HK1158386B - Electronic device and integrated circuit utilized therein - Google Patents

Description

Electronic device and integrated circuit used therein

Technical Field

The present invention relates to power transfer, and more particularly, to wireless power transfer and supporting communication therein.

Background

The concept of wireless power (i.e., not powering the device over a power cord) has been around for some time and has recently begun to commercialize. Further, discussion of two standards (WPC-wireless communication consortium and CEA-consumer electronics association) is ongoing to standardize wireless power supply systems.

Currently commercially available wireless power supply products include a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a bidirectional control channel. In these products, the primary method of power transfer is inductive coupling, but some low power applications may include solar energy transfer, thermo-electric energy transfer, and/or capacitive energy transfer. In order to use these products, the receiving unit is a separate unit and has to be coupled to the device to be wirelessly powered. Thus, a device without a coupled receiving unit cannot itself be wirelessly powered.

To develop these products, much effort has been directed to inductive power transfer, closed loop systems, and multi-load support. In the field of inductive power transfer, much effort has been directed to optimizing the resonance, efficiency and/or heat dissipation problems of tuned transmit and receive circuits (each comprising an inductor), detecting load, turning off inductive power transfer, coil calibration, magnetic calibration, reducing phantom power, class D, E power transmitters with load compensation, antenna design, and coil switching. In the area of multi-load support, much effort has been directed to power sharing and tuning, control channel multi-access, and collision avoidance.

In the field of closed loop systems, much effort has been directed to adjusting transmit power, transmit resonance, calibration to maximize safety, and/or power transmission using a particular control channel protocol (e.g., backscatter, IrDA or bluetooth). In this regard, wireless power transfer may be achieved as long as the receiving unit and the transmitting unit are from the same vendor, wherein the control channel uses the same communication protocol. Although the above standards organizations are trying to establish standards for control channel protocols, vendors are now free to use the various protocols of their choice, causing compatibility issues between different vendors' wireless power supply products.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides an apparatus and method of operation, and further description is provided in the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description, and in the claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising:

an integrated power receiving circuit for generating a direct current voltage from the received magnetic field according to a control signal;

a battery charger for converting the DC voltage to a battery charging voltage;

a battery connected to the battery charger in a first mode and providing power in a second mode;

a processing module to:

generating the control signal in accordance with a desired electromagnetic characteristic of at least one of the received magnetic field and the integrated power receiving circuit;

processing the output data to produce processed output data; and

processing the input data to produce processed input data;

one or more input/output modules to at least one of:

transmitting the processed output data from the processing module to a peripheral output component (peripheral output component); and

transferring the input data from a peripheral input component to the processing module; and

one or more circuit modules for at least one of:

generating the output data; and

performing a function on the processed input data.

Preferably, the processing module is further configured to:

generating a battery charging control signal; and

sending the battery charge control signal to the battery charger, wherein the battery charger charges the battery according to the battery charge control signal when the device is in the first mode.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

a DC-DC converter for connection with the battery to generate one or more DC supply voltages, wherein at least one of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules is powered by the one or more DC supply voltages.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

the power management module is used for controlling the power consumption of the equipment; and

a clock generation module to generate one or more clock signals that are controlled, at least in part, by the power management module to be provided to one or more of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the received magnetic field include at least one of frequency, interference avoidance, and magnetic coupling; and

the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the integrated power receiving circuit include at least one of tuning, quality factor, impedance matching, and power level.

Preferably, the integrated power receiving circuit includes:

a coil for generating an alternating voltage from the received magnetic field;

an impedance matching and rectifying circuit (impedance matching and rectifying circuit) for generating a rectified voltage from the alternating voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching and rectifying circuit is tuned according to the control signal; and

a regulation (regulation) module for generating the DC voltage from the rectified voltage according to the control signal.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

a housing within which the integrated power receiving circuitry, the battery charger, the battery, the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules are disposed.

Preferably, the integrated power receiving circuit includes:

a coil for:

generating an alternating voltage from the received magnetic field;

receiving an input electromagnetic modulation signal; and

transmitting an output electromagnetic modulation signal;

an impedance matching and rectifying circuit for generating a rectified voltage from the alternating voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching and rectifying circuit is tuned according to the control signal;

a regulation module for generating the DC voltage from the rectified voltage according to the control signal;

a near field communication transceiver to:

converting the output data into an output electromagnetic modulation signal; and

the input electromagnetic modulation signal is converted into input data.

Preferably, the integrated power receiving circuit includes:

a coil for generating an alternating voltage from the received magnetic field;

an impedance matching and rectifying circuit for generating a rectified voltage from said alternating voltage, wherein at least one of said coil and said impedance matching and rectifying circuit is tuned in accordance with said control signal, wherein said processing module is powered by said battery or emergency direct supply voltage at an initial phase of generating a direct voltage;

a regulation module for generating the DC voltage from the rectified voltage according to the control signal;

and the emergency power supply recovery module is used for generating the emergency direct-current power supply voltage when the battery cannot supply power to the processing module.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

after the initial phase of generating the direct voltage, the processing module is powered by the direct voltage.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integrated circuit for use in a device comprising:

a processing module to:

generating a control signal based on the received magnetic field and a desired electromagnetic characteristic of at least one of the power receiving circuits;

sending the control signal to the integrated power receiving circuit;

generating a battery charger control signal according to the charging requirement of the battery;

sending the battery charger control signal to a battery charger assembly;

processing the output data to produce processed output data; and

processing the input data to produce processed input data; and

one or more input/output modules to at least one of:

transmitting the processed output data from the processing module to a peripheral output component; and

transmitting the input data from the peripheral input assembly to the processing module.

Preferably, the processing module is further configured to:

generating a dc-dc converter control signal; and

and sending the control signal of the DC-DC converter to the DC-DC converter.

Preferably, the integrated circuit further comprises:

the power management module is used for controlling the power consumption of the equipment; and

a clock generation module to generate one or more clock signals that are controlled, at least in part, by the power management module to be provided to one or more of the processing device, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules.

Preferably, the integrated circuit further comprises:

the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the received magnetic field include at least one of frequency, interference avoidance, and magnetic coupling; and

the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the integrated power receiving circuit include at least one of tuning, quality factor, impedance matching, and power level.

Preferably, the integrated circuit further comprises:

and the data processing module is used for processing the data of the input and output control channels.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising:

a coil for converting a magnetic field into an alternating voltage, wherein the magnetic field is generated by a wireless power transmitting unit;

a capacitor connected to the coil;

a rectifying circuit for converting the alternating voltage into a direct-current amplitude voltage (DC rail voltage);

the direct current-direct current converter is used for converting the direct current amplitude voltage into direct current voltage according to a direct current-direct current converter control signal;

a battery selectively connected to be charged by the DC voltage or to provide a battery voltage; and

a processing module to:

generating a control signal in accordance with the desired electromagnetic characteristic;

sending the control signal to at least one of the coil and the capacitor, wherein the at least one of the coil and the capacitor is tuned according to the control signal;

generating a battery charge control signal to allow the battery to be selectively connected to the DC voltage;

generating a DC-DC converter control signal to obtain a desired voltage value of the DC voltage;

processing the output data to produce processed output data; and

processing the input data to produce processed input data; and

one or more input/output modules to at least one of:

transmitting the processed output data from the processing module to a peripheral output component; and

transmitting the input data from the peripheral input assembly to the processing module.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

an integrated circuit supporting the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and at least a portion of at least one of the capacitor, the rectifying circuit, and the DC-to-DC converter.

