KR20140117690A - Retrofitting wireless power and near-field communication in electronic devices - Google Patents

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to retrofitting existing electronic devices for wireless power delivery and near field communication. The remodeling circuit includes an antenna for receiving a signal from an external source, and a conversion circuit for converting the signal to be used by the electronic device. The antenna and the conversion circuit are configured to be opened to the electronic device, i.e. the electronic device originally did not include an antenna or conversion circuit. The antenna and conversion circuitry can be configured to receive and convert signals to generate wireless power for the electronic device. The antenna and conversion circuitry may also be configured to enable the electronic device to transmit and receive short-range communication data.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a wireless power supply for an electronic device,

35 U.S.C. Priority claim under §119

This application claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C. Under §119 (e):

Priority is claimed on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 150,257, entitled "WIRELESS POWER BATTERY PACK", filed February 5, 2009, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, The entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 163,387, filed March 25, 2009, entitled " BATTERY ASSEMBLY WITH BUILT IN WIRELESS POWER ANTENNA ", assigned to the assignee of the present application, The entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference;

Priority is claimed on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 116,608, filed November 20, 2008, and assigned to the assignee of the present application and entitled "WIRELESS POWER BATTERY REPLACEMENT" The entirety of the application is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates generally to wireless charging, and more particularly to devices, systems, and methods associated with wireless power chargers.

Typically, each device powered by the battery, such as a wireless communication device (e.g., a cell phone), requires its own charger and a power source, typically an AC power outlet. This can be cumbersome when it is necessary to charge multiple devices each requiring a separate charger.

Approaches are being developed that use over-the-air or wireless power transmission between the transmitter and the receiver coupled to the electronic device to be charged. These approaches generally fall into two categories. One is based on coupling of plane wave radiation (or far field radiation) between the transmit antenna and the receive antenna on the device to be charged. The receiving antenna collects the radiated power and rectifies the radiated power to charge the battery. To improve coupling efficiency, antennas generally have a resonant length. The drawback of this approach is the fact that depending on the distance between the antennas, the power coupling is quickly disturbed, making charging between reasonable distances (e.g., less than one to two meters) difficult. In addition, because the transmission system emits plane waves, unintended radiation can interfere with other systems if not controlled properly through filtering.

Other approaches to wireless energy transmission techniques include, for example, induction between a "charging" device, a mat, or a transmit antenna built into the surface and a receive antenna (and rectifier circuit) Based on coupling. This approach has the disadvantage that the spacing between the transmit and receive antennas should be very close (e.g., in a thousandth of a meter). While this approach has the ability to charge multiple devices in the same area simultaneously, this area is typically very small and requires the user to accurately position the devices in a particular area.

In addition to increasing convenience for simultaneous charging, environmental and cost issues associated with wireless charging can also be considered. Currently, a number of electronic devices powered by standard size batteries of the type AA, AAA, D, C, 9-Volt, etc. are used. Such batteries may be primary batteries or rechargeable secondary batteries. Primary cells cause environmental problems for disposal. While rechargeable secondary batteries may be helpful in responding to environmental concerns, secondary batteries may still be required to be removed from the device to be charged, which is limited space for batteries, typically only four spaces And disposing rechargeable secondary batteries in the charger. In view of the advantages of wireless power charging, devices capable of wirelessly powering existing devices powered by primary or secondary batteries to recharge or operate the batteries in the charging field (I.e., re-opened).

1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a wireless power delivery system.
Figure 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of a wireless power delivery system.
3A is a schematic diagram of a loop antenna for use in exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
3B is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of a differential antenna used in exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
4 is a diagram of an electronic device having a remodeling circuit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram of an electronic device with remodeling circuitry for wireless power supply in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
6A is a cross-sectional view of an integrated storage device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
6B is a cross-sectional view of an integrated storage device in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
6C is a perspective view of an integrated storage device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram of an integrated storage device in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "as an example, instance, or illustration. &Quot; Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary " is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

The following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended to be illustrative of the exemplary embodiments of the invention and is not intended to be exhaustive of the invention. The word "exemplary" used throughout this specification shall mean "as an example, instance, or illustration, " and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the novelty of the exemplary embodiments presented herein.

