CONTROLLABLE ENERGY TRANSFER BETWEEN PORTABLE DEVICES

• US 20160036259A1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cheatham, Jesse R. III, Hwang, Eun Young, Hyde, Roderick A., Pan, Tony S., Petroski, Robert C., Tegreene, Clarence T., Weaver, Thomas A., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,564,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An energy transfer apparatus includes a cable having first end with a first connector operably coupled thereto and a second end with a second connector operably coupled thereto. The energy transfer apparatus also includes a control unit coupled to the cable. The control unit includes a device interface module configured to determine a first energy parameter of a first portable device connected to the cable via the first connector and to determine a second energy parameter of a second portable device connected to the cable via the second connector. The control unit also includes an energy transfer module configured to facilitate energy transfer between the first and second portable devices based on the first and second energy parameters.

Claims

1. An energy transfer apparatus, comprising:

a cable having a first end with a first connector operably coupled thereto and a second end with a second connector operably coupled thereto; and

a control unit coupled to the cable, the control unit comprising;

a device interface module configured to determine a first energy parameter of a first portable device detachably connected to the cable via the first connector and to determine a second energy parameter of a second portable device detachably connected to the cable via the second connector; and

an energy transfer module configured to facilitate energy transfer between the first and second portable devices based on the first and second energy parameters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interface module is further configured to receive an energy delivery request from at least one of the first and second portable devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interface module is further configured to transmit an identifier associated with the cable to at least one of the first and second portable devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interface module is further configured to transmit an identifier associated with at least one of the first and second portable devices to the other portable device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interface module is further configured to transmit a query to at least one of the first and second portable devices to request the respective first or second energy parameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interface module is further configured to transmit a query to at least one of the first and second portable devices to request an identifier of the respective first or second portable device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interface module includes a memory device configured to store at least one of the first and second energy parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory device is further configured to store an identifier associated with at least one of the first and second portable devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory device is further configured to store an identifier associated with the cable.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second energy parameters includes a state of charge of the respective first or second portable device.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second energy parameters includes maximum voltage and maximum current specifications of the respective first or second portable device.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second energy parameters includes a maximum energy transfer rate of the respective first or second portable device.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portable device is a host device and the second portable device is a recipient device, wherein the energy transfer module is further configured to transfer energy from the host device to the recipient device.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to receive an energy transfer parameter, and wherein the energy transfer between the first and second portable devices is further based on the energy transfer parameter.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control unit further includes a user interface module configured to receive a first user input comprising the energy transfer parameter.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the energy transfer parameter includes a selection of one of the first and second portable devices as a host device, the other of the first and second portable devices being a recipient device, wherein the energy transfer module is further configured to transfer energy from the host device to the recipient device.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy transfer module is further configured to convert the energy transferred between the first and second portable devices between a first voltage and a second voltage.

43. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy transfer module is further configured to convert the energy transferred between the first and second portable devices between a first current and a second current.

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44-51. -51. (canceled)

52. A method of transferring energy between portable devices, comprising:

detecting, by an energy transfer device, a first connection of a first portable device;

determining, by the energy transfer device, a first energy parameter of the first portable device;

detecting, by the energy transfer device, a second connection of a second portable device;

determining, by the energy transfer device, a second energy parameter of the second portable device; and

transferring, by the energy transfer device, energy between the first and second portable devices based on the first and second energy parameters.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices includes:

receiving first energy from the first portable device, the first energy having the first energy parameter;

converting the first energy to second energy, the second energy having the second energy parameter; and

transmitting the second energy to the second portable device.

59. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

upon detecting at least one of the first connection and the second connection, transmitting a query to the respective portable device, the query comprising a request for the respective energy parameter.

67. The method of claim 52, further comprising determining an energy transfer parameter, wherein the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices is further based on the energy transfer parameter.

68. The method of claim 67, further comprising upon detecting at least one of the first connection and the second connection, transmitting a query to the respective portable device, the query comprising a request for the energy transfer parameter.

71. The method of claim 67, wherein the energy transfer parameter identifies one of the first and the second portable devices as a host device, and the other of the first and second portable devices as a recipient device, wherein the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices includes transferring energy from the host device to the recipient device.

72. The method of claim 67, wherein the energy transfer parameter includes an energy transfer authorization.

73. The method of claim 67, further comprising:

monitoring the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices; and

stopping the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices based on the energy transfer parameter.

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97. A method of transferring energy between portable devices, comprising:

determining a first energy parameter of a first portable device;

determining a second energy parameter of a second portable device;

determining an energy transfer parameter;

transferring energy between the first and second portable devices based on the first and second energy parameters and further based on the energy transfer parameter;

monitoring the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices; and

stopping the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices upon detecting an energy transfer completion indicator.

98. The method of claim 97, further comprising receiving at least one of the first energy parameter and the second energy parameter from the respective portable device.

99. The method of claim 97, further comprising transmitting a query to at least one of the first portable device and the second portable device, wherein the query comprises a request for the respective energy parameter.

101. The method of claim 97, wherein the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices includes:

receiving first energy from the first portable device, the first energy having the first energy parameter;

converting the first energy to second energy, the second energy having the second energy parameter; and

transmitting the second energy to the second portable device.

105. The method of claim 97, further comprising:

upon detecting at least one of a first connection with the first portable device and a second connection with the second portable device, transmitting a wake-up command to the respective portable device.

126. The method of claim 97, further comprising identifying one of the first and the second portable devices as a host device, the other of the first and second portable devices being a recipient device, wherein the transferring of energy between the first and second portable devices includes transferring energy from the host device to the recipient device.

139. The method of claim 97, wherein transferring energy between the first and second portable devices comprises converting the energy between a first voltage and a second voltage.

140. The method of claim 97, wherein transferring energy between the first and second portable devices comprises converting the energy between a first current and a second current.

141. The method of claim 97, wherein transferring energy between the first and second portable devices comprises converting the energy between a first time profile and a second time profile.

100. (canceled)

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