Configurable wireless transmitter device

• US 10,158,244 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pinciuc, Christopher M., Garbus, Brandon R., Herbst, Steven G., Moyer, Todd K., Bossetti, Chad A., Jol, Eric S., Graham, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US15/274,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 320107-108
• 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 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A wireless transmitter device is configurable and operable to transfer energy to multiple receiver devices at the same time. The transmitter device is configured to enable one or more sections of a charging surface to transfer energy by selectively choosing one or more conductive traces in the transmitter device based on the position of the receiver device on the charging surface. The size and shape of each section of the charging surface that is used to transfer energy to a receiver device can change dynamically based on each receiver device. Additionally, the process of transferring energy to each receiver device may be adjusted during energy transfer based on conditions specific to each receiver device.

Claims

1. A wireless transmitter device, comprising:

a first substrate including a plurality of conductive traces arranged in a first pattern;

a second substrate positioned below the first substrate and including drive circuitry operably connected to the plurality of conductive traces and configured to provide drive signals to the plurality of conductive traces;

a ferrite sheet positioned between the first and the second substrates;

a plurality of vias formed from the first substrate through the ferrite sheet to the second substrate to provide a plurality of conductive connectors, each conductive connector connecting at least one conductive trace in the plurality of conductive traces and the drive circuitry; and

a processing device operably connected to the drive circuitry and configured to;

select a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace in the plurality of conductive traces based on a position of a receiver device on a charging surface of the wireless transmitter device, the first and the second conductive traces forming a transmitter structure;

determine a first drive signal characteristic of a first drive signal associated with the first conductive trace;

determine a second drive signal characteristic of a second drive signal associated with the second conductive trace; and

cause the drive circuitry to provide the first and the second drive signals to the first and the second conductive traces to transfer energy from the transmitter structure to a receiver coil in the receiver device.

2. The wireless transmitter device of claim 1, further comprising a detection layer configured to detect the position of the receiver device on the charging surface.

3. The wireless transmitter device of claim 1, wherein the first and the second drive signal characteristics each comprise at least one of:

a phase of the first or the second drive signal;

a frequency of the first or the second drive signal;

or

an amplitude of the first or the second drive signal.

4. The wireless transmitter device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of conductive traces comprises a first plurality of conductive traces; and

the wireless transmitter device further comprises a third substrate positioned between the first substrate and the ferrite sheet, the third substrate including a second plurality of conductive traces arranged in a second pattern.

5. The wireless transmitter device of claim 4, wherein the first, second, and third substrates each comprise a printed circuit board.

6. The wireless transmitter device of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitter structure comprises a first transmitter structure;

the receiver device comprises a first receiver device;

the receiver coil comprises a first receiver coil; and

the processing device is further configured to;

select a third conductive trace and a fourth conductive trace in the plurality of conductive traces based on a position of a second receiver device on the charging surface of the wireless transmitter device, the third and the fourth conductive traces forming a second transmitter structure;

determine a third drive signal characteristic of a third drive signal associated with the third conductive trace;

determine a third drive signal characteristic of a third drive signal associated with the third conductive trace; and

cause the drive circuitry to provide the third and fourth drive signals to the third and fourth conductive traces to transfer energy from the second transmitter structure to a second receiver coil in the second receiver device.

7. The wireless transmitter device of claim 6, wherein the third and the fourth drive signal characteristics each comprise at least one of:

a phase of the third or the fourth drive signal;

a frequency of the third or the fourth drive signal;

or

an amplitude of the third or the fourth drive signal.