As used herein, the words "wireless power" are used to refer to any form of energy associated with being transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver without the use of electric fields, magnetic fields, electromagnetic fields, or other physical electromagnetic conductors.

1 illustrates a wireless transmission or charging system 100 in accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The transmitter 104 is provided with an input power 102 to produce a radiated field 106 for providing energy transfer. The receiver 108 couples to the radiator 106 and generates an output power 110 for storage or consumption by a device (not shown) coupled to the output power 110. Both the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 are spaced apart by a distance 112. In an exemplary embodiment, the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 are configured according to a mutual resonance relationship, and if the resonant frequency of the receiver 108 and the resonant frequency of the transmitter 104 are exactly matched, The transmission losses between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 are minimized when located in the "near-field"

The transmitter 104 further includes a transmit antenna 114 that provides a means for energy transmission and the receiver 108 further includes a receive antenna 118 that provides a means for energy reception. The transmit and receive antennas are sized according to the applications and devices to be associated with them. As described above, efficient energy transfer occurs by coupling a large portion of energy to the receiving antenna within the near field of the transmitting antenna, rather than propagating most of the energy as an electromagnetic wave to the far field. When in the near field, a coupling mode may be established between transmit antenna 114 and receive antenna 118. The area around the antennas 114 and 118 where near field coupling may occur is referred to herein as the coupling mode zone.

Figure 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of a wireless power delivery system. The transmitter 104 includes an oscillator 122, a power amplifier 124, and a filter and matching circuit 126. The oscillator is configured to generate an oscillator signal of a desired frequency, which can be adjusted responsive to the adjustment signal 123. The oscillator signal may be amplified by the power amplifier 124 with an amplification amount responsive to the control signal 125. A filter and matching circuit 126 may be included to filter harmonics or other unwanted frequencies and match the impedance of the transmitter 104 to the transmitting antenna 114.

The receiver 108 includes a matching circuit 132 and a rectifying and switching circuit 134 to charge the battery 136 as shown in Figure 2 or to power a device coupled to the receiver (not shown) DC power output. A matching circuit 132 may be included to match the impedance of the receiver 108 to the receive antenna 118. As used herein, the term "battery" may include additional objects, such as overvoltage protection circuits, in addition to the storage cells themselves.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the antennas used in the exemplary embodiments may be configured as a "loop" antenna 150, which may be referred to herein as a "magnetic" antenna. The loop antennas may include an air core or be configured to include a physical core such as a ferromagnetic core. Air core loop antennas may be more inclusive for extraneous physical devices to be placed near the core. Further, the air core loop antenna permits placement of other components within the core region. The air core loop also facilitates the placement of the receive antenna 118 (Figure 2) within the plane of the transmit antenna 114 (Figure 2) where the couple mode zone of the transmit antenna 114 (Figure 2) may be stronger .

As described above, efficient energy transfer occurs between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 when the resonance between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 is matched or nearly matched. However, even when the resonance between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 is not matched, the energy can be delivered with lower efficiency. Energy transfer occurs by coupling energy from a near field of the transmitting antenna to a receiving antenna near the near field, rather than propagating energy from the transmitting antenna to free space.

The resonant frequencies of the loop or magnetic antennas are based on inductance and capacitance. The inductance in the loop antenna is generally the inductance generated by the loop, and the capacitance is generally added to the inductance of the loop antenna to create the resonant structure of the desired resonant frequency. As a non-limiting example, a capacitor 152 and a capacitor 154 may be added to the antenna to create a resonant circuit that produces a resonant signal 156. Thus, in large diameter loop antennas, as the diameter or inductance of the loop increases, the magnitude of the capacitance required to induce resonance decreases. Furthermore, as the diameter of the loop or magnetic antenna increases, the effective energy transfer area of the near field increases. Of course, other resonant circuits are possible. As another non-limiting example, a capacitor may be placed in parallel between two terminals of the loop antenna. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the resonant signal 156 at the transmit antennas may be an input to the loop antenna 150.

