WIRELESS CHARGING SYSTEM WITH DEVICE POWER COMPLIANCE

• US 20130106364A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David W., Mollema, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,190,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A method of controlling an inductive charging system on those occasions in which the combined power requests of a plurality of secondary devices exceed the power capacity of the power supply. The method includes at least one of (a) powering each device at a level below its requested level, (b) powering each device sequentially, and/or (c) powering each device in a repetitive pattern (e.g. time multiplexing). Also disclosed is a method of controlling an inductive charging system at least partially as a function of information received from the power management unit (PMU) of each secondary device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an inductive charging system comprising:

providing an inductive primary power supply;

placing an inductive secondary device within the operating range of the primary power supply;

providing information from the power management unit of the secondary device to the primary power supply, wherein the information includes information regarding the future activation of a feature of the secondary device; and

controlling the primary power supply at least partially as a function of the information from the power management unit.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the information includes the expected timing and power request of the feature.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the information includes information regarding the charge ratio of a battery associated with the secondary device.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the information includes information regarding the state of a battery associated with the secondary device.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein:

the placing step includes a plurality of the secondary devices;

the providing step includes providing information from the power management unit of each secondary device to the primary power supply.

6. A method of controlling an inductive charging system comprising:

placing a plurality of inductive secondary devices within the operating range of an inductive primary power supply;

determining the combined power requests of the secondary devices as a function of information regarding the future activation of features of the secondary devices;

comparing the combined power requests of the secondary devices to the power capacity of the primary power supply; and

if the combined power requests exceed the power capacity, then communicating to at least one secondary device that it will receive power at a reduced level from its power request.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein each power request includes information regarding the charge ration of a battery associated with the respective secondary device.

8. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein each power request includes information regarding the state of a battery associated with the respective secondary device.

9. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein the communicating step includes communicating to all of the secondary devices that they will receive power at a reduced level from their respective power requests.

10. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein the communicating step includes communicating to at least one other secondary device that it will receive power at its power request.

11. A wireless power supply for providing power wirelessly to a secondary device, the wireless power supply comprising:

a primary inductor for wirelessly transferring power to a secondary device; and

a controller for controlling the transfer of wireless power to the secondary device, wherein the controller implements a control loop; and

a power management interface that includes communication circuitry for receiving power management information, wherein the power management interface improves loop reaction time of the control loop based on the power management information received from the secondary device.

12. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the power management information includes power impact information about when aspects of the remote device that require power are being turned on and off and wherein the power management interface manages the controller by anticipating a percentage of change based on the power impact information.

13. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the power management information from the secondary device includes power impact information about when aspects of the remote device that require power are being turned on and off and wherein the power management interface manages the controller by anticipating a percentage of change based on the power impact information.

14. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the control loop is a proportional-integral-derivative control loop.

15. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the proportional-integral-derivative control loop changes primary inductor current to a calculated operating point between reception of control feedback packets.

16. The wireless power supply of claim 11 including a rectifier, a DC/DC converter, an inverter;

and a capacitor.

17. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the information includes information regarding the future activation of a feature of the secondary device.

18. The wireless power supply of claim 17 wherein the information includes the expected timing and power request of the feature.

19. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the information includes information regarding the state of a battery associated with the secondary device.

20. The wireless power supply of claim 11 wherein the power management interface includes communication circuitry for receiving power management information from multiple secondary devices.