Wireless power transfer apparatus and method thereof

• US 9,473,209 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, Emily B., Smith, Joshua R., Sample, Alanson P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mourad, Rasem
• Application Number:
  US12/895,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20120080957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, a method and apparatus is disclosed that includes features of a receiving antenna configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted by a transmitting device and arranged to associate or dissociate with the transmitting device.

Claims

1. A receiving device to wirelessly receive power from a transmitting device, the receiving device comprising:

a receiving antenna configured to wirelessly;

receive power at a first level, a scanning signal at a second level, and a radio-frequency (RF) command signal transmitted by the transmitting device, wherein the RF command signal indicates timings for the receiving device to associate and dissociate with the transmitting device, and

transmit a reflection signal in response to the scanning signal,

wherein a ratio of a parameter of the reflection signal and a parameter of the scanning signal is used as a criterion to indicate to the transmitting device

whether the receiving device is coupled to the transmitting device and is

available to receive power at the first level; and

a control switch mechanism configured to, in response to the received RF command signal, associate and dissociate the receiving device with the transmitting device based on the timings in the RF command signal.

2. The receiving device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a load electrically coupled to the receiving antenna that is configured to be either connected or disconnected from the receiving antenna by an electronically controllable switch associated with the control switch mechanism.

3. The receiving device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising one or more circuit elements electrically coupled to the receiving antenna that are configured to be connected or disconnected from the receiving antenna by an electronically controllable switch associated with the control switch mechanism.

4. The receiving device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the circuit element is selected from the group consisting of:

resistor, capacitor, inductor, lengths of an antenna structure, and combinations thereof.

5. The receiving device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the power transmitted by the transmitting device is received at the receiving antenna in predetermined time increments.

6. The receiving device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a frequency selection mechanism electrically coupled to the receiving antenna and arranged to allow the receiving antenna to change a frequency or a range of frequencies that the receiving antenna can receive.

7. The receiving device in accordance with claim 6, where in the frequency selection mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

a switchable array of discrete capacitors, one or more inductors electrically coupled to the receiving antenna, additional turns of a coil of the receiving antenna, and combinations thereof.

8. A transmitting device comprising:

a transmission antenna configured to transmit power wirelessly to multiple receivers;

a controller configured to cause the transmission antenna to transmit power wirelessly in a frequency-multiplexed arrangement, and allocate an amount of power for transmission to at least one of the multiple receivers based on a priority scheme, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a command signal for transmission to the multiple receivers, wherein the command signal is to communicate timings of when at least one of the multiple receivers is to turn on and turn off; and

a frequency generator electrically coupled to the transmission antenna and configured to generate a set of frequencies at which the power is transmitted via the transmission antenna,

wherein the transmitting device is to

transmit power to the receivers at a first power level and a scanning signal having a second power level,

receive a reflection signal in response to the scanning signal, and

determine a ratio of a parameter of the reflection signal and a parameter of the scanning signal, the ratio indicating whether at least one of the receivers is available to receive power from the transmitting device.

9. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the transmission antenna to transmit power wirelessly in a time-multiplexed arrangement.

10. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the frequency generator is selected from the group consisting of:

a voltage controlled oscillator and one or more switchable arrays of capacitors, a voltage controlled oscillator and one or more varactors, a phase-locked-loop, a direct digital synthesizer, and combinations thereof.

11. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the frequency generator is selected from the group consisting of:

two or more phase-locked-loops electrically coupled to a common reference oscillator, two or more independent voltage controlled oscillators, and combinations thereof.

12. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the transmission antenna to transmit power wirelessly in a spatially-multiplexed arrangement.

19. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine the priority of the at least one of the multiple receivers with respect to the multiple receivers based at least on a current battery level of the at least one receiver, power consumption associated with the at least one receiver, or whether the at least one receiver is battery-operated, or a combination thereof; and

based on the determined priority, control the amount of power transmitted by the transmission antenna to the at least one of the multiple receivers.

13. A transmitting device comprising:

two or more transmission antennas configured to transmit power wirelessly to multiple receivers;

a controller configured to cause the two or more transmission antennas to transmit power wirelessly in a frequency-multiplexed arrangement, and allocate an amount of power for transmission to at least one of the multiple receivers based on a priority scheme, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a command signal for transmission to the multiple receivers, wherein the command signal is to communicate timings of when at least one of the multiple receivers is to turn on and turn off; and

one or more frequency generators electrically coupled to the two or more transmission antennas and configured to generate a set of frequencies at which the power is transmitted via the two or more transmission antennas,

wherein the transmitting device is to

transmit power to the receivers at a first power level and a scanning signal having a second power level,

receive a reflection signal in response to the scanning signal, and

determine a ratio of a parameter of the reflection signal and a parameter of the scanning signal, the ratio indicating whether at least one of the receivers is available to receive power from the transmitting device.

14. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the two or more transmission antennas to transmit power wirelessly in a time-multiplexed arrangement.

15. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 13, further comprising one or more switches electrically coupled to the transmitter and configured to associate or dissociate the transmitter from the one or more transmission antennas.

16. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the each of two or more transmission antennas are configured to be tuned to a different transmission frequency or range of transmission frequencies.

17. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the two or more transmission antennas to transmit power wirelessly in a spatial-multiplexed arrangement.

18. The transmitting device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the two or more transmission antenna are configured to be independently tuned to a different transmission frequency or range of transmission frequencies.