Battery pack for wirelessly charging two or more devices

• US 9,948,134 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Wojcik, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US15/621,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20170279295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/00 Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems multiplex systems H04J
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable battery pack includes a housing, one or more rechargeable batteries contained in the housing, a first inductive coil, a second inductive coil, and electrical circuitry. The first inductive coil is configured for inductively transferring first electrical power from the one or more rechargeable batteries to a first electronic device through a first wireless charging interface according to a first charging interface protocol. The second inductive coil is configured for inductively transferring second electrical power from the one or more rechargeable batteries to a second electronic device according to a second charging interface protocol that is different than the first charging interface protocol simultaneous to the transferring of the first electrical power to the first electronic device. The electrical circuitry is configured for driving the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil for inductively transferring the electrical power to the first and the second electronic devices.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery pack for use with a first electronic device having a first wireless charging interface and with a second electronic device having a second wireless charging interface, the rechargeable battery pack comprising:

a housing;

a rechargeable battery configured for storing electrical power;

a first inductive coil configured for wirelessly transmitting a first portion of the electrical power from the rechargeable battery to the first electronic device through the first wireless charging interface when the first electronic device is in proximity to the first inductive coil, wherein the first portion of the electrical power is transmitted to the first electronic device according to a first wireless charging protocol;

a second inductive coil configured for wirelessly transmitting a second portion of the electrical power from the rechargeable battery to the second electronic device simultaneous to the transmitting of the first portion to the first electronic device, wherein the second electrical power is transmitted through the second wireless charging interface when the second electronic device is in proximity to the second inductive coil, and wherein the second portion is transmitted to the second electronic device according to a second wireless charging protocol that is different than the first wireless charging protocol;

an electrical interface for receiving external electrical power from an external power source for recharging the rechargeable battery; and

electrical circuitry contained in the housing and configured for driving the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil.

2. A rechargeable battery pack for use with a first electronic device having a first wireless charging interface and with a second electronic device having a second wireless charging interface, the rechargeable battery pack comprising:

a housing having two or more surfaces;

one or more rechargeable batteries contained in the housing;

a first inductive coil positioned near one of the two or more surfaces of the housing, the first inductive coil configured for inductively transferring first electrical power from the one or more rechargeable batteries to the first electronic device through the first wireless charging interface when the first electronic device is in proximity to the first inductive coil, wherein the first electrical power is transferred to the first electronic device according to a first charging interface protocol;

a second inductive coil positioned near one of the two or more surfaces of the housing, the second inductive coil configured for inductively transferring second electrical power from the one or more rechargeable batteries to the second electronic device simultaneous to the transferring of the first electrical power to the first electronic device, wherein the second electrical power is transferred through the second wireless charging interface when the second electronic device is in proximity to the second inductive coil, and wherein the second electrical power is transferred to the second electronic device according to a second charging interface protocol that is different than the first charging interface protocol; and

electrical circuitry configured for driving the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil for inductively transferring the electrical power to the first and the second electronic devices.

3. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein inductively transferring the first electrical power includes transmitting the electrical power using resonant inductive coupling.

4. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured for receiving charging power from an external power source for recharging the one or more rechargeable batteries.

5. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 4 wherein the charging power is received at a charging interface comprising an electrical plug compatible with a standard alternating current wall outlet.

6. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 4 wherein the charging power is received wirelessly from the external power source through one or more of the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil.

7. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 6 wherein receiving the charging power wirelessly includes receiving through resonant inductive coupling.

8. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 further comprising one or more visual alignment indicators, wherein the one or more visual alignment indicators are controlled by the electrical circuitry and configured to provide a visual indication of a suggested positioning adjustment for at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device relative to at least one of the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil to improve an efficiency of the wireless transmitting of the inductive transferring of the electrical power.

9. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 8 wherein the one or more visual alignment indicators includes four light emitting diodes (LEDs), each LED respectively associated with a direction relative to the housing, wherein the directions have approximately ninety degree relationships to each other in a plane that is approximately parallel to a surface of the housing.

10. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 8 wherein the electrical circuitry determines the suggested positioning adjustment for display on the visual alignment indicator based on a detected rate at which the electrical power is being inductively transferred from the one or more rechargeable batteries to at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

11. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein the housing is waterproof or water resistant and protects the electrical circuitry, the first inductive coil, the second inductive coil, and the rechargeable batteries from liquids.

12. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured for conducting data communications with at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

13. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the data communications is conducted wirelessly.

14. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein the first inductive coil has a size which is different than a size of the second inductive coil.

15. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein the first charging interface protocol produces a charging current that is greater than a charging current produced by the second charging interface protocol.

16. The rechargeable battery pack of claim 2 wherein the first charging interface protocol conforms to a first wireless charging interface standard that is different than a second wireless charging standard associated with the second charging interface protocol.

17. A battery pack for simultaneously charging each of two or more electronic devices according to two or more different wireless charging standards, respectively, the battery pack comprising:

a housing;

a rechargeable battery adapted for storing electrical power;

a first inductive coil positioned near a surface of the housing, the first inductive coil adapted for wirelessly transmitting a first portion of the electrical power from the rechargeable battery to one of the two or more electronic devices according to a first one of the wireless charging standards when the one electronic device is in proximity to the first inductive coil;

a second inductive coil positioned near the surface of the housing, the second inductive coil adapted for wirelessly transmitting a second portion of the electrical power from the rechargeable battery to a second one of the two or more electronic devices simultaneous to the transmitting of the first portion to the one electronic device, wherein the second portion of the electrical power is transmitted according to a second one of the wireless charging standards when the second one of the electronic devices is in proximity to the second inductive coil;

an electrical interface adapted for receiving external electrical power from an external power source for charging the rechargeable battery; and

electrical circuitry contained in the housing and adapted for driving the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil.

18. The battery pack of claim 17 further comprising a third inductive coil adapted for wirelessly transmitting a third portion of the electrical power from the rechargeable battery to one of the two or more electronic devices according to a third one of the of the wireless charging standards.

19. The battery pack of claim 17 wherein the first one of the wireless charging standards is not compatible with the second one of the wireless charging standards.

20. The battery pack of claim 17 wherein the electrical interface adapted for receiving external electrical power from the external power source includes one or more of the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil.