System and method for facilitating avoidance of wireless charging cross connection

• US 10,734,841 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Von Novak, William H., Kallal, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Tat, Binh C
• Application Number:
  US15/599,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20170256979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 320106-115
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system and method for charging a chargeable device is provided. The system can include a wireless charger including a wireless power antenna and a wireless power transmitter coupled to the wireless power antenna and configured to generate a wireless charging field in at least one charging region. The wireless charging field includes a plurality of power signals. The wireless charger further includes a communication antenna and a transceiver coupled to the communication antenna and configured to communicate with the chargeable device via the communication antenna. The wireless charger further includes a controller configured to facilitate avoidance of cross connection of the chargeable device with the wireless charger and at least one other wireless charger in which the chargeable device receives power from the wireless power transmitter of the wireless charger while communicating with at least one other wireless charger. The system can include a chargeable device including a controller configured to generate a load pulse configured to be received by the wireless charger.

Claims

1. A method of communication between a chargeable device and a wireless charger, the method comprising:

detecting an impedance change in at least one charging region of a wireless charging field generated by the wireless charger, the impedance change caused by introducing the chargeable device to the wireless charging field;

determining the detected impedance change has a predetermined attribute indicative of one or more chargeable devices entering the wireless charging field of the wireless charger;

detecting a communication signal from the chargeable device during a first predetermined period of time relative to detecting the impedance change having the predetermined attribute; and

accepting the communication signal based on the communication signal being detected during the first predetermined period of time relative to detecting the impedance change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined attribute comprises an impedance change greater than a predetermined amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is in a range of one second to 10 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a communication link with the chargeable device based on the communication signal being detected during the first predetermined time relative to detecting the impedance change.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication link is established when a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the communication signal is larger than a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising declining accepting communication signals for a second period of time upon no impedance change being detected.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plurality of power signals by modulating the wireless charging field by an amplitude that is sufficiently low so as to not affect power transmission but sufficiently high to be detected by the chargeable device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein modulating the wireless charging field comprises modulating the wireless charging field in a pattern that is unique to the wireless charger.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting whether the detected impedance change from the chargeable device and an advertisement from the chargeable device are concurrent with one another.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting communication signals during a second predetermined period of time relative to detecting an impedance change not having the predetermined attribute.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second predetermined period of time is greater than the first predetermined period of time.