FIG. 3B illustrates an alternative embodiment of a differential antenna 250 used in exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The antenna 250 may be a differential coil antenna. In a differential antenna configuration, the center of the antenna 250 is connected to ground. The antenna 250 is connected at both ends to a receiver / transmitter unit (not shown), instead of one end being connected to ground as in FIG. 3A. Capacitors 252, 253, and 254 may be added to antenna 250 to create a resonant circuit that produces a differential resonant signal. The differential antenna configuration may be useful in situations where communication is bi-directional and transmission to the coil is required. One such situation is the case of Near Field Communication (NFC) systems.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include coupling power between two antennas in short-range fields of each other. As discussed above, the near field is the area around the antenna where electromagnetic fields exist but can not propagate or radiate away from the antenna. The near field is typically limited to a volume near the physical volume of the antenna. In the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, magnetic antennas, such as single-turn and multi-turn loop antennas, are used in both transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) antenna systems where the near- Because they tend to be higher than the near field of an electrical antenna (e.g., a small dipole), potentially allowing a higher coupling between the two systems. However, it is understood that "electrical" antennas (e.g., dipoles and monopoles) or a combination of magnetic and electrical antennas are also within the scope of the present invention.

The Tx antenna is designed to have a frequency sufficiently low to obtain good coupling (e.g., > -4 dB) for a small Rx antenna at significantly greater distances than that allowed by the far field and inductive approaches described above, Antenna size. (E.g., -1 to -4 dB) when the Rx antenna on the host device is placed in the coupling mode zone (i.e., near field) of the driven Tx loop antenna, if the size of the Tx antenna is correctly determined, Can be obtained.

In the future, electronic devices can be manufactured with wireless power supply and / or embedded NFC. However, nowadays, many electronic devices that do not have a wireless power supply function and do not have NFC function and use general waste or rechargeable batteries are used. Embodiments of the present invention include embodiments that originally rework electronic devices that did not have wireless power supply technology or NFC built in, but still there are these old electronic devices for users. These embodiments include customized battery packs, customized alternate housings, retrofit of standard battery packs, and the like.

"Refurbishment" as used herein refers to the replacement of an existing electronic device having a form factor for holding an existing battery with an existing battery and battery cavity in the electronic device, within the electronic devices And to include additional functionality to charge the installed new battery.

4 illustrates an electronic device 400 having a remodeling circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 400 may include a back housing 410 having a wireless power receiving antenna 420 and a conversion circuit 430. The electronic device 400 may include a front housing 440 and an internal battery (not shown) for the electronic device 400 and a battery 450. As shown in FIG. 4, the back housing 410 can be removed from the front housing 440. When the back housing 410 is removed and removed from the front housing 440, the battery 450, the antenna 420, and the conversion circuit 430 can be exposed. The antenna 420 may be disposed on the back housing 410 or may be integrally formed. The antenna 420 and the conversion circuit 430 may be manufactured together with the back housing 410 separately from the front housing 440. Accordingly, the back housing 410 can be configured to accommodate existing electronic devices and replace the corresponding original housing parts of the electronic devices that were originally not equipped with a wireless power supply function.

The antenna 420 and the conversion circuit 430 may be configured to receive and convert signals from an external device and to remodel the electronic device that originally did not include the antenna 420 or the conversion circuit 430. [ The external source may be a wireless power transmitter and the antenna 420 and conversion circuitry 430 may be further configured to receive and convert signals to generate wireless power for the electronic device 400. [ Accordingly, the converting circuit 430 may include a wireless power receiving circuit such as the matching circuit 132 and the rectifying circuit 134 (Fig. 2). The antenna 420 and the conversion circuit 430 may be configured to allow the electronic device to transmit and receive NFC data.

Details of exemplary communication mechanisms and protocols for NFC are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 12 (1990), filed October 10, 2008, entitled " SIGNALING CHARGING IN WIRELESS POWER ENVIRONMENT " / 249,866, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

To enable magnetic field generation around the antenna 420 and to improve its performance, the antenna 420 is routed (e.g., with a clearance around the metal obstructions) (such as other antennas or ground planes) ). In one embodiment, translation circuitry 430 may be comprised of discrete components such as ASICs. In operation, the electronic device 400 may be disposed within a range of transmit antennas (not shown), and the battery 450 may be removed from the electronic device 400 or the battery 400 may be removed 450 may be charged.

