Rectifier arbitration in wireless charging systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10355514-B2
Application number	US-201715485078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A wireless power transmitting device may transmit power wirelessly to a wireless power receiving device. The wireless power receiving device may be a portable electronic device with an array of wireless power receiving coils that receive wireless power from wireless power transmitting coils in the wireless power transmitting device. Each receiving coil in the array of wireless power receiving coils may be coupled to a respective rectifier. Control circuitry of the wireless power receiving device may be configured to determine which rectifiers to enable for synchronous rectification. The control circuitry may be configured to enable at least one rectifier based on the alternating-current voltages produced by each coil in the array of receiving coils. The control circuitry may also be configured to enable at least one rectifier based on the output current from each rectifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device configured to receive wireless power from a power transmitting device, comprising:
first and second coils configured to receive alternating-current magnetic signals transmitted from the power transmitting device and configured to produce corresponding alternating-current voltages;
a first rectifier coupled to the first coil, wherein the first rectifier has transistors configured to rectify the alternating-current voltages from the first coil and produce a corresponding rectified direct-current voltage when active rectification in the first rectifier is enabled;
a second rectifier coupled to the second coil, wherein the second rectifier has transistors configured to rectify the alternating-current voltages from the second coil and produce a corresponding rectified direct-current voltage when active rectification in the second rectifier is enabled; and
control circuitry including a comparator that has first and second inputs, wherein a first node between the first coil and the first rectifier is coupled to the first input of the comparator, wherein a second node between the second coil and the second rectifier is coupled to the second input of the comparator, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to enable active rectification in at least one of the first rectifier and the second rectifier based on an output of the comparator.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising a first resistor and a first capacitor, wherein the first resistor is coupled between the first node and the first input of the comparator, wherein the first resistor is coupled to a third node that is interposed between the first node and the first input, and wherein the first capacitor is coupled between the third node and ground.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , further comprising a second resistor and a second capacitor, wherein the second resistor is coupled between the second node and the second input of the comparator, wherein the second resistor is coupled to a fourth node that is interposed between the second node and the second input, and wherein the second capacitor is coupled between the fourth node and ground.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the first rectifier and the second rectifier are both coupled to a common rectifier output node, the electronic device further comprising a first additional comparator that has first and second inputs, wherein the common rectifier output node is coupled to the first input of the first additional comparator and wherein a first threshold voltage is provided to the second input of the first additional comparator.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 , further comprising a second additional comparator that has first and second inputs, wherein the common rectifier output node is coupled to the first input of the second additional comparator and wherein a second threshold voltage is provided to the second input of the second additional comparator.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the first rectifier has an output that is coupled to a common rectifier output node and wherein the second rectifier has an output that is coupled to the common rectifier output node, the electronic device further comprising a first sensing resistor coupled between the output of the first rectifier and the common rectifier node and a first voltage meter that measures a voltage drop across the first sensing resistor in order to measure an output current of the first rectifier.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , further comprising a second sensing resistor coupled between the output of the second rectifier and the common rectifier output node and a second voltage meter that measures a voltage drop across the second sensing resistor in order to measure an output current of the second rectifier.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , further comprising a second sensing resistor coupled to the common rectifier output node and a second voltage meter that measures a voltage drop across the second sensing resistor in order to measure a combined output current of the first and second rectifiers.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Terry Stephen C
• Jani Nilay D
• Gu Bin
• Hu Yongxuan

Classifications

• H02J7/045

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M7/40

  by combination of static with dynamic converters; by combination of dynamo-electric with other dynamic or static converters · CPC title

• H02J50/40

  using two or more transmitting or receiving devices (H02J50/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/025 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title