Scalable antenna system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10965159-B2
Application number	US-201414290426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2014
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

Some embodiments providing antenna systems comprising: a frame; a power transfer antenna cooperated with the frame, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to enable at least one of wirelessly and inductively receiving electrical power from another consumer electronic device and wirelessly and inductively transmitting electrical power to another consumer electronic device; one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame and configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with one or more other remote consumer electronic devices; wherein the frame is configured to readily be positioned within and mounted with multiple different consumer electronic devices and provide the consumer electronic device within which it is mounted with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities with a separate consumer electronic device with which wireless power transfer is to occur.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna system configured to operate within a consumer electronic device, wherein the antenna system comprises:
a frame;
a power transfer antenna cooperated with the frame, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to enable at least one of wirelessly and inductively receiving electrical power from another consumer electronic device and wirelessly and inductively transmitting electrical power to another consumer electronic device, wherein the one or more communications antennas comprise multiple communications antennas positioned proximate the power transfer antenna, wherein each of the multiple communications antennas is utilized in providing communications through a different one of different communication protocols, wherein the different communication protocols comprise Wi Fi protocol and a universal serial bus (USB) communication protocol;
one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame, wherein the one or more communications antenna are configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with one or more other remote consumer electronic devices over distances consistent with those to achieve wireless electrical power transfer through the power transfer antenna;
wherein the frame of the antenna system, with the power transfer antenna and the one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame, is configured to readily be positioned within device housings of multiple different types of consumer electronic devices and provide the consumer electronic device within which it is positioned with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities with a separate consumer electronic device with which wireless power transfer is to occur.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control the wireless transfer of power through the power transfer antenna, and to selectively direct communications to and receive communications through at least one of the one or more communications antennas.

3. The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein the controller selectively directs different communications to different ones of the multiple communications antennas as a function of a respective one of the different communication protocols with which the respective communications of the different communications are intended to be wirelessly transmitted.

4. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the power transfer antenna is constructed with an interior hollow region and each of the multiple communications antennas are positioned within the interior hollow region.

5. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more communications antennas is positioned concentric with the power transfer antenna.

6. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein a first communications antenna of the one or more communications antennas is configured to provide wireless communication with a first separate consumer electronic device;
wherein a second communications antenna of the one or more communications antennas is configured to provide wireless communication with a second separate consumer electronic device, while at the same time the first communications antenna is positioned to provide wireless communication with the first separate consumer electronic device, so that communications from the first separate consumer electronic device received through the first communications antenna is communicated through the second communications antenna to the second separate consumer electronic device.

7. The antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from the first separate consumer electronic device while receiving the communications from the first separate consumer electronic.

8. The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising multiple transceivers each coupled with at least one of the one or more communications antennas provide bidirectional communication utilizing one or more of the different communication protocols.

9. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to both wirelessly receive electrical power from and to wirelessly transmit electrical power to one or more consumer electronic devices.

10. The antenna system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller configured to direct communications through a first communications antenna of the one or more communications antennas utilizing a first communications protocol, and to switch to a second communications protocol to direct different communications through the first communications antenna utilizing the second communications protocol.

11. A method, comprising:
detecting, through a power transfer antenna in an antenna system secured with a consumer electronic (CE) device, an inductive coupling with a separate power transfer antenna cooperated with a separate CE device, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from another consumer electronic device and to wirelessly transmit electrical power to another consumer electronic device, and wherein the power transfer antenna is cooperated with a frame;
establishing one or more low power communication couplings between one or more local low power communications antennas, which are cooperated with the frame, and one or more remote other communication antennas of the separate CE device, wherein the one or more communications antenna are configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with the one or more other communication antennas over distances consistent with those to achieve wireless electrical power transfer through the power transfer antenna, wherein the one or more communications antennas comprise multiple communications antennas positioned proximate the power transfer antenna, wherein each of the multiple communications antennas is utilized in providing communications through a different one of different communication protocols, wherein the different communication protocols comprise Wi-Fi protocol and a universal serial bus (USB) communication protocol;
wherein the frame, with the power transfer antenna and the one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame, is configured to readily be positioned within device housings of multiple different types of consumer electronic devices and provides the CE device within which it is positioned with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
displaying recommendations to improve the inductive coupling.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
displaying recommendations to improve coupling between at least one of the one or more communications antennas with at least one of the one or more other communication antennas.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
wirelessly transferring power from through the power transfer antenna to the separate CE device; and
wirelessly communicating through at least one of the one or more communications antennas with the separate CE device while wirelessly transferring power through the power transfer antenna.

15. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the frame is sized and shaped in accordance with a predefined standard such that the antenna system is operable within the device housings of any one of the multiple different types of consumer electronic devices that are designed in accordance with the predefined standard such that the frame, with the one or more low power communications antennas and the power transfer antenna cooperated with the fram

Assignees

• Sony Corp
• Sony Network Entertainment Int Llc

Inventors

• Milne James R
• Mccoy Charles
• Xiong True

Classifications

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J50/90

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

• H01Q7/00

  Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop · CPC title

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title

• H02J50/70

  involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields · CPC title