In operation, the back housing 410 may be configured to be connected to the front housing 440 in such a manner that an electrical connection is made between the conversion circuit 430 and the battery 450. The electrical connection between the conversion circuit 430 and the battery 450 may be achieved by the contacts of the conversion circuit 430 contacting the contacts of the battery 450 to establish an electrical connection. An alternative exemplary embodiment (such as that shown in FIG. 5) may include a connector (such as a cable) that extends from the conversion circuit 430 and establishes electrical connection with the contacts of the battery 450. The battery 450 may be a battery originally intended to operate the electronic device 400 but the battery 450 fits a form factor for an existing battery of the electronic device 400 and is connected to the conversion circuit 430 And may be tailored to allow space for antenna 420 and conversion circuitry 430, if desired.

In another exemplary embodiment, antenna 420 and conversion circuit 430 may be manufactured separately from back housing 410, for example in the form of a kit. These kits can then be retrofitted into electronic devices 400 that were originally made without wireless power charging or NFC capabilities. The kit including the antenna 420 and the conversion circuit 430 may be configured to be attached or included in the electronic device 400, for example, in the original back housing 410. These attachment behaviors may be performed by the user, the provider of the electronic device 400, or other related entity.

The charging device (i.e., the refurbished antenna 420 and the conversion circuit 430) is coupled to the electronic device 400 via wireless charging NFC or other short range communications (e.g., ZigBee, Bluetooth, etc.) to determine if the batteries are rechargeable. To determine if the storage cells are suitable for recharging (i.e., not primary batteries). The charging device may also communicate with the electronic device 400 to determine battery technology (e.g., nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, etc.) to apply an appropriate charging protocol.

For purposes of illustration, the electronic device 400 may be a cell phone as shown in Fig. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to such electronic devices. Other electronic devices include electronic devices powered by personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio / video devices, cameras, powered tools powered by batteries, remote controls, computer mice, laptop computers, Devices.

FIG. 5 illustrates an electronic device 500 having a remodel circuit for a wireless power supply in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 500 may include a back housing 510 having a wireless power receiving antenna 520 and a wireless power receiving circuit 530. The electronic device 500 may include a front housing 540 that includes internal electronics (not shown) for operation of the electronic device 500, a battery (not shown), and a garbage disposal 550. As shown in FIG. 5, the car discard 550 covers the battery. The car discard 550 can be configured to isolate the antenna from the metal casing that can wrap the battery, as will be described in greater detail below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the back housing 510 can be removed from the front housing 540. When the back housing 510 is removed and separated from the front housing 540, the car disposal 550, the wireless power receiving antenna 520, and the wireless power receiving circuit 530 may be exposed. The wireless power receiving antenna 520 may be disposed in the back housing 510 or may be integrally formed. The wireless power receiving antenna 520 and the wireless power receiving circuit 530 may be manufactured together with the back housing 510 separately from the front housing 540. [ Accordingly, the back housing 510 can be configured to accommodate existing electronic devices and replace the corresponding original backhouses of electronic devices that were originally not equipped with wireless powering capabilities.

In operation, the back housing 510 may be configured to be connected to the front housing 540 in such a manner that an electrical connection is made between the wireless power receiving circuit 520 and the battery. The electrical connection between the wireless power receiving circuit 520 and the battery can be achieved by the contacts of the wireless power receiving circuit 520 electrically connecting with the contacts of the battery to establish an electrical connection. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, the electronic device 500 may extend from the wireless power receiving circuit 520 and pass through the shield 550 to charge the batteries during charging of the wireless power, And a connector 560 (such as a cable) that establishes an electrical connection with the connector.

6A is a cross-sectional view of an integrated storage device 600 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The integrated storage device 600 includes storage cells 620, an antenna 630, a garbage disposal 640, and other circuitry 650 in a common housing enclosure 610.

The common housing inclusion body 610 can be shaped and dimensioned in the same form factor as a conventional battery used in an electronic device. The integrated storage device 600 then provides a battery (i.e., storage cells 620) that is inserted into the electronic device on behalf of the original battery and can be charged with radio power from a transmit antenna (not shown) to the electronic device . The integrated storage device may include NFC capabilities as described above.

