GB2528022A

GB2528022A - Charging station

Info

Publication number: GB2528022A
Application number: GB1403552.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Turner
Original assignee: QICONNECT Ltd
Current assignee: QICONNECT Ltd
Priority date: 2014-02-28
Filing date: 2014-02-28
Publication date: 2016-01-13
Also published as: GB201403552D0

Abstract

A charging station 1 for a portable electronic device 3 comprises a charging region, a wireless power transmitter 4 for charging the battery of the portable device 3 when it is placed in the charging region and a battery holder 5 for receiving a battery 6 for supplying power to the wireless power transmitter 4. The charging station may be embedded in an item of furniture 2, which may be a table, desk or other work surface. The battery holder 5 may be mounted beneath the charging region, be lockable to prevent battery removal and conceal electrical connections with the transmitter 4. The charging station may convey power at all times while power is available from the battery 6. A status indicator may be provided to indicate the wireless power transmitter 4 is conveying power. A test tool (figure 3) may be provided for testing the charging capability of the charging station 1 and may take the form of a fob. A battery rack (figure 5) may also be provided to charge a plurality of batteries from a mains supply.

Description

Charciinci Station

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a charging station, an item of furniture into which the charging station has been embedded, a test tool for testing the charge state of the charging station, and a charging system.

Background to the invention

Modern portable electronic devices such as smartphones typically can be used for only a few hours before they need to be recharged. When these devices are being used away from the home or office, it can be difficult to arrange for them to be charged, partly because the user may not have a charger with them, and partly due to a lack of availability of publicly available sockets to plug such a charger into. There are a variety of wireless charging solutions available for individuals, provided that they have access to a power point or somewhere to plug a USB device, and provided that they carry a wireless power transmitter around.

Providing public wireless charging stations is possible, but these are limited to installation into fixed locations, due to the need to plug them in to power points. Accordingly, these are not suitable for use where the furniture (tables, bars, desks etc) into which they are to be installed need to be moved around and positioned in places where no power point is available.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to address this problem.

Summary of the invention

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging station for a portable electronic device, comprising a charging region, a wireless power transmitter for wirelessly conveying power to the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is placed in the charging region, to charge the battery of the portable electronic device, and a battery holder for receiving a battery for supplying the power to be transmitted by the wireless power transmitter. In this way, it is possible to provide users with a turn up and drop' service (whereby a user is able to place their mobile telephone or other portable electronic device onto a wireless charging station to re-charge without the need for plugs and cables) at a location where a wired charging station could not be provided. While wire free chargers utilising power banks and wireless charging technology exist, in the form of transmitters with USB connectivity which can be connected to a mobile charger plug or a USB socket on a PC, these are not fixed embedded units they are instead portable and have to be carried around by a user. A fixed charging station is made possible by the provision of the battery holder, which permits batteries to be swapped in and out to keep the charging station in operation. A battery (power bank) inserted into the battery holder is automatically connected to the wireless transmitter. Embodiments of the present invention seek to offer an embedded solution which enables anyone to use the charging stations provided that their mobile has been adapted to support wireless charging.

Preferably, the battery holder is lockable to inhibit removal of the battery. This may be important where the charging station is in a public place, from which the battery could otherwise be stolen.

Preferably, the electrical connection between the wireless power transmitter and the battery is concealed within the battery holder. Preferably, the battery holder is mounted beneath the charging region.

Preferably, the charging station remains in a state in which it is able to convey power at all times while power is available from a battery within the battery holder. This is atypical behaviour for a battery-based device, which conventionally utilises a low power (sleep or hibernate) state to save battery power. For the present application it is undesirable to manually require a user to both place their portable electronic device into the charging region and also activate the charging station. Accordingly, the charging station is active at all times, and the battery is selected to provide a usage period which permits this for long enough for the battery to be replaced at a convenient time. For example, where the charging station is used in a shop or library, the battery should preferably last for the whole working day, but will then be recharged overnight before being used again the next working day. Alternatively, the battery may only last part of a day, but be routinely replaced at (say) lunchtime.

