Method and apparatus for improving electronics devices wireless charging using inertial sensors

• US 9,653,938 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vuori, Mikko, Lundgren, Mika-Petteri
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/362,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20140312836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 320132, 320137, 320149
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises: monitoring a motion of a handset from a wireless charger to detect a presence of the handset on the wireless charger (312); initiating a wireless charging when the presence of the handset is detected on the wireless charger and transmitting a charging notification to an end user (318); sending a battery full message for notifying the end user when the wireless charging is complete and terminating the wireless charging (316); setting the handset to a standby mode and initializing inertial sensor(s) to provide an interrupt signal (330); entering a maintenance charging mode of a battery of the handset when it is below a recharging threshold without notifying the end user (336); and continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charging device until the battery is full (342) or the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter (340).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a wireless charger, a wireless charging of a handset that is detected as present on the wireless charger and a transmission of a charging notification to a user of the handset;

sending, by the wireless charger, a full charge message to the user when the wireless charging is complete and terminated;

setting, by the wireless charger, the handset to a standby mode and initializing at least one inertial sensor to provide at least one interrupt signal monitoring a motion of the handset from the wireless charger;

entering, by the wireless charger, a maintenance charging mode to charge the handset without notifying the user, when a power level of the handset is below a recharging threshold; and

continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charger until the handset is fully charged, or until the at least one interrupt signal is generated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one interrupt signal is transmitted when the handset is removed from the wireless charger and when the handset is returned back to the wireless charger.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a battery voltage of the handset, if the battery voltage is above a charging threshold, the wireless charging is not initiated and the full charge message is notified to the user, and if the battery voltage is below the charging threshold, the wireless charging is initiated and the charging notification is transmitted to the user; and

terminating the wireless charging and setting a wireless charging IC of the wireless charger to a standby mode when the handset is fully charged.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

in response to the at least one interrupt signal, sending a full charge message to the user when the handset is removed from the wireless charger while in a standby mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging notifications and the full charge messages are transmitted to the user and displayed on a charging screen LED or on a screen of the handset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the handset is a phone or an electrical device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless charger is a wireless charger pad on which the handset is positioned.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus embedded in a wireless charger to perform at least the following;

initiate a wireless charging of a handset that is detected as present on the wireless charger and a transmission of a charging notification to a user of the handset;

send a full charge message to the user when the wireless charging is complete and terminated;

set the handset to a standby mode and initializing at least one inertial sensor to provide at least one interrupt signal monitoring a motion of the handset from the wireless charger;

enter a maintenance charging mode to charge the handset without notifying the user, when a power level of the handset is below a recharging threshold; and

continue the maintenance charging mode until the handset is fully charged, or until the at least one interrupt signal is generated.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one interrupt signal is transmitted when the handset is removed from the wireless charger and when the handset is returned back to the wireless charger, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

monitor a battery voltage of the handset, if the battery voltage is above a charging threshold, the wireless charging is not initiated and the full charge message is notified to the user, and if the battery voltage is below the charging threshold, the wireless charging is initiated and the charging notification is transmitted to the user; and

transmit the wireless charging and setting a wireless charging IC of the wireless charger to a standby mode when the handset is fully charged.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a wireless charger to at least perform the following steps:

initiating a wireless charging of a handset that is detected as present on the wireless charger and a transmission of a charging notification to a user of the handset;

sending a full charge message to the user when the wireless charging is complete and terminated;

setting the handset to a standby mode and initializing at least one inertial sensor to provide at least one interrupt signal monitoring a motion of the handset from the wireless charger;

entering a maintenance charging mode to charge the handset without notifying the user, when a power level of the handset is below a recharging threshold; and

continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charger until the handset is fully charged, or until the at least one interrupt signal is generated.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the at least one interrupt signal is transmitted when the handset is removed from the wireless charger and when the handset is returned back to the wireless charger, and the wireless charger is caused to further perform:

monitoring a battery voltage of the handset, if the battery voltage is above a charging threshold, the wireless charging is not initiated and the full charge message is notified to the user, and if the battery voltage is below the charging threshold, the wireless charging is initiated and the charging notification is transmitted to the user; and

terminating the wireless charging and setting a wireless charging IC of the wireless charger to a standby mode when the handset is fully charged.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the wireless charger is caused to further perform:

in response to the at least one interrupt signal, sending a full charge message to the user when the handset is removed from the wireless charger while in a standby mode.