The connector 660 can be configured to make electrical connections with the electronic device in a manner similar to the original battery of the electronic device to provide power to the electronic device. The connector 660 may be a cable such as that shown in Figs. 6A-6C, or alternatively may be a set of contacts establishing an electrical connection with the contacts to which the ordinary battery will connect to power the electronic device .

The antenna 630 may be configured to receive radio power and NFC, such as a coil antenna. In other words, the antenna may be configured to receive wireless power transmissions or NFC transmissions or a combination of both. The antenna 630 may be shared by both the wireless power supply system and the original electromagnetic field of the electronic device, which may include wireless power supply and NFC in existing electronic devices that do not currently have such capabilities It can be an economical way to integrate.

Storage cells 620 may be comprised of any kind of battery storage cells, for example a lithium ion battery. The common housing inclusion body 610 of the integrated storage device 620 can be configured to replace the existing battery of the electronic device while having additional circuitry so that the physical area of the storage cells 620 can be replaced by an integrated storage device 600 may be physically smaller than the corresponding storage cells in the existing battery. However, the storage cells 620 may be electrically identical or larger than the storage cells of the previous battery.

The garbage disposal 640 may be a protective material that forms a magnetic field, located between the storage cells 620 and the antenna 630. The garbage disposal 640 can be configured to isolate the antenna from the metal casing that can wrap the storage cells 620. In other words, the garbage disposal 640 can localize the magnetic field to have the effect of reducing the disturbing effects that the storage cells 620 may have on the performance of the antenna 630. The shield may be made of a ferrite material, such as FLEXIELD available from TDK Corporation of Tokyo, Japan.

Other circuitry 650 may provide the integrated storage device 600 with the ability to have a wireless power supply capability, or to have an NFC capability, or to convert an electronic device to have both a wireless power supply capability and an NFC capability have. An example of such a circuit includes the matching circuit and the rectifying circuit described above with reference to Fig. Other circuits 650 may also include overvoltage protection circuitry if an excess protection circuit is not embedded in storage cells 620.

In addition, the integrated storage device 600 may include an indicator (e.g., visual or audible) that is activated when the associated electronic device is within the range of the wireless power transmission charge field (e.g., flashing light from the light emitting diode Through any auditory indication). The integrated storage device 600 may also include a magnetically transparent packaging material surrounding the components for additional robustness to the magnetic field.

In operation, the integrated storage device 600 may be configured to receive wireless power when it is in a radiowave generated by a transmitter of the wireless power charger. The wireless power may be stored in storage cells 620, such as a battery. The stored charge from storage cells 620 may then be used to power the associated electronic device. Alternatively, the power received by the integrated wireless storage device 600 may be supplied directly to the electronic device, instead of being stored in the storage cells 620. [ In other words, the daily use behavior may be to charge storage cells 620 to power the electronic device, and other usage behaviors may include direct power to the electronic device when the electronic device is within the radiation range of the transmitting antenna It may be to supply. As described above, wireless charging involves powering a rectifying circuit that supplies power to a receiving antenna in an electronic device to be charged and then converts the received power to DC power. The DC power can charge the battery of the electronic device or provide power for simultaneous operation. Generally, an integrated storage device 600 is coupled to receive antenna 630, storage cells 620 (e.g., battery), and other circuitry 650 (e.g., May be combined into a common housing enclosure 610 that replaces an existing battery pack of the electronic device.

Alternatively, or in addition, the integrated storage device 600 may be configured to allow the electronic device to transmit and receive NFCs via the antenna 630. By using the integrated storage device 600 to replace an existing battery pack, the electronic device may not require software modifications. The use of the integrated storage device 600 may be advantageous because many electronic devices have customized software that allows the electronic device to be charged only by a customized AC adapter for a particular electronic device. Direct charging from an existing battery terminal can mitigate these software compatibility issues, as software within the electronic device will likely appear to be powered by a conventional battery. In addition, since the integrated storage device 600 can be configured to conform to the size and shape of an existing battery in an electronic device, the original industrial design of the electronic device can be maintained. In addition, the integrated storage device 600 may allow a user to upgrade the current electronic device in a simple manner by replacing the existing battery pack with the integrated storage device 600.

