Inductive power transmitter

• US 10,771,114 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2019
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louis, Jeffrey Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US16/521,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20190349028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits

Abstract

An inductive power transmitter comprising a transmission circuit having a coil, the transmission circuit tuned, adapted or optimised at or about a first frequency for inductive power transfer or object detection; an inverter operable to drive the transmission circuit at the first frequency; and a controller arranged to control the inverter to drive the transmission circuit at a second higher frequency, and to modulate a signal at the second higher frequency according to a predetermined handshake signal in order to generate a response from a predetermined non-authorised device proximate the coil.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a wireless power transfer coil;

detection circuitry configured to detect the proximity of a wireless power receiver and the proximity of an RFID device;

transmission circuitry coupled to the wireless power transfer coil and configured to generate a wireless power transfer field using the wireless power transfer coil; and

control circuitry configured to;

upon detection of the wireless power receiver proximate the wireless power transfer coil and absence of the RFID device proximate the wireless power transfer coil, control the transmission circuitry to generate the wireless power transfer field using the wireless power transfer coil; and

upon detection of the RFID device proximate the wireless power transfer coil, control the transmission circuitry to stop generating the wireless power transfer field using the wireless power transfer coil;

wherein an objection detection field is frequency or magnetically decoupled from the wireless power transfer field.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmission circuitry is configured to generate the object detection field.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry is configured to generate the object detection field.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising an object detection coil, wherein the detection circuitry is coupled to the object detection coil.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 4, comprising a plurality of object detection coils, wherein the plurality of object detection coils includes:

a detection coil; and

an excitation coil;

wherein the excitation coil is selected from the group consisting of;

a wireless power transfer coil; and

a separate excitation coil.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

to drive, using the transmission circuitry or detection circuitry, the excitation coil over a range of frequencies;

determine, using the detection circuitry, an inductance of the detection coil at one or more of the range of frequencies; and

in accordance with a determination that the inductance is above or below a threshold, determine that an RFID device is proximate one of the plurality of object detection coils.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

drive, using the transmission circuitry or detection circuitry, the excitation coil over the range of frequencies at a first power level;

determine, using the detection circuitry, the inductance of the detection coil at one or more of the range of frequencies at the first power level;

drive, using the transmission circuitry or detection circuitry, the excitation coil over the range of frequencies at a second power level, higher than the first power level; and

determine, using the detection circuitry, the inductance of the detection coil at one or more of the range of frequencies at the second power level.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein the first power level is insufficient to initiate power startup in an RFID device and the second power level is sufficient to initiate power startup in an RFID device.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the range of frequencies excludes frequencies associated with authorized resonant devices.

10. A method of controlling a wireless power transmitter responsive to a detected radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC) signature, the method comprising:

detecting at least one of a first impedance or a first power level related to an object in an inductive power transfer field of the wireless power transmitter;

detecting at least one of a second impedance or a second power level related to the object;

comparing the detected impedances or power levels to a library of known signatures of unauthorized RFID/NFC devices; and

disabling wireless power transfer if an unauthorized RFID/NFC device is detected;

wherein an objection detection field is frequency or magnetically decoupled from the wireless power transfer field.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting at least one of a first impedance or a first power level and detecting at least one of a second impedance or a second power level comprise detecting a change in impedance associated with startup of an RFID chip.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting at least one of a first impedance or a first power level and detecting at least one of a second impedance or a second power level comprise detecting a change in power consumption associated with startup of an RFID chip.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting at least one of a first impedance or a first power level and detecting at least one of a second impedance or a second power level further comprise detecting impedance change at an expected resonant frequency of an RFID device.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the expected resonant frequency is 13.56 MHz.