Systems and methods for wireless charging of devices

• US 10,873,203 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2018
• Issued: 12/22/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLIR Commercial Systems Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Commercial Systems Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Teich, Andrew C., Gershon, Ilan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M Baye
• Application Number:
  US15/906,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20180287414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for facilitating wireless charging of devices. A battery-operated device may include a charging interface. The battery-operated device may further include a magnetic element configured to secure a charging device to the battery-operated device. The battery-operated device may further include a battery configured to be charged by the charging device via power received through the charging interface from the charging device when the charging device is secured to the battery-operated device. The battery-operated device may include a communication circuit configured to provide for transmission information associated with the battery to a user device. Related systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

a charging interface;

a magnetic element configured to secure a charging device to the imaging device;

a battery configured to power the imaging device and configured to be charged by the charging device via power received through the charging interface from the charging device when the charging device is secured to the imaging device; and

a communication circuit configured to provide for transmission information associated with the battery to a user device,

wherein the imaging device is configured to capture an image of a scene while the battery is being charged by the charging device.

2. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is a wireless camera.

3. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the information comprises an indication of a charge level of the battery.

4. The imaging device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor circuit configured to determine whether a software update is available in the charging device when the charging device is secured to the imaging device by the magnetic element,

wherein the communication circuit is configured to obtain the software update from the charging device when the software update is determined to be available.

5. The imaging device of claim 4, wherein the battery is configured to be charged by the charging device while the communication circuit is obtaining the software update from the charging device.

6. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein:

the communication circuit is further configured to transmit one or more packets to authenticate the imaging device to the charging device; and

the power is received through the charging interface from the charging device when the imaging device is successfully authenticated to the charging device.

7. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic element is configured to align a charging interface of the charging device to the charging interface of the imaging device, and wherein the imaging device comprises an infrared camera.

8. The imaging device of claim 7, wherein the charging interface of the imaging device comprises a charging contact configured to receive the power from the charging device when the charging contact is in physical contact with the charging interface of the charging device.

9. The imaging device of claim 7, wherein the charging interface comprises a coil configured to inductively couple to the charging interface of the charging device when the charging device is secured to the imaging device.

10. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein a housing of the imaging device encloses at least a portion of the magnetic element and at least a portion of the charging interface, and wherein the imaging device comprises microbolometers configured to capture the image of the scene while the battery is being charged by the charging device.

11. A system comprising the imaging device of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises the charging device.

12. A method, comprising:

coupling a charging device to a battery-operated device using at least a magnetic element of the battery-operated device to secure the charging device to the battery-operated device, wherein the battery-operated device comprises an imaging device;

charging a battery of the battery-operated device via power received from the charging device when the charging device is secured to the battery-operated device;

providing for transmission, using the battery-operated device, information associated with the battery to a user device; and

capturing an image of a scene using the imaging device while the battery is being charged by the charging device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising authenticating the battery-operated device to the charging device, wherein the power is received from the charging device when the battery-operated device is successfully authenticated to the charging device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether a software update is available in the charging device when the charging device is secured to the battery-operated device; and

obtaining the software update from the charging device when the software update is determined to be available and while the battery is being charged.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the magnetic element aligns a first charging interface of the battery-operated device with a second charging interface of the charging device, and wherein the battery is charged via the power received from the charging device through the first and second charging interfaces.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the imaging device comprises a wireless camera.

17. A system, comprising:

a battery-operated device comprising an imaging device; and

a charging device comprising;

a charging interface;

a magnetic element configured to secure the charging device to the battery-operated device;

a battery configured to provide power to the battery-operated device via the charge interface when the charging device is secured to the battery-operated device;

a memory comprising data; and

a communication circuit configured to provide for transmission of the data to the battery-operated device while the power is being provided to the battery-operated device,

wherein the imaging device is configured to capture an image of a scene while the battery is being charged by the charging device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the communication circuit is further configured to transmit one or more packets to authenticate the charging device to the battery-operated device; and

the battery is configured to provide the power to the battery-operated device via the charge interface when the authentication is successful.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the data comprises a software update.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the imaging device comprises an infrared camera.