Apparatus, system and method of multiple device wireless power transfer

• US 10,020,684 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Porat, Shahar, Ngyuen, Don J., Matos, Gary N., Green, Evan R., Rea, Adam D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Application Number:
  US14/780,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of wireless power transfer. For example, an apparatus may include a wireless power controller to communicate between a Wireless Power Receiver (WPR) and a Wireless Power Transmitter (WPT) an indication of a requested amount of power to be provided from the WPT to the WPR via a wireless power signal, said indication is in the form of a load modulation event within a predefined time interval, said load modulation event comprises a change in a level of a magnetic field of said wireless power signal, a duration of said load modulation event is based on the requested amount of power to be provided from the WPT to the WPR.

Claims

1. An apparatus of wireless power transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a Wireless Power Transmitter (WPT) to transmit a wireless power signal to be received by a plurality of Wireless Power Receivers (WPRs), wherein said WPT is to detect one or more load modulation events within a predefined time interval based on a change in a load on said wireless power signal, and to determine an amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs based on a number of said load modulation events and durations of said load modulation events, wherein said WPT is to determine the amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs based on a sum of the durations of said load modulation events.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said WPT is to adjust a power of said wireless power signal based on the determined amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said WPT is to stop transmitting said wireless power signal, when the determined amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs is lesser than an actual power delivered by said wireless power signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said WPT is to repeatedly detect said load modulation events during a plurality of consecutive time intervals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said WPT is to detect no more than one load modulation event corresponding to each of said WPRs during each time interval.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said WPT is to transmit said wireless power signal by generating a magnetic field, and wherein a load modulation event comprises a decrease in a level of said magnetic field.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said WPT comprises a transmit (Tx) resonator to generate said wireless power signal, and a detector to detect said load modulation events based on a change in a load on said Tx resonator.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said detector is to detect said load modulation events based on at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a decrease of voltage on said Tx resonator and an increase of a current through said Tx resonator.

9. A product including a non-transitory, tangible storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause a Wireless Power Transmitter (WPT) to:

transmit a wireless power signal to be received by a plurality of Wireless Power Receivers (WPRs);

detect one or more load modulation events within a predefined time interval based on a change in a load on said wireless power signal; and

determine an amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs based on a number of said load modulation events and durations of said load modulation events, wherein said instructions, when executed, cause the WPT to determine the amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs based on a sum of the durations of said load modulation events.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein said instructions, when executed, cause the WPT to adjust a power of said wireless power signal based on the determined amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs.

11. The product of claim 9, wherein said instructions, when executed, cause the WPT to stop transmitting said wireless power signal, when the determined amount of power to be provided to said plurality of WPRs is lesser than an actual power delivered by said wireless power signal.

12. The product of claim 9, wherein said instructions, when executed, cause the WPT to repeatedly detect said load modulation events during a plurality of consecutive time intervals.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein said instructions, when executed, cause the WPT to detect no more than one load modulation event corresponding to each of said WPRs during each time interval.