Wireless charging system

• US 9,118,188 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Doyle, Brian S., Aleksov, Aleksandar, Mahajan, Ravindranath V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US13/716,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 320107-108, 320114-115
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A wireless charging system includes a microelectronic package (110) containing a system on chip (120) (an SoC), an energy transfer unit (140), and a software protocol (127). The SoC includes a processing device (121), a memory device (122) coupled to the processing device, and a communications device (123) coupled to the processing device and the memory device. The communications device is capable of communicating wirelessly with an external electronic device (130). The energy transfer unit is capable of transferring energy to the external electronic device. The software protocol is implemented in the memory device and is capable of detecting a charging profile of the external electronic device and capable of adjusting a parameter of the energy transfer unit according to a requirement of the charging profile.

Claims

1. A wireless charging system comprising:

a microelectronic package containing an SoC, the SoC comprising;

a processing device;

a memory device coupled to the processing device; and

a communications device coupled to the processing device and the memory device, the communications device configured to communicate wirelessly with an external electronic device;

an energy transfer unit comprising multiple energy transfer sub-units, each one of which is configured to transfer energy to the external electronic device, or to a different external electronic device, simultaneously with but independent of other energy transfer sub-units within the energy transfer unit; and

a software protocol implemented in the memory device, the software protocol configured to detect a charging profile of any of multiple external electronic devices and configured to simultaneously and independently adjust a parameter of each of the energy transfer sub-units according to a requirement of any one of the charging profiles.

2. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the energy transfer unit comprises a first inductive charging unit.

3. The wireless charging system of claim 2 further comprising:

a second inductive charging unit that includes a wire electrically coupled to the external electronic device, the second inductive charging unit configured to wirelessly receive energy from the first inductive charging unit.

4. The wireless charging system of claim 3 wherein:

the second inductive charging unit is configured to be worn on a portion of a human body.

5. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the energy transfer unit is configured to produce an energy transfer zone in which energy may be transferred from the energy transfer unit to the external device, the energy transfer zone having a radius of at least 1 centimeter.

6. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the energy transfer unit is configured to produce an energy transfer zone in which energy may be transferred from the energy transfer unit to the external device, the energy transfer zone having a radius of at least 10 centimeters.

7. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the energy transfer unit is configured to produce an energy transfer zone in which energy may be transferred from the energy transfer unit to the external device, the energy transfer zone having a radius of at least 100 centimeters.

8. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the parameter of the energy transfer unit is a power density.

9. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the requirement of the charging profile is a wave form output by the energy transfer unit and received by the external electronic device.

10. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the requirement of the charging profile is a percentage of maximum charging capacity.

11. The wireless charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the requirement of the charging profile is an optimal charging rate.

12. The wireless charging system of claim 1 further comprising:

an exterior housing that completely encloses the microelectronic package and the energy transfer unit.

13. A wireless charging system comprising:

a wireless charging unit comprising;

a microelectronic package containing an SoC, the SoC comprising;

a processing device;

a memory device coupled to the processing device; and

a communications device coupled to the processing device and the memory device, the communications device configured to communicate wirelessly with an external electronic device;

an energy transfer unit comprising multiple energy transfer sub-units, each one of which is configured to transfer energy to the external electronic device, or to a different external electronic device, simultaneously with but independent of other energy transfer sub-units within the energy transfer unit; and

a software protocol implemented in the memory device, the software protocol configured to detect a charging profile of any of multiple external electronic devices and configured to simultaneously and independently adjust a parameter of each of the energy transfer sub-units according to a requirement of any one of the charging profiles; and

a wearable item to which the wireless charging unit may be attached.

14. The wireless charging system of claim 13 wherein:

the wearable item comprises an energy harvesting unit.

15. The wireless charging system of claim 13 wherein:

the wearable item comprises an electrically conductive patch positioned so as to be located between the wireless charging unit and a body of a wearer.