Wireless charging base with integrated short range communication

• US 8,805,456 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hardy, Michael, LaRocca, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US13/250,154
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/573
• US Class Current: 455/573
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A wide area communication system includes a mobile communication device and an inductive charging base that charges the battery of the wireless mobile communication device through inductive coupling. The inductive charging base may receive data from the wireless mobile communication device via a short range wireless communication link while the wireless mobile communication device is charging using the inductive charging base. One or more applications stored on the wireless mobile communication device can be automatically activated and data can be sent from the wireless mobile communication device to the inductive charging base via the short range wireless communication link, only while the wireless mobile communication device is Bluetooth paired with the inductive charging base and there is inductive coupling between the inductive charging base and the wireless mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication system comprising:

a wireless mobile communication device containing a battery and configured to wirelessly communicate with another device via a short range wireless communication link; and

an inductive charging base configured to inductively charge the battery and to receive data from the wireless mobile communication device via the short range wireless communication link;

wherein the wireless mobile communication device is configured to;

determine whether the wireless mobile communication device is connected with the inductive charging base via the short range wireless communication link,

responsive to determining that the wireless mobile communication device is connected to the inductive charging base via the short range wireless communication link, determine whether the wireless mobile communication device is inductively coupled with the inductive charging base, and

in response to determining that the wireless mobile communication device is both connected with the inductive charging base via the short range wireless communication link and inductively coupled with the inductive charging base, initiate the inductive charging of the battery and at least one of;

(1) automatically activate an application stored on the wireless mobile communication device, or

(2) send data via the short range communication link to the inductive charging base based upon execution of the application.

2. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein the inductive charging base is configured to inductively couple and connect with a plurality of wireless mobile communication devices but only to a single communication device at any given moment.

3. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inductive charging base and the wireless mobile communication device are configured to stop charging of the battery and sever the short range wireless communication link between the wireless mobile communication device and the inductive charging base if the wireless mobile communication device is separated from the inductive charging base by a greater than effective inductive coupling distance.

4. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is configured to stop charging of the battery through the inductive charging base if there is no short range wireless communication link between the wireless mobile communication device and the inductive charging base.

5. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein

the wireless mobile communication device is further configured to communicate telephonically via a wide area communication system, and

if the wireless mobile communication device is placed on the inductive charging base while its wide area communication system is providing telephone communication, the inductive charging base is configured to automatically transmit the telephone communication received from the wireless mobile communication device via the short range wireless communication link through speakers of the inductive charging base.

6. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 5, wherein if the wireless mobile communication device is placed on the inductive charging base while its wide area communication system is not providing telephone communication, the wireless mobile communication device is configured to wirelessly stream audio to the inductive charging base through the short range wireless communication link.

7. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 6, wherein if the wireless mobile communication device is placed on the inductive charging base while its wide area communication system is not providing telephone communication, the inductive charging base is configured to automatically turn the speakers ON, if OFF.

8. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 5, wherein if the wireless mobile communication device is placed on the inductive charging base while its wide area communication system is providing telephone communication, the inductive charging base is configured to automatically turn the speakers ON, if OFF.

9. A wireless mobile communication device, comprising:

a wide area wireless transceiver for wireless communication for the wireless mobile communication device with a public wide area mobile communication network;

a short range local wireless transceiver for wireless communication with a short range local wireless transceiver of another device;

a processor for controlling the transceivers;

a battery for supplying power to the processor and the transceivers;

a coil for inductive coupling to an external inductive charging base having a previously identified short range local wireless transceiver;

a charging circuit coupled to the coil and the battery, configured to charge the battery in response to power received inductively via the coil;

a memory accessible to the processor;

application programs stored in the memory for execution by the processor to implement features utilizing the wireless communication via the short range local wireless transceiver; and

a control program stored in the memory for execution by the processor, wherein execution of the control program by the processor configures the wireless mobile communication device to perform functions, including functions to;

identify at least one of the application programs as being pre-selected for execution during inductive charging;

detect pairing of the short range local wireless transceiver of the wireless mobile communication device with the previously identified short range local wireless transceiver of the inductive charging base;

responsive to detecting that the wireless mobile communication device is paired with the inductive charging base, determine whether the wireless mobile communication device is inductively coupled to the inductive charging base by detecting power received from the inductive charging base via the coil; and

after both the pairing and the inductive coupling are detected initiate inductive char in of the batter and (1) automatically activate an identified application program for execution by the processor and (2) initiate transfer of data from the wireless mobile communication device under control of the execution of the automatically activated application program via the short range local wireless transceiver of the wireless mobile communication device to the previously identified short range local wireless transceiver of the inductive charging base.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the short range local wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

11. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the short range local wireless transceiver is a Wi-Fi transceiver.

12. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein execution of the control program by the processor further configures the wireless mobile communication device to perform functions to:

determine whether inductive coupling is severed between the wireless mobile communication device and the external inductive charging base; and

disable the identified application program when the severing of inductive coupling is detected.

13. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein execution of the control program by the processor further configures the wireless mobile communication device to perform functions to:

determine whether charge is complete; and

disable the inductive charging while allowing the application program to continue, if charge is complete, there is inductive coupling, and there is Bluetooth pairing.

14. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the charging circuit is configured to sever the inductive coupling when the wireless mobile communication device is separated from the external inductive charging base by a greater than effective inductive coupling device.

15. A method of integrating inductive charging and communication of a mobile communication device, the method comprising steps of:

establishing a short range wireless communication link between an inductive charging base and the wireless mobile communication device;

responsive to the establishment of the short range communication link between the inductive charging base and the wireless mobile communication device, detecting if inductive coupling exists between the inductive charging base and the wireless mobile communication device; and

after establishing the short range wireless communication link between the inductive charging base and the wireless mobile communication device and detecting inductive coupling, initiating the inductive charging of the mobile communication device and at least one of (1) activating at least one pre-configured application on the wireless mobile communication device or (2) transferring data from the wireless mobile communication device to the inductive charging base via the short range wireless communication link.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting whether the inductive coupling has been severed; and

in response to detecting that the inductive coupling is severed, de-activating each pre-configured application on the wireless mobile communication device and terminating transfer of data from the wireless mobile communication device to the inductive charging base via the short range wireless communication link.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining whether charging of the wireless mobile communication device is complete; and

after determining that the charging is complete, disabling the inductive charging while allowing the application program to continue if inductive coupling exists and the short range wireless communication link remains established.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the de-activating is performed by the wireless mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising pre-configuring at least one of a plurality of applications stored on the wireless mobile communication device to be automatically activated during the inductive charging of the wireless mobile communication device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the charging base, information identifying the mobile communication device prior to the short-range communications link being established;

comparing the received identification information against a list of devices that have had successful connections in the past; and

responsive to the received identification information being in the list, establishing the short range communication link.