Dynamic coil area and power adjustment based on device position and sensor fusion feedback from sensor devices

• US 10,622,825 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Aurongzeb, Deeder M., Shaw, Timothy C., Tay, Benedict Tiong Chee
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Fahmida
• Application Number:
  US15/636,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20190006873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/28 Coils; Windings; Conductive connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamic coil area and power adjustment based on device position and sensor fusion feedback from touch, optical, Bluetooth, and specific absorption rate sensor devices may include a charging device that may include a first induction coil having an active length and a processor. The charging device may transmit power wirelessly to a portable device having a second induction coil by coupling the first induction coil and the second induction coil. The charging device may determine an adjusted active length of the first induction coil that may be based on a first charging efficiency of the first induction coil. The processor may electronically switch the active length of the first induction coil to the determined adjusted active length. The processor may transmit the power wirelessly to the portable device to charge a first battery of the portable device.

Claims

1. A charging device, comprising:

a first induction coil having an active length and configured to transmit power wirelessly to a portable device having a second induction coil by coupling the first induction coil and the second induction coil, wherein the first induction coil is a double wound induction coil including a first inner induction coil having a first length and a second inner induction coil having a second length, and wherein the active length is adjustable; and

a processor configured to;

determine a first charging efficiency of the first induction coil;

determine an adjusted active length of the first induction coil based on the determined first charging efficiency;

electronically switch the active length of the first induction coil to the determined adjusted active length, wherein the processor electronically switches the active length of the first induction coil by electronically switching between utilizing the first inner induction coil having the first length and utilizing the second inner induction coil having the second length; and

transmit the power wirelessly from the first induction coil to the portable device to charge a first battery of the portable device.

2. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first induction coil has a flat shape.

3. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first induction coil has a convex shape so that the center of the first induction coil is closer to a charging pad of the charging device than the perimeter of the first induction coil.

4. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first induction coil is a three dimensional induction coil having a successive plurality of links including a first link, each of the successive plurality of links having a plurality of turns and an electrical connection to a next link in the succession of the plurality of links after the first link, and wherein the processor electronically switches the active length of the first induction coil by electronically switching the electrical connection of the first link to disconnect the first link from the next link and set the active length of first induction coil to a total length of the first link and all previous links in the succession of the plurality of links before the first link.

5. The charging device of claim 1, the charging device further comprising:

one or more sensor devices configure to detect the portable device in contact with the charging device; and

the processor further configured to detect the portable device using the one or more sensor devices, wherein the one or more sensor devices include at least one of;

a track sensor device;

a proximity sensor device;

a touch sensor device;

an optical sensor device;

a thermal sensor device; and

a specific absorption rate sensor device.

6. The charging device of claim 1, the processor further configured to:

determine that a second battery of the portable device is to be charged based on battery information of the portable device received from the portable device;

determine a second charging efficiency of the first induction coil to charge the second battery;

determine a second adjusted active length of the first induction coil based on the determined second charging efficiency;

electronically switch the active length of the first induction coil to the determined second adjusted active length; and

transmit the power wirelessly to the portable device to charge the second battery, wherein the first induction coil further configured to couple the first induction coil and a third induction coil of the portable device to transmit power wirelessly to the portable device.

7. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the processor further configured to:

determine a relative distance between a first charging surface of the charging device and a second charging surface of the portable device;

determine a position of the portable device on the first charging surface;

determine a temperature of the first induction coil;

determine an angle of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface;

determine a proximity of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface; and

determine a loss of the charging efficiency of the charging device based on;

the relative distance between the first charging surface and the second charging surface;

the position of the portable device on the first charging surface;

the temperature of the first induction coil;

the angle of the second charging surface to the first charging surface;

the proximity of the second charging surface to the first charging surface;

battery information of the portable device received from the portable device; and

an eddy current of the first induction coil.

