METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING STANDBY POWER CONSUMPTION AND PROVIDING USER INDICATIONS IN WPC BASED WIRELESS CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20140306657A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lundgren, Mika-Petteri, Vuori, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 9,509,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method for reducing standby power consumption of a battery of a wireless charging device comprises: monitoring a presence of the wireless charging device nearby a wireless charger transmitter (460); initiating a wireless charging when the presence of the wireless charging device is detected on the wireless charger transmitter (460) and sending a charging notification to an end user; sending a battery full message for notifying the end user when the wireless charging is complete and terminating the wireless charging; setting the wireless charging device to a standby mode and monitoring a ping signal from the wireless charger transmitter (460); entering a maintenance charging mode when the battery is below a recharging threshold without notifying the end user; and continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charging device until the battery is full or the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter (460).

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for reducing standby power consumption of a wireless charging device, comprising:

initiating a wireless charging and sending a charging notification to an end user;

sending a battery full message for notifying the end user when the wireless charging is complete and terminating the wireless charging;

setting the wireless charging device to a standby mode and monitoring a ping signal from a wireless charger transmitter;

entering a maintenance charging mode when the battery is below a recharging threshold without notifying the end user; and

continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charging device until the battery is full or the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

initializing a wireless charging receiver to provide an interrupt signal when not detecting the ping signal during a predetermined time interval.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sending a battery full message to the end user when the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter while in the standby mode, responsive to the interrupt signal.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the ping signal comprises at least one of an analog ping signal or a digital ping signal.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

wherein the interrupt signal is provided when not detecting the ping signal within the predetermined time interval from the sending the battery full message

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the wireless charging device is a handset phone or an electrical device.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the wireless charger transmitter is coupled to a wireless charger pad on which the wireless charging device is positioned.

26. A wireless charging system, comprising:

a wireless charger transmitter;

a wireless handset including;

a battery;

a wireless charger receiver coupled to the wireless charger transmitter, configured to generate an interrupt signal in response to not detecting a ping signal from the wireless charger transmitter; and

a power management unit configured to detect the interrupt signal and to initiate maintenance charging of the battery when a battery voltage is below a charging threshold and no interrupt signal has been detected.

27. The wireless charging system of claim 26, wherein the interrupt signal is responsive to not detecting an analog or digital ping signal from the wireless charger transmitter during a predetermined time interval.

28. The wireless charging system of claim 26, wherein the power management unit is coupled to a display to display to an end user a battery full notification when charging.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the wireless charger transmitter is a wireless charger pad on which the wireless handset is positioned.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

initiate a wireless charging and sending a charging notification to an end user;

send a battery full message for notifying the end user when the wireless charging is complete and terminating the wireless charging;

set the apparatus to a standby mode and monitoring a ping signal from a wireless charger transmitter;

enter a maintenance charging mode when the battery is below a recharging threshold without notifying the end user; and

continue the maintenance charging mode of the apparatus until the battery is full or the apparatus is removed from the wireless charger transmitter.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

initialize a wireless receiver to provide an interrupt signal when not detecting the ping signal during a predetermined time interval.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

send a battery full message to the end user when the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter while in the standby mode, responsive to the interrupt signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide the interrupt signal in response to not detecting the ping signal within the predetermined time interval from the sending the battery full message.

34. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for initiating a wireless charging in a wireless charging device and sending a charging notification to an end user;

code for sending a battery full message for notifying the end user when the wireless charging is complete and terminating the wireless charging;

code for setting the wireless charging device to a standby mode and monitoring a ping signal from a wireless charger transmitter;

code for entering a maintenance charging mode when the battery is below a recharging threshold without notifying the end user; and

code for continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charging device until the battery is full or the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter.

35. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform:

initiating a wireless charging in a wireless charging device and sending a charging notification to an end user;

sending a battery full message for notifying the end user when the wireless charging is complete and terminating the wireless charging;

setting the wireless charging device to a standby mode and monitoring a ping signal from a wireless charger transmitter;

entering a maintenance charging mode when the battery is below a recharging threshold without notifying the end user; and

continuing the maintenance charging mode of the wireless charging device until the battery is full or the wireless charging device is removed from the wireless charger transmitter.