Preferably, the processing module generates the dc-dc converter control signal to obtain the desired voltage value of the dc voltage by at least one of:

and generating a buck converter control signal or a boost converter control signal according to the direct current voltage and the battery charging requirement.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

the processing module and the one or more input/output modules are powered by the battery voltage when the device is in a first mode; and

the processing module and the one or more input/output modules are powered by the DC voltage when the device is in a second mode.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

and the power management module is used for controlling the power consumption of the equipment.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises:

and the data processing module is used for processing the data of the input and output control channels.

Various features and advantages of the present invention are described in detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a device powered wirelessly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a portion of a wireless power supply system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a portion of a wireless power supply system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a device powered wirelessly according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a state diagram of a processing module of a wirelessly powered device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a method for a charge initiation state according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a method for a charge initiation state according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a method for state of charge in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a graph of charge demand versus charge efficiency according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of a method for power management states for wireless power, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a method for battery powered power management states in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 18 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 19 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 20 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 25 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 26 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 27 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 28 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 29 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 30 is a schematic diagram of a system for managing wireless power according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 31 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of a power emission spectrum of a wireless power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 33 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 34 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 35 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 36 is a flow diagram of a method for managing communications in a wireless power supply computer system, according to one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a Wireless Power (WP) Transmit (TX) unit 10 and one or more devices 12-14 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The WP TX unit 10 comprises a processing module 18, a WP transceiver 20 and a power TX circuit 16. Each of the devices 12-14 includes WP Receive (RX) circuitry 22, 28, processing modules 26, 32 and WP transceivers 24, 30. The devices 12-14 most likely include a number of other components based on the functionality it requires. For example, the devices 12-14 may be cellular telephones, personal audio/video players, video game units, toys, etc., and include corresponding circuitry.

The processing modules 18, 26, 32 in each of the WP TX unit 10 and the devices 12-14 may each be one processing device or each be a plurality of processing devices. The processing device may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that processes signals (analog and/or digital) according to hard code and/or operational instructions of the circuitry. The processing modules 18, 26, 32 may have associated memory and/or memory components, which may be a single memory device, multiple memory devices, and/or embedded circuitry of the processing modules 18, 26, 32. The memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that if processing modules 18, 26, 32 include multiple processing devices, the processing devices may be centrally located (e.g., directly connected together via a wired and/or wireless bus structure) or distributed (e.g., cloud-computing via an indirect connection via a local area network and/or a wide area network). It is further noted that when the processing module 18, 26, 32 performs one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory and/or memory components storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. It should also be noted that the memory components store, and the processing modules 18, 26, 32 execute, hard code and/or operational instructions related to at least some of the steps and/or functions as shown in fig. 1-36.

The WP TX unit 10 communicates with the WP transceivers 24, 30 of the devices 12-14 over one or more control channels 34, the one or more control channels 34 using one or more frequencies in the ISM band 36 and/or one or more frequencies in the other unlicensed band 38. Communication over the control channel 34 may use one or more standardized protocols 40, 44 and/or one or more proprietary protocols 42, 46. For example, the standardized protocols 40, 44 may include Bluetooth (2400MHz), HIPERLAN (5800MHz), IEEE802.11(2400MHz and 5800MHz), and IEEE802.15.4 (personal area networks using 915MHz or 2400 MHz).

The ISM band 36 includes:

each of the WP power transceivers 20, 24, 30 (e.g., in the WP TX unit 10 and in each of the devices 12-14) comprises a baseband processing (processed by the respective processing module 18, 26, 32), a Radio Frequency (RF) and/or millimeter wave (MMW) transmit part, and an RF and/or MMW receive part. In one exemplary operation, the baseband processing converts output data into output symbol streams according to one or more wireless communication standards (e.g., GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, HSUPA, HSDPA, WiMAX, EDGE, GPRS, IEEE802.11, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), IEEE802.16, data optimization improvement (EV-DO), proprietary protocols, etc.). Such transformations include one or more of the following: scrambling, puncturing (puncturing), encoding, interleaving, group mapping, modulation, spreading, frequency hopping, beamforming, space-time packet encoding, space-frequency packet encoding, frequency-time domain conversion, and/or digital baseband-to-intermediate frequency conversion.

The transmit section converts the output symbol stream into an output RF signal having a carrier frequency within a given frequency band (e.g., ISM band 36). In one embodiment, the upconverted signal may be generated by mixing the output symbol stream with a local oscillation. One or more power amplifiers and/or power amplifier drivers amplify the upconverted signal, which may be RF bandpass filtered, to generate an output RF signal. In another embodiment, the transmitting section includes an oscillator that generates the oscillation. The output symbol stream provides phase information (e.g., +/-delta theta phase shift and/or theta (t) phase modulation) that may be used to adjust the phase of the oscillation to produce a phase modulated RF signal that is transmitted as an output RF signal. In another embodiment, the output symbol stream includes amplitude information (e.g., a (t) amplitude modulation) that may be used to adjust the amplitude of the phase modulated RF signal to produce an output RF signal.

In another embodiment, the transmitting section includes an oscillator that generates the oscillation. The output symbols provide frequency information (e.g., +/- Δ f frequency shift and/or f (t) frequency modulation) that can be used to adjust the frequency of the oscillation to produce a frequency modulated RF signal that is transmitted as the output RF signal. In another embodiment, the output symbol stream includes amplitude information that can be used to adjust the amplitude of the frequency modulated RF signal to produce the output RF signal. In another embodiment, the transmitting section includes an oscillator that generates the oscillation. The output symbols provide amplitude information (e.g., +/- Δ a amplitude shift and/or a (t) amplitude modulation) that can be used to adjust the amplitude of the oscillation to produce an output RF signal.

The receiving section receives and amplifies an input RF signal to generate an amplified input RF signal. The receive section may then mix in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of the amplified input RF signal with in-phase and quadrature components of the local oscillation to produce a mixed I signal and a mixed Q signal. The mixed I and Q signals are combined to produce an input symbol stream. In this embodiment, the input symbols may include phase information (e.g., +/- Δ θ [ phase shift ] and/or θ (t) [ phase modulation ]) and/or frequency information (e.g., +/- Δ f [ frequency shift ] and/or f (t) [ frequency modulation ]). In another embodiment and/or in a further development of the above-mentioned embodiment, the input RF signal comprises amplitude information (e.g. +/- Δ a [ amplitude shift ] and/or a (t) [ amplitude modulation ]). For retrieving the amplitude information the receiving part comprises an amplitude detector, such as an envelope detector, a low pass filter, etc.

The baseband processing converts the input symbol stream into input data (e.g., control channel data) according to one or more wireless communication standards (e.g., GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, HSUPA, HSDPA, WiMAX, EDGE, GPRS, IEEE802.11, bluetooth, zigbee, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), IEEE802.16, data optimization and improvement (EV-DO), proprietary protocols, etc.). Such transformation may include one or more of the following: digital intermediate frequency-to-baseband conversion, time-to-frequency domain conversion, space-time block decoding, space-frequency block decoding, demodulation, spread spectrum decoding, frequency hopping decoding, beamforming decoding, group de-mapping, de-interleaving, decoding, de-puncturing, and/or descrambling.

The WP TX unit 10 communicates with the devices 12-14 over control channels to facilitate efficient wireless power transfer from the WP TX unit 10 to the power RX circuitry 22, 28 of the devices 12-14. Such communication may be utilized, for example, to determine what frequency to use, to change the location of the devices 12-14 to improve magnetic coupling, to tune components of the power TX circuit 16 and/or the power RX circuits 22, 28, to account for a desired power level, to adjust a power level, and so forth. Thus, in the wireless transmission of energy from the power TX circuitry 16 to the power RX circuitry 22, 28 of one or more devices 12-14, the WP TX unit 10 communicates with the devices 12-14 to provide the required level of performance of the wireless energy transmission.