8. The charging device of claim 7, wherein the battery information of the portable device includes at least one of:

a battery charging priority;

a charge level of the first battery;

a charging efficiency of the first battery;

a health of the first battery;

a temperature of the first battery;

a usage level of the first battery;

a charge level of a second battery of the portable device;

a charging efficiency of the second battery;

a health of the second battery;

a temperature of the second battery; and

a usage level of the second battery.

9. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first charging efficiency of the first induction coil is based on at least one of:

a relative position of the second induction coil of the portable device to the first induction coil of the charging device;

a relative distance between the first charging surface and a second charging surface of the portable device;

an angle of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface;

proximity of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface;

a temperature of the first induction coil; and

an eddy current of the first induction coil.

10. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processor of a charging device, a first charging efficiency of a first induction coil of the charging device having an active length, wherein the first induction coil is a double wound coil including a first inner induction coil having a first length and a second inner induction coil having a second length, and wherein the active length of the first induction coil is adjustable;

determining, by the processor, an adjusted active length of the first induction coil based on the determined first charging efficiency;

electronically switching, by the processor, the active length of the first induction coil to the determined adjusted active length, wherein the processor electronically switches the active length of the first induction coil by electronically switching between utilizing the first inner induction coil having the first length and utilizing the second inner induction coil having the second length; and

transmitting, by the processor, power wirelessly from the first induction coil of the charging device to the portable device having a second induction coil to charge a first battery of the portable device, wherein the power is transmitted wirelessly by coupling the first induction coil of the charging device and the second induction coil of the portable device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first induction coil has a flat shape.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first induction coil has a convex shape so that the center of the first induction coil is closer to a charging pad of the charging device than the perimeter of the first induction coil.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first induction coil is a three dimensional coil having a successive plurality of links including a first link, each of the successive plurality of links having a plurality of turns and an electrical connection to a next link in the succession of the plurality of links after the first link, and wherein the processor electronically switches the active length of the first induction coil by electronically switching the electrical connection of the first link to disconnect the first link from the next link and set the active length of first induction coil to a total length of the first link and all previous links in the succession of the plurality of links before the first link.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the portable device in contact with the charging device using one or more sensor devices of the charging device, wherein the one or more sensor devices include at least one of;

a track sensor device;

a proximity sensor device;

a touch sensor device;

an optical sensor device;

a thermal sensor device; and

a specific absorption rate sensor device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that a second battery of the portable device is to be charged based on battery information of the portable device received from the portable device;

determining a second charging efficiency of the first induction coil to charge the second battery;

determining a second adjusted active length of the first induction coil based on the determined second charging efficiency;

electronically switching the active length of the first induction coil to the determined second adjusted active length; and

transmitting the power wirelessly from the charging device to the portable device to charge the second battery, wherein the power is transmitted wirelessly by coupling the first induction coil of the charging device and a third induction coil of the portable device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a relative distance between a first charging surface of the charging device and a second charging surface of the portable device;

determining a position of the portable device on the first charging surface;

determining a temperature of the first induction coil;

determining an angle of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface;

determining proximity of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface; and

determining a loss of the charging efficiency of the charging device based on;

the relative distance between the first charging surface and the second charging surface;

the position of the portable device on the first charging surface;

the temperature of the first induction coil;

the angle of the second charging surface to the first charging surface;

the proximity of the second charging surface to the first charging surface;

battery information of the portable device received from the portable device; and

an eddy current of the first induction coil.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the battery information of the portable device includes at least one of:

a battery charging priority;

a charge level of the first battery;

a charging efficiency of the first battery;

a health of the first battery;

a temperature of the first battery;

a usage level of the first battery;

a charge level of a second battery of the portable device;

a charging efficiency of the second battery;

a health of the second battery;

a temperature of the second battery; and

a usage level of the second battery.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first charging efficiency of the first induction coil is based on at least one of:

a relative position of the second induction coil of the portable device to the first induction coil of the charging device;

a relative distance between the first charging surface and a second charging surface of the portable device;

an angle of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface;

proximity of the second charging surface of the portable device to the first charging surface;

a temperature of the first induction coil; and

an eddy current of the first induction coil.