Temperature Management in a Wireless Energy Transfer System

• US 20160064948A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Heresztyn, Amaury J., Cox, Keith, Jol, Eric S., Alves, Jeffrey M., Hwang, Jim C., Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Ananny, John M., Kalyanasundaram, Nagarajan, Parnell, Robert S., Herbst, Steven G., Moyer, Todd K., Golko, Albert J., Liang, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 10,014,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Various techniques for temperature management during inductive energy transfer are disclosed. A transmitter device and/or a receiver device can be turned off during energy transfer based on the temperature of the transmitter device and/or of the receiver device.

Claims

1. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method comprising:

during energy transfer, determining if a temperature of the transmitter or receiver device is equal to or greater than a first temperature threshold;

if the temperature is equal to or greater than the first temperature threshold, turning off the transmitter device;

determining if the temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or less than a second temperature threshold; and

if the temperature is equal to or less than the second temperature threshold, turning on the transmitter device.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising providing a notice to a user when the temperature does not at least equal the second temperature threshold within a given period of time.

3. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method comprising:

during energy transfer, determining if a temperature of the transmitter or receiver device is equal to or greater than a first temperature threshold;

if the temperature is equal to or greater than the first temperature threshold, turning off the transmitter device for a given period of time; and

at an end of the given period of time, turning on the transmitter device.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the given period of time comprises a fixed period of time.

5. The method as in claim 3, wherein the given period of time comprises an adjustable period of time.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the given period of time is adjusted based on one or more prior thermal management actions.

7. The method as in claim 5, wherein the given period of time is adjusted based on a difference between a current temperature and the first temperature threshold value.

8. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method comprising:

turning off the transmitter device based on a communication signal received from the receiver device;

after a given period of time, turning on the transmitter device;

the transmitter device transmitting a ping to the receiver device; and

turning on the transmitter device based on receiving a response from the receiver device.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the communication signal is transmitted from the receiver device to the transmitter device using a network communication interface.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein turning off the transmitter device based on the communication signal received from the receiver device comprises turning off the transmitter device for the given period of time based on a communication signal received from the receiver device.

11. The method as in claim 8, further comprising during energy transfer, the receiver device receiving temperature data from the transmitter device so the receiver device can determine whether the transmitter device should be turned off.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the temperature data is obtained from a temperature sensor in the transmitter device.

13. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method comprising activating a photoplethysmogram sensor in the receiver device when the receiver device is on an inductive charging surface of the transmitter device to determine a presence or absence of the transmitter device.

14. An inductive energy transfer system comprising:

a transmitter device, comprising;

a first temperature sensor;

a first network communication interface; and

a receiver device, comprising;

a second network communication interface; and

a first processing device, wherein during energy transfer the first network communication interface is configured to transmit first temperature data obtained from the first temperature sensor to the second network communication interface and the first processing device is configured to determine whether the transmitter device should be turned off based on the first temperature data.

15. The inductive energy transfer system as claim 14, wherein the receiver device comprises a second temperature sensor and the first processing device is configured to determine whether the transmitter device should be turned off based on second temperature data obtained from the second temperature sensor and the first temperature data received from the transmitter device.

16. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 14, further comprising a third network communication interface in the receiver device transmitting a communication signal to a fourth network communication interface in the transmitter device and a second processing device in the transmitter device is configured to turn off the transmitter device based on the communication signal.

17. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 16, wherein the second and third network communication interfaces comprise the same network communication interface in the receiver device and the first and fourth network communication interfaces comprise the same network communication interface in the transmitter device.

18. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 14, wherein the receiver device comprises a wearable communication device.

19. An inductive energy transfer system, comprising:

a transmitter device comprising;

a temperature sensor;

a first network communication interface; and

a first processing device; and

a receiver device comprising;

a second temperature sensor;

a second network communication interface; and

a second processing device, wherein during energy transfer the first network communication interface is configured to transmit temperature data obtained from the temperature sensor to the second network communication interface and the second processing device is configured to determine whether a temperature of the transmitter device is equal to or greater than a temperature threshold and, if the temperature is equal to or greater than the temperature threshold, the second processing device is configured to transmit a communication signal from a third network communication interface in the receiver device to a fourth network communication interface in the transmitter device and the first processing device is configured to turn off the transmitter device for a given period of time based on the communication signal.

20. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 19, wherein the first processing device is configured to turn on the transmitter device at an end of the given period of time.

21. The inductive energy transfer system as in claim 19, wherein the second and third network communication interfaces comprise the same network communication interface in the receiver device and the first and fourth network communication interfaces comprise the same network communication interface in the transmitter device.