Bi-directional power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9946317-B2
Application number	US-201514839255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

The user of a portable device defines the charging direction when two devices with bi-directional power transfers interfaces are interconnected. The device detects a gesture of the user and starts the power transfer to the defined direction. The user may also define the amount of charge to be transferred by the same gesture. The portable device may be operational for a longer period as long as there is another device sharing the battery charge. Embodiments of portable devices include smartphones, speakers, tablets, watches or other wearable devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable device comprising:
a first power source;
at least one bi-directional power transfer interface configured to connect the portable device to a second device having a second power source;
a gesture detecting element comprising an input sensor;
wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive, through the input sensor, a user gesture comprising a particular movement of the portable device, wherein the particular movement of the portable device comprises shaking or tilting the portable device after the portable device is raised a vertical distance away from the second device; and
the gesture detecting element is configured to define a power transfer direction through the bi-directional power transfer interface as a response to the particular movement of the portable device.

2. A portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive information of insertion of a power transfer cable connected between the bi-directional power transfer interface of the portable device and the second bi-directional power transfer interface of the second device.

3. A portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the input sensor is selected from the group of: gyroscope, magnetometer, camera, microphone, ambient light sensor, thermometer, force sensor and proximity sensor.

4. A portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular movement of the portable device further comprises tapping the portable device on the second device.

5. A portable device according to claim 4 , comprising a display configured to display a visual cue on the power transfer direction as a response to the detected starting position of the portable device.

6. A portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular movement of the portable device further comprises raising the portable device the vertical distance away from the second device.

7. A portable device according to claim 6 , wherein the input sensor is an accelerometer.

8. A system comprising:
a portable device;
a first power source configured to provide power to the portable device;
at least one bi-directional power transfer interface configured to connect the portable device to a second device having a second power source;
a gesture detecting element comprising an input sensor;
wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive through the input sensor a user-related gesture comprising a particular movement of the portable device, wherein the particular movement of the portable device comprises shaking or tilting the portable device after the portable device is raised a vertical distance away from the second device; and
the gesture detecting element is configured to define a power transfer direction through the bi-directional power transfer interface as a response to the particular movement of the portable device.

9. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the gesture detecting element is configured to receive information of insertion of a power transfer cable connected between the bi-directional power transfer interface of the portable device and the second bi-directional power transfer interface of the second device.

10. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the input sensor is selected from the group of: gyroscope, magnetometer, camera, microphone, ambient light sensor, thermometer, force sensor and proximity sensor.

11. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the particular movement of the portable device further comprises tapping the portable device on the second device.

12. A system according to claim 11 , comprising a display configured to display a visual cue on the power transfer direction as a response to the detected starting position of the portable device.

13. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the particular movement of the portable device further comprises raising the portable device the vertical distance away from the second device.

14. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the input sensor is an accelerometer.

15. A method, comprising:
a portable device comprising a first power source and at least one bi-directional power transfer interface configured to connect the device to a second device having a second power source;
a gesture detecting element detecting a user-related gesture comprising a particular movement of the portable device, wherein the particular movement of the portable device comprises shaking or tilting the portable device after the portable device is raised a vertical distance away from the second device; and
the gesture detecting element defining a power transfer direction through the bi-directional power transfer interface as a response to the particular movement of the portable device.

16. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising receiving information of insertion of a power transfer cable connected between the bi-directional power transfer interface of the portable device and the second bi-directional power transfer interface of the second device.

17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the particular movement of the portable device further comprises tapping the portable device on the second device.

18. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising displaying a visual cue on the power transfer direction as a response to detecting the starting position of the portable device.

19. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising receiving information of the amount of the charge to be transferred with the user-related gesture indicating the direction of power transfer.

20. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the particular movement of the portable device comprises raising the portable device the vertical distance away from the second device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Backman Juha
• Yliaho Marko

Classifications

• G06F1/3218

  of display devices · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F1/3287

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title