An integrated storage device 600 having a common housing inclusion body 610 may be able to maintain a more constant resonance over different integrated storage devices 600. [ The relative positions and spacing of the antenna 630, the car discard 640, and the storage cells 620 can significantly contribute to the correct tuning of the antenna 630. If the components (e.g., storage cells 620, antenna 630, garbage disposal 640, etc.) are loose, different spacing between these components may result in different resonant frequencies. In other words, providing the integrated storage device 600 can make the performance of the wireless power supply or NFC communication more reliable and repeatable.

6B is a cross-sectional view of an integrated storage device 600 in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The integrated storage device 600 includes storage cells 620, an antenna 630, a garbage disposal 640, and other circuitry 650 in a common housing enclosure 610 with a connector 660, 6A. The integrated storage device 600 additionally includes a receive circuit 670, which may be in a different module than the other circuitry 650. Receiving circuit 670 may include circuitry associated with wireless power supply and / or NFC conversion. Examples of such circuitry may include rectifiers, filters, and regulators that convert the power received by the antenna 630 to DC power.

6C is a perspective view of an integrated storage device 600 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The integrated storage device 600 includes storage cells 620, an antenna 630, a garbage disposal 640, and other circuitry 650 in a common housing enclosure 610 with a connector 660, 6A. The circuitry for wireless power conversion, NFC, or a combination thereof may be included in other circuitry 650 or included in another module 670, such as that shown in FIG. 6B. Alternatively, circuits for NFC and / or wireless power conversion may be accommodated outside of the integrated storage device 600, in which there are antenna 630 connections external to the integrated storage device 600 May be required.

Figure 7 illustrates an integrated storage device 700 in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The integrated storage device 700 may be configured to have the same shape and size (i.e., the same form factor) of an existing battery and have the same electrode connections as an existing battery. For example, an electronic device may be powered by disposable batteries, such as AA batteries 701 and 702. These battery types are often used in battery compartments of portable electronic objects such as flashlights or toys. In the present exemplary embodiment, the retrofit batteries 701 and 702 include a coil antenna 705, which may be disposed about the periphery of one or both of the outer peripheries of the batteries 701 and 702. [ In addition, some of the retrofitted batteries 701 and 702 include an electronic circuit 710 that includes a rectifier, a filter, a regulator, and other circuitry required to allow the device to receive wireless power, NFC, . By placing the associated electronic device or alternate batteries 701 and 702 separately in the coupling mode zone of the transmit antenna, the storage cells of the remainder of the battery 702 (denoted generally as 712, 714, and 716) It can be charged wirelessly.

Integrated storage device 700 therefore includes both storage cells 712,714, 716, coil antenna 705, and associated electronics 710 in a common housing. The integrated storage device 700 may be used to remotely power an electronic device such that the electronic device operates in response to wireless power reception or enables NFC functionality by enabling wireless charging of the replacement battery by the new wireless rechargeable battery assembly . The physical space used by the storage cells in the battery can be reduced because some area of the battery can be reserved for additional electronic circuits. However, the electrical performance of the battery may be substantially similar to the replacement of existing batteries. Although AA batteries are shown in Fig. 7, these exemplary battery shapes and sizes are not to be construed as limiting. The integrated storage devices can be configured to be shaped or sized for any type of battery, such as, for example, AA, AAA, C cell, D cell, 9-Volt, lithium ion, nickel cadmium, and nickel metal hydride batteries. Lt; / RTI >

In another exemplary embodiment, the housings of any existing electronic devices may provide too thick or too much internal shielding, which may prevent the wireless charging station from penetrating the housing of the existing electronic device. In these other exemplary embodiments, batteries having a wireless power supply function as in FIGS. 4-7 may be removed from the electronic device and placed in a wireless power field, for example on a charging pad. Removing such a battery may remove the battery from the shielded area to enable wireless coupling to occur. Once charged via wireless power reception, batteries with a wireless power supply function can be repositioned in the electronic device.

In another exemplary embodiment, the wireless power conversion hardware may be configured externally to the electronic device, e.g., a device that is connected at the DC input to the electronic device.

