Dual mode wireless charging source and sink

• US 9,306,419 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Qian, Nanjun, Li, Yuk Lun, Schmidt, Christopher, Raghavachari, Balaji, Venkataramu, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/728,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20140183962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.37, 340/10.34, 340/12.37, 340/13.24, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/80 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

Abstract

A first device may have a processor and a power management system configured to receive a request from a second device. The first device may receive attribute data from the second device and compare the attribute data of the second device to attribute data of the first device. The first device may then determine whether the second device is a qualifying device based on the comparison and it may also determine a power transfer mode of the first device based on whether the device is a qualifying device and on the attribute data of the first and second device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first device and a second device each having a processor, wherein the first device is not in physical contact with the second device, the first device including a first wireless charging power transmitter and a first wireless charging power receiver; and

at least one of the first device and second device having a power management system configured to;

compare attribute data from the first device with attribute data from the second device, wherein the attribute data of the first device includes a location of the first device; and

wherein the attribute data of the second device includes a location of the second; and

select a power transfer mode for the first device based on the comparison of the attribute data from the first and second devices, wherein the selection of the power transfer mode causes the first device to one of accept wireless charging power from another device and transmit wireless charging power to the other device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device controls the power management system and the second device is the other device, and wherein the second device is configured to receive a request for power from the first device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the power management system is further configured to:

receive subsequent attribute data from the first device and second device;

compare the additional attribute data from the first device with the additional attribute data of the second device; and

adjust the power transfer mode of the first device, based on the additional attribute data, from a previously selected power transfer mode to a power transfer mode not currently selected.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management system is configured to cause the first device to physically move at least one of (i) the first wireless charging power receiver to enhance reception of wireless charging power from the other device and (ii) the first wireless charging power transmitter to enhance transmission of wireless charging power to the other device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to operate in the power transfer mode and provide a wireless network simultaneously, and wherein the second device is configured to receive the attribute data from the first device via the wireless network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management system is further configured to:

detect additional devices and receive attribute data from each additional device, wherein the additional devices are capable of power transfer mode operation;

compare the attribute data from the additional devices with the attribute data of the first and second devices; and

select a device power transfer mode of the additional devices based on the comparison, wherein the selection of the device power transfer mode for each of the additional devices occurs while the first device one of transmits wireless charging power and accepts wireless charging power.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the additional devices are not in physical contact with one another and the first and second devices, and wherein the first wireless charging power transmitter and the first wireless charging power receiver of the first device together comprise a transceiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless charging power transmitter and the first wireless charging power receiver is a removable device coupled to the first device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device controls the power management system, and wherein the first device is configured to provide a request for power to the second device.

10. A method comprising:

determining whether one of a first device and a second device controls a power management system to control at least an inductive transfer of power among the first and second devices;

receiving, at the first device, a power transfer request from the second device;

reading attribute data from the first device, wherein the attribute data of the first device includes a battery level threshold of the first device;

determining whether to inductively transfer power from the first device to the second device based on the battery level threshold of the first device;

reading attribute data from a third device, wherein the attribute data of the third device includes a battery level threshold of the third device;

determining whether to inductively transfer power from the third device to the second device, wherein determining whether to inductively transfer power from the third device is based on both the battery level threshold of the third device and the battery level threshold of the first device; and

inductively transferring power to the second device from one of the first device and the third device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising predicting how much power the second device may consume during a charging operation, wherein determining whether to inductively transfer power from the first device to the second device is further based on the predicting how much power the second device may consume.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving subsequent attribute data at predetermined periodic increments.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising networking the first device and the second device via wi-fi such that the first device may communicate with the second device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising transferring control of the power management system to a device not presently in control of the power management system based on the device not presently in control receiving a request for power transfer.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructing a transmitter of the first device to be directed towards the second device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising notifying the second device that the power transfer request is being processed, wherein the power transfer request one of requests power from the first device and requests power from any device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether to inductively transfer power from the third device to the second device or from the first device to the second device is further based on at least one of (i) a location of the third device and a location of the second device and (ii) whether the first device is coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source or a battery power source.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions cause a first device to:

manage inductive power transfer operations of the first device and a second device;

detect a third device;

read attribute data from each of the first device, the second device, and the third device, wherein (i) the attribute data of the first device includes a battery level attribute of the first device, (ii) the attribute data of the second device includes a battery level attribute of the second device, and (iii) the attribute data of the third device includes a battery level attribute of the third device; and

determine whether to engage in an inductive power transfer directly between the first device and the second device based on the battery level attribute of the first device, the battery level attribute of the second device, and the battery level attribute of the third device.

19. The medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions to cause the first device to compare a location of the third device with at least one of a location of the first device and a location of the second device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions cause a first device to:

manage inductive power transfer operations of the first device and a second device;

read attribute data of the first device and the second device, wherein the attribute data of the first device includes a first battery level attribute of the first device;

determine whether to engage in an inductive power transfer between the first device and the second device based on the battery level attribute of the first device;

detect a third device;

receive attribute data from the third device, wherein the attribute data from the third device includes a battery level attribute of the third device, and wherein the determination of whether to engage in the inductive power transfer between the first device and the second device is further based on the battery level attribute of the third device; and

cause the first device to compare a location of the third device with at least one of a location of the first device and a location of the second device.