Wireless power system with selectable control channel protocols

• US 9,362,986 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Walley, John, Rofougaran, Ahmadreza, Seshadri, Nambirajan, Van Der Lee, Reinierus Hendricus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): DEBERADINIS, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US14/144,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10207 parameter settings related to power consumption of the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A wireless power system includes a wireless power transmit and receive units. The wireless power transmit unit includes a wireless power transmit circuit that generates a wireless power magnetic field and a transmit unit transceiver that transceives a communication regarding the wireless power magnetic field in accordance with a control channel protocol. The wireless power receive unit includes a wireless power receive circuit, a transceiver, and a processing module. The wireless power receive circuit converts the wireless power magnetic field into a voltage. The receive unit processing module is operable to: identify the control channel protocol; determine whether the receive unit transceiver is capable of communication using the control channel protocol; and, when the receive unit transceiver is capable of communication using the control channel protocol, coordinate configuration of the receive unit transceiver to transceive the communication regarding the wireless power magnetic field via the control channel.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

a wireless power receiver for wireless power transfer, including a receiver resonator, a rectifier, and a DC to DC converter, and configured to;

receive a wireless power signal from a wireless power transmitting unit; and

convert the wireless power signal into a power supply;

a transceiver configured to;

transmit a control signal over a control channel using a Bluetooth wireless communication standard to the wireless power transmitting unit, wherein the control signal includes information relating to the wireless power transfer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to transmit the control signal in compliance with the Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive the control signal over the control channel using the Bluetooth wireless communication standard from the wireless power transmitting unit; and

convert the control signal received over the control channel using the Bluetooth wireless communication standard into inbound data, wherein the inbound data includes additional information relating to the wireless power transfer.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

when the transceiver is not capable of communication using the Bluetooth wireless communication standard, attempt to update the transceiver to support the Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

determine whether the transceiver is lacking software to support the Bluetooth wireless communication standard; and

when the transceiver is lacking software, generate a network message to download the software to support the Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the wireless power transfer includes at least one of:

power level and impedance.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless power signal and the control signal are in a common frequency band.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless power signal is in a first frequency band and the control signal is in a second different frequency band.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless power receiver for wireless power transfer is configured to:

receive a beacon signal from the wireless power transmitting unit, wherein the beacon signal includes a magnetic field signal transmitted from the wireless power transmitting unit.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the transceiver is configured to:

detect the wireless power transmitting unit from the beacon signal; and

establish the control channel using the Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

11. A device, comprises:

at least one wireless power transmit circuit including a transmit coil for transmitting a wireless power magnetic field for wireless power transfer, an impedance matching circuit, and a rectify and regulate circuit to convert an AC voltage into a DC voltage, the at least one wireless power transmit circuit configured to;

generate a beacon signal to detect at least one wireless power receive unit, wherein the beacon signal is a magnetic field signal transmitted from the wireless power transmit circuit; and

generate the wireless power magnetic field for wireless power transfer to the at least one wireless power receive unit;

at least one transceiver configured to;

in response to detecting the wireless power receive unit, establish a connection over a Bluetooth control channel with the at least one wireless power receive unit to exchange information relating to the wireless power transfer.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one transceiver comprises:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and wherein the Bluetooth control channel uses one or more portions of a Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the wireless power magnetic field and the Bluetooth control channel are in a common frequency band.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the wireless power magnetic field is in a first frequency band and the Bluetooth control channel is in a second different frequency band.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the information relating to the wireless power transfer includes at least one of:

power level, impedance settings and charging requirements.

16. A wireless power receive unit, comprises:

a wireless power receive circuit configured to convert a wireless power signal from a wireless power transmit unit into a supply voltage;

a receive unit transceiver configured to receive a control signal on a control channel between the wireless power transmit unit and the wireless power receive unit, wherein the control signal complies with one or more portions of a Bluetooth wireless communication standard; and

a receive unit processing module configured to;

identify a protocol version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard; and

when the receive unit transceiver is capable of communication using the identified protocol version, coordinate configuration of the receive unit transceiver to communicate information regarding the wireless power signal via the control channel using the identified protocol version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

17. The wireless power receive unit of claim 16, wherein the receive unit processing module is further configured to:

when the receive unit transceiver is not capable of communication using the identified protocol version, attempt to update the receive unit transceiver to support the identified protocol version.

18. The wireless power receive unit of claim 16, wherein the receive unit processing module is further configured to:

determine whether the receive unit transceiver is lacking software to support the identified protocol version; and

when the receive unit transceiver is lacking software, generate a network message to download the software to support the identified protocol version.

19. The wireless power receive unit of claim 16, wherein the information regarding the wireless power signal includes at least one of:

a frequency for wireless power transfer;

a number of transmit unit coils;

to reposition the wireless power receive unit to improve wireless power transfer;

a desired power level; and

to tune components of the wireless power receive circuit.

20. The wireless power receive unit of claim 16, wherein the wireless power signal is in a first frequency band and the control signal is in a second different frequency band.