METHODS AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING POWER TRANSMISSION USING NFC

• US 20140021799A1
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SANKARARAMALINGAM, Kandaswami, MAKAM NATARAJA, Kiran Kumar, THUMMALA, Lakshmi Narayana, WADHWA, Vishwajeet
• Granted Patent: US 9,806,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• 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 method and system to control power transmission between two Near Field Communication (NFC) devices with and without data transfer using NFC technology are provided. The method includes transferring at least a portion of power between two NFC devices using different RF signals and appropriate NFC Transceivers. The method controls the power transmission between two NFC devices by proposed changes in NFC Digital Protocol, LLCP (Logical Link Control Protocol) and in the application flow control.

Claims

1. A method to transfer power between an initiator Near Field Communication (NFC) device and a target NFC device, the method comprising:

transferring at least a portion of power in the initiator NFC device to the target NFC device.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the initiator NFC device transfers power by modifying one or more of a digital protocol, a Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP), or an application flow control of the initiator NFC device.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the target NFC device receives the power from the initiator NFC device by modifying one or more of a digital protocol, an LLCP, or an application flow control of the target NFC device.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the initiator NFC device transfers data to the target NFC device.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the initiator NFC device further sends one or more of information about the initiator NFC device, power transmission capacity, and device verification time interval with mode information to the target NFC device.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the target NFC device sends an acknowledgement on receiving the power transmission information from the initiator NFC device.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the acknowledgement comprises one or more of information about the target NFC device or a power requirement of the target NFC device.

8. An initiator Near Field Communication (NFC) device for transferring power, the initiator NFC device comprising:

an antenna; and

a circuit including one or more of an NFC operational components module, a voltage sensing module, a current sensing module, a control module, a regulator module, or a power module,

wherein the initiator NFC device is configured to transfer power by modifying one or more of a digital protocol, Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP), or an application flow control of the initiator.

9. The initiator NFC device as in claim 8, wherein the initiator NFC device is configured to transfer data to a target NFC device.

10. The initiator NFC device as in claim 8, wherein the initiator NFC device is configured to send one or more of information about the initiator NFC device, power transmission capacity, or device verification time interval with mode information to a target NFC device.

11. The initiator NFC device as in claim 8, wherein the control module is configured to switch the initiator NFC device between different modes based on control signals received from the NFC operational components module.

12. A target Near Field Communication (NFC) device for receiving power transferred from an initiator NFC device, the target device comprising:

an antenna; and

a circuit including one or more of an NFC operational components module, a voltage sensing module, a current sensing module, a control module, a regulator module, or a power module,

wherein the target NFC device is configured to receive the power from the initiator NFC device by modifying one or more of a digital protocol, a Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP), or an application flow control of the target NFC device.

13. The target NFC device as in claim 12, wherein the target NFC device is configured to send an acknowledgement on receiving the power transmission information from the initiator NFC device.

14. The target NFC device as in claim 12, wherein the acknowledgement comprises one or more of information about the target NFC device or a power requirement of the target NFC device.

15. The target NFC device as in claim 12, wherein the voltage sensing module is configured to detect excess power based on power received from the antenna and the power required for activating NFC operational components module, and

wherein the excess power is used to charge a battery included in the power module using the regulator module.

16. The target NFC device as in claim 12, wherein the current sensing module is configured to detect excess power based on power received from the antenna and the power required for activating the NFC operational components module, and

wherein the excess power is used to charge a battery included in the power module using the regulator module.

17. The target NFC device as in claim 12, wherein the control module is configured to switch the target NFC device between different modes based on control signals received from the NFC operational components module.

18. A Near Field Communication (NFC) device comprising:

an antenna;

a circuit including one or more of an NFC operational components module, a voltage sensing module, and a current sensing module, wherein the voltage sensing module and the current sensing module detect power required for activating the NFC operational components module from the power induced in the antenna and wherein excess power is used to charge a battery in a power module of the NFC device;

a regulator module configured to regulate the power to charge the battery; and

a control module configured to control operation of one or more of the voltage sensing module, the current sensing module, the regulator module, or the NFC operational components module.