Apparatuses and methods that facilitate the transfer of power and information among radio frequency-based devices

• US 9,806,772 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tang, John, Christie, Gregory, Dorogusker, Jesse L., Novotney, Donald, Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Tikalsky, Terry, McKillop, Christopher D., Rabu, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming-Hall, Erica
• Application Number:
  US13/775,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412, 455571-573, 320162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/30 Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present invention is directed to apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer readable media that can facilitate the transfer of power between at least two electrical devices. At least one of the electrical devices is preferably a battery operated device. The present invention may also be used to facilitate the transfer of information among electrical devices. For example, the present invention may be used to automatically pair two Bluetooth devices together.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first port;

a second port; and

a microcontroller coupled to the first port and the second port, wherein the microcontroller is configured to;

i) identify a first device coupled to the first port and a second device coupled to the second port,

ii) determine an available excess power of each of the first and second devices, wherein the available excess power of the first device is determined based on a remaining battery power of a battery of the first device,

iii) identify one of the first or second devices as a power source based on which of the first or second devices has a greater amount of available excess power relative to the other, and

iv) direct a charging current to flow from the power source to the other device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second devices are radio frequency (RF) devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to establish a communication protocol with the first device and the second device based on the identities of the first device and the identity of the second device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured further to determine if the first device is enabled for wireless pairing with the second device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to place the power source into a high power mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured determine a charge voltage associated with the other device and charge a battery of the other device using the charge voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a regulator in communication with the microcontroller; and

a boost circuit in communication with the microcontroller,

wherein the microcontroller is further configured to;

increase, using the boost circuit, a voltage provided to the other device when the charge voltage is greater than a voltage provided by the power source, and

decrease, using the regulator, the voltage provided to the other device when the charge voltage is less than the voltage provided by the power source.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the available excess power of the first device is determined based on a remaining length of time the first device can run before it needs to be charged.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the available excess power of the first device is determined based on whether the first device is connected to an external source of power.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:

monitor a voltage provided by the power source, and

restrict the charging current to prevent the power source from being drained of power by the other device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a first port configured to couple to a first device;

a second port configured to couple to a second device;

a third port configured to couple to a third device; and

a microcontroller in communication with the first port, the second port and the third port, wherein the microcontroller is configured to;

i) identify the first device when coupled to the first port, the second device when coupled to the second port, and the third device when coupled to the third port,

ii) determine an available excess power level of each of the first, second and third device, wherein the available excess power of the first device is determined based on a remaining battery power of a battery of the first device,

iii) identify a device associated with the greatest available excess power level as a power source, and

iv) direct a transfer of power from the power source to at least one of the other devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to exchange a code between the first device and the second device that allows wireless pairing between the first device and the second device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first device is wirelessly coupled to the first port and wherein the transfer of power is wireless.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to cause the power source to transfer power evenly among the other devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the microcontroller is configured to cause the power source to transfer power more rapidly to one of the other devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first, second and third devices are each one of a laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet, smartphone, wireless headset, media player, gaming device, automobile computing system, camera, mouse, keyboard, watch or speaker.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a first port configured to couple to a first device;

a second port configured to couple to a second device;

a third port configured to couple to a third device; and

a microcontroller in communication with the first, second, and third ports, wherein the microcontroller is configured to;

i) identify the first device when coupled to the first port;

ii) identify the second device when coupled to the second port;

iii) identify the third device when coupled to the third port;

iv) determine the type and available power of each of the first, second, and third devices, wherein the available power of the first device is determined based on a remaining battery power of a battery of the first device,

v) identify one of the first, second, or third devices as a power source based on a type of the first, second, and/or third device, and

vi) direct a transfer of power from the power source to the other two devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the type of the first, second, and third devices is one of a laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet, smartphone, wireless headset, automobile computing system, camera, mouse, keyboard, watch, remote control or speaker.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

i) the power source is the first device, and ii) if the first device is decoupled from the first port, the microcontroller is further configured to;

identify one of the second or third device as the power source based on the type of the second or third device, and

direct the power source to transfer power to the other device.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:

monitor a voltage provided by the power source, and

restrict the transfer of power to prevent the power source from being drained of power by the other devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to exchange a code between the first RF device and the second RF device to allow wireless pairing between the first RF device and the second RF device.