8. A method of operating a wireless transmitter device, the method comprising:

selecting a first set of conductive traces in a plurality of conductive traces based on a position of a first receiver device on a charging surface of the wireless transmitter device, the first set of conductive traces forming a first transmitter structure and comprising;

a first trace configured to transmit a first signal in a first direction; and

a second trace configured to transmit a second signal in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction such that the first and second signals generate a pseudo-coil at an area where the first and second traces overlap;

providing a first set of drive signals to the first set of conductive traces to transfer energy from the first transmitter structure to the first receiver device;

selecting a second set of conductive traces in the plurality of conductive traces based on a position of a second receiver device on the charging surface of the wireless transmitter device, the second set of conductive traces forming a second transmitter structure; and

providing a second set of drive signals to the second set of conductive traces to transfer energy from the second transmitter device to the second receiver device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a first drive signal characteristic of each drive signal in the first set of drive signals; and

determining a second drive signal characteristic of each drive signal in the second set of drive signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and the second drive signal characteristics each comprise at least one of:

a frequency;

an amplitude;

or

a phase of each drive signal in the first and the second sets of drive signals.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising during energy transfer, adjusting a first drive signal characteristic of at least one drive signal in the first set of drive signals to modify the transfer of energy to the first receiver device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting the position of the first receiver device on the charging surface prior to selecting the first set of conductive traces; and

detecting the position of the second receiver device on the charging surface prior to selecting the second set of conductive traces.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the positions of the first and second receiver devices on the charging surface are detected by a detection layer included in the wireless transmitter device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising stopping the transfer of energy to the first receiver device based on the detection layer detecting an absence of the first receiver device on the charging surface.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether to stop the transfer of energy to the second receiver device; and

stop transferring energy to the second receiver device based on a determination to stop the transfer of energy.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the transfer of energy to the second receiver device is to stop comprises determining whether a battery in the second receiver device is charged completely.

17. A method of operating a wireless transmitter device, the method comprising:

determining if a transfer of energy to a first receiver device has a higher priority than a transfer of energy to a second receiver device;

if the transfer of energy to the first receiver device has higher priority, selecting, using a position of the first receiver device on a charging surface of the wireless transmitter device;

a first conductive trace of a plurality of conductive traces positioned in or below the charging surface, the first conductive trace configured to transmit a first signal in a first direction; and

a second conductive trace of the plurality of conductive traces, the second conductive trace configured to transmit a second signal in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction such that the first and second signals generate a pseudo-coil at an area where the first and second traces overlap, the first and the second conductive traces forming a first transmitter structure;

determining a first drive signal characteristic of a first drive signal associated with the first conductive trace;

determining a second drive signal characteristic of a second drive signal associated with the second conductive trace; and

applying the first drive signal to the first conductive trace and the second drive signal to the second conductive trace to transfer energy from the first transmitter structure to a receiver coil in the first receiver device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

after the process of transferring energy to the first receiver device is complete or is in process for a given period of time, selecting a third conductive trace and a fourth conductive trace in the plurality of conductive traces based on a position of the second receiver device on the charging surface, the third and fourth conductive traces forming a second transmitter structure;

determining a third drive signal characteristic of a third drive signal associated with the third conductive trace;

determining a fourth drive signal characteristic of a fourth drive signal associated with the fourth conductive trace; and

applying the third drive signal to the third conductive trace and the fourth drive signal to the fourth conductive trace to transfer energy from the second transmitter structure to a receiver coil in the second receiver device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the transfer of energy to the first receiver device does not have higher priority, selecting the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace in the plurality of conductive traces based on the position of the first receiver device on the charging surface;

determining the first drive signal characteristic of the first drive signal associated with the first conductive trace;

determining the second drive signal characteristic of the second drive signal associated with the second conductive trace;

applying the first drive signal to the first conductive trace and the second drive signal to the second conductive trace to transfer energy from the first transmitter structure to a first receiver coil in the first receiver device;

selecting a third conductive trace and a fourth conductive trace in the plurality of conductive traces based on a position of the second receiver device on the charging surface, the third and fourth conductive traces forming a second transmitter structure;

determining a third drive signal characteristic of a third drive signal associated with the third conductive trace;

determining a fourth drive signal characteristic of a fourth drive signal associated with the fourth conductive trace; and

applying the third drive signal to the third conductive trace and the fourth drive signal to the fourth conductive trace to transfer energy from the second transmitter structure to a second receiver coil in the second receiver device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising during energy transfer, adjusting the first drive signal characteristic of the first drive signal to modify the transfer of energy to the first receiver device.