METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AN ENLARGED WIRELESS CHARGING AREA

• US 20090284218A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mohammadian, Alireza Hormoz, Toncich, Stanley Slavko, Kasturi, Sreenivas, Kirby, Miles Alexander Lyell, Tran, Allen Minh-Triet, Ozaki, Ernest T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,629,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/502 the energy repeater being integrated together with the emitter or the receiver
• 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: 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: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• 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

Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power transfer including a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna configured to resonate and generate a near field coupling mode region thereabout in response to a driving signal from a power amplifier. The apparatus further includes a processor configured to control activation of resonance of each of the plurality of antenna circuits. The method for wirelessly charging includes driving a signal from a power amplifier and controlling activation of resonance of a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna configured to resonate in response to the driving signal.

Claims

1. A wireless charging apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna to resonate and generate a near field coupling mode region thereabout in response to a driving signal from a power amplifier; and

a processor to control activation of resonance of each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

2. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer coupled to the driving signal and for multiplexing the driving signal to each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

3. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor controls activation of each of the plurality of antenna circuits by controlling the multiplexer according to a time-domain sequencing of activation of the plurality of antenna circuits.

4. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the time-domain sequencing of the plurality of antenna circuits provides a proportional duty cycle to each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

5. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the time-domain sequencing of the plurality of antenna circuits provides an enhanced proportional duty cycle to at least one of the plurality of antenna circuits.

6. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further activates one of the plurality of antenna circuits having a receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions and not activate others of the plurality of antenna circuits having no receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions.

7. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, each of the plurality of antenna circuits further comprising a transmitter cloaking circuit to inhibit resonance of the antenna when another of the plurality of antenna circuits is activated to resonate.

8. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the transmitter cloaking circuit alters the value of a reactive element in the antenna to inhibit resonance of the antenna.

9. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the cloaking circuit further comprises a switch for shorting-out at least a portion of capacitance in the antenna in order to inhibit resonance of the antenna.

10. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmit antenna substantially circumscribing the plurality of antenna circuits, the transmit antenna generating a transmit antenna near field coupling mode region and the plurality of antenna circuits are a plurality of repeater antennas to each resonate and generate the near field coupling mode region thereabout when activated and in response to the transmit antenna near field coupling mode region.

11. A wireless charging method, comprising:

driving a signal from a power amplifier; and

controlling activation of resonance of a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna to resonate in response to the driving signal.

12. The wireless charging method of claim 11, further comprising multiplexing the driving signal to each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

13. The wireless charging method of claim 12, wherein controlling activation of resonance further comprises controlling the multiplexer according to a time-domain sequencing of activation of the plurality of antenna circuits.

14. The wireless charging method of claim 13, wherein the time-domain sequencing of the plurality of antenna circuits further comprises assigning a proportional duty cycle to each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

15. The wireless charging method of claim 13, wherein the time-domain sequencing of the plurality of antenna circuits further comprises assigning an enhanced proportional duty cycle to at least one of the plurality of antenna circuits.

16. The wireless charging method of claim 11, further comprising activating ones of the plurality of antenna circuits having a receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions and not activating others of the plurality of antenna circuits having no receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions.

17. The wireless charging method of claim 11, further comprising cloaking to inhibit resonance of the antenna when another of the plurality of antenna circuits is activated to resonate.

18. The wireless charging method of claim 17, further comprising altering the value of a reactive element in the antenna to inhibit resonance of the antenna.

19. The wireless charging method of claim 18, further comprising shorting-out at least a portion of capacitance in the antenna in order to inhibit resonance of the antenna.

20. The wireless charging method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a transmit antenna near field coupling mode region substantially circumscribing the plurality of antenna circuits; and

generating selective ones of the near field coupling mode regions from selected ones of the plurality of antenna circuits.

21. A wireless charging apparatus, comprising:

a transmit power amplifier for generating a driving signal at a resonance frequency;

a multiplexer coupled at an input to the driving signal and including a plurality of switchable outputs;

a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna to resonate at the resonant frequency and generate a near field coupling mode region thereabout; and

a processor to control the multiplexer.

22. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor controls the multiplexer according to a time-domain sequencing of activation of the plurality of antenna circuits.

23. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor further activates ones of the plurality of antenna circuits having a receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions and not activate others of the plurality of antenna circuits having no receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions.

24. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 21, each of the plurality of antenna circuits further comprising a transmitter cloaking circuit to inhibit resonance of the antenna when another of the plurality of antenna circuits is activated to resonate.

25. A method for wireless charging, comprising:

generating a driving signal at a resonance frequency; and

multiplexing the driving signal to one of a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna to resonate at the resonant frequency and generate a near field coupling mode region thereabout.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the multiplexing further comprises multiplexing according to a time-domain sequencing of activation of the plurality of antenna circuits.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein multiplexing further comprises multiplexing to ones of the plurality of antenna circuits having a receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions and not multiplexing to others of the plurality of antenna circuits having no receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising inhibiting resonance of each of the plurality of antenna circuits that are not receiving the driving signal.

29. A wireless charging apparatus, comprising:

means for driving a signal from a power amplifier; and

means for controlling activation of resonance of a plurality of antenna circuits spatially arranged and each including an antenna to resonate in response to the driving signal.

30. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for multiplexing the driving signal to each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

31. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for controlling activation of resonance further comprises means for controlling the multiplexer according to a time-domain sequencing of activation of the plurality of antenna circuits.

32. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 31, wherein the time-domain sequencing of the plurality of antenna circuits further comprises means for assigning a proportional duty cycle to each of the plurality of antenna circuits.

33. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 31, wherein the time-domain sequencing of the plurality of antenna circuits further comprises means for assigning an enhanced proportional duty cycle to at least one of the plurality of antenna circuits.

34. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for activating ones of the plurality of antenna circuits having a receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions and means for not activating others of the plurality of antenna circuits having no receiver located within their respective near field coupling mode regions.

35. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for cloaking to inhibit resonance of the antenna when another of the plurality of antenna circuits is activated to resonate.

36. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for altering the value of a reactive element in the antenna to inhibit resonance of the antenna.

37. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means for shorting-out at least a portion of capacitance in the antenna in order to inhibit resonance of the antenna.

38. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for generating a transmit antenna near field coupling mode region substantially circumscribing the plurality of antenna circuits; and

means for generating selective ones of the near field coupling mode regions from selected ones of the plurality of antenna circuits.