Inductive charging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308392-A1
Application number	US-201615190807-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2010
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a method comprising transmitting inductively a first signal, receiving inductively a second signal in response to the first signal, determining whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulation, and adjusting a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of a modulation of the received signal.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method comprising:
transmitting inductively, by an inductive power supply to at least one device, a poll signal; receiving inductively, by the inductive power supply, a received signal from the at least one device in response to the poll signal; determining whether the inductively received signal comprises a modulated data signal; and adjusting a power of a transmission signal produced by the inductive power supply on the basis of the modulated data signal.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein adjusting the power comprises at least one of:
adjusting a frequency, an amplitude, or a pulse width of the transmitted signal.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising the inductive power supply transmitting inductively, on the basis of the modulated data signal, a transmission signal with a higher power than the poll signal.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising the inductive power supply transmitting inductively, on the basis of the modulated data signal, a transmission signal with a lower power than the poll signal.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising transferring power inductively, when the received signal comprises a modulation.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising the inductive power supply continuing to transmit a transmission signal on the basis of the modulated data signal received from the device.

7 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising decoding the modulation of the modulated data signal; identifying a device generating the modulated data signal on the basis of a result of the decoding; and determining a signal power to be used in inductive transmissions on the basis of the identified originating device.

8 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising determining that a device exists within a range of an inductive transfer if a modulation is determined in a predetermined period.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising the device determining a modulation for the modulated data signal on the basis of a change in amplitude of the transmission signal received exceeding a threshold.

10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the threshold comprises a triggering threshold to determine values of data corresponding to a modulation.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a poll signal; a receiver configured to receive inductively a modulated data signal in response to the poll signal; a controller configured to determine whether a received signal comprises a modulation; and a controller configured to adjust a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of a modulation of the received signal.

12 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a controller configured to adjust a frequency, an amplitude, or a pulse width of the transmitted signal.

13 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a transmitter configured to continue the transmitting of the transmitted signal on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

14 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a third signal, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation, wherein the third signal has a higher power than the poll signal.

15 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a third signal with a lower power than the poll signal, when the received signal does not comprise a modulation.

16 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a controller configured to determine that a device exists within a range of an inductive transfer if a modulation is determined in a predetermined period.

17 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a controller configured to determine a modulation on the basis of a change in amplitude of the transmission signal received exceeding a threshold.

18 . An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the inductively received signal comprises: a modulated poll signal, a modulated charging signal or a modulated status query signal.

19 . An apparatus comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit inductively a first signal; a receiver configured to receive inductively a second signal in response to the first signal; and adjuster configured to adjust a power of the transmitted signal on the basis of the received signal.

20 . An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said transmitter is configured to transfer power inductively, on the basis of the received signal comprises a modulation.

Assignees

• Powermat Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Anttila Sami
• Byman Ville

Classifications

• H02J50/80

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

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H01F38/14

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/025

  Electricity · mapped topic