Bi-directional wireless charger

• US 8,901,875 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schuessler, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US13/044,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/103, 320/107
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A bi-directional charging device includes a rechargeable battery, a coil coupled to the rechargeable battery, a selection mechanism that selectively causes power to be delivered from the coil to the battery and selectively causes power to be delivered from the battery to the coil, and a control mechanism. Upon determining that the coil is to provide power to the battery, the control mechanism causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be delivered from the coil to the battery, and upon determining that the coil is to receive power from the battery, the control mechanism causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be delivered from the battery to the coil.

The bi-directional charging device includes a housing enclosing the rechargeable battery, the coil, the selection mechanism, and the control mechanism.

Claims

1. A Bi-Directional Wireless Charger, comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

at least one coil configured to receive and deliver power wirelessly, coupled to the rechargeable battery;

circuitry to control the receiving and delivering of power wirelessly;

a selection circuit that selectively causes power to be received wirelessly by the at least one coil and then provided to the battery or selectively causes power to be provided from the battery to the at least one coil wherein the at least one coil wirelessly transmits the power; and

a control circuit , configured to utilize a wireless communication mechanism that;

upon determining that the at least one coil is to provide power to the battery, causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be provided from the at least one coil to the battery; and

upon determining that the at least one coil is to receive power from the battery, causes the selection circuit to selectively cause power to be provided from the battery to the at least one coil;

wherein the wireless communication mechanism is selected from Bluetooth, WiFi, other public or proprietary wireless protocols, modulation on the energy transfer itself, modulating a low frequency protocol on a high frequency energy transfer, by modulating a high frequency protocol on a low frequency energy transfer or an infrared interface;

wherein an apparatus is configured to receive power at the at least one coil at one frequency and power is delivered to an electronic device from the same coil at a different frequency substantially concurrently; and

a housing including the rechargeable battery, the at least one coil, the selection circuit, and the control circuit.

2. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, further comprising:

a solar panel attached to the housing.

3. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 2, the solar panel being removeably attached to the housing.

4. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one indicator viewable on a surface of the housing that indicates the battery state.

5. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 4, battery state including one of a battery state of charge, a selection of power being provided from the coil to the battery, a selection of power being provided from the battery to the coil, and low battery.

6. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, further comprising:

a connection mechanism accessible on the surface of the housing.

7. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 6, the connection mechanism being at least one of a USB (universal serial) and a mini-USB interface.

8. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 7, the connection mechanism configured to provide power from the rechargeable battery to an external device.

9. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 7, the connection mechanism configured to provide power from an external device to the rechargeable battery.

10. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, further comprising:

a protective cover for the housing.

11. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, the rechargeable battery being one of a plurality of rechargeable batteries in the housing.

12. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, the apparatus receiving a request via the wireless communication mechanism from an external device to provide power to the external device.

13. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 12, the apparatus providing power based on the request.

14. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 12, the request including a preferred frequency for receiving an energy transfer.

15. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, the apparatus making a request via the wireless communication mechanism to an external device for the external device to provide power to the apparatus.

16. The Bi-Directional Wireless Charger of claim 1, the apparatus being one of a portable computer or a mobile telephone.