Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present invention relates generally to a wireless charging system for handheld device.
BACKGROUND
[002] Mobile communication systems continue to grow in popularity and have become an integral part of both personal and business communications. Various mobile devices now incorporate Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) features such as calendars, address books, task lists, calculators, memo and writing programs, media players, games, etc. Wireless charging is particularly important for fast wireless charging of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops. There is a need for improved wireless charging systems to extend the active charging area and to improve coupling and charging uniformity while avoiding disruption of nearby devices that may be damaged by the generated magnetic field.
SUMMARY
[003] Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems.
[004] Before the present subject matter relating to a wireless charging system for handheld devices, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to the particular system described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments which are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the implementations or versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter.
[005] This summary is provided to introduce aspects related to a wireless charging system for handheld devices. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the present subject matter.
[006] In an embodiment, a wireless charging system for handheld devices includes a transmitter unit and a receiver unit. The transmitter unit is used for generating an electromagnetic field. The receiver unit integrated into the handheld device, configured to receive and convert the generated electromagnetic field into electrical power for charging the handheld device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[007] The foregoing detailed description of embodiments is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, there is shown in the present document example constructions of the disclosure; however, the disclosure is not limited to the specific system or method disclosed in the document and the drawings.
[008] The present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer various features of the present subject matter.
[009] Figure 1 illustrates an access device in use, according to the principles of the present invention.
[0010] Figure 2 illustrates a front view of an alternative implementation of the mobile wireless communications device of the system.
[0011] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of an NFC device on A4WP charger network.
[0012] In the above accompanying drawings, a non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
[0013] Further, the figures depict various embodiments of the present subject matter for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the present subject matter described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although a wireless charging system for handheld devices, similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the exemplary, a wireless charging system for handheld devices is now described.
[0015] Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. For example, although the present disclosure will be described in the context of a wireless charging system for handheld devices, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize a wireless charging system for handheld devices can be utilized in any situation. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0016] In an embodiment, a wireless charging system for handheld devices includes a transmitter unit and a receiver unit. The transmitter unit is used for generating an electromagnetic field. The receiver unit integrated into the handheld device, configured to receive and convert the generated electromagnetic field into electrical power for charging the handheld device.
[0017] In another implementation, the transmitter unit further comprises: a power source for supplying electrical energy to generate the electromagnetic field and a control circuit for modulating the electromagnetic field based on communication with the receiver unit to optimize power transfer.
[0018] In another implementation, the receiver unit further comprises: a resonant coil for receiving the electromagnetic field, a rectification circuit for converting the received electromagnetic energy into direct current (DC) power and a power management unit for regulating and distributing the DC power to charge the handheld device.
[0019] In another implementation, the transmitter unit includes means for adaptively adjusting the power, frequency, and/or direction of the electromagnetic field to optimize charging efficiency and alignment between the transmitter and receiver units.
[0020] In another implementation, the transmitter unit is embedded in a surface or housing of a furniture item, vehicle, or other structure to enable convenient wireless charging of handheld devices placed in proximity to said surface.
[0021] In another implementation, the receiver unit includes a communication module for data exchange with the transmitter unit to control and coordinate the wireless charging process.
[0022] In another implementation, the receiver unit further comprises a sensor for detecting the presence and orientation of the handheld device and adjusting the electromagnetic field accordingly.
[0023] In another implementation, the transmitter unit and receiver unit are designed to comply with wireless charging standards, such as Qi, PMA, or A4WP.
[0024] In another implementation, the transmitter unit includes safety features to detect foreign objects within the charging area and automatically suspend the charging process to prevent overheating or damage to the handheld device.
[0025] Figure 1 illustrates an access device in use, according to the principles of the present invention.
[0026] In an embodiment, the access device has a USB connector that allows it to be connected to any suitable device that has a USB socket and can connect to the internet, such as a PC or laptop computer. It will be seen that the access device 40 is of a size and shape such that it has a flat upper surface 46, on which the mobile device 16 can be placed. This allows the mobile device, in this case in the form of a smartphone 48, to establish a connection using the cellular communications interface, for as long as the smartphone 48 remains on the surface 46 of the access device 40. Thus, the user is able to use the smartphone 48 in this position for data access, requiring the use of the keypad 50 on the smartphone. If the user wishes to use the mobile device for a voice call, it is possible to establish a connection between the mobile device and a headset, using the Bluetooth short range wireless protocol, for example. The upper surface can be provided with switches (for example contact switches or magnetic switches) that prevent the access device 40 from transmitting, unless the mobile device 16 is in contact with the upper surface 46. This provides a further assurance that the access device will not transmit at a power that causes any interference, and also ensures that power usage is minimised when the mobile device is not present. access device 80, including an access device base unit 82 and a cradle 84. In this case, the access device base unit contains transceiver circuitry (TRX), operating under the control of a processor and operating software. In addition, the access device base unit includes the wide area network interface, which may be of any convenient form, for example a USB connection.
[0027] In an embodiment, the power consumption of the access device is so low, it can be powered through the USB connector from the device into which the USB connector is plugged. In addition, a bias tee circuit allows power to be injected on the RF cable, allowing the mobile device to be charged from the cradle. Thus, the user is able to charge the mobile device by insertion in the cradle, and this also provides access to the home cellular network.
[0028] In an embodiment, the detector detects a response signal emitted from the device under charge and determines whether to generate the desired magnetic field to charge the device or to cease the magnetic field to preserve the device from potential damage caused by the magnetic field.
