Near field communication detection in wireless charging systems

• US 9,787,366 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shirani-Mehr, Hooman, Khoshnevis, Ahmad Farbod, Konanur, Anand, Gaskill, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun B
• Application Number:
  US15/197,184
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus related to near field communication (NFC) detection. A device may determine a first device in proximity to a charging area of the device. The device may detect a presence of a first NFC device in proximity to the charging area of the device. The device may determine the first NFC device is associated with the first device. The device may determine to transition the device to one or more operating modes based at least in part on the presence of the first NFC device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor of one or more processors configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

detect a presence of a near field communication (NFC) device in proximity to a charging area of the device;

determine the NFC device is associated with a first device;

identify an NFC receiver bit indicating a protection status of the NFC device; and

determine to transition the device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based at least in part on the NFC receiver bit and the presence of the NFC device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first operating mode and the second operating mode include at least in part a power transmitting unit (PTU) power save, a PTU low power, a PTU power transfer, a PTU latching fault, or a PTU local fault.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a first message from the first device on a communication interface; and

extract device data encoded in the first message.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the communication interface is in accordance with bluetooth low energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), in-band modulation, or Wi-Fi.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the extracted device data includes one or more power receiving unit (PRU) static data, and wherein the PRU static data includes at least in part the NFC receiver bit.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions to determine to transition the device further includes the instructions to:

determine the NFC receiver bit is set to a first value; and

determine the second operating mode is at least one of a power transmitting unit (PTU) latching fault or a PTU local fault mode.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine the NFC receiver bit is set to a second value, wherein the instructions to determine to transition the device comprise executing the instructions to;

determine that the first operating mode of the device is a power transmitting unit (PTU) latching fault mode or a PTU local fault mode; and

transition the first operating mode of the device from the PTU latching fault mode or the PTU local fault mode to at least one of a PTU power save, a PTU low power, or a PTU power transfer.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine to transition the device further include the instructions to:

determine a first message is not received from the first device within a predetermined time; and

determine the second operating mode is at least one of a power transmitting unit (PTU) latching fault or a PTU local fault mode.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless signals.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a presence of a power transmitting unit (PTU);

determining one or more device data, including a near field communication (NFC) receiver bit indicating whether an NFC device is protected;

encoding the one or more device data into a first message; and

causing to send the first message to the PTU on a communication interface.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the communication interface is in accordance with bluetooth low energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), in-band modulation, or Wi-Fi.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the PTU includes a wireless charging surface.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to further perform operations comprising encoding the NFC receiver bit based on an association with a first NFC device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to further perform operations comprising setting the NFC receiver bit to indicate that the NFC device is protected.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to further perform operations comprising setting the NFC receiver bit to indicate that the NFC device is not protected.

17. A method comprising:

detecting, by at least one processor, a presence of a near field communication (NFC) device in proximity to a charging area of a charging device;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a first message from a device on a communication interface, wherein the first message comprises an NFC receiver bit indicating a protection status of the NFC device;

determining, by the at least one processor, the NFC device is associated with the device; and

determining, by the at least one processor, to transition the charging device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based at least in part on detecting the presence of the NFC device and on the NFC receiver bit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first operating mode and the second operating mode include at least in part a power transmitting unit (PTU) power save, a PTU low power, a PTU power transfer, a PTU latching fault, or PTU local fault.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining to transition the charging device further comprises:

determining a first message is not received from the device within a predetermined time; and

determining the second operating mode is at least one of a power transmitting unit (PTU) latching fault or a PTU local fault mode.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a first message from the first device on a communication interface; and

extracting device data encoded in the first message.