Portable device to portable device wireless power transfer methods and systems

• US 9,577,463 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McCoy, Charles, Milne, James R., Xiong, True
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US14/290,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20150349572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/342 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

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a portable consumer electronic device comprising: a battery; a user interface configured to provide a user with information and receive inputs from a user; and a wireless power distribution circuitry coupled with the battery, wherein the wireless power distribution circuitry comprises: a power transfer antenna electrically coupled with the battery and configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with a separate second portable consumer electronic device that is configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with the portable consumer electronic device, and the wireless power distribution circuitry is configured to wirelessly transfer power from the battery through the power transfer antenna to the second portable consumer electronic device; and a power supply controller configured to control the wireless transfer of power through the power transfer antenna.

Claims

1. A portable consumer electronic device, comprising:

a battery;

a user interface configured to provide a user with information and receive inputs from a user; and

a wireless power distribution circuitry coupled with the battery, wherein the wireless power distribution circuitry comprises;

a power transfer antenna electrically coupled with the battery and configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with a separate second portable consumer electronic device that is configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with the portable consumer electronic device, and the wireless power distribution circuitry is configured to wirelessly transfer power from the battery through the power transfer antenna to the second portable consumer electronic device;

a power supply controller configured to control the wireless transfer of power through the power transfer antenna; and

a charge circuitry coupled with the power transfer antenna, wherein the charge circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power through the power transfer antenna and from a separate third portable consumer electronic device, wherein the charge circuitry comprises local power storage circuitry configured to store the received electrical power received from the third portable consumer electronic device, and to discharge the electrical power from the local power storage circuitry to the battery when a power level of the local power storage circuitry exceeds a first threshold directing the wirelessly received electrical power to the battery to be stored.

2. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transceiver configured to provide bidirectional communication with the second portable consumer electronic device.

3. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:

a serial antenna coupled with the transceiver, wherein the serial antenna is separate from the power transfer antenna, and wherein the transceiver transmits data to the second portable consumer electronic device through the serial antenna.

4. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 3, wherein the serial antenna is concentric with the power transfer antenna.

5. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 2, wherein the transceiver couples with the power transfer antenna and is configured to modulate data transmitted through the power transfer antenna to the second portable consumer electronic device.

6. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 2, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive modulate data transmitted through the power transfer antenna from the second portable consumer electronic device.

7. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 2, wherein the transceiver couples with the power transfer antenna and is configured to receive data through the power transfer antenna transmitted from the second portable consumer electronic device.

8. The portable consumer electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, wherein the user interface is incorporated with the housing and at least partially visible and accessible to the user from an exterior of the housing; and

wherein the wireless power distribution circuitry is detachable from the housing.

9. The consumer electronic device of claim 8, wherein the wireless power distribution circuitry further comprises an external connector configured to receive a cable through which power is received, wherein the power received through the external connector is at least partially directed to the battery.

10. The consumer electronic device of claim 8, wherein the wireless power distribution circuitry further comprises a second battery.

11. The consumer electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to at least authenticate the second consumer electronic device prior to authorizing the wireless transfer of power to the second consumer electronic device and control an amount of power wirelessly transferred to the second consumer electronic device.

12. The consumer electronic device of claim 1, wherein the charge circuitry is configured to accumulate over a period of time the electrical power received from the power transfer antenna until the power exceeds the first threshold.

13. The consumer electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electrical power received over the period of time through the power transfer antenna is less than the first threshold.

14. The consumer electronic device of claim 1, wherein the charge circuitry in releasing the power is configured to release the power to provide the electrical power to the battery at a power level that is consistent with a second threshold.

15. The consumer electronic device of claim 14, wherein the second threshold is consistent with a power level that is received through an external input power source that is physically coupled with the portable consumer electronic device via a wire line.

16. A method of wirelessly transferring power, the method comprising:

wirelessly and inductively coupling a power transfer antenna of a wireless power distribution circuitry of a first portable consumer electronic device with a separate second portable consumer electronic device that is configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with the power transfer antenna, wherein the first portable consumer electronic device comprises a battery and a user interface that is configured to provide a user with information and receive inputs from a user;

wirelessly transferring power from the battery of the first portable consumer electronic device through the power transfer antenna to the second portable consumer electronic device;

wirelessly receiving electrical power through the power transfer antenna and from a separate third portable consumer electronic device;

locally storing in a local power storage circuitry the received electrical power received from the third portable consumer electronic device; and

discharging the electrical power from the local power storage circuitry to the battery when a power level of the local power storage circuitry exceeds a first threshold and directing the wirelessly received electrical power to the battery to be stored.