Method and device for wireless power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9979222-B2
Application number	US-201514972721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A method and device for wireless power transfer. The device includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and an electronic controller. The method includes determining, by the electronic controller, whether the first sensor senses a magnetic field. The method further includes determining, by the electronic controller, whether the second sensor senses the magnetic field. The method further includes determining, by the electronic controller, that the portable electronic device is in use when only the first sensor senses the magnetic field. The method further includes determining, by the electronic controller, that the portable electronic device is in storage when both the first and second sensors sense the magnetic field.

First claim

We claim:

1. A portable electronic device comprising:
a first sensor, configured to sense a magnetic field;
a second sensor, configured to sense the magnetic field; and
an electronic controller that is electrically coupled to the first and second sensors and is configured to;
determine that the device is in use when only the first sensor senses the magnetic field; and
determine that the device is in storage when both the first and second sensors sense the magnetic field.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the first sensor is a receive coil; and
the second sensor is a mode coil.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to activate an enhanced charge mode when the device is in storage.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a transmit coil;
a battery bank; and
at least one accessory;
wherein the electronic controller is electrically coupled to the transmit coil, the battery bank, and the at least one accessory; and
wherein the electronic controller is further configured to, when in enhanced charge mode,
deactivate the at least one accessory;
charge the battery using a high-power wireless power signal received from the receive coil; and
control the battery to provide a high-power electrical signal to the transmit coil.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one accessory is at least one selected from a group consisting of a camera, an intelligent system, and an accessory sensor.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to activate a trickle charge mode when the device is in use.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a transmit coil; and
a battery bank;
wherein the electronic controller is electrically coupled to the transmit coil, and the battery bank; and
wherein the electronic controller is further configured to, when in trickle charge mode,
charge the battery using a low-power wireless power signal received from the receive coil; and
control the battery to provide a low-power electrical signal to the transmit coil.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device is a garment.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the garment is a smart vest.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is positioned in a rear portion of the vest and the second sensor is positioned in a front portion of the smart vest.

11. A method for operating a portable electronic device that includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and an electronic controller, the method comprising:
determining, by the electronic controller, whether the first sensor senses a magnetic field;
determining, by the electronic controller, whether the second sensor senses the magnetic field;
determining, by the electronic controller, that the portable electronic device is in use when only the first sensor senses the magnetic field; and
determining, by the electronic controller, that the portable electronic device is in storage when both the first and second sensors sense the magnetic field.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein
determining whether the first sensor senses the magnetic field includes determining, by the electronic controller, whether a receive coil is inductively coupled to a charging coil; and
determining whether the second sensor senses the magnetic field includes determining, by the electronic controller, whether a mode coil is inductively coupled to the charging coil.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising activating, by the electronic controller, a trickle charge mode when the portable electronic device is in use.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein activating a trickle charge mode includes
charging, by the electronic controller, a battery of the portable electronic device using a low-power wireless power signal received from the receive coil via the charging coil; and
routing, by the electronic controller, a low-power electrical signal from the battery to a transmit coil of the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
activating, by the electronic controller, an enhanced charge mode when the portable electronic device is in use.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein activating an enhanced charge mode includes
deactivating, by the electronic controller, at least one accessory of the portable electronic device;
charging, by the electronic controller, a battery of the portable electronic device using a high-power wireless power signal received from the receive coil via the charging coil; and
routing, by the electronic controller, a high-power electrical signal from the battery to a transmit coil of the portable electronic device.

Assignees

• Motorola Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Oo Wei Lun
• Khoo Kah Kheng
• Tran Chi T

Classifications

• H02J7/342

  The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68) · CPC title

• H01F38/14 Primary

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

• H02J50/12 Primary

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title