SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EXTENDING THE POWER CAPABILITY OF A WIRELESS CHARGER

• US 20140266018A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Carobolante, Francesco
• Application Number:
  US13/797,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for wireless power transfer. In one aspect, an apparatus transfers energy wirelessly to at least one receive antenna of at least one receiver. The apparatus comprises a first antenna configured to generate a first wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the first transmit antenna. The apparatus further comprises a second antenna configured to generate a second wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the second transmit antenna. The apparatus further comprises a controller configured to activate at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna based on whether the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of one or both of the first and second wireless fields.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring energy wirelessly to at least one receive antenna of at least one receiver, the apparatus comprising:

a first transmit antenna configured to generate a first wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the first transmit antenna;

a second transmit antenna spatially separated from the first transmit antenna, the second transmit antenna configured to generate a second wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the second transmit antenna; and

a controller operationally coupled to the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna and configured to activate at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna based on whether the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of one or both of the first wireless field and the second wireless field, the controller further configured to control, when both the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna are activated, whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna independently transfer energy wirelessly to a same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna jointly transfer energy wirelessly to the same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, or whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna transfer energy wirelessly to different receivers via the first and second wirelessly fields.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transmit antenna is activated to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the first wireless field, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

measure at least one of a first coupling level between the first transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna, a second coupling level between the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna or a leakage level of the energy transfer between the first transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna; and

activate the second transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the second wireless field at least based on the at least one of the measured first coupling level, the measured second coupling level, or the measured leakage level.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of a first flux phase or a first flux strength of the first wireless field, or a second flux phase or a second flux strength of the second wireless field via at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the at least one of the first flux phase of the first wireless field or the second flux phase of the second wireless field via the at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna such that the first flux phase is substantially opposite to the second flux phase and flux lines of the first wireless field and the second wireless field are continuous and exist in closed loops.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication module operationally coupled to the controller and configured to establish a communication link between the apparatus and the at least one receiver, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive at least one charging requirement from the at least one receiver via the communication link; and

set the phase of at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna at least partially based on the at least one charging requirement received from the at least one receiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the communication module is further configured to establish another communication link between the apparatus and another receiver, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive at least another charging requirement from the another receiver via the another communication link;

activate the first transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receiver via the first wireless field; and

activate the second transmit antenna to transfer energy to the another receiver via the second wireless field.

7. A method of transferring energy wirelessly to at least one receive antenna of at least one receiver, the method comprising:

generating, by a first transmit antenna, a first wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the first transmit antenna;

generating, by a second transmit antenna spatially separated from the first transmit antenna, a second wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the second transmit antenna;

activating at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna based on whether the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of one or both of the first wireless field and the second wireless field; and

controlling, when both the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna are activated, whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna independently transfer energy wirelessly to a same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna jointly transfer energy wirelessly to the same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, or whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna transfer energy wirelessly to different receivers via the first and second wirelessly fields.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein activating at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna comprises activating the first transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the first wireless field, the method further comprising:

measuring at least one of a first coupling level between the first transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna, a second coupling level between the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna, or a leakage level of the energy transfer between the first transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna; and

activating the second transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the second wireless field at least based on the at least one of the measured first coupling level, the measured second coupling level, or the measured leakage level.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting at least one of a first flux phase or a first flux strength of the first wireless field, or a second flux phase or a second flux strength of the second wireless field via at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting at least one of a first flux phase or a first flux strength of the first wireless field comprises adjusting the at least one of the first flux phase of the first wireless field or the second flux phase of the second wireless field via the at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna such that the first flux phase is substantially opposite to the second flux phase and flux lines of the first wireless field and the second wireless field are continuous and exist in closed loops.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing a communication link between the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna and the at least one receiver;

receiving at least one charging requirement from the at least one receiver via the communication link; and

setting the phase of at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna at least partially based on the at least one charging requirement received from the at least one receiver.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

establishing another communication link between the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna and another receiver;

receiving at least another charging requirement from the another receiver via the another communication link;

activating the first transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receiver via the first wireless field; and

activating the second transmit antenna to transfer energy to the another receiver via the second wireless field.

