Wireless power transfer adaptation triggers

• US 9,236,757 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walley, John, van der Lee, Reinier
• Primary Examiner(s): Levin, Naum B
• Application Number:
  US13/630,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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

Abstract

Adaptive multi-pathway wireless charging is described. In one aspect, embodiments enable one or more wireless charging pathways to be established concurrently in a wireless charging environment. The wireless charging pathways use same or different frequencies, powers, wireless power transfer (WPT) standards, and WPT configurations. Embodiments for adaptively configuring wireless charging based on detected events or changes in WPT characteristics are also provided.

Claims

1. A wireless power transfer (WPT) source device, comprising:

an array of coils configured to establish wireless charging pathways with a corresponding coil of a WPT recipient device; and

a WPT monitor module configured to detect a first event based on at least one of the established wireless charging pathways and sensor information and to trigger a second event based on the first event in the WPT recipient device;

wherein the first event includes the WPT recipient device being placed on a surface of the WIT source device, and wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to;

determine coupling coefficients between the array of coils of the WPT source device and the corresponding coil of the WPT recipient device, the coupling coefficients representing a current coupling coefficient fingerprint; and

compare the current coupling coefficient fingerprint to a plurality predetermined coupling coefficient fingerprints to determine a location of the WPT recipient device on the surface of the WPT source device, wherein the plurality of predetermined coupling coefficient fingerprints are associated with corresponding known locations on the surface of the WPT source device.

2. The WPT source device of claim 1, wherein the sensor information is generated by one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a motion sensor, a contact sensor, a camera, a microphone, a thermal imager, a seismic sensor, an inertial sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a passive radar sensor, and a capacitive-proximity sensor.

3. The WPT source device of claim 1, herein the one or more sensors are located within one or more of the WPT source device, the WPT recipient device, and a third-party device.

4. The WPT source device of claim 1, wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to detect a human presence in a vicinity of the WPT source device, and adjust a WPT configuration of the WPT source device.

5. The WPT source device of claim 4, wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to cause the array of coils to transition from a high-resonance WPT configuration to a low-resonance WPT configuration upon detection of the human presence.

6. The WPT source device of claim 4, wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to cause a reduction of an operating frequency of the array of coils upon detection of the human presence.

7. The WPT source device of claim 1, wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to trigger the WPT recipient device to turn on or off a wireless communications feature upon detecting the first event.

8. The WPT source device of claim 1, wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to cause one or more coils of the array of coils to turn on or off based on the determined location of the WPT recipient device.

9. The WPT source device of claim 1, wherein the WPT monitor device is further configured to cause a relative phase shift between two or more of the established wireless pathways.

10. A method for use in a wireless power transfer (WPT) source device, comprising:

detecting a first event based on at least one of sensor information and a wireless charging pathway established with a WPT recipient device, wherein the first event includes the WPT recipient device being placed on a surface of the WPT source device; and

triggering a second event based on the first event, including;

determining coupling coefficients between an array of coils of the WPT source device and a corresponding coil of the WPT recipient device, the coupling coefficients representing a current coupling coefficient fingerprint; and

comparing the current coupling coefficient fingerprint to a plurality of predetermined coupling coefficient fingerprints to determine a location of the WPT recipient device on the surface of the WPT source device, wherein the plurality of predetermined coupling coefficient fingerprints are associated with corresponding known locations on the surface of the WPT source device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sensor information is generated by at least one of the WPT source device, the WPT recipient device, and a third-party device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a human presence in a vicinity of the WPT source device, and adjusting a WPT configuration of the WPT source device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transitioning from a high-resonance WPT configuration to a low-resonance WPT configuration at the WPT source device upon detecting the human presence in the vicinity of the WPT source device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising reducing an operating frequency of the array of coils of the WPT source device upon detecting the human presence in the vicinity of the WPT source device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising one or more of:

turning on/off wireless communication features of the WPT recipient device;

changing a mode of operation of the WPT recipient device;

adjusting graphical user interface (GUI) settings of the WPT recipient device; and

tuning on/off an application available on the WPT recipient device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein triggering the second event in the WPT recipient device comprises sending a message to the WPT recipient device or a third-party device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising turning on or off one or more coils of the array of coils based on the determined location of the WPT recipient device.