[0029] In an embodiment, the device is stored in a persistent store, such as the flash memory, but may be stored in other types of memory devices, such as a read only memory (ROM) or similar storage element. In addition, system software, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into a volatile store, such as the random access memory (RAM). Communications signals received by the mobile device may also be stored in the RAM.
[0030] Figure 2 illustrates a front view of an alternative implementation of the mobile wireless communications device of the system.
[0031] In an embodiment, the mobile device 36'' illustratively includes a keypad 53''. In this example, the battery 31'' of the mobile device 36" (not shown in FIG. 4) is a rechargeable battery which has a battery identification (ID) associated therewith, such as a serial or model number which uniquely identifies the individual battery type, manufacturer, etc., or which serves as a product code. A picture or graphic representation of the battery 31'' is shown on the display, which has a battery type D-X1, as well as an identification number 1234567890. Such information may be used for inventory control of various different types of batteries, and for purchasing thereof (e.g., the battery ID may be used instead of a bar code for point-of-sale (POS) checkout). That is, the passive (or active) NFC circuit of the battery may be used to facilitate retail transactions by conveying a Universal Product Code (UPC) battery ID at an NFC-enabled POS terminal. Here again, the NFC circuit of the battery is configured to communicate the battery ID, power level, battery type, or other data for the battery as appropriate for the particular battery type to another circuit. In the illustrated example, the power or charge level for the battery 31'' is 80%.
[0032] In the case where the mobile device 36" is a mobile phone, for example, the above-described approach may be particularly advantageous for users that have multiple rechargeable batteries for their phones. Ordinarily, to check the charge level of a spare battery, the current battery would have to be removed from the mobile phone and the new one inserted. However, this process reboots the mobile phone and causes it to lose its connection to its wireless (e.g., cellular) network, which may render the phone unusable for several minutes. Yet, the above-described approach advantageously allows the charge level of the spare rechargeable battery to be determined without having to remove the current battery from the mobile phone. In this way, if the spare battery has a charge level that is relatively low, the unnecessary downtime associated with a battery swap may advantageously be avoided. Furthermore, the spare battery may be independently recharged to various intermediate or full levels and the charge level determined independent of the battery recharging apparatus.
[0033] In an embodiment, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing and coupled to the controller. By way of example, the wireless transceiver may comprise a cellular transceiver, wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver (e.g., IEEE 802.llx), WiMAX transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, etc. Example mobile devices that may be used for the above-described embodiments may include portable or personal media players (e.g., MP3 players, video players, etc.), remote controls (e.g., television or stereo remotes, etc.), portable gaming devices, portable or mobile telephones, smartphones, etc.
[0034] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of an NFC device on A4WP charger network.
[0035] In an embodiment, the voltage on the A4WP charger coil 210 Vout—identified as 220—is the voltage on the NFC Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) 250. The combination of A4WP coil 210, A4WP matching network (not shown), NFC coil 240, NFC matching network 230 and the location of NFC coil 240 on the A4WP coil 210 will define the voltage transfer function between Vin and Vout. When the NFC device is placed on the A4WP charger and input voltage (Vin) is high, then output voltage may be high as well (see red curve 320). Here, the NFC device either dumps the excess voltage/power onto a fixed resistor on the chip (thereby generating significant heat), or the NFC ASIC inside the device may be damaged due to high voltage. In one embodiment of the disclosure, wireless charging may occur immediately upon detecting a mobile device in the charging field, the wireless charger may transmit one or more periodic NFC polls followed by one or more periodic beacons. The order of A4WP and NFC-like (or NFC) signals may be changed to accommodate the desired application without departing from the disclosed principles.
[0036] Although the description provides implementations of a wireless charging system for handheld devices, it is to be understood that the above descriptions are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods or systems. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as examples of implementations for a wireless charging system for handheld devices.
, Claims:We claim:
1. A wireless charging system for handheld devices comprising:
a transmitter unit for generating an electromagnetic field; and
a receiver unit integrated into the handheld device, configured to receive and convert the generated electromagnetic field into electrical power for charging the handheld device.
2. The wireless charging system of Claim 1, wherein the transmitter unit further comprises:
a power source for supplying electrical energy to generate the electromagnetic field; and
a control circuit for modulating the electromagnetic field based on communication with the receiver unit to optimize power transfer.
3. The wireless charging system of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the receiver unit further comprises:
a resonant coil for receiving the electromagnetic field;
a rectification circuit for converting the received electromagnetic energy into direct current (DC) power; and
a power management unit for regulating and distributing the DC power to charge the handheld device.
4. The wireless charging system of any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter unit includes means for adaptively adjusting the power, frequency, and/or direction of the electromagnetic field to optimize charging efficiency and alignment between the transmitter and receiver units.
5. The wireless charging system of any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter unit is embedded in a surface or housing of a furniture item, vehicle, or other structure to enable convenient wireless charging of handheld devices placed in proximity to said surface.
6. The wireless charging system of any preceding claim, wherein the receiver unit includes a communication module for data exchange with the transmitter unit to control and coordinate the wireless charging process.
7. The wireless charging system of any preceding claim, wherein the receiver unit further comprises a sensor for detecting the presence and orientation of the handheld device and adjusting the electromagnetic field accordingly.
8. The wireless charging system of any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter unit and receiver unit are designed to comply with wireless charging standards, such as Qi, PMA, or A4WP.
9. The wireless charging system of any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter unit includes safety features to detect foreign objects within the charging area and automatically suspend the charging process to prevent overheating or damage to the handheld device.