Regulated load modulation circuit and method for producing regulated load modulation signaling

• US 10,103,585 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Porat, Shahar, Amsalem, Niv
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/974,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20170179729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• 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

Abstract

A load modulation circuit includes a resonator circuit configured to resonate based on a received charging power and produce a resonance output signal based thereon, and a rectifier circuit configured to receive the resonance output signal and convert the resonance output signal to a rectified voltage signal. The load modulation circuit further includes a sensor circuit configured to sense the rectified voltage signal and generate a control signal based on the rectified voltage signal and a target power range associated with a change in conducting power of the load modulation circuit during a load modulation. Lastly, the load modulation circuit includes a controllable current source circuit configured to generate a controlled current based on the control signal, wherein the controlled current modulates a load of the load modulation circuit while concurrently maintaining a change in total conducting power at an output of the rectified circuit within the target power range.

Claims

1. A load modulation circuit, comprising:

a resonator circuit configured to resonate based on a received charging power and produce a resonance output signal based thereon;

a rectifier circuit configured to receive the resonance output signal and convert the resonance output signal to a rectified voltage signal;

a sensor circuit configured to sense the rectified voltage signal and generate a control signal based on the rectified voltage signal and a target power range associated with a change in conducting power of the load modulation circuit during a load modulation; and

a controllable current source circuit configured to generate a controlled current based on the control signal, wherein the controlled current is to modulate a load of the load modulation circuit while concurrently maintaining a change in total conducting power at an output of the rectifier circuit within the target power range, wherein the controllable current source comprises;

a first resistance having a first node coupled to an output of the rectifier circuit, and a second node;

a parallel circuit having a first branch comprising a first capacitance having a first node coupled to the second node of the first resistance, and a second node coupled to a predetermined potential, and a second branch comprising a series coupled second resistance and a switch, wherein a first node of the second resistance is coupled to the second node of the first resistance, and a node of the switch is coupled to the predetermined potential, and wherein a control terminal of the switch is coupled to the control signal.

2. The load modulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit comprises:

a pulse width modulation circuit configured to generate the control signal, wherein the control signal comprises a duty cycle based on a reduced voltage.

3. The load modulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit further comprises a sensor, wherein the sensor includes:

a voltage divider circuit configured to generate a reduced voltage based on the rectified voltage signal,

wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is configured to control the duty cycle of the control signal based on the reduced voltage.

4. The load modulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to sample the rectified voltage signal and determine a value of the rectified signal based thereon.

5. The load modulation circuit of claim 4, further comprising a pulse width modulation circuit configured to vary the control signal based on the average value of the rectified voltage signal.

6. The load modulation circuit of claim 5, wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is configured to increase a duty cycle of the control signal if the average value is greater than a target threshold and reduce a duty cycle if the average value is less than a target threshold or another target threshold related thereto.

7. The load modulation circuit of claim 1, wherein a duty cycle of the control signal varies as a function of the rectified voltage signal, and wherein the duty cycle of the control signal dictates a switching of the switch, thereby varying an effective resistance of the controllable current source as a function of the rectified voltage signal.

8. A method for producing regulated load modulation signaling, comprising:

sensing a received voltage at a load associated with a load modulation;

determining a modulation current to satisfy a target power range based on the sensed received voltage;

determining a duty cycle of a load modulation switch based on the determined modulation current; and

driving the load modulation switch with the determined duty cycle.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

initiating a timer at a time associated with the driving of the load modulation switch; and

continuing the driving of the load modulation switch until a timeout of the timer is detected, at which point the driving of the load modulation switch is discontinued.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the timer comprises a counter and wherein the timeout of the timer comprises the counter reaching a predetermined count value.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

continuing to sense the received voltage during an entirely of a load modulation time period;

continuously or periodically determining an updated modulation current based on the target power range and an updated sensed received voltage;

continuously or periodically determining an updated duty cycle of the load modulation switch based on the determined updated modulation current; and

driving the load modulation switch with the updated duty cycle.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein sensing the received voltage comprises:

applying the received voltage across a voltage divider circuit having an internal node reflecting a fractionally amount of the received voltage; and

continuously or periodically calculating a voltage associated with the received voltage based on a voltage at the internal node of the voltage divider circuit.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the received voltage comprises a rectified voltage in a power receive unit (PRU) in a wireless charging system.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein driving the load modulation switch at the determined duty cycle maintains a change in power conduction of a load modulation circuit performing the load modulation within the target power range for an anticipated range of the received voltage.

15. A load modulation circuit, comprising:

a sensor circuit configured to sense a load voltage associated with the load modulation circuit, wherein the sensor circuit is further configured to generate a control signal based on the sensed load voltage and a target power range associated with a change in conducting power of the load modulation circuit during a load modulation; and

a controllable current source circuit configured to generate a controlled current based on the control signal, wherein the controlled current modulates a load of the load modulation circuit while concurrently maintaining a change in total conducting power of the load modulation circuit within the target power range, wherein the controllable current source comprises;

a first resistance having a first node coupled to an input of the load modulation circuit, and a second node;

a parallel circuit having a first branch comprising a first capacitance having a first node coupled to the second node of the first resistance, and a second node coupled to a predetermined potential, and a second branch comprising a series coupled second resistance and a switch, wherein a first node of the second resistance is coupled to the second node of the first resistance, and a node of the switch is coupled to the predetermined potential, and wherein a control terminal of the switch is coupled to the control signal.

16. The load modulation circuit of claim 15, wherein the sensor circuit comprises:

a pulse width modulation circuit configured to generate the control signal, wherein the control signal comprises a duty cycle based on the load voltage.

17. The load modulation circuit of claim 15, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to continuously or periodically measure the load voltage or a voltage associated therewith, and vary the control signal based on the load voltage or voltage associated therewith or a metric associated with such voltages.

18. The load modulation circuit of claim 17, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a pulse width modulation circuit that is configured to increase a duty cycle of the control signal if the measured voltage or metric is greater than a target threshold and reduce a duty cycle if the measured voltage or metric is less than a target threshold or another target threshold related thereto.

19. The load modulation circuit of claim 15, wherein a duty cycle of the control signal varies as a function of the load voltage, and wherein the duty cycle of the control signal dictates a switching of the switch, thereby varying an effective resistance of the controllable current source as a function of the load voltage.