13. An apparatus for transferring energy wirelessly to at least one receive antenna of at least one receiver, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the means for generating the first wireless field;

means for generating a second wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the means for generating the second wireless field;

means for activating at least one of the means for generating the first wireless field or the means for generating the second wireless field based on whether the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of one or both of the first wireless field and the second wireless field; and

means for controlling, when both the means for generating the first wireless field and the means for generating the second wireless field are activated, whether the means for generating the first wireless field and the means for generating the second wireless field independently transfer energy wirelessly to a same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, whether the means for generating the first wireless field and the means for generating the second wireless field jointly transfer energy wirelessly to the same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, or whether the means for generating the first wireless field and the means for generating the second wireless field transfer energy wirelessly to different receivers via the first and second wirelessly fields.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein means for activating at least one of the means for generating the first wireless field or the means for generating the second wireless field comprises means for activating the means for generating the first wireless field to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the first wireless field, the apparatus further comprising:

means for measuring at least one of a first coupling level between the apparatus and the at least one receive antenna, a second coupling level between the means for generating the first wireless field and the means for generating a second wireless field, or a leakage level of the energy transfer between the apparatus and the at least one receive antenna; and

means for activating the means for generating a second wireless field to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the second wireless field at least based on the at least one of the measured first coupling level, the measured second coupling level, or the measured leakage level.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for adjusting at least one of a first flux phase or a first flux strength of the first wireless field, or a second flux phase or a second flux strength of the second wireless field via at least one of the means for generating the first wireless field or the means for generating a second wireless field.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein means for adjusting at least one of a first flux phase or a first flux strength of the first wireless field comprises means for adjusting the at least one of the first flux phase of the first wireless field or the second flux phase of the second wireless field via the at least one of the means for generating the first wireless field or the means for generating a second wireless field such that the first flux phase is substantially opposite to the second flux phase and flux lines of the first wireless field and the second wireless field are continuous and exist in closed loops.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for establishing a communication link between the apparatus and the at least one receiver;

means for receiving at least one charging requirement from the at least one receiver via the communication link; and

means for setting the phase of at least one of the means for generating a first wireless field or the means for generating a second wireless field at least partially based on the at least one charging requirement received from the at least one receiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for establishing another communication link between the apparatus and another receiver;

means for receiving at least another charging requirement from the another receiver via the another communication link;

means for activating the means for generating the first wireless field to transfer energy to the at least one receiver via the first wireless field; and

means for activating the means for generating a second wireless field to transfer energy to the another receiver via the second wireless field.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for generating a first wireless field and the means for generating the first wireless field comprise a first transmit antenna, wherein the means for generating a second wireless field and the means for generating a second wireless field comprise a second transmit antenna, and wherein the means for activating comprises a controller.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

generate, using a first transmit antenna, a first wireless field when at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the first transmit antenna;

generate, using a second transmit antenna spatially separated from the first transmit antenna, a second wireless field when the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of the second transmit antenna;

activate at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna based on whether the at least one receiver is in an energy transfer region of one or both of the first wireless field and the second wireless field; and

control, when both the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna are activated, whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna independently transfer energy wirelessly to a same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna jointly transfer energy wirelessly to the same receiver via the first and second wireless fields, or whether the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna transfer energy wirelessly to different receivers via the first and second wirelessly fields.

21. The medium of claim 20, further comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

activate the first transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the first wireless field;

measure at least one of a first coupling level between the apparatus and the at least one receive antenna, a second coupling level between the first transmit antenna and the second transmit antenna, or a leakage level of the energy transfer between the apparatus and the at least one receive antenna; and

activate the second transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receive antenna via the second wireless field at least based on the at least one of the measured first coupling level, the measured second coupling level, or the measured leakage level.

22. The medium of claim 20, further comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to adjust at least one of a first flux phase or a first flux strength of the first wireless field, or a second flux phase or a second flux strength of the second wireless field via at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna.

23. The medium of claim 22, further comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to adjust the at least one of the first flux phase of the first wireless field or the second flux phase of the second wireless field via the at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna such that the first flux phase is substantially opposite to the second flux phase and flux lines of the first wireless field and the second wireless field are continuous and exist in closed loops.

24. The medium of claim 20, further comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

establish a communication link between the apparatus and the at least one receiver;

receive at least one charging requirement from the at least one receiver via the communication link; and

set the phase of at least one of the first transmit antenna or the second transmit antenna at least partially based on the at least one charging requirement received from the at least one receiver.

25. The medium of claim 24, further comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

establish another communication link between the apparatus and another receiver;

receive at least another charging requirement from the another receiver via the another communication link;

activate the first transmit antenna to transfer energy to the at least one receiver via the first wireless field; and

activate the second transmit antenna to transfer energy to the another receiver via the second wireless field.