In another exemplary operation, the receiving unit processing modules 26, 32 are capable of identifying the control channel protocol used by the wireless power transmitting unit 10 for control channel communications. Note that the control channel comprises one of a plurality of control channel protocols, including at least one or more standard control channel protocols and/or one or more proprietary control channel protocols. It is also noted that the transmit unit transceiver 20 uses one of the control channel protocols and is capable of using a range of control channel protocols. For example, one transmitting unit transceiver 20 may use the bluetooth protocol or a proprietary protocol as its control channel protocol, while the transmitting unit transceiver 20 of another wireless power transmitting unit 10 may use a different control channel protocol. Therefore, the receiving unit needs to identify the control channel protocol.

The receiving unit processing modules 26, 32 may identify the control channel protocol by parsing the beacon signals transmitted by the transmitting unit transceivers to determine the control channel protocol. Alternatively, or in addition to the above examples, the receiving unit processing modules 26, 32 may identify the control channel protocol by receiving a set-up communication from the transmitting unit transceiver 20 using a default control channel protocol. As another alternative, or in addition to one or more of the examples above, the receiving unit processing modules 26, 32 may identify the control channel protocol by: the spectrum for control channel activity is scanned to produce a scanned spectrum, and a control channel protocol is identified from the scanned spectrum. As another alternative, or in addition to one or more of the examples above, the receiving unit processing modules 26, 32 may identify the control channel protocol by: a known control channel protocol is used to activate a trial and error system (trial and error system).

When the receiving unit processing module 26, 32 identifies the control channel protocol, it may determine whether the receiving unit transceiver is capable of communicating using the control channel protocol. For example, the processing module may determine whether the receiving unit transceiver 24, 30 is configured to support the control channel protocol. When the receiving unit transceivers 24, 30 are capable of communicating using the control channel protocol, the processing module may adjust the configuration of the receiving unit transceivers to transceive communications over the control channel with respect to the wireless power magnetic field. The configuration of the receive unit transceivers 24, 30 will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 6.

As another alternative to identifying the control channel protocol, the transmitting unit transceiver 20 and the receiving unit transceivers 24, 30 may negotiate which control channel protocol to use. For example, the transmitting unit transceiver may transceive negotiation information (e.g., what protocols they each support, required data rates, available bandwidth, etc.) with the receiving unit transceiver to interactively select a control channel protocol.

If the processing module 26, 32 is unable to identify the control channel or the receiving unit transceiver 24, 30 is not configured to use the control channel protocol, the processing module may determine whether the receiving unit transceiver lacks the hardware or software to support the control channel protocol. When the receiving unit transceiver lacks software, the processing module generates network information to download the software supporting the control channel protocol. After downloading the software, the receiving unit transceiver 24, 30 may be configured to support the control channel protocol.

Using a control channel established between the wireless power transmitting unit 10 and the devices 12, 14, the wireless power transmitter circuit 16 may generate a wireless power magnetic field from the control channel data (e.g., power level, frequency, tuning, etc.). The wireless power receiver circuits 22, 28 convert the wireless power magnetic field into a voltage that may be used to charge a battery of the device and/or power at least a portion of the devices 12, 14.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a Wireless Power (WP) Transmission (TX) unit 10 and one or more devices according to another embodiment of the present invention. The WP TX unit 10 comprises a processing module 18, a WP transceiver 20, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag and/or reader 48 and power TX circuitry 16. Each of the devices 12-14 includes WP Receive (RX) circuitry 22, 28, processing modules 26, 32, RFID tag and/or reader 50, 52, and WP transceivers 24, 30. The devices 12-14 most likely include a number of other components based on the functionality it requires. For example, the devices 12-14 may be cellular telephones, personal audio/video players, video game units, toys, etc., and include corresponding circuitry.

In this embodiment, the RFID tags 48, 50, 52 include information regarding the wireless power requirements and capabilities of the devices 12-14 and the WP TX unit 10. For example, such information may include the communication protocol used (e.g., one or more standardized protocols 40, 44 or one or more proprietary protocols 42, 46), wireless power spectrum, impedance matching information, battery charging requirements, and the like. The RFID readers and tags 48, 50, 52 may be active or passive devices and may communicate using backscatter. Thus, the devices 12-14 start to communicate with the WP TX unit 10 for exchanging set-up information, and after start-up, the devices 12-14 communicate with the WP TX unit 10 via the WP transceivers 20, 24, 30.

Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a Wireless Power (WP) Transmit (TX) unit 10 and one or more devices 12-14 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The WP TX unit 10 comprises a processing module 18, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag and/or reader 48 and power TX circuitry 16. Each of the devices 12-14 includes WP Receive (RX) circuitry 22, 28, a processing module 26, 32, an RFID tag and/or a card reader 50, 52. The devices 12-14 most likely include a number of other components based on the functionality it requires. For example, the devices 12-14 may be cellular telephones, personal audio/video players, video game units, toys, etc., and include corresponding circuitry.

In this embodiment, the RFID tags 48, 50, 52 include information regarding the wireless power requirements and capabilities of the devices 12-14 and the WP TX unit 10. For example, such information may include the communication protocol used (e.g., one or more standardized protocols 54 or one or more proprietary protocols 56), wireless power spectrum, impedance matching information, battery charging requirements, and so forth. In addition to exchanging activation information, the devices 12-14 and WP TX unit 10 use RFID tags and readers 48, 50, 52 as the primary means of communication between them. Note that the RFID readers and tags 48, 50, 52 may be active or passive devices and may communicate using backscatter.

Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including the WP TX unit 10 and the device 58 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The device 58 includes a power receiver circuit 62, a battery charger 64, a battery 66, a DC-DC converter 68, a processing module 70, a memory 72, a plurality of input/output (I/O) modules 74, a plurality of circuit modules 76-78, a clock generation unit 80, and a power management unit 82. Note that the device 58 may be one of the devices 12-14 as shown in fig. 1-3.

In an exemplary operation, after establishing communication between the WP TX unit 10 and the device 58, the WPTX unit 10 may generate a magnetic field that is received by the power receiver circuit 62 integrated in the device 58. This process will be described in more detail later with reference to at least one of the figures. The power receiver circuit 62 may generate an AC voltage from the magnetic field, rectify the AC voltage to produce a rectified voltage, and filter the rectified voltage to produce a DC voltage amplitude (e.g., V + and V-). The power receiver circuit 62 may be tuned according to a control signal provided by a processing module 70 that generates the control signal according to a desired electromagnetic characteristic of the received magnetic field and/or of the integrated power receiver circuit 62. For example, the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the received magnetic field may include frequency, interference avoidance, and/or magnetic coupling, and the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the integrated power receiving circuit may include tuning, quality factor, impedance matching, current limiting, and power level.

The battery charger 64 converts the DC voltage amplitude to a battery charging voltage that is provided to the battery 66. The battery charger 64 manages the charging process to ensure proper charging according to the battery type, and when the battery 66 is charged, the battery charger 64 may perform trickle charging (lockcharge). Note that the processing module 70 may provide control signals to the battery charger 64 to manage the charging process according to the battery type.

The DC-DC converter 68 may convert the battery voltage (e.g., 1.5 volts, 4.2 volts, etc.) to one or more supply voltages (e.g., 1 volt, 2.2 volts, 3.3 volts, 5 volts, 12 volts, etc.). The DC-DC converter 68 provides a supply voltage to one or more of the other modules 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 under the direction of a power management module 82. In summary, the power management module 82 is capable of controlling the power consumption of the device 58 to an optimal level (e.g., balancing performance and battery life). In this regard, the power management module 82 may treat each module 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 as a separate power island that may be independently controlled. For example, the power management module 82 may remove power from the circuit modules 76-78 when the circuit modules 76-78 are inactive. As another example, the power management module 82 may reduce the voltage supplied to the circuit modules 76-78 when the circuit modules 76-78 are not required to operate at their maximum potential.

