Apparatus and methods for enhanced operation in a wireless charging receiver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949243-B2
Application number	US-202017124915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A method implemented by a wireless charging receiver (RX) includes detecting, by the wireless charging RX, that a voltage potential of an output of a rectifier of the wireless charging RX has met a boost mode threshold; placing, by the wireless charging RX, the rectifier into a boost mode; and detecting, by the wireless charging RX, that the voltage potential of the output of the rectifier of the wireless charging RX has met a specified threshold, and based thereon, negotiating, by the wireless charging RX with a wireless charging transmitter (TX), to initiate a power transfer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented by a wireless charging receiver (RX), the method comprising:
detecting, by the wireless charging RX, that a voltage potential of an output of a rectifier of the wireless charging RX has met a boost mode threshold;
placing, by the wireless charging RX, the rectifier into a boost mode; and
detecting, by the wireless charging RX, that the voltage potential of the output of the rectifier, while operating in boost mode, has met a specified threshold, and based thereon, negotiating, by the wireless charging RX with a wireless charging transmitter (TX), to initiate a power transfer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the voltage potential of the output has met the boost mode threshold occurs with the rectifier being in a diode mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while in the boost mode: completing, by the wireless charging RX with the wireless charging TX, the negotiating to initiate the power transfer at a fixed predefined operating point of the wireless charging TX; and participating, by the wireless charging RX with the wireless charging TX, in the power transfer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein negotiating to initiate the power transfer comprises:
identifying, by the wireless charging RX, the wireless charging RX; and
configuring, by the wireless charging RX, at least one of the wireless charging RX or the wireless charging TX.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein negotiating to initiate the power transfer comprises:
waking, by the wireless charging RX, the wireless charging RX; and
transmitting, by the wireless charging RX to the wireless charging TX, a packet.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified threshold comprises a minimal operating voltage threshold (UVLO).

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the minimal operating voltage threshold is greater than the boost mode threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein participating in the power transfer comprises:
determining, by the wireless charging RX, that the voltage potential of the output of the rectifier has met a full sync threshold, and based thereon, placing, by the wireless charging RX, the rectifier into an active full wave synchronous rectifier mode.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting, by the wireless charging RX to the wireless charging TX, a packet during at least one of a ping phase, or an identification & configuration phase.

10. A wireless charging receiver (RX) comprising:
a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to cause the wireless charging RX to:
detect that a voltage potential of an output of a rectifier of the wireless charging RX has exceeded a boost mode threshold;
place the rectifier into a boost mode; and
detect that the voltage potential of the output of the rectifier, while operating in boost mode, has met a specified threshold, and based thereon, negotiate, with a wireless charging transmitter (TX), to initiate a power transfer.

11. The wireless charging RX of claim 10 , wherein the rectifier is in a diode mode before the voltage potential of the output exceeds the boost mode threshold.

12. The wireless charging RX of claim 10 , the instructions further causing the wireless charging RX to, while in the boost mode, complete, with the wireless charging TX, negotiations to initiate the power transfer at a fixed predefined operating point of the wireless charging TX; and participate, with the wireless charging TX, in the power transfer.

13. The wireless charging RX of claim 12 , the instructions further causing the wireless charging RX to identify the wireless charging RX; and configure at least one of the wireless charging RX or the wireless charging TX.

14. The wireless charging RX of claim 10 , wherein the specified threshold comprises a minimum operating voltage threshold (UVLO).

15. The wireless charging RX of claim 10 , the instructions further causing the wireless charging RX to determine that the voltage potential of the output of the rectifier has met a full sync threshold, and based thereon, place the rectifier into an active full wave synchronous rectifier mode.

16. A wireless charging receiver (RX) comprising:
a rectifier operatively coupled to a receive resonant circuit, the rectifier configured to output a direct current (DC) voltage in accordance with received energy received by the receive resonant circuit from a wireless charging transmitter (TX);
a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions; and
one or more controllers in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more controllers execute the instructions to cause the wireless charging RX to:
detect that a voltage potential of an output of the rectifier has exceeded a boost mode threshold;
place the rectifier into a boost mode; and
detect that the voltage potential of the output of the rectifier, while operating in boost mode, has met a specified threshold, and based thereon, negotiate, with a wireless charging transmitter (TX), to initiate a power transfer.

17. The wireless charging RX of claim 16 , the instructions further causing the wireless charging RX to, while in the boost mode, complete, with the wireless charging TX, negotiations to initiate the power transfer at a fixed predefined operating point of the wireless charging TX; and participate, with the wireless charging TX, in the power transfer.

18. The wireless charging RX of claim 17 , the instructions further causing the wireless charging RX to identify the wireless charging RX; and configure at least one of the wireless charging RX or the wireless charging TX.

19. The wireless charging RX of claim 16 , wherein the specified threshold comprises a minimum operating voltage threshold (UVLO).

20. The wireless charging RX of claim 16 , wherein the rectifier comprises:
a first input of the rectifier being coupled to the output of the rectifier through a first high side transistor and to electrical ground through a first low side transistor coupled; and
a second input of the rectifier being coupled to the output of the rectifier through a second high side transistor and to the electrical ground through a second low side transistor,
wherein in the boost mode, a state of the first high side transistor and a state of the first low side transistor are set in accordance with a voltage potential of the first input of the rectifier, and wherein a state of the second high side transistor is OFF and a state of the second low side transistor is ON.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Des & Appl

Inventors

• Toula Michal

Classifications

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/44

  between battery management systems and power sources · CPC title

• H02J50/12 Primary

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H02J7/02

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title

• H02J50/80

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