APPARATUSES AND RELATED METHODS FOR DETECTING COIL ALIGNMENT WITH A WIRELESS POWER RECEIVER

• US 20160094043A1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Hao, Jianbin, Martchovsky, Detelin, Jeong, Chan Young, Naghavi, Arman
• Granted Patent: US 9,948,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless power receiver may include a receive coil configured to generate an AC power signal responsive to wireless power transfer from a wireless power transmitter, and control logic configured to detect misalignment of the receive coil and a transmit coil of the wireless power transmitter responsive to a determination of efficiency of wireless power transfer therebetween. A method for operating a wireless power receiver may include detecting misalignment between a receive coil and a transmit coil of a wireless power transmitter responsive to detecting monitoring a value indicative of efficiency of wireless power transfer between the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver, and causing an indication to be provided to a user to assist with correcting the misalignment.

Claims

1. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:

a wireless power receiver, including;

a receive coil configured to generate an AC power signal responsive to wireless power transfer from a wireless power transmitter; and

control logic configured to detect misalignment of the receive coil and a transmit coil of the wireless power transmitter responsive to a determination of efficiency of wireless power transfer therebetween.

2. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is configured to determine the efficiency of wireless power transfer based, at least in part, on determining an operating frequency of the AC power signal.

3. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control logic is configured to compare the operating frequency of the AC power signal with a look up table of reference operating frequencies.

4. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 3, wherein the look up table includes different entries of reference operating frequencies adjusted for different operating conditions of the wireless power receiver known by the control logic.

5. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 4, wherein the different operating conditions includes a load condition.

6. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 4, wherein the different operating conditions includes an operational mode of a rectifier of the wireless power receiver.

7. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operational mode of the rectifier includes one of a diode mode, half-synchronous mode, and full-synchronous mode.

8. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 4, wherein the different operating conditions includes an operational mode of a voltage converter of the wireless power receiver.

9. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operational mode of the voltage converter includes an input voltage level for the voltage converter.

10. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless power further includes an indication element configured to indicate to a user a level of misalignment detected.

11. A wireless power enabled apparatus, comprising:

a wireless power receiver, including;

a receive coil configured to generate an AC power signal responsive to a wireless power signal; and

control logic configured to detect misalignment between the receive coil and a transmit coil of a wireless power transmitter based, at least in part, on a comparison of a measured value with a reference value, the measured value indicative of the efficiency of wireless power transfer from the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver, and the reference value indicative of an expected measured value for an operating condition of the wireless power receiver.

12. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measured value and the reference value are power loss values.

13. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measured value and the reference values are ratios of received power and transmitted power.

14. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data for the transmitted power is received via communication with the wireless power transmitter.

15. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 12, wherein the measured value and the reference values are operating frequencies for the wireless power signal.

16. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 12, wherein the measured value and the reference values are voltages across the receive coil.

17. The wireless power enabled apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wireless power receiver further includes:

a rectifier and a voltage converter operably coupled with the receive coil to receive the AC power signal, wherein at least the reference values are adjusted for the operating condition that includes an operational mode of the rectifier and the voltage converter.

18. A method for operating a wireless power receiver, the method comprising:

detecting misalignment between a receive coil and a transmit coil of a wireless power transmitter responsive to detecting monitoring a value indicative of efficiency of wireless power transfer between the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver; and

causing an indication to be provided to a user to assist with correcting the misalignment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein monitoring a value indicative of efficiency of the wireless power transfer includes:

monitoring an operating frequency of a wireless power signal; and

comparing the operating frequency with reference operating frequencies indicative of an efficiency for an amount of misalignment corresponding to an operating condition of the wireless power receiver.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein causing an indication to be provided to a user to assist with correcting the misalignment includes providing the user with a level of misalignment from among a plurality of different levels of misalignment during wireless power transfer.