In addition to controlling the supply voltage to the individual power islands, the power management module 82 may also control the clock signal provided to each of the circuit modules 76-78, each of the circuit modules 76-78 using the clock signal. For example, the power management module 82 may provide a reduced supply voltage to the circuit modules 76-78 when the circuit is idle, but may not provide a clock signal to the circuit modules 76-78. In this way, only minimal power is consumed, but the circuit modules 76-78 can be activated quickly when needed. As another example, the power management module 82 may reduce the frequency of the clock signal to the circuit modules 76-78 when the circuit modules 76-78 are not required to operate at their maximum potential.

A plurality of circuit modules 76-78 may provide at least some of the functionality of the device 58. For example, if the device is a cellular telephone, the circuit modules 76-78 may provide digital image capture functionality, digital image display functionality, audio file playback functionality, data message functionality, voice call functionality, and the like. A number of input/output (I/O) modules 74 may provide interfaces for user input/output components of device 58, such as speakers, microphones, displays, keys, etc. For example, the circuit module may generate output data (e.g., a captured digital image). The processing module processes these output data to produce processed data (e.g., generate a digital image file) and provides the processed output data to the input/output module for display on a peripheral output component (e.g., an LCD display). As another example, the input/output module may receive input data (e.g., a dialing command) from a peripheral input component (e.g., a keyboard of a device) and provide it to the processing module. The processing module processes the input data to generate processed input data (e.g., retrieves a telephone number of a destination identified in the dialing command). The processing module provides the processed input data to a circuit module, which may perform certain functions (e.g., dialing the target) on the processed input data.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a power transmitter circuit 84 and a power receiver circuit 86 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The power transmitter circuit 84 includes a coil (i.e., inductor), a rectifying and conditioning circuit 88, an impedance matching and excitation circuit 90, a processing module 92, and an RF and/or MMW transceiver 94. The power receiver circuit 86 includes a coil, an impedance matching and rectifying circuit 96, a conditioning circuit 98, and an RF and/or MMW transceiver 100. The power receiver circuit 86 is connected to the battery charger 104 and the processing module 102. In this regard, the power receiver circuit 86 is readily integrated with the device and utilizes components of the device (e.g., the processing module 102). Thus, the power receiver circuit 86 is not a separate component connected to the device, but is an integral part of the device. Note that the devices 12, 14, 58 generally include a housing that houses the power receiver circuit 86, battery charger 104, battery 106, and RF/MMW transceiver 100, processing module 102, and the components shown in FIG. 4.

In one exemplary operation, the rectifying and regulating circuitry of the power transmitter circuit 84 converts an AC voltage (e.g., 110VAC, 220VAC, etc.) to a DC voltage (e.g., 160VDC, 320VDC, etc.). An impedance matching and excitation circuit 90 connects the TX power coil to this DC voltage in an alternating pattern (e.g., full bridge inversion, half bridge inversion) at a given frequency (e.g., 10MHz, etc.). Impedance matching allows the LC circuit of the capacitor and coil to be tuned to a desired resonant frequency and to have a desired quality factor. For example, the LC circuit may be tuned to resonate at the excitation rate.

The coils of power RX unit 86 are similar to the coils of TX unit 84 for receiving the magnetic field generated by the TX coil and for generating an AC voltage from the magnetic field. The LC circuit of RX coil and capacitor can be tuned to have a desired resonance and/or a desired quality factor. The impedance matching and rectifying circuit 96 rectifies the AC voltage of the RX coil to generate a DC amplitude voltage, which is regulated by the regulating circuit. The functions of the remaining portions of fig. 5 have been described previously and/or will be described later.

Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a wirelessly powered device 108 according to one embodiment of the invention, the device 108 including a power RX circuit 110, an RF and/or MMW data processing module 112 (which may be implemented in the processing module), and an RF and/or MMW transceiver 114. The RF and/or MMW data processing module 112 includes an output symbol conversion module 116, a baseband control module 118, a transceiver control module 120, and an input symbol conversion module 122. The RF and/or MMW transceiver 114 includes a transmitter 124 and a receiver 126. Transmitter 124 includes a low IF (e.g., zero to several MHz) bandpass filter 128, a mixing module 130, a Power Amplifier (PA)132, and an RF bandpass filter 134. The receiver 126 includes an RF bandpass filter 136, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)138, a mixing module 140, and a low IF bandpass filter 142. If the transmitter 124 and the receiver 126 share an antenna, the transceiver 114 further includes TX/RX isolation circuitry 144 (e.g., a circulator, a balun, a TX/RX switch, etc.).

In an exemplary operation, the data processing module 112 may configure itself according to the communication protocol being implemented and the corresponding data modulation method. In addition, the transceiver control module provides control signals to the transceiver 114 to adjust one or more components thereof according to the protocol being implemented. In this regard, the data processing module 112 and the transceiver 114 may be configured to implement one or more standard communication protocols and/or one or more proprietary communication protocols. Note that the device 108 may include one or more configurable RF/MMW data processing modules 112 and/or one or more configurable RF/MMW transceivers 114.

Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a portion of a wireless power supply system including a power transmitter circuit 144 and a power receiver circuit 146 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The power transmitter circuit 144 includes a rectification and regulation circuit 148, an impedance matching and excitation circuit 150, a processing module 152, an NFC modulator/demodulator 154, and an NFC coil 156. The power receiver circuit 146 includes an impedance matching and rectifying circuit 158, a regulating circuit 160, an NFC modulator/demodulator 162, and an NFC coil 164. The power receiver circuit 146 is coupled to a battery charger (not shown) and a processing module 166.

In one exemplary operation, the rectifying and regulating circuit 148 of the power transmitter circuit 144 converts an AC voltage (e.g., 110VAC, 220VAC, etc.) to a DC voltage (e.g., 160VDC, 320VDC, etc.). Impedance matching and excitation circuit 150 taps the TX power coil to this DC voltage in an alternating pattern (e.g., full bridge inversion, half bridge inversion) at a given frequency (e.g., 10MHz, etc.). Impedance matching allows the LC circuit of the capacitor and coil to be tuned to a desired resonant frequency and to have a desired quality factor. For example, the LC circuit may be tuned to resonate at the excitation rate.

The coils of the power receiver circuit 146 are similar to the coils of the transmitter circuit 144 for receiving the magnetic field generated by the TX coil and for generating an AC voltage from the magnetic field. The LC circuit of RX coil and capacitor can be tuned to have a desired resonance and/or a desired quality factor. The impedance matching and rectifying circuit 158 rectifies the AC voltage of the RX coil to generate a DC amplitude voltage, which is regulated by the regulating circuit 160.

The device communicates with the power transmitter circuit 144 via NFC (near field communication) 170. For example, when the device has data to transmit to the power transmitter circuit 144, the processing module 166 generates the data and provides the data to the NFC modulator/demodulator 162. The NFC modulator/demodulator 162 may modulate the data at a given frequency (e.g., 13MHz, 900MHz, etc.) that drives the NFC coil 164. The NFC coil 164 generates a magnetic field that is received by the NFC coil 156 of the power transmitter circuit 144. The NFC modulation/demodulation unit 154 demodulates the signal generated by the NFC coil 156 to recover the transmitted data, which is provided to the processing module 152. Data from the power transmitter circuit 144 to the device is processed in a similar manner.

Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a portion of a wireless power supply system including a power transmitter circuit 172 and a power receiver circuit 174 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The power transmitter circuit 172 includes a rectification and regulation circuit 176, an impedance matching and excitation circuit 178, a processing module 190, NFC modulators/demodulators 188, 200 and a shared WP & NFC coil 202. The power receiver circuit 174 includes an impedance matching and rectification circuit 204, a regulation circuit 206, NFC modulators/demodulators 216, 220 and an NFC coil 222. The power receiver circuit 174 is coupled to a battery charger (not shown) and the processing module 218.

