Wireless power utilization in a local computing environment

• US 9,466,989 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Culbert, Michael F., Bilbrey, Brett C., Simon, David I., Arnold, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bae, Ji H
• Application Number:
  US14/727,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 307/104, 455/41.1, 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: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• 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 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Various embodiments of a wirelessly powered local computing environment are described. The wireless powered local computing environment includes at least a near field magnetic resonance (NFMR) power supply arranged to wirelessly provide power to any of a number of suitably configured devices. In the described embodiments, the devices arranged to receive power wirelessly from the NFMR power supply must be located in a region known as the near field that extends no further than a distance D of a few times a characteristic size of the NFMR power supply transmission device. Typically, the distance D can be on the order of 1 meter or so.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly transmitting power, comprising:

at a wireless power supply;

wirelessly passing power from the wireless power supply to a resonant circuit of an external device using a frequency band of the wireless power supply;

receiving an indication from the external device of an amount of power wirelessly received from the wireless power supply; and

causing the resonant circuit of the external device to tune to a different frequency band of the wireless power supply when a different amount of power is required by the external device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a communication from the external device via a wireless networking protocol comprising information related to the external device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, the information comprising a current load state of the external device and/or a current power requirement.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the wireless power supply wirelessly passes power to the external device in accordance with the current load state and/or the current power requirement.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a communication at the wireless power supply from another external device different from the external device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein one or both of the external devices communicates their respective current load states and/or their respective current power requirement to the wireless power unit during their respective communications.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the wireless power supply wirelessly mediates wireless power distribution between the external devices in accordance with their respective current load states and/or their respective power requirements.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the external devices communicate their respective current load states and/or their respective power requirements to each other.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein one of the external devices passes at least some of the power wirelessly received from the wireless power supply to the other external device when needed based upon the corresponding power requirement of the other external device.

10. A wireless power supply arranged to wirelessly transmit power to an external device, the wireless power supply comprising:

a wireless power transmitter having a resonant transmitter arranged to wirelessly provide power at a frequency band of the wireless power supply to the external device;

a wireless communication device; and

one or more processors connected to the wireless communication device, the one or more processors programmed to receive, via the wireless communication device, an indication of an amount of power wirelessly received by the external device from the wireless power supply, and cause the wireless communication device to transmit an instruction that causes the external device to tune to a different frequency band of the wireless power supply when a different amount of power is required by the external device.

11. The wireless power supply as recited in claim 10, wherein the wireless power supply is incorporated into a housing of a computing device.

12. The wireless power supply as recited in claim 11, wherein the external device is a peripheral device used in conjunction with the computing device.

13. The wireless power supply as recited in claim 12, wherein the wireless power transmitter defines a wireless charging zone that extends from the computing device.

14. The wireless power supply as recited in claim 13, wherein the peripheral device, while in the wireless charging zone, wirelessly receives a sufficient amount of power to maintain operability of the peripheral device.

15. A computing device, comprising:

a wireless power unit coupled to the processor and comprising a power source arranged to provide power, the power source coupled to a resonant circuit arranged to generate an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency, the electromagnetic field being associated with at least some of the power;

a housing comprising a housing body that carries the wireless power unit, wherein a portion of the housing body includes a radio-frequency (RF) emissive portion that is operable as a wireless power transmitter suitable for wirelessly passing power to an external device using the electromagnetic (EM) field at the resonant frequency, wherein the EM field originates at the RF emissive portion of the housing body;

a wireless communication device; and

one or more processors connected to the wireless communication device, the one or more processors programmed to receive, via the wireless communication device, an indication of an amount of power wirelessly received by the external device from the wireless power unit, and cause the wireless communication device to transmit an instruction that causes the external device to tune to a different frequency band of the wireless power unit when a different amount of power is required by the external device.

16. The computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to receive a communication from the external device according to a wireless networking protocol, the communication comprising information related to the external device.

17. The computing device as recited in claim 16, the information comprising a current load state and/or a current power requirement of the external device.

18. The computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to cause the wireless power unit to wirelessly pass power to the external device via the RF emissive portion of the housing.

19. The computing device as recited in claim 18, wherein an amount of power is wirelessly passed in accordance with the current load state and/or the current power requirement of the external device.

20. The computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein the RF emissive portion of the housing is configured to extend a range of the wireless power unit.