Coordinated wireless communication and power delivery

• US 9,185,662 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajakarunanayake, Yasantha
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US13/535,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20140004912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 455/573, 370/318, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method, apparatus, and system for managing wireless communications between wireless devices, including providing radiative power delivery to the wireless devices. The wireless devices may include a communication transceiver to wireless communicate with other wireless devices and a radiative power harvester to receive radiative power transmissions from the other wireless devices. The wireless devices may also include a switching unit to selectively provide a connection to the communication transceiver and the wireless power harvester based on the mode of operation of the wireless devices.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive communication to and/or from at least one other wireless communication device via an antenna during a communication mode;

a radiative power harvester configured to;

receive radiative power transmissions from the at least one other wireless communication device via the antenna during a wireless power transfer (WPT) mode, and

convert the received radiative power transmissions to a charge, the charge capable of charging a battery;

a switching unit configured to selectively connect the antenna to one of the communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester, wherein the switching unit connects the antenna to the communication transceiver during the communication mode and connects the antenna to the radiative power harvester during the WPT mode; and

a controller configured to;

control entry of the communication device into the communication mode and the WPT mode based on a predetermined sequence,

determine, based on a current charge of the battery and a plurality of operating conditions of the wireless communication device, a frequency and a duration that the wireless communication device should operate in the WPT mode,

adjust the predetermined sequence based on the determined frequency and duration that the wireless communication device should operate in the WPT mode, and

control the selective connection of the antenna to the communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester by the switching unit.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communications transmitted from the wireless communication device to the at least one other wireless communication device include a notification indicative of entry into the WPT mode by the communication device.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the notification includes at least one time of entry into the WPT mode and at least one corresponding duration of operation in the WPT mode.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operating conditions of the wireless communication device include a quality of service (QoS) of the wireless communication device and remaining ampere-hours(Ah) of the battery.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communications are transmitted at a first frequency and the radiative power transmissions are transmitted at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communications received by the wireless communication device have a first transmission power, and wherein the radiative power transmissions received by the wireless communication device have a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined sequence is a WPT sequence negotiated with the at least one other wireless communication device.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

modify the transmission and/or reception of the communications by the communication transceiver based on a change in an operating condition in the plurality of operating conditions.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether a desired Quality of Service (QoS) for the wireless communication device has been established; and

adjust the predetermined sequence based on whether the desired QoS for the wireless communication device has been established.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

adjust the predetermined sequence in response to detecting a change in a connectivity status of an alternative power source.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined sequence establishes a transmission power at which the radiative power transmissions are transmitted.

12. A method to wirelessly receive power at a first wireless communication device from a second wireless communication device, the method comprising:

negotiating with the second wireless communication device to establish a wireless power transfer (WPT) sequence in which the first and second wireless communication devices will operate in a WPT mode;

switching from a communication mode to the (WPT) mode based on the WPT sequence, wherein the switching from the communication mode to the WPT mode includes;

disconnecting an antenna of the first wireless communication device connected to a communication transceiver of the first wireless communication device, and

connecting the antenna to a radiative power harvester of the first communication device;

receiving, by the radiative power harvester, a transmission from the second wireless communication device;

converting, by the radiative power harvester, the received transmission to a charge;

storing the charge converted from the received transmission in a battery,

determining, at the first wireless communication device, a frequency and a duration that the first wireless communication device should operate in the WPT mode based on a current charge of the battery and a plurality of operating conditions of the first wireless communication device; and

adjusting, at the first wireless communication device, the WPT sequence based on the determined duration that the first wireless communication device should operate in the WPT mode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the WPT sequence includes at least one of:

a transmission output power of the transmission to be received by the first wireless communication device;

a transmission frequency of the transmission to be received by the first wireless communication device; and

at least one time period in which the first and second wireless communication devices are to operate in the WPT mode.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of the transmission output power, the transmission frequency and the at least one time period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the adjusting is based on at least one of a quality of service (QoS) of the first wireless communication device and remaining ampere-hours (Ah) of the battery.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of:

the transmission received by the radiative power harvester is transmitted at a first frequency and a transmission received by the communication transceiver is transmitted at a second frequency different from the first frequency; and

the transmission received by the radiative power harvester is transmitted at a first transmission power and the transmission received by the communication transceiver is transmitted at a second transmission power different from the first transmission power.

17. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a first wireless communication devices including a first communication transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive communications; and

a second wireless communication device including;

a second communication transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive the communications to and/or from the first wireless communication device via an antenna during a communication mode,

a radiative power harvester configured to;

receive the communications transmitted by the first wireless communication device via the antenna during a wireless power transfer (WPT) mode, and

convert the received communications to a charge,

a switching unit configured to selectively connect the antenna to one of the second communication transceiver and the radiative power harvester, wherein the switching unit connects the antenna to the second communication transceiver during the communication mode and connects the antenna to the radiative power harvester during the WPT mode,

a battery, and

a controller configured to;

determine, based on a current charge of the battery and a plurality of operating conditions of the second wireless communication device, a frequency and a duration that the second wireless communication device should operate in the WPT mode, and

adjust a rate at which the switching unit selectively connects the antenna based on the determined duration that the wireless communication device should operate in the WPT mode.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein the first wireless communication device transmits the communication at a first transmission power during the communication mode and transmits the communications at a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power during the WPT mode.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 17, further comprising:

a third wireless communication device including a third communication transceiver configured to, during the WPT mode, wirelessly transmit other communications to the second wireless communication device in cooperation with the first wireless communication device,

wherein the other communications and the communications transmitted by the second wireless communication device are received and converted by the radiative power harvester.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein the communications transmitted from the first wireless communication device include a WPT key to establish a frequency at which the communications are transmitted during the WPT mode and a sequence at which the wireless communication system selectively operates in the communication and WPT modes.