Mobile device to control a charge pad system

• US 9,627,913 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Maugars, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US13/059,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,819 Days
• Field of Search: 455573, 455 411, 455 412, 455572
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A method of charging a mobile device on a charge pad. The method includes receiving a wireless charge from at least one of a plurality of charge pad power coils. The method also includes enabling communications between the charge pad and the mobile device. The method also includes sending a command from the wireless device to the charge pad to adjust a characteristic of the wireless charge at the charge pad and to enable the wireless device to control the characteristic of the wireless charge of the charge pad.

Claims

1. A mobile device for communication with a charge pad, the mobile device comprising:

a battery configured to power the mobile device;

a power coil coupled to the battery, the power coil configured to receive a wireless charge from at least one of a plurality of charge pad power coils;

a communication device configured to enable communications with the charge pad, to send a command from the mobile device to the charge pad, to adjust a characteristic of the received wireless charge based on the command sent from the mobile device, to initiate a testing sequence to test a plurality of charge rates, and to perform a selection of one of the tested charge rates for the received wireless charge; and

a processor coupled to the communication device with the charge pad, wherein the processor is configured to actively monitor the wireless charge of the mobile device in conjunction with a current state of the mobile device under charge, to analyze the characteristic of the monitored wireless charge in conjunction with a testing sequence of the charge pad, and to direct the communication device to send the command to the charge pad, wherein the sent command is based on both the active monitoring and the analysis of the characteristic of the wireless charge, and the characteristic of the wireless charge comprises the selected charge rate.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to initiate the testing sequence to test a sequence of the plurality of charge pad power coils and to perform a selection of the at least one of the plurality of charge pad power coils to emit the wireless charge, and the characteristic of the wireless charge comprises the selection of the at least one of the plurality of charge pad power coils.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to initiate the testing sequence to test a plurality of amperage levels, to perform a selection of one of the tested amperage levels for the wireless charge, and the characteristic of the wireless charge comprises the selected amperage level.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to initiate the testing sequence to test a plurality of voltage levels, to perform a selection of one of the tested voltage levels for the wireless charge, and the characteristic of the wireless charge comprises the selected voltage level.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to query the battery to detect a current battery level and to send the command to the charge pad to adjust the characteristic of the wireless charge according to the detected battery level.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor coupled to the communication device, wherein the communication device is further configured to query the temperature sensor to detect a current system temperature and to send the command to the charge pad to adjust the characteristic of the wireless charge according to the detected system temperature.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a radio-frequency (RF) identification (ID) device, is further configured to send RFID data to the charge pad during the communications between the mobile device and the charge pad to allow the charge pad to perform a device check of the mobile device, and the RFID data comprise at least one device parameter of a minimum charge rate, a maximum charge rate, a battery level threshold, a temperature threshold, a device manufacturer ID, and a device model ID.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication device further comprises:

a near field communication (NFC) circuit, wherein the communication device is further configured to send identification (ID) data to the charge pad in response to a request for the ID data from the charge pad to allow the charge pad to perform a device check of the mobile device and to receive a compliance parameter from the charge pad in response to a request for the compliance parameter from the mobile device, the received compliance parameter to allow the mobile device to perform a compliance check of the charge pad, the compliance parameter comprises at least one charge pad parameter of a charge pad manufacturer ID, a charge pad model ID, a list of supported charge rates, a list of supported voltage levels, and a list of supported amperage levels, and the device check comprises a first authentication of the mobile device to the charge pad and the compliance check comprises a second authentication of the charge pad to the mobile device.

9. A method of wirelessly charging a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless charge from at least one of a plurality of charge pad power coils to charge a battery of the mobile device;

enabling communications between the charge pad and the mobile device;

actively monitoring the received wireless charge of the mobile device in conjunction with a current state of the mobile device under charge;

analyzing a characteristic of the received wireless charge in conjunction with a testing sequence of the charge pad, wherein the testing sequence comprises testing a plurality of charge rates associated with the received wireless charge, and the analyzed characteristic of the wireless charge comprises a selection of one of the plurality of charge rates;

determining which of the plurality of charge rates to implement in the wireless charge of the charge pad power coil; and

sending a command from the wireless device to the charge pad to adjust the analyzed characteristic of the wireless charge and to enable the wireless device to control the analyzed characteristic of the wireless charge of the charge pad power coil.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

testing a sequence of the plurality of charge pad power coils, wherein the characteristic of the wireless charge comprises a selected charge pad power coil; and

determining which charge to implement in the wireless charge of the charge pad power coil.

11. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

querying the battery to detect a current battery level of the wireless device; and

sending the command to the charge pad to adjust the characteristic of the wireless charge according to the detected battery level.

12. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

querying a temperature sensor to detect a current system temperature of the wireless device; and

sending the command to the charge pad to adjust the characteristic of the wireless charge according to the detected system temperature.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing a general localization of a power coil of a coil array.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing a fine localization loop.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting the power coil of the coil array that provides a highest relative received power at a device power coil.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

testing the plurality of charge rates as part of a dual authentication scheme.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sequentially testing each of the plurality of charge pad power coils.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sequentially testing a list of supported charge rates.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sequentially testing a list of supported voltage levels.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sequentially testing a list of supported amperage levels.