Wireless power transmitter tuning

• US 9,094,055 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Low, Zhen Ning, Wheatley, Charles Edward III, Kasturi, Sreenivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Inge, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/399,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20120267960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for tuning a wireless power transmitter. In one aspect an apparatus configured to wirelessly provide power to a load is provided. The apparatus includes a transmit circuit including a transmit coil. The transmit circuit is configured to wirelessly provide power to the load. The transmit coil is configured to resonate at a resonant frequency. The transmit circuit has a reactance. The apparatus further includes a detection circuit configured to detect a change in the resonant frequency while providing power to the load. The apparatus further includes a tuning circuit configured to adjust the reactance based on the change.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to wirelessly provide power to one or more chargeable devices, the apparatus comprising:

a transmit circuit comprising a transmit coil, the transmit circuit being configured to wirelessly provide power to a first chargeable device, the transmit circuit being further configured to resonate at a resonant frequency, the transmit circuit having a reactance, wherein the transmit circuit comprises a reactive element;

a driver circuit configured to drive the transmit circuit;

a detection circuit configured to

determine a baseline current level through the driver circuit,

detect a first change in current through the driver circuit indicating a first change in the resonant frequency in response to transmitting power to the first chargeable device, and

detect a second change in current through the driver circuit indicating a second change in the resonant frequency in response to transmitting power to a second chargeable device while providing power to the first chargeable device; and

a tuning circuit configured to

cycle the reactance of the transmit circuit through a first plurality of reactance values in response to the first change in the resonant frequency while providing power to the first chargeable device,

determine a respective first plurality of current values by measuring current through the driver circuit at the first plurality of reactance values,

select one of the first plurality of reactance values based on the baseline current level and the determined first plurality of current values in response to the first change in the resonant frequency and adjust the reactance of the transmit circuit to the selected reactance value of the first plurality of reactance values,

cycle the reactance of the transmit circuit through a second plurality of reactance values in response to the second change in the resonant frequency while providing power to the first and the second chargeable devices,

determine a respective second plurality of current values by measuring current through the driver circuit at the second plurality of reactance values,

select one of the second plurality of reactance values based on the baseline current level and the determined second plurality of current values in response to the second change in the resonant frequency and adjust the reactance of the transmit circuit to the selected reactance value of the second plurality of reactance values.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect an amount of increase in the current.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tuning circuit comprises a switch in parallel with the reactive element, and wherein the tuning circuit is configured to adjust the reactance of the transmit circuit by opening or closing the switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the switch is positioned at a center tap of the transmit coil.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reactive element comprises a capacitor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a parasitic coil inductively coupled to the transmit coil, and wherein the tuning circuit is configured to adjust the reactance by opening or closing a switch of the parasitic coil.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect an amount of current through the driver circuit and to detect the first and second changes in the resonant frequency based on the amount of current.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tuning circuit comprises two or more transistors, the two or more transistors being in parallel with the reactive element, and wherein the tuning circuit is configured to adjust the reactance of the transmit circuit by enabling the two or more transistors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmit circuit is configured to wirelessly provide power to a receive circuit of the first chargeable device to provide power to a load, the receive circuit being configured to resonate at the resonant frequency.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmit circuit is further configured to receive a reverse link signal from the first chargeable device before a timeout prior to the tuning circuit adjusting the reactance of the transmit coil to the first plurality of reactance values.

11. A method of tuning a wireless power transmitter for providing power to one or more chargeable devices, the method comprising:

determining a baseline current level through a driver circuit of the wireless power transmitter;

detecting a first change in current through the driver circuit indicating a first change in a resonant frequency of a transmit circuit comprising a transmit coil of the wireless power transmitter in response to transmitting power to a first chargeable device;

adjusting a tuning reactance of the transmit circuit in response to the detection of the first change in the resonant frequency while wirelessly providing power to the first chargeable device, wherein adjusting the tuning reactance in response to the detection of the first change in the resonant frequency comprises cycling a reactance of the transmit circuit through a first plurality of reactance values, determining a respective first plurality of current values by measuring the current through the driver circuit at the first plurality of reactance values, selecting one of the first plurality of reactance values based on the baseline current level and the determined first plurality of current values, and adjusting the reactance of the transmit circuit to the selected reactance value of the first plurality of reactance values;

detecting a second change in current through the driver circuit indicating a second change in the resonant frequency in response to transmitting power to a second chargeable device while providing power to the first chargeable device; and

