Wirelessly charging a mobile device and utilizing the mobile device as a power source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9548622-B2
Application number	US-201414305847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for wirelessly charging a mobile computing device and utilizing the mobile computing device as a power source. The apparatus includes: a first data and power interface; a second data and power interface; a wireless charging unit; and a control unit. The operation of the wireless charging unit and the control unit is configured to provide a first mode of operation of the apparatus when an external source connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface is a load device in which power is delivered from the mobile computing device to the load device via the first and second data and power interfaces, and a second mode of operation of the apparatus in which power is delivered from a power receiver of the wireless charging unit to the mobile computing device via the first data and power interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for wirelessly charging a mobile computing device and utilizing the mobile computing device as a power source, the apparatus comprising:
a first data and power interface, adapted to be connected to a data and power port of the mobile computing device;
a second data and power interface, adapted to be connected to a wired power source or load device;
a wireless charging unit, comprising a power receiver adapted to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power source; and
a control unit, configured to control the wireless charging unit;
wherein the wireless charging unit and the control unit are configured to provide multiple modes of operation for the apparatus;
wherein a first mode of operation of the apparatus includes the load device being connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface with power being delivered from the mobile computing device to the load device via the first and second data and power interfaces;
wherein a second mode of operation of the apparatus includes the wired power source being connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface with power being delivered to the mobile computing device from the wired power source via the first and second data and power interfaces; and
wherein a third mode of operation of the apparatus includes the wireless power source wirelessly providing power to the power receiver of the wireless charging unit, with the wireless charging unit delivering power to the mobile computing device via the first data and power interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless charging unit and the control unit are configured to utilize the third mode of operation under conditions where no load device or wired power source is connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface and power is available from the wireless power source.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless charging unit further comprises a wireless charging controller, the wireless charging controller including an input pin that controls a mode of operation of the wireless charging unit, and wherein the operation of the wireless charging unit and the control unit are configured to suspend wireless charging in the first and second modes of operation of the apparatus and enable wireless charging in the third mode of operation of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit comprises an inverter or a transistor and the control unit is configured such that the inverter or the transistor causes a value to be output to the input pin of the wireless charging controller to enable wireless charging under conditions where no load device and no wired power source are connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit comprises an inverter or a transistor and the control unit is configured such that the inverter or the transistor causes a value to be output to the input pin of the wireless charging controller to suspend wireless charging under conditions where a load device or a wired power source is connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an ID pin of the first data and power interface is in communication with an ID pin of the second data and power interface.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to provide the first mode of operation based on the ID pin of the first data and power interface being grounded.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless charging unit further comprises a wireless charging controller, the wireless charging controller including an input pin that controls a mode of operation of the wireless charging controller;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the wireless charging unit via the input pin of the wireless charging controller so as to suspend wireless charging in the first and second modes of operation of the apparatus and to enable wireless charging in the third mode of operation of the apparatus; and
wherein a pin of the second data and power interface adapted to be connected to the wired power source is connected to another input pin of the wireless charging controller.

9. A system comprising:
a mobile computing device; and
an apparatus for wirelessly charging the mobile computing device and utilizing the mobile computing device as a power source, the apparatus comprising:
a first data and power interface, adapted to be connected to a data and power port of the mobile computing device;
a second data and power interface, adapted to be connected to a wired power source or load device;
a wireless charging unit, comprising a power receiver adapted to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power source; and
a control unit, configured to control the wireless charging unit;

wherein the wireless charging unit and the control unit are configured to provide multiple modes of operation for the apparatus;
wherein a first mode of operation of the apparatus includes the load device being connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface with power being delivered from the mobile computing device to the load device via the first and second data and power interfaces;
wherein a second mode of operation of the apparatus includes the wired power source being connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface with power being delivered to the mobile computing device from the wired power source via the first and second data and power interfaces; and
wherein a third mode of operation of the apparatus includes the wireless power source wirelessly providing power to the power receiver of the wireless charging unit, with the wireless charging unit delivering power to the mobile computing device via the first data and power interface.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless charging unit further comprises a wireless charging controller, the wireless charging controller including an input pin that controls a mode of operation of the wireless charging unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the wireless charging unit via the input pin of the wireless charging controller to suspend wireless charging in the first and second modes and enable wireless charging in the third mode; and
wherein a pin of the second data and power interface adapted to be connected to the wired power source is connected to another input pin of the wireless charging controller.

11. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a device control unit configured to control a charging rate associated with charging the mobile computing device in the second and third modes of operation, wherein the charging rate for the mobile computing device in the second mode of operation is different from the charging rate for the mobile computing device in the third mode of operation.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless charging unit and the control unit are configured to utilize the third mode of operation under conditions where no device is connected to the apparatus via the second data and power interface and power is available from the wireless power source.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless charging unit further comprises a wireless charging controller, the wireless charging controller including an input pin that controls a mode of operation of the wireless charging unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the wireless charging unit via the input pin of

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Vick Ronald
• Oberhauser Thomas

Classifications

• H02J7/42

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

• H02J2007/0096

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J7/025 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic