SCALABLE ANTENNA SYSTEM

• US 20150349537A1
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Milne, James R., McCoy, Charles, Xiong, True
• Granted Patent: US 10,965,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

Some embodiments providing antenna systems comprising: a frame; a power transfer antenna cooperated with the frame, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to enable at least one of wirelessly and inductively receiving electrical power from another consumer electronic device and wirelessly and inductively transmitting electrical power to another consumer electronic device; one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame and configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with one or more other remote consumer electronic devices; wherein the frame is configured to readily be positioned within and mounted with multiple different consumer electronic devices and provide the consumer electronic device within which it is mounted with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities with a separate consumer electronic device with which wireless power transfer is to occur.

Claims

1. An antenna system configured to operate within a consumer electronic device, comprising:

a frame;

a power transfer antenna cooperated with the frame, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to enable at least one of wirelessly and inductively receiving electrical power from another consumer electronic device and wirelessly and inductively transmitting electrical power to another consumer electronic device;

one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame, wherein the one or more communications antenna are configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with one or more other remote consumer electronic devices over distances consistent with those to achieve wireless electrical power transfer through the power transfer antenna;

wherein the frame is configured to readily be positioned within and mounted with multiple different consumer electronic devices and provide the consumer electronic device within which it is mounted with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities with a separate consumer electronic device with which wireless power transfer is to occur.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the wireless transfer of power through the power transfer antenna, and to selectively direct communications to and receive communications through at least one of the one or more communications antennas.

3. The antenna system of claim 2, wherein the one or more communications antennas comprise multiple communications antennas positioned proximate the power transfer antennas, wherein the controller selectively directs different communications to different ones of the multiple communications antennas as a function of a communication protocol with which the communications are intended to be wirelessly transmitted.

4. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the one or more communications antennas comprise multiple communications antennas positioned proximate the power transfer antennas, wherein each communications antennas is utilized in providing communications through different communication protocols.

5. The antenna system of claim 4, wherein the power transfer antenna is constructed with an interior hollow region and each of the multiple communications antennas are positioned within the interior hollow region.

6. The antenna system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more communications antennas is positioned concentric with the power transfer antenna.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein a first communications antenna of the one or more communications antennas is configured to provide wireless communication with a first separate consumer electronic device;

wherein a second communications antenna of the one or more communications antennas is configured to provide wireless communication with a second separate consumer electronic device such that communications from the first separate consumer electronic device received through the first communications antenna is communicated through the second communications antenna to the second separate consumer electronic device.

8. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from the first separate consumer electronic device while receiving the communications from the first separate consumer electronic.

9. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the one or more communications antennas operate without externally accessible communication ports such that all communications with the consumer electronic device in which the antenna system is mounted are through the one or more communications antennas.

10. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising multiple transceivers each coupled with at least one of the one or more communications antennas provide bidirectional communication utilizing different communication protocols.

11. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to both wirelessly receive electrical power from another consumer electronic device and to wirelessly transmit electrical power to another consumer electronic device.

12. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the consumer electronic device comprises at least one alignment component that facilitates alignment of the antenna system within the consumer electronic device with an antenna system of the separate consumer electronic device.

13. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein at least one alignment component further maintains a position of the consumer electronic device with the separate consumer electronic device.

14. The antenna system of claim 11, further comprising:

a controller configured to direct communications through a first communications antenna of the one or more communications antennas utilizing a first communications protocol, and to switch to a second communications protocol to direct different communications through the first communications antenna utilizing the second communications protocol.

15. A method, comprising:

detecting, through a power transfer antenna in an antenna system secured with a consumer electronic (CE) device, an inductive coupling with a separate power transfer antenna cooperated with a separate CE device, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from another consumer electronic device and to wirelessly and transmit electrical power to another consumer electronic device, and wherein the power transfer antenna is cooperated with a frame;

establishing one or more low power communication couplings between one or more local low power communications antennas, which are cooperated with the frame, and one or more remote other communication antennas of the separate CE device, wherein the one or more communications antenna are configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with the one or more other communication antennas over distances consistent with those to achieve wireless electrical power transfer through the power transfer antenna;

wherein the frame is configured to readily be positioned within and mounted with multiple different CE devices and provides the CD device within which it is mounted with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying recommendations to improve the inductive coupling.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying recommendations to improve coupling between at least one of the one or more communication antennas with at least one of the one or more other communication antennas.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

wirelessly transferring power from through the power transfer antenna to the separate CE device; and

wirelessly communicating through at least one of the one or more communication antennas with the separate CE device while wirelessly transferring power through the power transfer antenna.