adjusting the tuning reactance of the transmit circuit in response to the detection of the second change in the resonant frequency while wirelessly providing power to the first chargeable device and the second chargeable device, wherein adjusting the tuning reactance in response to the detection of the second change in the resonant frequency comprises cycling the reactance of the transmit circuit through a second plurality of reactance values, determining a respective second plurality of current values by measuring the current through the driver circuit at the second plurality of reactance values, selecting one of the second plurality of reactance values based on the baseline current level and the determined second plurality of current values, and adjusting the reactance of the transmit circuit to the selected reactance value of the second plurality of reactance values.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting one of the first plurality of reactance values comprises selecting based on an amount of increase in the current.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the tuning reactance comprises opening or closing a switch in parallel with a reactive element of the transmit circuit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the switch is positioned at a center tap of the transmit coil.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the reactive element comprises a capacitor.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the tuning reactance comprises opening or closing a switch of a parasitic coil circuit inductively coupled to the transmit coil.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the first and second changes in the resonant frequency comprises detecting an amount of current through the driver circuit and detecting the first and second changes in the resonant frequency based on the amount of current.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the tuning reactance comprises enabling two or more transistors, the two or more transistors being in parallel with the reactive element of the transmit circuit.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first chargeable device comprises a receive circuit configured to wirelessly receive power from the transmit circuit, the receive circuit being configured to resonate at the resonate frequency.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a reverse link signal from the first chargeable device before a timeout prior to adjusting the tuning reactance of the transmit circuit in response to the detection of the first change in the resonant frequency.

21. An apparatus configured to wirelessly provide power to one or more chargeable devices, the apparatus comprising:

means for wirelessly transmitting power to a first chargeable device and a second chargeable device, the means for wirelessly transmitting power being configured to resonate at a resonant frequency, the means for wirelessly transmitting power having a reactance;

means for driving the means for wirelessly transmitting power;

means for determining a baseline current level through the means for driving;

means for detecting a first change in current through the means for driving indicating a first change in the resonant frequency in response to transmitting power to the first chargeable device;

means for detecting a second change in current through the means for driving indicating a second change in the resonant frequency in response to transmitting power to a second chargeable device while providing power to the first chargeable device; and

means for tuning configured to

cycle the reactance of the means for wirelessly transmitting power through a first plurality of reactance values in response to the first change in the resonant frequency while wirelessly providing power to the first chargeable device,

determine a respective first plurality of current values by measuring current through the means for driving at the first plurality of reactance values,

select one of the first plurality of reactance values based on the baseline current level and the determined first plurality of current values and adjust the reactance of the means for wirelessly transmitting power to the selected reactance value of the first plurality of reactance values,

cycle the reactance of the means for wirelessly transmitting power through a second plurality of reactance values in response to the second change in the resonant frequency while wirelessly providing power to the first chargeable device and the second chargeable device,

determine a respective second plurality of current values by measuring current through the means for driving at the second plurality of reactance values,

select one of the second plurality of reactance values based on the baseline current level and the determined second plurality of current values and adjust the reactance of the means for wirelessly transmitting power to the selected reactance value of the second plurality of reactance values.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for detecting the first change in current is configured to detect an amount of increase in the current.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for wirelessly transmitting power comprises a reactive element, wherein the means for tuning comprises a switch in parallel with the reactive element, and wherein the means for tuning is configured to adjust the reactance of the means for wirelessly transmitting power by opening or closing the switch.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the switch is positioned at a center tap of the means for wirelessly transmitting power.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the reactive element comprises a capacitor.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a means for wirelessly passively relaying power inductively coupled to the means for wirelessly transmitting power, and wherein the means for tuning is configured to adjust the reactance by opening or closing a switch of the means for wirelessly passively relaying power.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for detecting a first change in current is configured to detect an amount of current through the means for driving to detect the first change in the resonant frequency based on the amount of current.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for wirelessly transmitting power comprises a reactive element, wherein the means for tuning comprises two or more transistors, the two or more transistors being in parallel with the reactive element, and wherein the means for tuning is configured to adjust the reactance of the transmit circuit by enabling the two or more transistors.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for wirelessly transmitting is configured to wirelessly provide power to the first chargeable device to provide power to a load, the first chargeable device being configured to resonate at the resonant frequency.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for wirelessly transmitting power comprises a transmit circuit comprising a transmit coil.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for detecting a first change in current comprises a detection circuit, and wherein the means for tuning comprises a tuning circuit.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for wirelessly passively relaying power comprises a parasitic coil circuit comprising a parasitic coil.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first chargeable device comprises a receive circuit comprising a receive coil.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for receiving a reverse link signal from the first chargeable device before a timeout prior to the means for tuning adjusting the reactance of the means for wirelessly transmitting power to a first plurality of reactance values.