METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMALLY LOCATING A DEVICE TO BE CHARGED IN A CHARGING AREA OF A WIRELESS CHARGER

• US 20160118835A1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: HERRMANN, JOHN E., DESAI, DIPTI V,, TERRANOVA, MARK J.
• Application Number:
  US14/524,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20160118835A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless charger facilitates positioning of a device or devices to be charged by the wireless charger in an optimum location relative to the wireless charger. Some embodiments use physical exclusion features to prevent placement of a device at minimum intensity positions in a charging field. Some embodiments use graphical indicia to indicate the relative charging field strength (or field strength indicators such as charge current, wattage etc.) at various positions so that the user can select an appropriate position. Some embodiments facilitate communication between the wireless charger and the device, where the wireless charger maintains a record of the devices being charged and their positions, in order to recommend a charging position.

Claims

1. A wireless charger, comprising:

a wireless charging power signal generator;

at least one resonant charging coil coupled to the wireless charging power signal generator and which produces an electromagnetic charging field in a charging area of the wireless charger, the charging field having at least one minimum intensity position in the charging area; and

at least one indication of the at least one minimum intensity position in the charging area.

2. The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the at least one resonant charging coil comprises a plurality of resonant charging coils located in different portions of the wireless charger, wherein each one of the plurality of resonant charging coils produces a charging field, the at least one minimum intensity position is formed by interference among the respective charging fields of the plurality of resonant charging coils.

3. The wireless charger of claim 2, wherein at least two of the plurality of resonant charging coils are oriented in different planes.

4. The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the indication of the at least one minimum intensity position is an exclusion feature that prevents placement of a device to be charged at the at least one minimum intensity position.

5. The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the indication of the at least one minimum intensity position comprises a hook mounted on a wall of the wireless charger, wherein the hook is mounted on either an internal surface of the wall or an exterior surface of the wall and within the charging field.

6. The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the indication of the at least one minimum intensity position is a graphical indication on a surface in the charging area.

7. The wireless charger of claim 6, wherein the graphical indication further indicates at least one non-minimum intensity position in the charging area.

8. The wireless charger of claim 7, further comprising a communication circuit, wherein the wireless charger communicates with a device to be charged to receive device information from the device to be charged, and wherein the charger indicates a position to place the device to be charged among the at least one minimum intensity position and the at least one non-minimum intensity position in the charging area based at least in part on the device information.

9. The wireless charger of claim 8, wherein the wireless charger maintains a record for each of a plurality of devices being charged by the wireless charger and a position of each of the plurality of devices being charged by the charger, and wherein the position to place the device is based on the positions of the plurality of devices being charged.

10. The wireless charger of claim 9, wherein the record for each of the plurality of devices being charged includes at least one of a state of charge, optimum charging parameters, a device charging priority, or an organizational identifier.

11. The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the wireless charger further comprises at least one collapsible member that includes a charging coil.

12. The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the wireless charger can be powered from either a commercial AC source or a DC source.

13. The wireless charger of claim 1, further comprising at least one moveable member that includes an additional charging coil that is activated when the moveable member is in an open position and deactivated when the moveable member is in a closed position.

14. A method for wireless charging of a battery in a portable device, comprising:

detecting, at a wireless charger, the portable device;

receiving, at the wireless charger from the portable device, charging requirements for the portable device;

the wireless charger determining a charging location relative to a charging coil of the wireless charger based on the charging requirements; and

the wireless charger indicating the determined charging location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the portable device comprises detecting the portable device via a wireless radio communication protocol.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein indicating the determined charging location comprises:

transmitting the determined charging location to the portable device; and

the portable device displaying the determined charging location.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein indicating the determined charging location comprises displaying the determined charging location on a display of the wireless charger.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless charger includes at least one moveable member having an additional charging coil, the determining the charging location further comprises determining the charging location based on a present configuration of the at least one moveable member.

19. A wireless charging system, comprising:

a wireless charger having at least one resonant charging coil that produces an electromagnetic charging field in a charging area of the wireless charger, the charging field having at least one minimum intensity position in the charging area, the wireless charger further having at least one physical indication of the at least one minimum intensity position in the charging area; and

a portable device having a battery and a receiving coil that receives energy from the resonant charging coil to recharge the battery.

20. The wireless charging system of claim 19, further wherein the physical indication of the at least one minimum intensity position comprises graphical indicia on a charging surface of the wireless charger.

21. The wireless charging system of claim 19, wherein the portable device communicates device information to the wireless charger and the wireless charger determines a position to place the portable device among the at least one minimum intensity position and the at least one non-minimum intensity position in the charging area based at least in part on the device information.

22. The wireless charging system of claim 21, further comprising:

a hook disposed on one or more of;

a wall of the wireless charger on either an interior or exterior surface of the wall within the charging field;

a wall exterior to the wireless charger within the charging field; and

wherein the hook includes a visual indicator to indicate that the portable device is to be hung on the hook as the determined position.