In some embodiments, the charging status comprises a status indicator for indicating that the wireless power transmitter is currently conveying power. This may for example be an LED which lights up when a portable electronic device is placed in the charging region and the power transmitter is caused to convey power to the portable electronic device.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an item of furniture comprising the charging station described above.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a test tool for testing the charging capability of a charging station as described above, the test tool comprising a receiver coil, wherein when the test tool is placed in the charging region it causes the wireless power transmitter to convey power to the receiver coil, one or both of the test tool and the charging station having a status indicator for indicating that the wireless power transmitter is currently conveying power. Preferably, the test tool is a fob, which can be easily carried around on a keyring for example.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a charging system comprising a charging station and a test tool as described above.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a charging system comprising a charging station as described above, and a battery rack, the battery rack comprising a plurality of battery holders, each battery holder for receiving a battery, the battery rack being connectable to a mains power supply and operable to charge the batteries received in the battery holders. It will be understood that a particular establishment may utilise a plurality of charging stations, each of which requires at least one battery. While the establishment is open, the batteries are installed within the charging stations to permit wireless charging of portable electronic devices. Then, while the establishment is closed, the batteries are removed from the charging stations and placed in the charging rack, where they will be recharged (and replaced within the charging stations) before the establishment reopens. Alternatively, two batteries may be allocated per charging station, with one being in the charging station and one being in the charging rack at any given time. The two batteries can be switched over by a staff member to minimise a period during which the charging station is unavailable.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a charging system comprising a charging station as described above and a receiver coil attachment for connection to the portable electronic device, the receiver coil attachment permitting the wireless power transmitter to convey power to charge the portable electronic device via the receiver coil attachment. In this way, existing portable electronic devices which are not equipped for wireless charging can be retrofitted. The receiver coil attachment may be embedded within a special case for the portable electronic device, or may be a thin element to be affixed to the rear of the portable electronic device.

Detailed description

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following Figures in which: Figure 1 schematically illustrates a wireless charging station embedded in an item of furniture; Figure 2 schematically illustrates the various components of the charging station of Figure 1; Figure 3 schematically illustrates a testing tool in the form of a fob; Figures 4A and 43 schematically illustrate the battery holder of the charging station in both a closed (Figure 4A) state and an open (Figure 4B) state; and Figure 5 schematically illustrates a charging rack for charging batteries for a plurality of associated charging stations.

Referring to Figure 1, a wire-free embedded wireless charging station 1 is schematically illustrated in situ (embedded) within an item of furniture 2, in this case a table, although the item of furniture 2 could equally be a desk or other work surface. The charger utilises Qi technology as defined by the Wireless Power Consortium'. The wireless charging solution described can be used in a variety of environments, for example airports, airport lounges, airport arrival and departure halls, hotels, hotel lounges, hotel meeting rooms, hotel bars, conference rooms, bars, cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, fast food chains, waiting areas within hospitals, doctors, dentists, corporate entertainment areas within sports grounds, hairdressers, beauticians, offices, conference rooms, seminar rooms, universities and libraries, assembly halls, lecture rooms, conference rooms, cafeteria, public areas, on campus, public transport, coaches, buses, trains, at home in the kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom and office, and in the marine environment on leisure craft and cruisers, cruise ships and ferries. Furniture designers and furniture manufacturers may incorporate the wireless charging solution into furniture. The solution described in relation to Figure 1 offers a facility which provides an embedded solution so that anyone can use the charging stations provided their mobile has been adapted to support wireless charging.

In Figure 1, a portable electronic device, in this case a mobile telephone 3, has been placed in a charging region, which in this case can be seen to be a portion of a substantially horizontal surface of the item of furniture. The charging region may be indicated as such by markings on the top surface of the item of furniture 2, or in some embodiments the charging region may be a planar portion of the wireless charger itself which is inserted into an aperture in the horizontal surface of the item of furniture 2 (and thus is visually distinct from the remainder of the top surface of the item of furniture). It will also be appreciated that the charging region may be a non-horizontal surface, or may be a tray or compartment into which the mobile telephone 3 is placed. The wireless charger 1 comprises a wireless power transmitter 4 for wirelessly conveying power to the portable electronic device 3 when the portable electronic device 3 is placed in the charging region. This charges the battery of the portable electronic device 3. It can be seen that in Figure 1 the wireless power transmitter 4 is embedded within the underside of the item of furniture 2, but it is not exposed through the top surface of the item of furniture 2. However, in alternative embodiments the top surface of the wireless power transmitter 4 may be exposed through an aperture in the item of furniture 2. The wireless charger 1 can also be seen to comprise a battery holder 5 for receiving a battery 6 for supplying the power to be transmitted by the wireless power transmitter 4. In Figure 1, the battery holder 5 is mounted to the wireless power transmitter 4, and beneath the item of furniture 2, and in particular beneath the charging region. Access to the battery holder 5 is therefore straightforward, but it is visually discreet from the perspective of the user. In an alternative embodiment the battery holder 5 may be mounted elsewhere on the item of furniture 2. However, it is desirable for the battery holder 5 to be mounted onto the housing of the wireless power transmitter 4, since this enables the wires and connectors between the wireless power transmitter 4 and the battery holder 5 to be hidden, which is beneficial both from an aesthetic perspective, and also in terms of the fact that the wires and connectors are protected from damage and dust ingress. The wireless charging solution can be built in to a table or bar, worktop or other piece of furniture, without a requirement for that item of furniture to be static or positioned close to a mains power supply.

Referring now to Figure 2, the wireless charger 1 of Figure 1 is described in more detail. In particular, the wireless power transmitter 4 is shown to comprise a coil 42, an electronics module 44 and an indicator LED 46. The electronics module 44 is electrically connected to the battery holder 5, which as explained above is configured to receive a battery (power bank) 6. The electronics module 44 draws electrical power from the battery 6 and passes an electric current through the coil 42. The electric current passing through the coil 42 (primary winding) generates a magnetic field within the charging region. "Mien a portable electronic device having its own coil for receiving power is placed into the charging region, the magnetic field interacts with the coil (secondary winding) of the portable electronic device to cause a current to flow through the coil of the portable electronic device.

In other words, the current flowing through the coil 42 causes a current to flow through the coil of the portable electronic device via inductive coupling between the coils. The electric current induced within the coil of the portable electronic device then charges the battery of the portable electronic device. The LED 46 lights up when the coil 42 is inductively coupled to a coil within the charging region. The LED 46 will therefore not be illuminated when either (or both) there is no coil within the charging region or the battery 6 is no longer providing (sufficient) power. The LED 46 therefore provides a status indicator for indicating that the wireless power transmitter is currently conveying power. In addition, the LED 46 may also be used following the insertion of the battery 6 into the battery holderS to indicate that the battery 6 is now in electrical connection with the wireless power transmitter 4 (i.e. that the electrical connectors on the inside of the battery holder 5 and the battery 6 are in electrical engagement). It will be appreciated that the LED 46 is optional. The electronics module 44 keeps the charging station in a state in which it is able to convey power at all times while power is available from a battery within the battery holder. In other words, the electronics module 44 does not time out and switch itself off after a period of inactivity. This is an uncommon arrangement for a battery powered unit, where timing out into a sleep mode is generally seen as essential to preserve battery life. In the present case, as will be explained below, the expected usage of the charging station is such that routine battery replacement will occur before the battery runs out of charge, and it is therefore more important to make the user experience easier (that is, the user need only place their mobile telephone into the charging region, rather than being required also to switch on the charging station or wake it up from a dormant state). In particular, the power bank is preferably capable of supporting the full recharge from flat of up to 6 smartphones before needing to be removed and replaced with a charged up power bank. This is equivalent to approximately 12 hours continuous use.

When the battery 6 is placed in the battery holder 5, it may need to be switched on in order that it can supply power. In one implementation, a power switch has to be held down for 3 seconds which allows output from an eUSB outlet, and which also causes a low output LED located on the battery to light up. This LED assists in keeping the battery energised and maintains it in what is effectively a Ready' standby state. This LED can also be used to identify whether the battery still has power since all the time it is lit then this indicates that the wireless charging transmitter is in a ready state, but once the LED is off then the battery is either flat or has been manually powered off by holding the power switch down for up to 3 seconds, leading to the transmitter becoming idle and inoperable. This provides a clear indication to the provider that battery must be replaced or powered on again, if still charged (having perhaps been manually turned off overnight to conserve power whilst not in use but remaining connected to transmitter).

Some of the components which are combined to form the charging station are readily available off the shelf components. In particular, an 1 l400mAh power bank which has an operating range of between 5v and 20v DC can be used as the battery. This particular device senses a connected device using a power bank eUSB' output connector. An example of a power bank with a suitable connector can be found at http:/Mww.romoss.com/external-battery/eusb-series/eUSB-soufn4.php. This power bank can be combined with an embedded wireless charging transmitter. Example embedded wireless charging transmitters suitable for combination with this power bank can be found at http://www.qinside.biz/en/charging-solutions/charging-station-qil 001, http://w. uway- qi.com/Productsshow.asp?l D=58 (Hidden flush mount), and http://www. uway-qi.com/Productsshow.asp?ID=57 (Surface mount). To be able to combine these different products a secure battery tray is used into which the power bank is slotted and automatically connected to the transmitter to produce the wire-free solution.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a test tool 7 (in this case a fob) for testing the charging capability of the charging station. The fob can be readily carried about, for example on a keyring. In effect, the test tool emulates a portable electronic device having a coil. The test tool comprises a receiver coil 72 which can be inductively coupled to the coil 42 of the wireless charging transmitter. The test tool also comprises simple circuitry 74 which completes a circuit with the coil 72 and also drives an LED 76 using the electric current induced in the coil 72. The LED 76 acts as a status indicator for indicating that the wireless power transmitter is currently conveying power. It will be appreciated that the LED 76 (or other status indicator) is optional when the test tool 7 is to be used with a charging station which has its own status indicator. When the test tool is placed in the charging region it causes the wireless power transmitter to convey power to the receiver coil, which makes the LED 46 and/or the LED 76 light up to indicate that the charging station is functional and has a charged battery 6.

Figures 4A and 43 schematically illustrate the battery holderS in both closed and open states respectively. Referring first to Figure 4A, the battery holder 5 can be seen to be an enclosure which substantially surrounds the battery 6. It will of course be appreciated that some openings in the enclosure may be required in order to provide ventilation to avoid overheating of the battery 6. Internally of the battery holderS, a connector is provided which mates with a corresponding connector of the battery 6. Referring to Figure 4B, it can be seen that the battery holder 5 comprises a main body 52 into which the battery 6 can be slid via an opening, and a closing part 54 which is attached at one end to the main body 52 via a hinge 54. The closing part 54 comprises an end face 58 which covers the opening in the main body 52 when the closing pad 54 is in its closed position as shown in Figure 4A. It is the closing pad 54 which is attached to the item of furniture 2 or the wireless power transmitter 4, with the main body 52 dropping down from the closing pad 54 when the battery holderS is opened to permit the battery 6 to be removed from or inserted into the main body 52 through the opening. The closing part 54 comprises a lock 59 which can be turned by a key (not shown) to secure the closing part 54 and the main body 52 into the closed configuration to prevent unauthorised removal of the battery 6, which may be important where the charging stations are used in a public, unsupervised, place. It will be appreciated that in some cases a lock may not be necessary. It will also be appreciated that other types of battery holder could be provided which, for example, do not enclose the battery 6, but instead merely retain it in place. For example the battery 6 could slot in between two guide rails.

Figure 5 schematically illustrates a battery rack 9 for charging batteries for the charging station. The battery rack comprises a plurality of battery holders 96a-96f located within a frame structure 94. Each battery holder is configured to receive a battery 6, and is connected to a main power supply via a USB charger 92. The USB charger 92 has a single connection to the main supply, but is able to charge a plurality of USB devices, in this case the batteries 6. The battery rack is therefore (unlike the charging station itselfl connectable to a mains power supply and operable to charge the batteries received in the battery holders. The battery holder of the charging station and the battery holders of the battery rack may be somewhat similar -i.e. having a structure as per Figures 4A and 4B, although a lock may be less important for battery holders within the battery rack 9, since the battery rack 9 need not be provided in a publicly accessible area. Additionally, with certain types of battery the input for charging the battery (which may for example be a micro-USB connector) may be located in a different place to the power output from the battery (which may be an eUSB connector). For example, the charging input may be at one end of the battery and the power output may be at the opposite end of the battery. In this case the backplane and connection interface will be different in each of the charging station and the charging rack, to engage with different ends of the battery. It may be that the battery holders of the charging rack are based on the main body 52 shown in Figure 4B, with the closing part 54 being omitted. In use, the combination of a removable battery in the charging station which is capable of all-day use with the charging rack allows the establishment providing the charging station facility to users (e.g a coffee shop, restaurant etc.) to introduce a procedure at the end of each day when they (for example) clean up the tables. This procedure would involve routinely replacing the used power banks with fully charged power banks from the charging rack and putting the used power banks into the charging rack for an overnight charge. By using batteries which are capable of lasting throughout (for example) a day, and then routinely charging the batteries (for example) overnight, there is no need to provide a low battery state indicator on the charging station, nor to keep checking whether the devices are working (although the test tool described above provides a convenient way to do this if required).

As discussed previously, the charging station relies on inductive coupling between a coil of a wireless power transmitter and a coil of the portable electronic device. Many portable electronic devices are (currently) supplied without such a receiver coil. In this case, a receiver coil attachment for connection to the portable electronic device is required. Such a receiver coil attachment permits the wireless power transmitter to convey power to charge the portable electronic device via the receiver coil attachment. The receiver coil attachment may be embedded within a special case for the portable electronic device, or may be a thin element to be affixed to the rear of the portable electronic device, or to be fitted between the portable electronic device and a case.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A charging station for a portable electronic device, comprising: a charging region; a wireless power transmitter for wirelessly conveying power to the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is placed in the charging region, to charge the battery of the portable electronic device; and a battery holder for receiving a battery for supplying the power to be transmitted by the wireless power transmitter.
2. A charging station according to claim 1, wherein the charging station is embedded in an item of furniture.
3. A charging station according to claim 2, wherein the item of furniture is a table, desk or other work surface.
4. A charging station according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the charging region is a portion of a substantially horizontal surface of the item of furniture.
5. A charging station according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the battery holder is lockable to inhibit removal of the battery.
6. A charging station according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the electrical connection between the wireless power transmitter and the battery is concealed within the battery holder.
7. A charging station according to any preceding claim, wherein the battery holder is mounted beneath the charging region.
8. A charging station according to any preceding claim, wherein the charging station remains in a state in which it is able to convey power at all times while power is available from a battery within the battery holder.
9. A charging station according to any preceding claim, comprising a status indicator for indicating that the wireless power transmitter is currently conveying power.
10. An item of furniture comprising the charging station of any preceding claim.
11. A test tool for testing the charging capability of a charging station according to any one of claims ito 9, the test tool comprising a receiver coil, wherein when the test tool is placed in the charging region it causes the wireless power transmitter to convey power to the receiver coil, one or both of the test tool and the charging station having a status indicator for indicating that the wireless power transmitter is currently conveying power.
12. A test tool according to claim ii, wherein the test tool is a fob.
13. A charging system comprising a charging station according to any one of claims ito 9 and a test tool according to claim 11 or claim 12.
14. A charging system comprising a charging station according to any of claims ito 9 and a battery rack, the battery rack comprising a plurality of battery holders, each battery holder for receiving a battery, the battery rack being connectable to a mains power supply and operable to charge the batteries received in the battery holders.
15. A charging system comprising a charging station according to any of claims ito 9 and a receiver coil attachment for connection to the portable electronic device, the receiver coil attachment permitting the wireless power transmitter to convey power to charge the portable electronic device via the receiver coil attachment.
16. A charging station substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. A test tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
iS. A charging system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.