Bi-directional wireless charger

• US 9,444,284 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schuessler, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/558,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/103, 320/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A bi-directional charging device includes a rechargeable battery, a coil coupled to the rechargeable battery, a selection mechanism that selectively causes power to be delivered from the coil to the battery and selectively causes power to be delivered from the battery to the coil, and a control mechanism. Upon determining that the coil is to provide power to the battery, the control mechanism causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be delivered from the coil to the battery, and upon determining that the coil is to receive power from the battery, the control mechanism causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be delivered from the battery to the coil.

The bi-directional charging device includes a housing enclosing the rechargeable battery, the coil, the selection mechanism, and the control mechanism.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a coil coupled to the rechargeable battery;

a selection mechanism that selectively causes power received wirelessly through the coil to be provided from the coil to the battery for wireless charging, and selectively causes power to be provided from the battery through the coil for wireless power transfer; and

a control mechanism that

upon determining that the coil is to provide power to the battery for wireless charging, causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be provided from the coil to the battery; and

upon determining that the coil is to receive power from the battery for wireless power transfer, causes the selection mechanism to selectively cause power to be provided from the battery to the coil;

a housing including the rechargeable battery, the coil, the selection mechanism, and the control mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

first and second coils;

the selection mechanism configured to

provide power from the first coil to the battery; and

provide power from the battery to the second coil.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a solar panel attached to the housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one indicator viewable on a surface of the housing that indicates the battery state.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, battery e including one of a battery state of charge, a selection of power being provided from the coil to the battery, a selection of power being provided from the battery to the coil, and low battery.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a connection mechanism accessible on the surface of the housing, the connection mechanism configured to couple power from an external energy source to the rechargeable battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the connection mechanism being at least one of a USB (universal serial bus) and a mini-USB interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a protective cover for the housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the rechargeable battery being one of a plurality of rechargeable batteries in the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the coil being one of a plurality of coils in the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured for communicating with external devices to coordinate transfers of energy.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the apparatus receiving a request via the communication interface from an external device to provide power to the external device, and providing power to the external device based on the request.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the request including a preferred frequency for receiving an energy transfer.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, the apparatus making a request via the communication interface to an external device for the external device to provide power to the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, the external device being one of a portable computer and a mobile telephone.

16. A method suitable for implementing a bi-directional charging device based on bi-directional wireless power transfer, comprising:

receiving in the bi-directional charging device a request via a communication interface, the request being from a first external device, and the request being to provide power to the first external device;

sending from the bi-directional charging device a request via the communication interface to a second external device, and the request being to wirelessly receive power from the second external device;

controlling a selection mechanism to

for the request to provide power, route power from a rechargeable battery through at least one a coil for delivering power to the first external device by wireless power transfer; and

for the request to receive power, route power received from the second external device through the at least one coil to the rechargeable battery for wirelessly charging the rechargeable battery;

the selection mechanism, the rechargeable battery, and the coil being within the bi-directional charging device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selection mechanism is controlled to route power received from the second external device through a second coil in the bidirectional charging device to the rechargeable battery.

18. The method of claim 16, the first external device being one of a portable computer and a mobile phone, and the second external device being a wireless charging pad.

19. The method of claim 16, the bi-directional charging device being a first bi-directional charging device and the second external device being a second bi-directional charging device.