In one exemplary operation, the rectification and regulation circuit 176 of the power transmitter circuit 172 converts an AC voltage (e.g., 110VAC, 220VAC, etc.) to a DC voltage (e.g., 160VDC, 320VDC, etc.). Impedance matching and drive circuit 178 connects TX power coil 202 to the DC voltage in an alternating pattern (e.g., full bridge inversion, half bridge inversion) at a given frequency (e.g., 10MHz, etc.). Impedance matching allows the LC circuit of the capacitor and coil to be tuned to a desired resonant frequency and to have a desired quality factor. For example, the LC circuit may be tuned to resonate at the excitation rate.

The coil 202 of the power receiver circuit 174 is similar to the coil 222 of the power transmitter circuit 172 for receiving the magnetic field generated by the TX coil 202 and for generating an AC voltage from the magnetic field. The LC circuit of RX coil 222 and capacitance can be tuned to have a desired resonance and/or a desired quality factor. The impedance matching and rectifying circuit 204 rectifies the AC voltage of the RX coil 222 to generate a DC amplitude voltage, which is regulated by the regulating circuit.

The device communicates with the WP TX unit through NFC (near field communication) using shared WP & NFC coils 202, 222. For example, when the device has data to transmit to the WP TX unit, the processing module 218 generates the data and provides the data to the NFC data modulator 216. The NFC modulator 216 may modulate the data at a given frequency (e.g., 13MHz, 900MHz, etc.) to produce an amplitude component (a (t))212 and a phase component (Φ (t)) 214. The phase component 214 adjusts the phase of the oscillation (cos ω (t)) to produce a phase-modulated oscillation (cos (ω (t) + Φ (t))) 210. Power amplifier 208 amplifies phase-modulated oscillations 210 by an amplitude component 212 to produce an amplitude-modulated and phase-modulated signal (a (t) cos (ω (t) + Φ (t))). This signal is an AC signal and is coupled to the shared WP & NFC coil 222 for transmission to the WP TX unit.

The shared coil 202 of the WP TX unit receives the signal (e.g., A)₀cos(ω₀(t)). A (t) cos (ω (t) + Φ (t)), wherein A₀Is the amplitude of the WP signal and ω₀Related to the frequency of the WP signal). The NFC signal component is ac and coupled to the data demodulator 200 and provides the WP component to the impedance matching circuit 178. The data demodulator 200 recovers data from the amplitude component 186 and the phase component 184 and provides the data to the processing module 190.

Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a WP TX unit 226 and a device 228 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Device 228 includes WP coil 230, power RX circuitry 232, battery charger 234, battery 236, multiplexer 238 or similar components, DC-DC converter 240, processing module 242, IO interface module 244, memory 246, power management unit 248, NFC power recovery module 252, and/or RF/MMW power recovery module 250.

During an exemplary operation, NFC power recovery module 252 and/or RF/MMW power recovery module 250 may generate an emergency voltage V when battery 236 is dead or running low and power is insufficient to power the minimum circuitry to complete battery charging_EGTo provide energy for initiating battery charging. Upon receiving energy from WP TX unit 226, the emergency power generator will not be available and power supply voltage V1 may be used to power device 228 while charging and/or after charging is complete (i.e., in trickle charge mode). Note that device 228 may be powered by V1 or other voltage extracted from WP energy as soon as WP energy is received.

Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a wirelessly powered device 254 including a processing module 256, rectification and impedance matching circuitry (e.g., capacitors and diodes) 258, an RX coil 260, a buck and/or boost converter 262, trickle charge circuitry 264, a battery 266, and a battery current sensor 268, according to another embodiment of the invention. Processing module 256 includes a battery charger controller 270, a boost controller 272, a buck controller 274, an impedance matching controller 280, and an RF/MMW and/or NFC data processing module 276. The processing module 256 may further include a power management unit 282. Note that the processing module 256 may be fabricated on a separate integrated circuit or together with one or more of the converter 262, the rectifying circuit 258, the trickle charge circuit 264, and/or the battery current sensor 268.

In one exemplary operation, RX coil 260 (which may include one or more adjustable inductors) receives a magnetic field from the WP TX unit and generates an AC voltage therefrom. The tunable capacitor is tuned (together with the RX coil 260) to the desired resonance, impedance and/or quality factor in order to achieve the generation of the AC voltage. A full bridge rectifier (e.g., a diode) rectifies the AC voltage to produce a rectified voltage, which is filtered by a capacitor to produce a DC magnitude voltage (e.g., 3-20 volts).

The buck and/or boost converter 262 may operate in a buck converter mode when the DC voltage magnitude is to be reduced to produce the battery charging voltage (and the supply voltage Vdd of the device). The buck and/or boost converter 262 may operate in a boost converter mode when the DC magnitude voltage is about to rise to produce the battery charging voltage (and the supply voltage Vdd). Note that a buck transistor may be used when buck and/or boost converter 262 is in boost mode. Also note that buck and/or boost converter 262 may include multiple inductors, transistors, diodes, and capacitors to generate multiple supply voltages.

When the battery 266 is charged, the battery charge control module 270 manages the battery current and voltage to ensure charging according to the charging requirements of the battery 266. When the battery 266 is charged, the battery 266 is disconnected from the converter 262 (which may be disabled or enabled to provide Vdd) and the battery 266 may be trickle charged. Note that when WP is lost, the battery 266 is connected to provide power to the device 254.

FIG. 11 is a state diagram of processing modules of a wirelessly powered device 12-14, 58, according to one embodiment of the invention, including 6 states 286: idle 284, charge enable 288, charge 290, trickle charge 292, WP work-power management 294, and battery work-power management 296. The device begins in an idle state 284 and waits to detect a WP TX unit, a WP on enable, or a battery on enable. Note that the device may be in one of the charging states 286 and the WP on-power management state 294 simultaneously.

When a device detects a WP TX unit (e.g., via RFID communication, via control channel communication, via an induced magnetic field, etc.), the device transitions from idle state 284 to charge-on state 288. The function of the device when in the charge enable state 288 will be described later with reference to fig. 12 and/or 13. If the start-up fails, which may be due to a failure to establish control channel communications, the WP TX unit being currently unable to service the device, circuit damage, battery failure, or a disconnection, the device will transition back to the idle state 284.

When the charge initiation is complete, the device may transition to the charging state 290. The function of the device when in the charging state 290 will be described later with reference to fig. 14 and/or 15. If the charging fails or is complete and the battery does not need trickle charging, the device may transition to the idle state 284. If charging is complete and the battery is to be trickle charged, the device will transition to trickle charge state 292. The device is in this state until a failure occurs (e.g., a connection to the WP TX unit is disconnected) or until trickle charging is complete. In either case, the device transitions back to the idle state 284.

When the device is operational, the device transitions to the WP operational-power management state 294 when the device is available and connected to the WP TX unit. The function of the device when in this state will be described later with reference to fig. 16. The device transitions back to the idle state 284 when the device is unavailable (e.g., turned off, in sleep mode, etc.). Note that when the device is in this state, it may also be in one of the charging states.

When the device is disconnected from the WP TX unit, the device transitions from the WP on state 294 to a battery on-power management state 296. The device may also enter a battery operating state 296 from the idle state 284 when the device is available and not connected to the WP TX unit. When in this state, the function of the apparatus will be described later with reference to fig. 17. The device can transition back to the WP on state 294 when the device is again connected to the WP TX unit. The device may transition back to the idle state 284 when the device is unavailable (e.g., off, sleep mode, low battery, etc.).

Fig. 12 is a flow diagram of a method for a charge initiation state 298 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which begins at step 300 with the device working in conjunction with a WP TX unit to select a standardized communication protocol. Examples of communication protocols have been described with reference to fig. 1-3. Note that this step may begin by assuming a default communication protocol (e.g., RFID, bluetooth, etc.) to initiate communication, and then, after communication is established, selecting another communication protocol. Next, in step 302, the device determines whether it is synchronized with the WP TX unit through the control channel. In other words, is an available control channel established between the device and the WP TX unit? If so, the method continues with step 304 where the device establishes control channel communication with the WP TX unit and exits the state at step 306.

If a control channel is not established, the method continues with step 308 where the device determines whether it has exhausted its standardized communication protocols (e.g., some protocols it can perform). If not, the process will repeat at step 300, and the device selects another standardized protocol. If the standardized protocol has been exhausted, the method continues with the device selecting a proprietary communication protocol at step 310. Note that the method may start with a proprietary protocol and may attempt to standardize the protocol when the proprietary protocol is exhausted.

The method will continue with step 312 where the device determines whether it is synchronized with the WP TX unit over the control channel using the proprietary protocol. If so, the method continues with step 314 where the device establishes control channel communication with the WP TX unit using the proprietary protocol and exits the state at step 306.

If the control channel is not established using a proprietary protocol, the method continues with step 316 where the device determines whether it has exhausted its proprietary communication protocol (e.g., some of it is capable of performing). If not, the process will repeat at step 310 and the device selects another proprietary protocol. If the proprietary protocol has been exhausted, the method will continue to step 318 due to the failure and the device exits this state.

Fig. 13 is a flow diagram of a method for a charge enable state 320 according to another embodiment of the present invention, which begins with step 322 where the device reads the RFID tag of the WP TX unit to determine the desired control channel protocol. The method continues with step 324 where the device determines whether it is capable of performing the desired control channel protocol. If so, the method continues at step 326 with the device establishing control channel communication with the WP TX unit and exiting the state at step 328.

If the device does not have the desired control channel protocol, the method continues with step 330 in which the device determines whether it includes hardware that supports the desired control channel protocol. E.g., whether it includes NFC circuitry, RF circuitry, and/or MMW circuitry to support the operating frequency, power requirements, transmission range, etc., of the desired control channel protocol. If so, the device lacks the required control protocol software and the method continues at step 332 with the device downloading the software for the required control channel protocol. After the device has the software, the method continues with step 326 where the device establishes control channel communication with the WP TX unit.

If the device does not have hardware to support the desired control channel protocol, the method will continue with step 334 where the device determines whether it is capable of using RFID as the control channel protocol with the WP TX unit. In one embodiment, the device requests that they use RFID, if the WP TX unit agrees, the method will continue with step 336, where the device uses RFID in the control channel with the WP TX unit. If the device is unable to use RFID in the control channel, the device exits this state due to a failure at step 338.

Fig. 14 is a flow diagram of a method for a charge state 340 according to one embodiment of the invention, which begins with step 342 in which the device determines the level of its battery (e.g., battery life based on battery type, power requirements of the device, etc.). The method continues at step 344 — 346 where the device determines whether the battery needs to be charged. For example, whether the charge of the battery is depleted below a threshold, which may be determined based on battery life, not being fully charged, and/or other criteria.

If the battery does not need to be charged, the method jumps back to the beginning step, and if the battery needs to be charged, the method continues with the next step. In a next step 348, the device communicates with the WP TX unit to determine one or more of: impedance matching settings, operating frequency, power level, number of coils, etc. The method continues with step 350 where the device determines whether it needs to adjust one or more of: the impedance of its power RX circuit, the operating frequency, power level, etc. of the power RX circuit, and making appropriate adjustments as needed.

The method will continue with step 352 where the device sets the charging parameters (e.g., Vdd, current limit, trickle level, charging interval, etc.). The method continues at step 354 with the device charging the battery and managing the charging process (e.g., charging current and/or charging voltage). The device may also determine whether it is still within range of the WP TX unit at step 356. If so, the method continues to step 358 where the device determines whether charging is complete. If not, the process continues at step 348, where the charging parameters are set (i.e., subsequently adjusted if necessary while repeating the cycle).

If the device is not within range, the method continues to step 360 where the device exits this state due to a failure. The device will also exit this state at step 360 if the battery is fully charged.

Fig. 15 is a graph of charging demand versus charging efficiency that may be used by a device to determine whether charging as described in fig. 14 is required, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned in fig. 15, the determination of whether charging is required is a comparison of increase and decrease according to changes in battery life and charging efficiency. Therefore, when the battery life is long, the battery is not charged unless charging can be performed efficiently. As the life of the battery decreases, the need to charge it will become greater, and at some point the need to charge will exceed the need to charge efficiently.

Fig. 16 is a flow diagram of a method for a wirelessly powered power management state 362 according to one embodiment of the invention, which begins with step 364 where the device determines whether the battery requires charging. If not, the method continues with step 366 where the device disconnects the battery from the charger. The device may use trickle charging as desired or needed for each battery charging requirement. The method continues with step 368 where the device determines an activation status (e.g., disabled, active, idle, etc.) of the circuit module. The method continues with step 370 in which the device determines the clock signal of the active circuit module (e.g., the clock rate is selected to only meet operational requirements, which are typically less than the maximum clock rate).

The method continues with step 372 in which the device determines the power supply voltages of the active and idle circuit modules. For example, the device may set the power level of an idle circuit module to a value that provides energy only enough to determine whether the circuit module remains in the idle state or transitions to the active state. As another example, the device may set the power level of an active circuit block to a value that provides energy only enough for the circuit block to perform its own task, which is typically less than the maximum power level.

The method continues with step 374 where the device enables the active circuit to use the clock signal and provide selected power levels to the active and idle circuit blocks. The method will continue with step 376 where the device determines whether it is still connected to a WP TX unit. If so, the method repeats from the start step. If not, the method continues at step 378, where the device exits this state. Note that in this state, power management of the device is an unimportant task relative to when the device is in a battery-operated state. Thus, the clock signal rate and power level settings may be set near the maximum to optimize performance.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a method for a battery powered power management state 380 that begins at step 382 with the device disconnecting the battery from the charger and connecting the battery as the primary power source, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method continues with step 384 in which the device determines an activation status (e.g., disabled, active, idle, etc.) of the circuit module. The method will continue with step 386 where the apparatus determines a minimum acceptable clock signal and a minimum acceptable supply voltage (e.g., Vdd) for each active circuit module.

The method continues with step 388 where the device enables the clock generator to generate a minimum acceptable clock signal and allows the converter to generate a minimum acceptable supply voltage. The method will continue with step 390 where the device determines a minimum acceptable idle supply voltage and no clock signal for each idle circuit module. The method will continue at step 392 with the apparatus allowing the converter to generate an idle supply voltage. The method continues in step 394 with the device determining whether it is still in battery mode. If so, the method repeats. If not, the device exits this state at step 396.

Figure 18 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a WP TX unit 398 and a plurality of RX power circuits 400 and 402 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the WP TX unit 398 comprises a plurality of coils 404 and 406 and an impedance matching and excitation circuit 408 and 410, wherein the TX coils 404 and 406 are distributed to the RX power circuit 400 and 402 of one device. Each set of pairs of TX coils 404 and 406 and RX power circuit 400 and 402 may operate at a unique frequency to minimize interference. Further, the power provided by each TX coil 404 and 406 may be limited according to the power distribution function of the WP TX unit 398. For example, if the WP TX unit 398 has a maximum output power of 100 watts and it is connected to 6 RX units 400-402, each of which requires 20 watts, the WP TX unit allocates power to the 6 RX units 400-402 according to an allocation mechanism (e.g., equal sharing, preferential sharing, demand-based, etc.).

The WP TX unit 398 further comprises a processing module 412 and a data channel transceiver 414(RF, MMW and/or NFC) in communication with the corresponding transceiver 418 and 422 of the RX power circuit 400 and 402. In this manner, the communication protocol includes terms to support multiple communications.

In this embodiment, the transmit unit processing module 412 (which is the same as the previously described processing module) is capable of determining a number of transmit unit coils. The processing module may then determine a number of proximate wireless power receiving units from the plurality of wireless power receiving units. The processing module continues with determining whether the number of transmit unit coils is greater than or equal to the number of proximate wireless power receive units. When the number of transmit unit coils is greater than or equal to the number of proximate wireless power receive units, the processing module may proceed to determine from the transmit unit coils that one transmit unit coil is paired with one of the proximate wireless power receive units. The processing module continues to determine at least one item of each pairing: frequency allocation and power allocation.

When the number of transmit unit coils is less than the number of proximate wireless power receive units, the processing module continues to determine a membership of one transmit unit coil to at least two proximate wireless power receive units. The processing module continues to determine a shared parameter that one of the transmit unit coils is shared by at least two proximate wireless power receive units. This process of sharing the transmit coil will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 19.

Fig. 19 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a WP TX unit 422 and a plurality of RX power circuits 424 and 426 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the WP TX unit 422 comprises a TX coil 428 and an impedance matching and excitation circuit 430, wherein the RX power circuit 424 and 426 share the TX coil 428. The sharing of TX coil 428 may be simultaneous and/or sequential. For example, if the RX coils 436-. In this case, power limitation is required according to the power supply capability of the WP TX unit 422 and the power requirements of the RX power circuit 424 and 426.

When the TX coil 428 is shared in a sequential manner, each RX power circuit 424-426 that requires wireless power is provided with Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) access to the TX coil 428. The time slots of the TDMA allocation mechanism may be the same size or different sizes. The RX power circuit 424-426 may also be assigned more than one time slot for each TDMA frame.

When the TX coils 428 are shared in a simultaneous and sequential manner, the RX power circuits 424 and 426 may be grouped, with TDMA access to the TX coils 428 in units of groups. However, in one set, access to the TX coil 428 is simultaneous. In this manner, a single TX coil 428 may support multiple RX power circuits 424 and 426.

The WP TX unit 422 further comprises a processing module 432 and a data channel transceiver 434(RF, MMW and/or NFC) communicating with a corresponding transceiver 438 and 442 of the RX power circuitry 424 and 426. In this manner, the communication protocol includes terms to support multiple communications.

Figure 20 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power system including a plurality of WP TX units 444 and 446 and a plurality of RX power circuits 448 and 450 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, each WP TX cell 444-. Each set of pairs of WP TX cells 444-.

The WP TX unit 444 and 446 further includes processing modules 456, 464 and data channel transceivers 458, 466(RF, MMW and/or NFC) in communication with respective ones of the RX power circuits 448, 450 with the transceivers 470, 474. In this manner, the communication protocol includes terms to support multiple communications.

One or more WP systems, as shown in fig. 18-20, may be included for a given geographic area (e.g., an office, a home, a public internet cafe, etc.) that need to communicate with the system to minimize interference therebetween. In any system, the RX power circuit may be paired with the TX coil to provide effective WP transmission. In this regard, the RX coils allocated to the RX power circuit may be varied to make the overall system more efficient.

Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of a spectrum plan in a wireless power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the spectrum plan including one or more frequency bands (5-50MHz) for infinite power (WP) transmission, one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2400MHz, 5800MHz, 60GHz, etc.) for WP control channel communication, and one or more frequency bands (e.g., 900MHz, 1800MHz, 60GHz, etc.) used by devices based on device functionality. Harmonics of the WP band are also shown, and the device band may overlap or fully overlap the WP control channel communication band. The absence of frequency planning can result in unnecessary interference in the operation of the device and/or control channel communications.

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of a channel being used by a spectrum planning to avoid harmonic interference of the WP band in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the WP frequencies that produce harmonics that overlap with the channel being used by the device are avoided, thus avoiding the generation of interfering harmonics. The WP TX unit may determine the channel being used by the device by reading the RFID of the device, by communicating with a control channel, by frequency scanning, and/or any other detection mechanism.

In this example, the channel being used by the device does not overlap the WP control channel band. Therefore, WP control channel communication can be performed using an arbitrary channel in the WP control channel band.

Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of a channel being used by a spectrum planning to avoid harmonic interference of the WP band in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the WP frequencies that produce harmonics that overlap with the channel being used by the device are avoided, thus avoiding the generation of interfering harmonics. The WP TX unit may determine the channel being used by the device by reading the RFID of the device, by communicating with a control channel, by frequency scanning, and/or any other detection mechanism.

In this example, the channel being used by the device overlaps the WP control channel band. Therefore, the WP control channel communication is performed by avoiding the overlapped WP control channel and using the non-overlapped channel of the WP control channel band.

Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of a channel being used by a spectrum planning to avoid harmonic interference of the WP band in a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the device uses its entire spectrum (e.g., CDMA, spread spectrum, etc.) and cannot avoid the overlap between the harmonics of the WP frequency and the channel being used by the device. In this case, the power level of the TX signal may be reduced to reduce harmonic interference.

In this example, the channel being used by the device overlaps the WP control channel band. Therefore, the WP control channel communication is performed by avoiding the overlapped WP control channel and using the non-overlapped channel of the WP control channel band.

Fig. 25 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system supporting multiple RX power circuits with multiple TX coils (e.g., one multi-coil unit or multiple WP TX units) according to another embodiment of the invention. As shown, each device uses a portion of the device's spectrum rather than all channels. This provides the frequencies in the WP band that need to be avoided. One or more channels are selected for the first device and one or more channels are selected for the second device from the available frequencies.

In this example, the channel being used by the device does not overlap the WP control channel band. Therefore, WP control channel communication can be performed using an arbitrary channel in the WP control channel band.

Fig. 26 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system supporting multiple devices through a single TX coil according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the above-mentioned interference problem applies to the further processing of the assignment of the TX coils to the first and second devices in a TDMA manner. Note that the interference avoidance measures for each device are different for different devices. Thus, the operating frequency used by each device to avoid interference may be different from the frequency used by other devices to avoid interference. Note also that multiple coils may be used, with each coil supporting multiple RX units in this manner.

Fig. 27 is a schematic diagram of spectrum planning in a wireless power supply system supporting multiple devices through a single TX coil according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the above-mentioned interference problem applies to the further processing of the assignment of the TX coils to the first and second devices in a TDMA and FDMA (frequency division multiple access) manner. Note that the interference avoidance measures for each device are different for different devices. Thus, the operating frequency used by each device to avoid interference may be different from the frequency used by other devices to avoid interference. Note also that multiple coils may be used, with each coil supporting multiple RX units in this manner.

Fig. 28 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention, which begins at step 476 with the WP TX unit determining whether more than one device is being or will be charged. If not, the method will continue with step 478 with the WP TX unit paired with the device, either through one WP TX unit in a system with multiple WP TX units or through one of multiple TX coils in one WP TX unit. The pairing may be determined based on location proximity, magnetic coupling efficiency, power requirements, and the like. The method will repeat from the start step.

If there are more than one devices being charged, the method will continue with step 480 where the WP TX unit determines if there are more than one WP TX unit in the system. If not, the method will continue with step 482, where the WP TX unit determines whether it has more than one TX coil. If not, the method will continue with the WP TX unit assigning the TX coils to one or more devices in a TDMA fashion, a TDMA-FDMA fashion, a priority demand-based fashion, a power limit-based fashion, etc., at step 484. The method will continue at step 486 with the WP TX unit determining if a device has been added or removed from the wireless power system (e.g., turned off, the battery is fully charged, the device moved out of range, etc.). The method will continue this cycle until there is equipment added or removed from the system.