The approaches described herein are applicable to a variety of communication standards such as CDMA, WCDMA, OFDM, 802.11, GPS, Bluetooth, LGE, and the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of techniques and techniques. For example, data, instructions, instructions, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips referred to throughout this specification may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or light sources, Can be expressed.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, It will be appreciated. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality will be implemented in hardware or in software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation choices should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit ASICs, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. have.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may be a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read only memory (ROM), an electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, And other types of storage media known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over one or more directives or codes on a computer readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium is any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM (s), read-only memory Or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or other media. It is also true that any connection is referred to as a computer-readable medium. If software is transmitted from a web site, server, or other remote source using, for example, wireless technologies such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or infrared, radio, and microwave, , Fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included within the definition of media. Disks and discs used herein include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVD), floppy discs, and Blu- Is typically used to magnetically reproduce data, and discs optically reproduce data using a laser. Combinations of the above will also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims (20)

1. A power circuit for an electronic device,
An antenna configured to wirelessly receive a signal via a wireless field generated by a transmit antenna; And
A conversion circuit configured to convert the received signal to DC power, wherein the antenna and the conversion circuit are housed in a common assembly, the common assembly being configured to electrically and mechanically couple to the electronic device, Wherein the conversion circuit is further configured to transmit or receive near field communication (NFC) data. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a rechargeable storage battery,
Wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide the DC power to the rechargeable storage cell to charge the rechargeable storage cell and to provide the DC power to the electronic device to supply power directly to the electronic device, . 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the rechargeable storage battery is housed in the common assembly. 3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a shield positioned between the rechargeable storage cell and the antenna within the common assembly,
Wherein the shield is configured to electromagnetically isolate the antenna from the rechargeable storage cell. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the common assembly is configured to replace an existing battery of the electronic device. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the common assembly has substantially the same form factor and substantially the same electrical contact location as the existing battery. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the antenna and the conversion circuit are configured to remodel the electronic device that was originally not equipped with wireless power reception and NFC communication functionality. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the common assembly includes an alternate housing portion configured to replace a corresponding housing portion of the electronic device and wherein the antenna and the conversion circuit are formed integrally with the alternate housing portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the antenna is further configured to be shared by both the power circuit and the electronics of the electronic device. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a magnetically transparent packaging material configured to wrap the antenna and the conversion circuit, the packaging material further configured to improve the wireless field. CLAIMS 1. A method for wirelessly receiving power in a power circuit for an electronic device,
Wirelessly receiving, via an antenna, a signal via a wireless field generated by a transmitting antenna;
Converting the received signal to DC power through a conversion circuit; And
Transmitting and receiving near field communication (NFC) data through the antenna and the conversion circuit, the antenna and the conversion circuit being housed in a common assembly, the common assembly being electrically and mechanically And transmitting and receiving the NFC data. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 20 > 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the DC power is provided as a rechargeable storage battery to charge the rechargeable storage battery and is provided to the electronic device to supply power directly to the electronic device. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the rechargeable storage battery is housed in the common assembly. 13. The method of claim 12,
Further comprising: electromagnetically isolating the antenna from the rechargeable storage cell through a shield located between the rechargeable storage cell and the antenna within the common assembly. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the common assembly is configured to replace an existing battery of the electronic device. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the common assembly has substantially the same form factor and substantially the same electrical contact location as the existing battery. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the antenna and the conversion circuit are configured to remodel the electronic device that was originally not equipped with a radio power reception and an NFC reception function. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the common assembly includes an alternate housing portion configured to replace a corresponding housing portion of the electronic device and wherein the antenna and the conversion circuit are formed integrally with the alternate housing portion. 12. The method of claim 11,
Further comprising wrapping the antenna and the conversion circuit with magnetically transparent packaging material configured to improve the wireless field. 1. A power circuit for an electronic device,
Means for receiving a signal wirelessly via a wireless field generated by a transmit antenna; And
Means for converting the received signal to DC power,
Wherein the means for receiving and the means for converting are housed in a common assembly and the common assembly is configured to electrically and mechanically couple to the electronic device, NFC) < / RTI > data.

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