Battery with integrated wireless power receiver and/or RFID

• US 8,952,655 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walley, John, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Rofougaran, Ahmadreza, Seshadri, Nambirajan, Van Der Lee, Reinier Hendricus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/257,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 307/104, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/500
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging 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 50/20 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery includes one or more rechargeable cells, a wireless power coil, a battery charger circuit, and may further include an RFID module. The wireless power coil is operable to generate an AC voltage from a wireless power electromagnetic field. The battery charger circuit is operable to generate a battery charge voltage from the AC voltage in accordance with a battery charge control signal and, when enabled, to charge the one or more rechargeable cells via the battery charge voltage. If the battery further includes the RFID module, it is operable to generate the battery charge control signal and communicate with a wireless power transmitter device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

wireless power receive circuitry to generate power from a received wireless power signal;

a first wireless power transceiver configured to communicate with a second wireless power transceiver included in a wireless power transmission unit using a control channel protocol selected from among a plurality of control channel protocols usable by the first wireless power transceiver;

a processing module coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry and the first wireless power transceiver, the processing module configured to;

transition from an idle state to a first power management state in response to the device being enabled and determining that communication has been established with the wireless power transmission unit; and

transition from an idle state to a second power management state in response to the device being enabled and determining that communication has not been established with the wireless power transmission unit.

2. The device of claim 1, the processing module further configured to:

determine an activation status of circuit modules.

3. The device of claim 2, the processing module is further configured to:

determine first clock signal rates and first supply voltages for active circuit modules in the first power management state;

determine second clock signal rates and second supply voltages for the active circuit modules in the second power management state; and

wherein a first clock signal rate and a first supply voltage for at least one active circuit module are closer to maximum values than a second clock signal rate and a second supply voltage for the same active circuit.

4. The device of claim 2, the processing module is further configured to:

determine that no clock signal is required by at least one idle circuit module during the second power management state.

5. The device of claim 1, the processing module is further configured to:

transition between the first power management state and the second power management state based on changes in a communication status with the wireless power transmission unit.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery charger coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry; and

wherein during the first power management state the processing module is configured to determine whether a battery coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry requires charging.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein determining whether the battery requires charging is based on a sliding scale that varies based on battery life and charging efficiency.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

set charging parameters based on information received from the wireless power transmission unit.

9. A wireless charging system including a wireless power (WP) receiving unit, the WP receiving unit comprising:

a first wireless power transceiver to receive and transmit data related to wireless transmission parameters over a control channel using a control channel protocol selected from among a plurality of control channel protocols usable by the first wireless power transceiver;

wireless power receive circuitry to generate power from a received wireless power signal;

a processing module coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry and the first wireless power transceiver, the processing module configured to;

transition to a WP operated power management state in response to a device associated with the wireless charging system being enabled and determining that communication has been established with the wireless power transmission unit; and

transition to a battery operated power management state in response to the device being enabled and determining that communication has not been established with the wireless power transmission unit.

10. The wireless charging system of claim 9, the processing module further configured to:

determine an activation status of circuit modules coupled to the wireless charging system.

11. The wireless charging system of claim 10, the processing module is further configured to:

determine different clock signal rates and supply voltages for a particular active circuit module based on whether the wireless charging system is operating in the WP operated power management state or the battery operated power management state.

12. The wireless charging system of claim 10, the processing module is further configured to:

determine that no clock signal is required by at least one idle circuit module during the battery operated power management state.

13. The wireless charging system of claim 9, the processing module further configured to:

transition between the WP operated power management state and the battery operated power management state based on changes in a communication status with the wireless power transmission unit.

14. The wireless charging system of claim 9, further comprising:

a battery charger coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry; and

wherein during the WP operated power management state the processing module is configured to determine whether a battery coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry requires charging.

15. The wireless charging system of claim 14, wherein determining whether the battery requires charging is based on a sliding scale that varies based on battery life and charging efficiency.

16. The wireless charging system of claim 14, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

set charging parameters based on information associated with the wireless power signal.

17. A wireless charging device comprising:

an RFID circuit;

a first wireless power transceiver to receive and transmit data related to wireless transmission parameters over a control channel using a control channel protocol selected from among a plurality of control channel protocols usable by the first wireless power transceiver, wherein the plurality of control channel protocols include an RFID communication protocol;

wireless power receive circuitry to generate power from a received wireless power signal;

a processing module coupled to the wireless power receive circuitry and the first wireless power transceiver, the processing module configured to;

transition to a first power management state in response to the wireless charging device being enabled and determining that communication has been established with a wireless power transmission unit using a selected one of a plurality of control channel protocols usable by the first wireless power transceiver; and

transition to a second power management state in response to the device being enabled and determining that communication has not been established with the wireless power transmission unit.

18. The wireless charging device of claim 17, the processing module further configured to:

determine different clock signal rates and supply voltages for active circuit modules when the wireless charging system is operating in different power management states.

19. The wireless charging device of claim 18, the processing module further configured to:

determine an activation status of circuit modules coupled to the wireless charging system;

determine that no clock signal is required by at least one idle circuit module during the second power management state.

20. The wireless charging device of claim 18, the processing module further configured to:

transition between the first power management state and the second power management state based on changes in a communication status with the wireless power transmission unit.