Wireless power transmission for electronic devices

• US 8,487,481 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Nigel P, Sieber, Lukas, Widmer, Hanspeter
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US13/529,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20120262004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power transfer. A wireless power receiver includes a receive antenna for coupling with a transmit antenna of transmitter generating a magnetic near field. The receive antenna receives wireless power from the magnetic near field and includes a resonant tank and a parasitic resonant tank wirelessly coupled to the resonant tank. A wireless power transmitter includes a transmit antenna for coupling with a receive antenna of a receiver. The transmit antenna generates a magnetic near field for transmission of wireless power and includes a resonant tank and a parasitic resonant tank coupled to the resonant tank.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless power transfer, comprising:

an antenna circuit; and

a power circuit coupled to the antenna circuit and configured to;

selectively drive the antenna circuit to output wireless power at a first level sufficient to charge or power a first load; and

selectively provide to a second load power received by the antenna circuit via a wireless field at a second level sufficient to power or charge the second load.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna circuit is configured to generate an alternating current based on the power received via the wireless field, and wherein the power circuit comprises a power conversion unit configured to convert the alternating current to direct current (DC) to power or charge the second load.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power conversion unit is further configured to reverse power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power conversion unit comprises a synchronous rectifier having one or more switches, and wherein the power conversion unit further comprises a control circuit configured to alter a phase of a waveform used to drive the one or more switches to reverse power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power conversion unit comprises a synchronous rectifier having one or more switches configured to rectify the alternating current, and wherein the power conversion unit comprises a control circuit configured to synchronize a waveform used to drive the one or more switches with the alternating current.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to alter a phase of the waveform driving the one or more switches of the synchronous rectifier to synchronize the waveform.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control circuit comprises a voltage and current sense circuit configured to sense at least one of a voltage level or a current level, the control circuit being configured to synchronize the waveform based on at least one of the voltage level or the current level.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power conversion unit comprises a synchronous rectifier having one or more switches, and wherein the power conversion unit comprises a control circuit configured to provide a waveform to drive the one or more switches to reverse power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power circuit comprises a transmit circuit configured to selectively drive the antenna circuit with an input signal and a receive circuit configured to selectively provide to the second load the received power.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power circuit further comprises a switch configured to selectively couple the antenna circuit to the transmit circuit in a first position and to selectively couple the antenna circuit to the receive circuit in a second position.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second load comprises a battery, and wherein the power circuit is configured to provide input power to the transmit circuit using energy stored in the battery, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a switch configured to selectively couple the battery to the transmit circuit to provide the input power.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna circuit has a resonant frequency, and wherein an input signal driving the antenna circuit has a first frequency substantially equal to the resonant frequency, and wherein the received power is received via the wireless field and generates an alternating current having a second frequency substantially equal to the resonant frequency.

13. A method for wireless power transfer, comprising:

selectively driving an antenna circuit to output wireless power at a first level sufficient to charge or power a first load; and

selectively providing to a second load power received by the antenna circuit via a wireless field at a second level sufficient to power or charge the second load.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selectively providing to the second load power received by the antenna circuit comprises:

receiving an alternating current generated by the antenna circuit based on the power received via the wireless field; and

converting the alternating current to direct current (DC) via a power conversion unit to power or charge the second load.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein selectively driving the antenna circuit comprises reversing power flow of the power conversion unit into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the power conversion unit comprises a synchronous rectifier, and wherein the method further comprises altering a phase of a waveform used to drive one or more switches of the synchronous rectifier to reverse the power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the power conversion unit comprises a synchronous rectifier, and wherein the method further comprises synchronizing a waveform used to drive one or more switches of the synchronous rectifier with the alternating current.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising altering a phase of the waveform driving the one or more switches of the synchronous rectifier to synchronize the waveform.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising sensing at least one of a voltage level or a current level and wherein synchronizing comprises synchronizing the waveform based on at least one of the voltage level or the current level.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the power conversion unit comprises a synchronous rectifier, and wherein the method further comprises providing a waveform to drive one or more switches of the synchronous rectifier to reverse power flow to provide the input signal to the antenna circuit.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein selectively driving the antenna circuit comprises selectively driving the antenna circuit using a transmit circuit, and wherein selectively providing to the second load power received by the antenna circuit comprises selectively providing to the second load power received by the antenna circuit using a receive circuit, and wherein the method further comprises selectively coupling the antenna circuit to the transmit circuit using a switch and selectively coupling the antenna circuit to the receive circuit using the switch.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second load comprises a battery, and wherein the method further comprises providing input power to the transmit circuit using energy stored in the battery, and wherein the method further comprises selectively coupling the battery to the transmit circuit to provide the input power.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the antenna circuit has a resonant frequency, and wherein selectively driving the antenna comprises selectively driving the antenna with an input signal having a first frequency substantially equal to the resonant frequency, and wherein the received power is configured to generate an alternating current having a second frequency substantially equal to the resonant frequency.

24. An apparatus for wireless power transfer, comprising:

an antenna circuit; and

means for providing power comprising;

means for selectively driving the antenna circuit to output wireless power at a first level sufficient to charge or power a first load; and

means for selectively providing to a second load power received by the antenna circuit via a wireless field at a second level sufficient to power or charge the second load.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the antenna circuit is configured to generate an alternating current based on the power received via the wireless field, and wherein the means for providing power comprises means for converting the alternating current to direct current (DC) to power or charge the second load.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the converting means further comprises means for means for reversing power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the converting means comprises means for synchronous rectification having one or more switches, and wherein the converting means further comprising means for altering a phase of a waveform used to drive the one or more switches to reverse power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means for selectively driving the antenna circuit comprises a transmit circuit, and wherein the means for selectively providing to the second load power received by the antenna circuit comprises a receive circuit, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for selectively coupling the antenna circuit to the transmit circuit and means for selectively coupling the antenna circuit to the receive circuit.

29. A computer program product, comprising:

computer readable medium comprising;

code for selectively driving an antenna circuit to output wireless power at a first level sufficient to charge or power a first load; and

code for selectively providing to a second load power received by the antenna circuit via a wireless field at a second level sufficient to power or charge the second load.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein code for selectively providing to a second load power received by the antenna circuit comprises code for providing a waveform used to drive one or more switches of a synchronous rectifier configured to convert an alternating current generated at the antenna circuit via the wireless field into direct current (DC) to power or charge the first load.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the code for selectively driving an antenna circuit comprises code to alter the phase of the waveform to reverse power flow into the antenna circuit to output wireless power at the first level.