wake up of the second AP, wherein a second switch of the second slave device is physically coupled to the second controller, the second low power PAN module, and the second AP, and wherein the second switch controlled by the second controller is configured to break a connection between the second low power PAN module and the second AP prior to the wake up of the second AP and to establish the connection between the second low power PAN module and the second AP upon the wake up of the second AP;

receiving a second equipment identity data of the second slave device and a second charging status of the second battery, wherein the second equipment identity data and the second charging status are communicated directly from the second AP to the second low power PAN module without being routed via the second controller upon the wake up of the second AP; and

wirelessly transferring a second amount of energy using the wireless charging module to charge the second battery based on the second equipment identity data and the second charging status.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forwarding a second termination signal to terminate the charging of the second battery when the second charging status indicates that a level of the second battery has reached a second threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising forwarding a second AP OFF signal to place the second AP to sleep when the level of the second battery reaches the second threshold.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of slave devices comprises a mobile device with an embedded battery.