Temperature management in a wireless energy transfer system

• US 10,014,733 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Heresztyn, Amaury J., Cox, Keith, Jol, Eric S., Alves, Jeffrey M., Hwang, Jim C., Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Ananny, John M., Kalyanasundaram, Nagarajan, Parnell, Robert S., Herbst, Steven G., Moyer, Todd K., Golko, Albert J., Liang, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Cole, Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US14/837,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 307 98- 11, 307 98-111, 1 1
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Various techniques for temperature management during inductive energy transfer are disclosed. A transmitter device and/or a receiver device can be turned off during energy transfer based on the temperature of the transmitter device and/or of the receiver device.

Claims

1. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method comprising:

during energy transfer;

determining, by the receiver device, whether a temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a first temperature threshold;

if the temperature is equal to or greater than the first temperature threshold, sending a first signal from the receiver device to the transmitter device to disable a transmitter coil of the transmitter device;

triggering, by the transmitter device, a turn-on timer after receiving the first signal;

turning on the transmitter coil after the turn-on timer elapses;

determining, by the receiver device, whether the temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a second temperature threshold; and

if the temperature is equal to or greater than the second temperature threshold, sending a second signal to the transmitter device to disable the transmitter coil of the transmitter device.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein a time between the turn-on timer triggering and elapsing comprises a fixed period of time.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein a time between the turn-on timer triggering and elapsing comprises an adjustable period of time.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the time between the turn-on timer triggering and elapsing is adjusted based on one or more prior thermal management actions.

5. The method as in claim 3, wherein the time between the turn-on timer triggering and elapsing is adjusted based on a difference between a current temperature and the first temperature threshold value.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein turning on the transmitter coil comprises:

after the turn-on timer elapses, determining if the temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or less than a third temperature threshold; and

if the temperature is equal to or less than the second temperature threshold, turning on the transmitter coil.

7. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method comprising:

disabling a the transmitter device based on a communication signal received from the receiver device in response to the receiver device determining that a temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a temperature threshold;

transmitting, by the transmitter device, a ping to the receiver device; and

turning on the transmitter device based on receiving a response from the receiver device.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein disabling the coil of the transmitter device comprises disabling the coil of the transmitter device for a given period of time.

9. The method as in claim 7, further comprising:

prior to disabling the coil of the transmitter device, transmitting, by the transmitter device, temperature data from the transmitter device so the receiver device can determine whether to disable the coil of the transmitter device.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein the temperature data is obtained from a temperature sensor of the transmitter device.

11. The method as in claim 7, further comprising providing a notice to a user when the transmitting device is off.

12. The method as in claim 7, further comprising:

in response to receiving the communication signal from the receiver device, triggering, by the transmitter device, a turn-on timer;

wherein

transmitting the ping to the receiver device occurs in response to the turn-on timer elapsing.

13. The method as in claim 7, wherein:

the communication signal is a first communication signal;

the temperature threshold is a first temperature threshold; and

the method further comprises disabling the transmitter device based on a second communication signal received from the receiver device in response to the receiver device determining that the temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a second temperature threshold.

14. An inductive energy transfer system comprising:

a transmitter device comprising;

a first temperature sensor configured to determine a temperature of the transmitter; and

a first network communication interface; and

a receiver device comprising;

a second network communication interface configured to communicate with the first network communication interface of the transmitter device; and

a first processing device, wherein;

during energy transfer, the first network communication interface is configured to transmit first temperature data obtained from the first temperature sensor to the second network communication interface;

the first processing device is configured to;

determine whether the transmitter device should be disabled based on the first temperature data; and

cause the transmitter device to be disabled in response to determining that the temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a temperature threshold.

15. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 14, wherein the receiver device comprises a second temperature sensor and the first processing device is configured to determine whether the transmitter device should be disabled based on second temperature data obtained from the second temperature sensor and the first temperature data received from the transmitter device.

16. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 14, further comprising a third network communication interface in the receiver device transmitting a communication signal to a fourth network communication interface in the transmitter device and a second processing device in the transmitter device is configured to disable the transmitter device based on the communication signal.

17. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 16, wherein the second and third network communication interfaces comprise the same network communication interface in the receiver device and the first and fourth network communication interfaces comprise the same network communication interface in the transmitter device.

18. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 14, wherein the receiver device comprises a wearable communication device.

19. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 14, wherein the receiver device further comprises a photoplethysmogram sensor configured to determine a presence or absence of the transmitter device when the receiver device is on an inductive charging surface of the transmitter device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the transmitter device further comprises a turn-on timer;

causing the transmitter device to be disabled in response to determining that the temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a temperature threshold triggers the turn-on timer; and

the transmitter device turns on after the turn-on timer elapses.