Adaptive multi-pathway wireless power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9331518-B2
Application number	US-201213630941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Adaptive multi-pathway wireless charging is described. In one aspect, embodiments enable one or more wireless charging pathways to be established concurrently in a wireless charging environment. The wireless charging pathways use same or different frequencies, powers, wireless power transfer (WPT) standards, and WPT configurations. Embodiments for adaptively configuring wireless charging based on detected events or changes in WPT characteristics are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless power transfer (WPT) source device, comprising:
a coil;
a WPT monitor module configured to generate WPT related information; and
a controller configured to control the coil in response to the generated WPT related information,
wherein the WPT related information includes a location estimate of a WPT recipient device relative to the WPT source device, and wherein the controller is configured to tune a circuit structure of the coil to establish a high-resonance WPT configuration or a low-resonance WPT configuration with the WPT recipient device based on the location estimate of the WPT recipient device.

2. The WPT source device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a driver circuit configured to receive a control signal from the controller and to produce a current through the coil in response to the control signal.

3. The WPT source device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of an amplitude, a phase, a frequency, and a duty cycle of the current in response to the generated WPT related information.

4. The WPT source device of claim 1 , wherein the location estimate of the WPT recipient device is determined by the WPT source device or obtained from another device.

5. The WPT source device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one of an operating frequency, a transmission power, an active circuit structure, and an-operating WPT standard of the coil in response to the generated WPT related information.

6. The WPT source device of claim 1 , wherein the WPT related information further includes an indication of human presence in a vicinity of the WPT source device.

7. The WPT source device of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to control an operating frequency of the coil based on the indication of human presence in the vicinity of the WPT source device.

8. The WPT source device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more sensors configured to provide sensor information to the WPT monitor module, wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to generate the WPT related information based on the sensor information.

9. A wireless power transfer (WPT) source device, comprising:
a coil;
a WPT monitor module configured to generate WPT related information; and
a controller configured to control the coil in response to the generated WPT related information,
wherein the WPT related information includes a supported WPT standard by a WPT recipient device, and wherein the controller is configured to control the coil to adjust an operating WPT standard of the WPT source device.

10. A method for operating a wireless power transfer (WPT) source device, comprising:
generating WPT related information; and
controlling a coil of the WPT source device in response to the generated WPT related information,
wherein the WPT related information includes a location estimate of a WPT recipient device relative to the WPT source device, and wherein controlling the coil comprises tuning a circuit structure of the coil to establish a high-resonance WPT configuration or a low-resonance WPT configuration with the WPT recipient device based on the location estimate of the WPT recipient device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein controlling the coil further comprises controlling at least one of an amplitude, a phase, and a frequency of a current produced through the coil.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein controlling the coil further comprises controlling at least one of an operating frequency, a transmission power, an active circuit structure, and an operating WPT standard of the coil based on the location estimate of the WPT recipient device.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the WPT related information further includes an indication of human presence in a vicinity of the WPT source device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the coil further comprises controlling at least one of an operating frequency, a transmission power, an active circuit structure, and an operating WPT standard of the coil based on the indication of human presence in the vicinity of the WPT source device.

15. A system, comprising:
a wireless power transfer (WPT) source device, comprising:
a plurality of first coils;
a WPT monitor module; and
a controller; and

a WPT recipient device having a second coil,
wherein the WPT monitor module is configured to estimate a location of the WPT recipient device relative to the WPT source device, wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of first coils in response to the estimated location of the WPT recipient device, and wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to determine coupling coefficients between the plurality of first coils and the second coil in parallel by operating each of the plurality of first coils at a different frequency, and to estimate the location of the WPT recipient device based on the coupling coefficients.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the WPT monitor module is further configured to compare the coupling coefficients against pre-determined coupling coefficient fingerprints to estimate the location of the WPT recipient device.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn off a coil from the plurality of first coils when a respective coupling coefficient from the coupling coefficients is less than a predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Walley John
• Van Der Lee Reinier
• Broadcom Corp

Inventors

• Walley John
• Van Der Lee Reinier

Classifications

• H02J50/05

  using capacitive coupling · CPC title

• H02J50/12 Primary

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H02J50/60

  responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/025 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic