KR20180050601A - Techniques for calculating power consumption in wireless power delivery systems - Google Patents

Abstract

Various techniques for calculating power consumption in a wireless delivery system are described herein. In one example, the power consumption is determined by receiving information associated with at least one portable device, identifying a discharge / charge curve associated with the at least one battery in the at least one portable device, and determining the received information and the identified discharge / And calculating the power consumption of the at least one portable device based at least in part on the power consumption of the at least one portable device.

Description

Techniques for calculating power consumption in wireless power delivery systems

Cross reference of related application

This application is related to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 256,694, filed November 17, 2015 entitled INTEGRATED CHIPS INCORPORATING TRANSCEIVER COMPONENTS FOR REMOTE WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY AND FOR RECEIVING WIRELESS POWER; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 163,964, filed May 19, 2015 entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS CHARGING; And US Provisional Application No. 62 / 146,233, filed April 10, 2015, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS CHARGING, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 542,993, filed April 8, 2016, entitled WIRELESS CHARGING WITH MULTIPLE POWER RECEIVING FACILITIES ON A WIRELESS DEVICE; Filed April 8, 2016, entitled INFERRING BATTERY STATUS OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN A WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY; Filed April 8, 2016, entitled WIRELESS POWER TRANSCEIVERS FOR SUPPLEMENTING WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY AND EXTENDING RANGE; No. 15 / 093,023 filed on April 7, 2016 entitled TECHNIQUES FOR STATICALLY TUNING RETRO-DIRECTIVE WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS; U.S. Serial No. 15 / 092,026, filed April 6, 2016 entitled ESTABLISHING CONNECTIONS WITH CHARGERS IN MULTI-CHARGER WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS; No. 15 / 091,986, filed April 6, 2016, entitled TECHNIQUES FOR DELIVERING RETRODIRECTIVE WIRELESS POWER; U.S. Serial No. 15 / 048,982, filed February 19, 2016 entitled WIRELESSLY CHARGEABLE BATTERY APPARATUS; U.S. Serial No. 15 / 048,984 filed on February 19, 2016 entitled REMOVABLY ATTACHABLE PORTABLE DEVICE APPARATUS WITH INTEGRATED WIRELESS POWER RECEIVING FACILITIES; U.S. Application Serial No. 14 / 956,673, filed December 2, 2015 entitled TECHNIQUES FOR ENCODING BEACON SIGNALS IN WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS; No. 14 / 945,741, filed November 19, 2015 entitled TECHNIQUES FOR IMAGING WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS AND TRACKING OBJECTS THEREIN; U.S. Serial No. 14 / 945,783, filed on November 19, 2015 entitled WIRELESSLY POWERED ELECTRONIC DISPLAY APPARATUSES; No. 14 / 926,014 filed on October 29, 2015 entitled TECHNIQUES FOR FILTERING MULTI-COMPONENT SIGNALS, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The techniques described herein generally relate to wireless communication and power transmission applications such as wireless power delivery systems and clients for receiving wireless power.

Many portable electronic devices are powered by batteries. Rechargeable batteries are often used to save valuable resources and avoid the cost of replacing existing batteries. However, charging a battery with an existing rechargeable battery charger sometimes requires access to an unacceptable or inconvenient alternating current (AC) power outlet. Thus, it may be desirable to derive power for the battery charger from electromagnetic radiation.

Accordingly, there is a need for techniques that not only provide additional advantages, but also overcome the aforementioned problems. The examples provided herein relate to some prior or related systems and the limitations associated therewith are illustrative and not intended to be exclusive. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize other limitations of the existing system or conventional system through the following detailed description.

In general, the examples of some conventional or related systems and limitations associated with them disclosed herein are illustrative and not exhaustive. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize other limitations of the existing system or conventional system by reading the following description.

One or more embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements.
1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless power delivery environment representative of wireless power transfer from one or more wireless transmitters to various wireless devices in a wireless power delivery environment.
2 is a sequence diagram illustrating exemplary operation between a wireless transmitter and a power receiver client for initiating wireless power transfer.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless power receiver (client) in accordance with an embodiment.
4 is a system overview diagram illustrating various components of the various embodiments described herein.
5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment including a cloud processing system configured to calculate power consumption of a wireless device in a power distribution area, in accordance with various embodiments.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management interface of a cloud processing system, in accordance with various embodiments.
Figures 7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating an exemplary process that facilitates calculation of power consumption of a wireless device, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 8 illustrates a graphical representation of a machine of an exemplary type of computer system, and a set of instructions that cause any one or more of the methods discussed herein to be performed within the computer system may be executed.
FIG. 9 illustrates a graphical representation of a machine of an exemplary type of computer system, and a set of instructions that cause any one or more of the methods discussed herein to be performed within a computer system may be executed.

The following description and drawings are for the purpose of illustration and are not to be construed as limiting. Many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" may be but is not necessarily a reference to the same embodiment, with reference to at least one of the embodiments.

Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The phrase "in one embodiment " appearing elsewhere herein does not necessarily indicate the same embodiment, nor does it indicate a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. In addition, various features are described that do not appear in some embodiments or in other embodiments. Similarly, various requirements may be required for some embodiments, but not for other embodiments.

The terminology used herein generally has its ordinary meaning in the art in the context of this disclosure and the specific context in which each term is used. Certain terms used to describe the disclosure are discussed below or in another part of the specification to provide additional guidance to practitioners with regard to the description of the present disclosure. For convenience, certain terms may be highlighted (e.g., using italics and / or quotation marks). The use of a claim does not affect the scope and meaning of the term, and the scope and meaning of the term are the same in the same context whether or not they are highlighted. You can understand that you can say the same thing in many ways.

Consequently, alternative languages and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein, and no special meaning is intended when the terms are used herein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. References to one or more synonyms do not preclude the use of other synonyms. The use of the examples elsewhere herein, including examples of any of the terms discussed herein, is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or any term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments given herein.

Without intending to further limit the scope of this disclosure, examples of devices, apparatus, methods, and their associated results in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth below. It should be noted that the title or the subtitle may be used in the embodiment for the convenience of the reader, and the scope of the disclosure is not limited in any way. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure relates. In the event of a conflict, this document, including its definition, shall prevail.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more wireless devices (also referred to herein as " wireless power receivers ") having one or more chargers and embedded, attached and / or integrated power receiver clients Quot; device "or" target device ").

The techniques described herein use wireless technology to deliver power, data, or both. In some embodiments, power, data, or both can be delivered simultaneously as a continuous composite waveform, as a pulsed waveform, as multiple overlapping waveforms, or as a combination or variant thereof. Power and data may be delivered using the same or different wireless technologies.

The wireless techniques described herein may be applied to electromagnetic (EM) waves as well as acoustic waves and / or other types of periodic excitation (e.g., phonos). EM waves include radio waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, X-rays and / or gamma rays. Sound waves may include ultrasound waves, acoustic waves, and / or ultrasonic waves. The techniques described herein can simultaneously use multiple radio technologies and / or multiple frequency spectra in one wireless technology in delivering power, data, or both.

Wireless technology may include dedicated hardware components for delivering power and / or data. Dedicated hardware components may be modified based on a combination of wireless technologies or wireless technologies being used. For example, when applied to sound waves, the system uses microphones and speakers rather than Athena.

System Overview / Architecture

1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication / power delivery environment 100 representing wireless power transfer from one or more wireless transmitters 101 to various wireless devices 102 in a wireless communication / power delivery environment. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system in which wireless power and / or data is communicated to an available wireless device (e. G., Wireless device) having one or more power receiver clients 103.1-103.n (also referred to herein as a " wireless power receiver " 0.0 > 102. < / RTI > 102.n. The wireless power receiver is configured to receive wireless power from one or more wireless transmitters (101).

As shown in the example of FIG. 1, a wireless device (102.1-102.n) is an arbitrary wireless device that requires power and can receive wireless power through one or more integrated power receiver clients (103.1-103.n) (Smart devices) and wireless game devices 102.1 (smart devices), which are mobile phone devices 102.2 and 102.n, respectively, (E. G., Using Wi-Fi) and capable of transmitting beacon signals. The handheld device is a handheld device that is not capable of communicating (e. G., Without Bluetooth or WiFi capability) Device. As discussed herein, one or more integrated power receiver clients or "wireless power receivers" receive and process power from one or more transmitters 101.a-101.n, 0.0 > 102.1 < / RTI > 102.n.

Each transmitter 101 (also referred to herein as a "charger", "antenna array", or "antenna array system") includes a plurality of antennas 104 For example, an antenna array that includes hundreds or thousands of spaced apart antennas. Each transmitter 101 may also communicate a wireless communication signal to the wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the wireless power and wireless communication signals may be communicated as a combined power / communication signal. Indeed, although the detailed description provided herein focuses on wireless transmit power, aspects of the present invention are equally applicable to wireless transmit data.

In some embodiments, the antenna is an adaptively-phased radio frequency antenna, and the transmitter 101 may be a radio frequency antenna, such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,558,661, 8,159,364, 8,410,953, 8,446,248, 8,854,176, Utilizes the novel phase shifting algorithm described in one or more of applications 14 / 461,332 and 14 / 815,893. The transmitter 101 may determine an appropriate phase for delivering the coherent power transmission signal to the power receiver client 103. [ The array is configured to emit a signal (e.g., a continuous wave or pulsed power transmission signal) from multiple antennas in a specific phase relative to each other.

The transmitter 101 also includes a time delayed reverse directional radio frequency (RF) holographic array that delivers radio RF power in accordance with the client antenna pattern (polarization, shape and power level of each lobe) in a three dimensional (3D) . It should be understood that the use of the term "array " does not necessarily limit the antenna array to any particular array structure. That is, the antenna array need not consist of a specific "array" shape or geometry. Also, as used herein, the term " array "or" array system "may be used to include associated circuits and peripheral circuits for signal generation, reception and transmission, such as radio, digital logic and modem.

The wireless device 102 may include one or more power receiver clients 103 (also known as a "wireless power receiver"). As shown in the example of FIG. 1, a power transmission antenna 104a and a data communication antenna 104b are shown. The power transfer antenna 104a is configured to provide transfer of wireless radio frequency power in a wireless power delivery environment. The data communication antenna is configured to transmit data communications to and receive data communications from the power receiver clients 103.1-103 and / or wireless devices 102.1-102.n. In some embodiments, the data communication antenna may communicate via Bluetooth < (R) >, Wi-Fi, ZigBee (TM), or other wireless communication protocol.

Each power receiver client 103.1-103.n includes one or more antennas (not shown) for receiving signals from the transmitter 101. Similarly, each transmitter 101.a-101.n comprises an antenna array having one or more antennas and / or a set of antennas capable of emitting a continuous wave signal in a specific phase with respect to each other. As described above, each array may determine an appropriate phase for delivering a coherent signal to power receiver clients 102.1-102.n. For example, the coherent signal can be determined by calculating the complex conjugate of the received beacon signal at each antenna of the array such that the coherent signal is appropriately phased for the particular power receiver client that transmitted the beacon signal. A beacon signal, which is referred to herein primarily as a continuous waveform, may alternatively or additionally take the form of a modulated signal.

Although not shown, each component of the environment (e.g., a wireless power receiver, transmitter, etc.) may include a control and synchronization mechanism (e.g., a data communication synchronization module). The transmitters 101.a-101.n may for example be connected to a power source, such as a power outlet or a power source, which connects the transmitter to a building's standard or primary alternating current (AC) power source. Optionally or additionally, the one or more transmitters 101.a-101.n may be powered by a battery or via another power providing mechanism.

In some embodiments, the power receiver client 102.1-102.n and / or the transmitters 101.a-101.n may communicate with the beacon and / or wireless power delivery environment and / Or a reflective object 106 such as a wall or other RF reflective obstruction within range to receive data. The reflective object 106 may be used for multi-directional signal communication regardless of whether the blocking object is within the line of sight between the transmitter and the power receiver client.

As described herein, each wireless device 102.1-102.n may be any system and / or device capable of establishing a connection with another device, server, and / or other system within the exemplary environment 100 , And / or any combination of devices / systems. In some embodiments, the wireless devices 102.1- 102.n include a display or other output function for presenting data to a user and / or an input function for receiving data from a user. By way of example, and not limitation, wireless device 102 may be a mobile computing device, such as a video game controller, a server desktop, a desktop computer, a computer cluster, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, Phone, and the like. The wireless device 102 may also be a watch, necklace, ring, or even a device embedded within or on the customer. Other examples of wireless device 102 include, but are not limited to, a safety sensor (e.g., fire or carbon monoxide), a powered toothbrush, an electronic door / handle, a light switch controller, an electric shaver,

Although not shown in the example of FIG. 1, the transmitter 101 and the power receiver clients 103.1-103.n may each include a data communication module for communication over a data channel. Optionally or additionally, the power receiver client 103.1-103.n may direct the wireless device 102.1-102.n to communicate with the transmitter via an existing data communication module.

2 is a sequence diagram 200 illustrating an exemplary operation between a wireless transmitter 101 and a power receiver client 103 for initiating wireless power transfer in accordance with one embodiment. First, communication is established between the transmitter 101 and the power receiver client 103, for example, through Bluetooth ™, Wi-Fi, or ZigBee ™. The transmitter 101 then sends a beaconing schedule to the power receiver client 103 to coordinate beacon broadcasting and RF power / data delivery schedules with these and any other power receiver clients. Based on the schedule, the power receiver client 103 broadcasts the beacon. As shown, the transmitter 101 receives a beacon from the power receiver client 103 and detects the received phase (or direction) of the beacon signal. Transmitter 101 communicates wireless power and / or data to power receiver client 103 based on the phase (or direction) of the received beacon. That is, the transmitter 101 can determine the complex conjugate of the phase and uses this complex conjugate to deliver power to the power receiver client 103 in the same direction as the beacon signal is received from the power receiver client 103. [

In some embodiments, the transmitter 101 includes a plurality of antennas, one or more of which are used to transmit power to the power receiver client 103. The transmitter 101 can detect the phase of the beacon signal received at each antenna. A large number of antennas may allow different beacon signals to be received at each antenna of the transmitter 101. The transmitter can then use the algorithms or processes disclosed in one or more of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,558,661, 8,159,364, 8,410,953, 8,446,248, 8,854,176, and U.S. Provisional Nos. 62 / 146,233 and 62 / 163,964 . The algorithm or process may determine how the transmitter 101 will emit signals from one or more antennas taking into account the effects of multiple antennas. In other words, the algorithm determines how to emit a signal from one or more antennas in a manner that produces an aggregate signal from the transmitter 102 that roughly regenerates the waveform of the beacon in the opposite direction.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary receiver 300 in accordance with an embodiment. Receiver 300 includes control logic 310, a battery 320, a communication block 330 and associated antenna 370, a meter 340, a rectifier 350, a beacon signal generator 360 and an associated antenna 380, And a switch 365 that connects the rectifier 350 or the beacon signal generator 360 to the associated antenna 390. [ Some or all of the components may be omitted in some embodiments. More or fewer components are possible.

Rectifier 350 receives a power transmission signal (via one or more client antennas) from a power transmitter, which is supplied to battery 320 via power meter 340 for charging. The power meter 340 measures the total received power signal strength and provides this measurement to the control logic 310. The control logic 310 may also receive the battery power level from the battery 320 itself or may receive battery power data from the API of the operating system running on the receiver 300, for example. The control logic 310 may also transmit / receive data signals on the data carrier frequency, such as a base signal clock for clock synchronization, via communication block 330. [ The beacon signal generator 360 transmits a beacon signal or a calibration signal using the antenna 380 or the antenna 390. [ It is understood that although the battery 320 is shown to be charged and providing power to the receiver 400, the receiver may also receive its power directly from the rectifier 350. This may be something other than providing rectifier 350 with a charging current for battery 320, or instead of providing charging. It is also understood that the use of multiple antennas is an exemplary implementation and that the structure can be reduced to one shared antenna, while the receiver multiplexes the signal reception / transmission.

An optional motion sensor 395 detects the motion and signals the control logic 310. For example, if the device receives power at high frequencies above 500 MHz, the location can be a hotspot for (incoming) radiation. Thus, when the device is in a person, the radiation level may exceed a prescribed value or exceed the radiation level set by the medical / industrial authorities. To avoid any excess radiation problems, the device may incorporate motion detection mechanisms such as accelerometers, assisted GPS, or other mechanisms. Once sensing that the device is in operation, the disclosed system assumes that the user is handling the device and sends a signal to the power transmit array to interrupt power transmission to the device or lower the received power to an acceptable power rate. When the device is used in a mobile environment such as an automobile, train or airplane, the power may be transmitted only intermittently or at a reduced level, as long as the device does not lose all available power.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a system illustrating various embodiments and possible components, but other combinations and variations are possible. As shown, in some embodiments, among other features, the wireless power receiver may be in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, a mobile phone case, a display device (e.g., 103), and can be packaged in a standard battery form factor (e.g., an AA battery).

Techniques for calculating power consumption in wireless power delivery systems

Techniques for calculating power consumption in a wireless power transmission system are disclosed herein. More specifically, techniques for computing power consumption of devices, operating systems, and applications are disclosed. For example, if multiple mobile phones with different operating systems are being charged through the wireless power delivery system, then the system may be able to determine the power consumption of each mobile phone, the power consumption of each operating system running on each mobile phone, It is possible to record the power consumption of each specific application running on each mobile phone. For example, a map application can consume more power if it is using persistent data connections to GPS and websites (compared to non-applications). Also, sometimes the user feels that his mobile phone consumes the charge faster than before, but he does not know why. The techniques described herein may not only easily find the cause, but may also provide other benefits.

5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment 500 that includes a cloud processing system 550 configured to calculate the power consumption of a wireless device in a power distribution area 520, according to various embodiments. 5, an exemplary environment 500 includes a cloud processing system 550, a network 560, a plurality of power distribution areas 520, and a plurality of third party data consumers 510 do. Each power distribution area 520 includes one or more wireless power transmitters or "chargers" 501 that communicate with the network 560 and also communicate with the manager device (locally or via the network 560). The charger 501 provides wireless power to various wireless devices as described herein.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cloud processing system 550 includes a plurality of servers 540 and a data store 530. Any number of servers 540 and / or data repository 530 may be included in the cloud processing system 550. The cloud processing system 550 is configured to calculate the power usage of the wireless device in each power distribution area 520.

More specifically, the wireless device can provide information using the software of the wireless device to a charger 501 that accesses the API of the device to collect information. For example, the charger 501 may send a periodic "client query" message to the client. This message requests the client to return various information to the charger 501. In some instances, the client query message may be a ZigBee message. Alternatively, the wireless device may periodically or automatically transmit information to the charger 501 based on a trigger (e.g., when the battery level is below a threshold, or when the rate of power consumption exceeds a threshold) . The information transmitted to the charger 501 may include the device manufacturer name or ID, device model, battery type / model, hardware, operating system, and the like. This information may also include periodic updates to the application currently running on the device or the status of the application, the current battery status, the device location, the RF power received since the last request, the Cullrom entering or leaving the battery after the last request, Or other information related to power usage.

The charger 501 receives this information and passes it to the cloud processing system 550 via the network 560. [ Alternatively, in some embodiments, the charger 501 includes a local processing function. The cloud processing system 550 or charger 501 calculates the power usage of the wireless device based on received information, including power usage based on specific hardware, operating system, application usage, and the like. For example, the cloud processing system 550 or the charger 501 can calculate the power usage of a particular hardware using the battery state of the wireless device (e.g., voltage and / or incoming / outgoing culm). In some instances, the cloud processing system 550 or the charger 501 includes a database of the types of batteries used in the wireless device and / or their associated discharge / charge curves. The cloud processing system 550 or the charger 501 may identify a specific discharge / charge curve from information received from the wireless device (e.g., device ID, manufacturer / model number, etc.). The cloud processing system 550 or the charger 501 can identify where the current battery condition of the device falls on the discharge / charge curve and calculate the time to charge the particular battery or the time to stop for that particular battery . The cloud processing system 550 or the charger 501 may also track the percentage of time spent in powering each wireless device and calculate the amount of power to be delivered to each wireless device therefrom.

In some embodiments, the cloud processing system 550 provides and alerts the user and / or the charger 501 with various information. For example, if the power consumption of a particular device exceeds a threshold, this can trigger a warning. The cloud processing system 550 may also provide recommendations to the user and / or the charger 501, and / or the wireless device, related to power consumption. For example, although the charger 501 has scheduled a particular wireless device ("client 1") to receive 75% of the available charge cycles on the last board, more power is delivered to the battery than the power delivered to the battery by the client 1 The cloud processing system 550 may report to the user "move the client 1 closer to the charger ". At the same time, the charger 501 can allocate more charging cycles to other wireless devices that may have more efficient power delivery.

Third party data consumer 510 may be any entity that can use the collected wireless device information. For example, the third party data consumer 510 may include a communications service provider, a security service provider, a home automation system, an energy company, an application developer (e.g., optimizing development across platforms, device manufacturers, . In some embodiments, the third party data consumer 510 may purchase and / or otherwise acquire rights to the consolidated data from the cloud processing system 550. For example, the security service provider may utilize the phase data contained in the wireless device information to determine if there is movement in the power distribution area 520 (e.g., instead of access to motion sensor data). As another example, the home automation system may utilize the temperature data contained in the radio device information to control the home temperature regulator.

The network 560 may be a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) (EDGE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Evolution Data Optimization (EVDO), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Internet Protocol (VoIP), unlicensed mobile access (UMA), and the like.

The network 560 may be any collection of discrete networks operating in full or in part in conjunction to provide a connection to the cloud processing system 550, the charger 501 and the third party data consumer 510. In some embodiments, communication with the cloud processing system 550, the charger 501 and the third party data consumer 510 may be accomplished by an open network, such as the Internet, or by a private network, such as an intranet and / or an extranet. have.

The cloud processing system 550, the charger 501 and the third party data consumer 510 may be implemented as a dial-up connection, a digital subscriber loop (DSL, ADSL), a cable modem, a wireless connection, a direct fiber connection and / And may be connected to the network 560 (e.g., the Internet) via a connection.

The database 530 may be implemented through object oriented techniques and / or text files and may be managed by any database management system. As shown, the database 530 may be connected (or may be included within the cloud processing system 550). However, in some embodiments, the database 530 may alternatively or additionally be connected to the network 560 and / or distributed across multiple systems.

In some embodiments, and as also described above, the wireless device has installed a simple client application on its operating system (iOS, Android, etc.). The wireless device initially reports device hardware information, operating system device information, and / or battery status to the charger 501. For example, the wireless device may receive a ZigBee message requesting information and may return the information to the charger 501. [ Alternatively, the wireless device may periodically or automatically transmit information to the charger 501 based on a trigger (e.g., when the battery level is below a threshold, or when the rate of power consumption exceeds a threshold) have. The wireless device may periodically update the charger 501 with relevant information such as the running application, battery status and location. The charger 501 reports this information collected from the client to the management interface of the cloud processing system 550. An example of the management interface of the cloud processing system 550 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the management interface 600 includes general charging details 615 for the selected wireless device. Typical charging details include the selected wireless device charging state (e.g., non-charging, charging, full charging) and the battery level of the selected wireless device. The management interface 600 further includes voltage information 620 for the selected wireless device. Voltage information 620 includes the RF voltage, the current battery voltage, and the forward voltage. Voltage information 620 is plotted over time to indicate variations in the voltage of the wireless device.

Returning to FIG. 5, the cloud processing system 550 transmits and alerts information when the power consumption level exceeds a threshold or a normal / average value. The cloud processing system 550 may send alerts to the wireless device, to the charger 501, and / or as a notification at the management interface. The alert may be a visual notification (e.g., a pop-up window) on the display, an audio notification (e.g., a beep), or other type of notification. The cloud processing system 550 may also send recommendations to the wireless device via the charger 501 regarding power usage based on previously collected information. The wireless device user or manager may monitor the computed power usage based on hardware, operating system, running application, or other characteristics of the wireless device. This information can also help third-party data consumers, such as telecommunications companies, energy companies and application developers. For example, application developers can leverage power usage information to optimize application development across hardware platforms and operating systems.

Thus, in some implementations, the techniques described herein address the problem that a charging system must be able to consistently compute power consumption requirements for hardware, operating system, and applications across devices that are based on various platforms.

In some embodiments, an operating system (such as iOS, for example) may provide breakdown of battery consumption for each application. However, the techniques described herein are based on the operating system and the client device itself, and are not based on centralized services. Thus, the techniques described herein provide power usage information across different hardware, operating systems, and applications.

As described above, the cloud processing system 550 or the charger 501 may calculate power usage information for a device, an operating system, and / or an application. In some embodiments, this power usage information is useful to the owner of the charger 501 and the owner of the wireless device, so that these owners can know the cost and battery life incurred for the wireless device. This power usage information can be useful to other vendors and software developers as a way to optimize hardware and software energy consumption. Also, on a larger scale, trends can be identified by measuring power consumption and application usage at these microscopic levels and also on a macroscopic scale. For example, if power consumption increases at a time across multiple wireless devices, this may be an indication of a particular event that multiple users are experiencing. For example, if the power consumption for a particular application (e.g., a weather application) increases for many wireless devices, this means that the user is experiencing a problem with that application (e.g., a major weather issue) . ≪ / RTI >

In some embodiments, the same power usage information may be useful in understanding the user's usage habits, which may enable tailoring services and providing more targeted advertising. For example, if a user's battery performance starts to degrade, the user can be notified that it is time to change the battery and recommend a battery that meets the needs of the user.

Figures 7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating respective exemplary processes 700A, 700B that facilitate calculation of power consumption of a wireless device in accordance with various embodiments. An application and / or software module containing the instructions may be executed by one or more processors of the wireless device to cause the wireless device to perform an exemplary process 700A in conjunction with a power receiver client, such as client 103 of FIG. 1 do. The wireless device may be, for example, any wireless device, such as wireless device 102 of FIG. An application and / or software module containing the instructions is executed by one or more processors of a cloud processing system, such as the cloud processing system 550 of FIG. 5, to cause the cloud processing system to perform the exemplary process 700B.

Referring to FIG. 7A, process 700A is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 700A that facilitates calculation of power consumption of a wireless device in a wireless power delivery environment, in accordance with one embodiment. To begin, in process 710A, a wireless device accesses one or more application program interfaces (APIs) at a wireless device to collect information related to the wireless device. For example, the information includes device manufacturer name or ID, device model, battery type / model, hardware, operating system, attached device (e.g., wirelessly connected keyboard / mouse) The information may also include periodic updates to the application currently running or running on the wireless device, the current battery level of the main battery of the wireless device, the current / past location of the wireless device, and so on.

In process 712A, the wireless device monitors an application running on the wireless device (e.g., an application that is running in RAM or has a footprint). In decision process 714A, the wireless device determines if a trigger is detected. In some embodiments, the trigger may be configured to occur periodically. Alternatively, or in addition, the trigger may occur, for example, when the threshold level of the power is exceeded (when the power falls below the lower power threshold or when the power increases above the upper power threshold). In process 716A, in response to the trigger, the wireless device collects power information for the wireless device and provides power information to the charger in process 718A.

Referring to FIG. 7B, process 700B is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 700B that facilitates calculation of the power consumption of a wireless device in a wireless power delivery environment, in accordance with one embodiment. To begin, the wireless charger receives power information from the wireless device and communicates this information to the cloud processing system. As described above, some or all of the processes or steps described may alternatively or additionally be performed by chargers in other embodiments.

In process 710B, the cloud processing system receives information associated with the wireless device. In process 712B, the cloud processing system calculates the power usage of the client based on that information. The power usage can be calculated based on the discharge / charge curve for a particular battery of the wireless device as described above. Next, in decision process 714B, the cloud processing system determines if a trigger has been detected. In some embodiments, the trigger may be configured to occur periodically. Alternatively, or in addition, the trigger may occur, for example, when the threshold level of the power is exceeded (when the power falls below the lower power threshold or when the power increases above the upper power threshold). If a trigger occurs, in process 716B, the cloud processing system provides power usage information corresponding to the wireless device to the administrator in response thereto, and provides it to the charger in process 718B. In some instances, the administrator uses this power usage information to detect problems in charging the wireless device. For example, if the power delivered from the charger to all its associated wireless devices drops over time, the administrator can check what the problem is with that specific charger, or what has changed in the environment of the charger .

In some embodiments, the process may also branch to process 720B where the cloud processing system consolidates data received from multiple devices in process 712B, process the data in process 722B, , Environments, devices, and the like. Once identified, in process 724B, the cloud processing system provides integrated data and / or trend data to a data consumer, such as third party data consumer 510. [ In some instances, the data consumer may use the aggregated data to provide additional services to the administrator or user of the wireless device. For example, if the aggregated data indicates that allocating 100% of the power transfer cycle does not satisfy the charging requirement of the wireless device, the data consumer may provide a larger or second charger to the manager of the charger .

Exemplary computer systems

Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components of an exemplary client 800 (e.g., mobile device, tablet computer, category controller, maintenance controller, etc.) in the form of a mobile (or smart) phone or tablet computer device. Various interfaces and modules are shown with reference to Figure 8, but the mobile device or tablet computer need not have all of the modules or functions to perform the functions described herein. It will be appreciated that in many embodiments, the various components are not included and / or necessary in the operation of the category controller. Components such as, for example, GPS radios, cellular radios, and accelerometers may not be included in the controller to reduce cost and / or complexity. In addition, components such as Zigbee (TM) radios and RFID transceivers in addition to antennas can be included in the printed circuit board.

9 is a diagram of a machine of an exemplary type of computer system 900 in which a set of instructions that cause a machine to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein may be executed . Computer system 900 may represent any computer system, server, or the like described herein.

In the example of FIG. 9, the computer system 900 includes a processor (CPU), memory, non-volatile memory, and an interface device. Various common components (e.g., cache memory) have been omitted for simplicity of description. Computer system 900 is intended to illustrate a hardware device in which any of the components shown in the example of FIG. 1 (and any other components described herein) may be implemented. The computer system 900 may be a computer system in any applicable known or useful form. The components of the computer system 900 may be interconnected via a bus or some other known or useful device.

The processor may be a conventional microprocessor such as, for example, an Intel x86 based microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term "machine readable medium" or "computer-readable medium" may include any type of device that can be accessed by a processor.

The memory is connected to the processor, for example by a bus. The memory may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), flash RAM, The memory may be local, remote or distributed.

The bus also connects the processor to the non-volatile memory and drive unit. Non-volatile memory is often referred to as a magnetic floppy or hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, a read only memory (ROM) such as a CD-ROM or EPROM or EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, Lt; / RTI > Some of these data are often written to the memory by the memory access process directly during execution of the software in the computer 13. [ Non-volatile storage may be local, remote or distributed. Non-volatile memory is optional because it can create a system using all available data available in memory. A typical computer system will typically include at least a processor, memory, and a device (e.g., a bus) that connects the memory to the processor.

The software is typically stored in a non-volatile memory and / or drive unit. In fact, for large programs, it may not be possible to store the entire program in memory. Nonetheless, if the software needs to be executed, the software must move to a computer-readable location suitable for processing, and the location is referred to herein as memory for purposes of illustration. Even if the software is moved to memory for execution, the processor will use a hardware register to store the value associated with the software and a local cache to help accelerate execution ideally. As used herein, when a software program is referred to as being "implemented in a computer readable medium ", the software program is considered stored in any known or convenient location (from a nonvolatile store to a hardware register) do. A processor is considered to be "configured to run a program" if at least one value associated with the program is stored in a register that can be read by the processor.

The bus also connects the processor to the network interface device. The interface may include one or more of a modem or a network interface. Modem or network interface may be considered part of a computer system. The interface may include an analog modem, an ISDN modem, a cable modem, a token ring interface, a satellite transmission interface (e.g., a "direct PC") or other interface for connecting the computer system to another computer system. The interface may include one or more input and / or output devices. The I / O device may include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse or other pointing device, a disk drive, a printer, a scanner, and other input and / or output devices including a display device. The display device may be, for example and without limitation, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an OLED or other applicable known or convenient display device. For simplicity, it is assumed that a controller of any device not shown is present in the interface.

In operation, the computer system 1300 may be controlled by operating system software including a file management system, such as a disk operating system. One example of operating system software associated with file management system software is the family of operating systems and their associated file management systems, also known as Microsoft® Windows®, from Redmond, Wash. Another example of operating system software and its associated file management system software is the Linux operating system and its associated file management system. File management systems are typically stored in non-volatile memory and / or drive units, and are used to perform various operations required by the operating system (such as writing to non-volatile memory and / or drive units Quot; file ").

A portion of the detailed description may be presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits in computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here understood to be a self-consistent sequence of operations that generally lead to a desired result or output. This operation is a task requiring physical manipulation of physical quantities. Generally, though not necessarily, such quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of storage, transmission, combining, comparison, and other manipulation. It has proved convenient to represent these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, letters, terms, numbers, etc., mainly for general usage reasons.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantity and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussion, the description utilizing terms such as "processing" or "computing" or "computing" or "determining" or " (Electronic) quantities within the registers and memories of the computer system and also manipulate the data into other memory, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices of the computer system, Quot; refers to the operation and process of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that transforms data into data.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. A variety of general-purpose systems may be used with the program in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may be convenient to configure more specialized apparatus to perform the methods of some embodiments. The structures required for these various systems will be described herein. Furthermore, this technique is not described for any particular programming language, and thus various embodiments may be implemented using various programming languages.

In another embodiment, the machine may operate as a stand-alone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to another machine. In a network deployment, the machine may operate as a server or client machine in a client-server network environment or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may be a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a set top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a processor, a telephone, a web appliance, Or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) specifying a bridge or an operation to be performed on the machine.

Although the machine-readable medium or the machine-readable storage medium is shown as a single medium in the illustrative embodiment, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "machine- (E. G., A centralized or distributed database and / or associated cache and server). ≪ / RTI > The terms "machine-readable medium" and "machine-readable storage medium" are also intended to encompass any medium that is capable of being stored, encoded, or transported by a machine and which allows a machine to perform one or more methods of presently- Should be taken to include the medium of.

Furthermore, although the embodiments have been described as fully functional computer systems and computer systems, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various embodiments may be distributed as various types of program products and that the present disclosure may also be embodied as computer readable instructions, It will be understood that the invention is equally applicable regardless of the specific type of medium.

Additional examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readable media, or computer readable storage media include volatile and nonvolatile memory devices, floppy and other removable disks, hard disk drives, optical disks (e.g., CD But are not limited to, recordable type media such as compact disk read-only memory (ROM), digital versatile disks (DVD), and the like, and transmission type media such as digital and analog communication links.

conclusion

It is to be understood that, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprises "," comprising ", and the like have the generic meaning of "including but not limited to exclusive or exclusive & Should not be interpreted as meaning. As used herein, "connected "," coupled ", or any variation thereof, means any connection or combination, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements, Or the combination may be physical or logical, or a combination thereof. In addition, the words "herein "," above ", "below ", and the like are used herein to refer to the entirety of the present application and not to a specific part of the present application. Wherever context permits, the words of the above detailed description using singular or plural numbers may include plural or singular numbers, respectively. With respect to a list of two or more items, the word "or" includes both word items such as items in a list, all items in a list, and any combination of items in a list.

The foregoing detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit its scope in any way, either as an exclusive form or as a form just described. Although specific embodiments and examples of this disclosure have been described for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts. For example, while a process or block is provided in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform the routines having the steps in a different order, or may use the systems with the blocks in a different order, , Additions, subdivisions, and / or alternatives or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, a process or block is sometimes depicted as being performed sequentially, but these processes or blocks may be performed in parallel or at different times. Also, any particular number mentioned herein is exemplary only, and other implementations may use different values or ranges.

The description of the present invention provided herein can be applied to other systems and does not necessarily have to be applied to the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above may be combined to provide alternative embodiments.

Any patents, applications and other references mentioned above, including those which may be listed in the accompanying application documents, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the present invention can be modified to use systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet another embodiment of the present invention, if desired.

These and other changes may be made to the invention in light of the foregoing detailed description. Although the foregoing description illustrates certain embodiments of the invention and describes the optimum mode contemplated, no matter how detailed in the text the disclosure may be practiced in many ways. The details of the system may vary considerably from implementation details, but are still covered by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above, the specific terminology used in describing the specific features or aspects of the present invention is not meant to be redefined herein, as the term is limited to any specific feature, feature or aspect of the invention to which it pertains. In general, terms used in the following claims should not be construed as limiting the description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein unless the foregoing detailed description clearly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the present invention includes all the equivalent methods of implementing or implementing the invention in the claims, as well as the disclosed embodiments.

While certain aspects of the disclosure are set forth below in the context of a particular claim, the inventors contemplate various aspects of the disclosure in the form of any number of claims. For example, while only one aspect of the present invention has been mentioned with a Means-Plus-Function claim under the US Patent Act (35 USC §112, 6), other aspects are likewise equally applicable to Means-plus- As shown in FIG. (All claims to be treated under the US Patent Act (35 USC § 112, 6) will begin with the word "means".) Accordingly, Applicant has submitted additional claims for additional aspects of the invention You have the right to claim additional claims to secure.

Claims (20)

A system for determining power consumption of a portable device,
And a cloud processing system in communication with the wireless charger,
Wherein the charger is configured to deliver power to the at least one portable device,
Wherein the at least one portable device is powered by at least one battery,
The charger receiving information from the at least one portable device,
The charger transmits the information to the cloud processing system,
Wherein the cloud processing system determines a power consumption of the at least one battery based on the information
system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cloud processing system determines the power consumption based on a discharge / charge curve associated with the at least one battery, the discharge / charge curve being identified based at least in part on the received information
system.
3. The method of claim 2,
The cloud processing system determines the power consumption based on a discharge / charge curve associated with the at least one battery
system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one wireless device automatically transmits the information periodically to the charger while the charger communicates power to the at least one portable device
system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one portable device transmits the information to the charger in response to a triggering event
system.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on an information request from the charger
system.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on the battery level of the at least one portable device falling below a threshold level
system.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on a rate of power consumption of the at least one handheld device exceeding a threshold
system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the information includes at least one of a device identifier, a device manufacturer, a device model, a device operating system, an application currently running on the at least one portable device, a battery status of the at least one battery, a battery type, a battery model, The received power, the input or output coulomb of the at least one battery since the last request, and the temperature.
system.
CLAIMS 1. A method for determining power consumption of a portable device,
The method comprising: receiving information associated with at least one portable device, the portable device being chargeable wirelessly;
Identifying a discharge / charge curve associated with at least one battery in the at least one portable device;
Calculating power consumption of the at least one portable device based at least in part on the received information and the identified discharge / charge curve
Way.
11. The method of claim 10,
The discharge / charge curve is identified based at least in part on the received information
Way.
11. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising the step of requesting the information to an operating system running on the at least one portable device
Way.
13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein requesting the information comprises transmitting a ZigBee message to the at least one portable device
Way.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the information is periodically received from the at least one portable device automatically
Way.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the information includes at least one of a device identifier, a device manufacturer, a device model, a device operating system, an application currently running on the at least one portable device, a battery status of the at least one battery, a battery type, a battery model, The received power, the input or output of the at least one battery after the last request, and the temperature.
Way.
A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions,
Wherein the instructions cause the portable device, when executed by one or more processors of the portable device,
Access one or more application program interfaces (APIs) of the portable device,
Collecting, via the one or more APIs, information associated with use of the portable device,
Responsive to a triggering event, for communicating the information associated with use of the portable device to a wireless power delivery system
Computer readable storage medium.
17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on an information request from a charger
Computer readable storage medium.
17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on the battery level of the portable device falling below a threshold level
Computer readable storage medium.
17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on the rate at which the power consumption of the portable device exceeds a threshold
Computer readable storage medium.
17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the information includes at least one of a device identifier, a device manufacturer, a device model, a device operating system, an application currently running on the portable device, a battery state of at least one battery, a battery type, a battery model, And at least one of the input / output of the at least one battery and the temperature since the last request,
Computer readable storage medium.

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