Cross-connection resolution in wireless power transfer systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270260-B2
Application number	US-201514975105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

Power transmitting unit (PTU) usable with a wireless power transfer system to supply power and maintain a control signaling link to a local power receiving unit (PRU). A cross-connection circumstance between the PTU and a remote PRU is determined, where a control signaling link between the PTU and the remote PRU is established in an absence of power transmission to the remote PRU from the PTU. In response to the cross-connection circumstance, the control signaling link with the remote PRU is terminated while the supply of power and the control signaling link with the local PRU is maintained. In a related embodiment, a wrong-placement characteristic where power is transferred to a rogue local PRU in an absence of a control signaling link with that PRU, is detected. In response, the supply of power is maintained for at least a waiting period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for a power transmitting unit (PTU) to supply power to a local power receiving unit (PRU) via coupling between a power transmission transducer of the PTU and the PRU, the apparatus comprising:
power circuitry to drive the power transmission transducer;
wireless communication circuitry to establish a control signaling link with the local PRU; and
processing circuitry to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
provide a supply of power and the control signaling link with the local PRU;
detect a wrong-placement characteristic comprising power transfer to a rogue local PRU via the power transmission transducer in an absence of a control signaling link with the rogue local PRU, the wrong-placement characteristic being detected based on communication of a PTU-specific code that includes an ID value, by variation of the supply power via the transmission transducer, wherein the PTU-specific code is encoded in the supply power; and
in response to detection of the wrong-placement characteristic, maintain the supply of power for at least a waiting period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
monitor for cessation of the wrong-placement characteristic during the waiting period; and
in response to an expiration of the waiting period and a non-cessation of the wrong-placement characteristic during the waiting period, interrupt the supply of power.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
in response to cessation of the wrong placement characteristic during the waiting period, maintain the supply of power via the power transmission transducer; and
in response to non-cessation of the wrong placement characteristic during the waiting period, terminate the supply of power via the power transmission transducer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
adjust the waiting period based on an amount of output power being supplied via the power transmission transducer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
detect a cross-connection circumstance between the PTU and a remote PRU wherein a control signaling link exists between the PTU and the remote PRU in an absence of power transmission to the remote PRU via the power transmission transducer;
in response to the cross-connection circumstance detection, terminate the control signaling link with the remote PRU while the supply of power and the control signaling link is maintained with the local PRU.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to detect the cross-connection circumstance based on:
a communication of a PTU-specific code by variation of supply power via the transmission transducer; and
determination, based on communications via the control signaling link, of receipt failure of the PTU-specific code by any PRU.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
terminate the control signaling link with the remote PRU within a predefined time duration b, and maintain the supply of power and the control signaling link with the local PRU for a time duration a, wherein a is greater than b.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the power circuitry and wireless communication circuitry to:
in response to termination of the control signaling link with the remote PRU, prevent establishment of a control signaling link with the remote PRU for a predefined time duration.

9. A method for operating a power transmitting unit (PTU) to supply power to a local power receiving unit (PRU) via coupling between a power transmission transducer of the PTU and the local PRU, the method comprising:
providing a supply of power to the local PRU via the power transmission transducer;
maintaining a control signaling link with the local PRU;
detecting a wrong-placement characteristic comprising power transfer to a rogue local PRU via the power transmission transducer in an absence of a control signaling link with the rogue local PRU, including communicating a PTU-specific code, that includes an ID value, by variation of the supply power via the transmission transducer, wherein the PTU-specific code is encoded in the supply power;
in response to detecting the wrong-placement characteristic, maintaining the supply of power via the power transmission transducer for at least a waiting period.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
monitoring for cessation of the wrong-placement characteristic during the waiting period; and
in response to an expiration of the waiting period and a non-cessation of the wrong-placement characteristic during the waiting period, interrupting the supply of power.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to cessation of the wrong placement characteristic during the waiting period, maintaining the supply of power via the power transmission transducer; and
in response to non-cessation of the wrong placement characteristic during the waiting period, terminating the supply of power via the power transmission transducer.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
adjusting the waiting period based on an amount of output power being supplied via the power transmission transducer.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting a cross-connection circumstance between the PTU and a remote PRU wherein a control signaling link exists between the PTU and the remote PRU in an absence of power transmission to the remote PRU via the power transmission transducer;
in response to detecting the cross-connection circumstance, terminating the control signaling link with the remote PRU while maintaining the supply of power and the control signaling link with the local PRU.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Gao Jie
• Lin Xintian E

Classifications

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H04B5/0037

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J5/005 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B5/79 Primary

  for data transfer in combination with power transfer · CPC title