Wireless communication device with connection restoration and methods for use therewith

• US 9,209,646 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwan, Chikan, Tian, Xin, Rivard, Erik John, Chen, Xianbo, Tsaur, Lih-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Thuan
• Application Number:
  US13/965,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20150028799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes a wireless charging circuit configurable to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting unit and to charge the wireless communication device under control of a processing device and in conjunction with a charging session with the power transmitting unit. A wireless interface device operates under control of the processing device to establish a wireless connection with the power transmitting unit via a connection establishment procedure, wherein the wireless connection is separate from the wireless power signal. Control data is exchanged with the power transmitting unit via the wireless connection, wherein the control data is used by the processing device to implement the charging session with the wireless charging circuit. A response is generated to a disruption event of the wireless communication device that includes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring the wireless connection, without implementing the connection establishment procedure.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processing device;

a wireless charging circuit, coupled to the processing device, configurable to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting unit and to charge the wireless communication device under control of the processing device and in conjunction with a charging session with the power transmitting unit;

a wireless interface device, coupled to the processing device and the wireless charging circuit, wherein the wireless interface device operates under control of the processing device to;

establish a wireless connection with the power transmitting unit via a connection establishment procedure, wherein the wireless connection is separate from the wireless power signal;

exchange control data with the power transmitting unit via the wireless connection, wherein the control data is usable by the processing device to implement the charging session with the wireless charging circuit; and

generate a response to a disruption event of the wireless communication device, wherein the disruption event creates a unilateral disconnection of the wireless connection from the power transmitting unit, and wherein the response includes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring the wireless connection without implementing the connection establishment procedure.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the wireless charging circuit, the processing device and the wireless interface device operate as a power receiving unit in accordance with an Alliance for Wireless Power specification.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface device operates in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the disruption event includes a system reset of at least the processing device.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the charging session continues during the disruption event.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein restoring the wireless connection includes restoring the wireless connection before expiration of a supervisory time out period of the power transmitting unit.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6 wherein the wireless connection includes a plurality of frequency hops occurring in a corresponding plurality of hop intervals, and wherein restoring the wireless connection includes predicting a subsequent frequency hop of the power transmitting unit.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7 wherein predicting the subsequent frequency hop includes reviewing a past frequency hop that occurred prior to the disruption event and predicting the subsequent frequency hop based on the past frequency hop and the supervisory time out period of the power transmitting unit.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein restoring the wireless connection includes extending a reception window of the wireless interface device beyond a standard duration used in the wireless connection.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface device further operates under control of the processing device to:

determine when the restoration procedure fails to restore the wireless connection, and implementing the connection establishment procedure in response thereto.

11. A method for use in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

establishing, via a wireless interface device, a wireless connection with a power transmitting unit via a connection establishment procedure;

exchanging control data, via the wireless interface device, with the power transmitting unit via the wireless connection;

receiving a wireless power signal, from the power transmitting unit, via a wireless charging circuit, wherein the wireless power signal is separate from the wireless connection;

implementing a charging session between the power transmitting unit and the wireless charging circuit in accordance with the control data to charge the wireless communication device; and

responding, via the wireless interface device, to a disruption event of the wireless communication device, wherein the disruption event creates a unilateral disconnection of the wireless connection from power transmitting unit, and wherein the responding includes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring, via the wireless interface device, the wireless connection with the power transmitting unit without implementing the connection establishment procedure.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the wireless charging session is in accordance with an Alliance for Wireless Power specification.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the wireless connection is formatted in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the disruption event includes a system reset of the wireless communication device.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging session continues during the disruption event.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein restoring the wireless connection includes restoring the wireless connection before expiration of a supervisory time out period of the power transmitting unit.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the wireless connection includes a plurality of frequency hops occurring in a corresponding plurality of hop intervals, and wherein restoring the wireless connection includes predicting a subsequent frequency hop of the power transmitting unit.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein predicting the subsequent frequency hop includes reviewing a past frequency hop that occurred prior to the disruption event and predicting the subsequent frequency hop based on the past frequency hop and the supervisory time out period of the power transmitting unit.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein restoring the wireless connection includes extending a reception window beyond a standard duration used in the wireless connection.

20. A wireless communication device comprising:

a wireless charging circuit configurable to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting unit and to charge the wireless communication device in conjunction with a charging session with the power transmitting unit in accordance with an Alliance for Wireless Power specification;

a wireless interface device, coupled to the wireless charging circuit, wherein the wireless interface device operates to;

establish a wireless connection with the power transmitting unit via a connection establishment procedure, wherein the wireless connection is separate from the wireless power signal and is formatted in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol;

exchange control data with the power transmitting unit via the wireless connection to implement the charging session with the wireless charging circuit; and

generate a response to a disruption event of the wireless communication device, wherein the disruption event creates a unilateral disconnection of the wireless connection from the power transmitting unit, and wherein the response includes implementing a restoration procedure for restoring the wireless connection without implementing the connection establishment procedure.