If the WP TX unit determines that it includes more than one TX coil, the method will continue at step 488 where the WP TX unit determines if more devices than it has TX coils need wireless power service. If not, the method will continue with step 490 where the WP TX unit pairs the device with the coil according to at least one of frequency, power, proximity, control channel communication, availability, interference avoidance, etc. Next, the method repeats beginning with the step 486 of adding or removing devices from the system.

If the WP TX unit determines that there are more devices needing wireless power service than it has TX coils, the method will continue with step 492 where the WP TX unit groups the devices to share one or more of its TX coils. Next, the method repeats beginning with the step 486 of adding or removing devices from the system.

If the WP TX unit determines that the system includes more than one WP TX unit, the method will continue with step 494, where the WP TX units cooperate to pair the device with one or more WP TX units. The method will continue with step 496 where the WP TX unit determines, for each WP TX unit, whether the device assigned to it is more than it has a number of coils. If not, the method will continue with step 498 where the WP TX unit pairs the device with the TX coil. If there are more devices than coils, the method will continue with step 500 where the WPTX unit groups the devices to share one or more of its TX coils. Next, the method repeats beginning with the step 486 of adding or removing devices from the system.

Fig. 29 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power system according to another embodiment of the present invention, which starts with the WP TX unit determining whether it can avoid interference (e.g., at least one of the means described above can be applied) by itself at step 502. If so, the method continues with step 504 where the WP TX unit applies at least one interference avoidance measure, and the method repeats from the beginning.

However, if the WP TX unit determines that it cannot avoid interference, the method will continue in step 506, where the WP TX unit determines whether one or more devices are present that are less sensitive to interference relative to other devices. If not, the method continues with step 508 where the WP TX unit balances the infeasibility of interference avoidance with the interference suppression means. For example, power may be reduced, the charge rate may be changed to reduce power, a priority scheme may be adjusted, and so on. The method will continue with the WP TX unit determining if there are devices added or removed in the system at step 510. If not, the cycle will repeat until there are devices added or removed from the system. The method will repeat from the start step when a device is added or removed.

If in step 506 the WP TX unit determines that at least one low sensitivity device is present, the method will continue in step 512, where the WP TX unit groups the devices according to their sensitivity. For example, low sensitivity devices are grouped together, as are high sensitivity devices. The method continues with the WP TX unit applying an interference avoidance mechanism to the high sensitive device, step 514, and applying an efficient charging mechanism to the low sensitive device, step 516.

Fig. 30 is a schematic diagram of a system for managing wireless power in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, wherein low interference sensitive devices are grouped together and high interference sensitive devices are also grouped together.

Fig. 31 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power system according to another embodiment of the present invention, which begins with the WP TX unit determining whether at least one device is to be charged and/or requires wireless power at step 518. If not, the method continues with step 520 where the WP TX unit enters a power saving mode. In this mode, the WP TX unit does not provide power to its TX coil to reduce power consumption. In this mode, the WP TX unit also provides sufficient power to the WP transceiver to keep the control channel in the active state.

If there is at least one device to charge or require wireless power, the method will continue with the WP TX unit determining if there is more than one device to charge or require wireless power at step 522. If not, the method will continue with the WP TX unit determining whether the charging and/or wireless power requirements of the device exceed the power supply capability of the WP TX unit at step 524. If not, the method will continue with step 526 where the WP TX unit provides wireless power to the device to meet its charging requirements and/or wireless power requirements.

The method continues with step 528 where the WP TX unit determines whether the device is charging and/or meets the wireless power requirements of the device. If so, the method continues with step 530, where it is determined whether trickle charging is required for the device. If so, the method continues with step 532 where the WP TX unit provides enough wireless power to support trickle charging. Next, the method will repeat from step 520, which is an energy saving mode. However, if the device does not require trickle charging, the method will repeat from the start. If the device is not charging and/or the wireless power requirements of the device are not met, the method continues with the WP TX unit determining if a device is added or removed from the system at step 534. If not, the method will repeat from step 526 where the device is charged on demand. However, if there are devices added or removed from the system (e.g., the device is disconnected from the WP TX unit), the method will repeat from the start step.

If the WP TX unit determines that the charging or wireless power requirements of the device exceed its power supply capability, the method will continue with step 536 where the WP TX unit adjusts the charging and/or wireless power requirements of the device to meet the capabilities of the WP TX unit. The method will continue with step 538 where the WP TX unit provides wireless power to the device to charge its battery and/or to meet its wireless power requirements. The method continues with step 540 where the WP TX unit determines whether the device is fully charged and/or meets the adjusted radio power requirements of the device. If so, the method continues with step 530, where it is determined whether trickle charging is required for the device. If so, the method continues with step 532 where the WP TX unit provides enough wireless power to support trickle charging. Next, the method will repeat from step 520, which is an energy saving mode. However, if the device does not require trickle charging, the method will repeat from the start. If the device is not charging and/or does not meet the adjusted wireless power requirements of the device, the method continues with the WP TX unit determining if a device is added or removed from the system at step 542. If not, the method will repeat from step 538 where the device is charged on demand. However, if there are devices added or removed from the system (e.g., the device is disconnected from the WP TX unit), the method will repeat from the start step.

If the WP TX unit determines that there is more than one device to charge and/or need for wireless power, the method will continue with step 544 where the WP TX unit determines the accumulated wireless power requirement of the more than one device and whether this requirement exceeds the capabilities of the WP TX unit. If not, the method will continue with step 546 where the WP TX unit provides wireless power to the devices for charging and/or to meet their wireless power requirements according to their respective requirements. The method continues with step 548 where the WP TX unit determines if one of the devices is fully charged and/or if its radio power requirements are met. If so, the method will continue at step 552 with the WP TX unit providing wireless power to the device to support trickle charge mode, and the process will repeat from step 522 where more than one device is determined.

If the device is not fully charged and/or the wireless power requirements of the device have not been met, the method will continue with the WP TX unit determining if a device has been added or removed from the system at step 550. If not, the method will repeat from the step 546 of charging the device on demand. However, if there are devices added or removed from the system (e.g., the device is disconnected from the WP TX unit), the method will repeat from the start step.

If the WP TX unit determines that the accumulated wireless power requirement exceeds its wireless power capability, the method will continue with step 554, where the WP TX unit adjusts the charging and/or wireless power requirements of the devices. This process may be done unilaterally or based on communication between devices. The method continues with the WP TX unit providing wireless power to the devices according to the adjusted wireless power requirements at step 556. The method continues with the WP TX unit determining whether the devices are fully charged and/or meet its radio power requirements at step 558. If so, the method will continue at step 552 with the WP TX unit providing wireless power to the device to support trickle charge mode, and the process will repeat from step 522 where more than one device is determined.

If the devices are not fully charged and/or the wireless power requirements of the devices have not been met, the method continues with step 560 where the WP TX unit determines if a device has been added or removed from the system. If not, the method repeats from step 556, where the device is charged on demand. However, if there are devices added or removed from the system (e.g., the device is disconnected from the WP TX unit), the method will repeat from the start step.

Fig. 32 is a schematic diagram of a power emission spectrum of a wireless power supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the frequency spectrum of the WP TX unit comprises a plurality of frequencies that are evenly distributed. These frequencies may represent a single carrier frequency or a channel (e.g., a range of frequencies). The WP TX unit may comprise one coil circuit tunable to at least some of its frequencies in the frequency spectrum, or may comprise a plurality of TX coil circuits tunable to at least two frequencies in the frequency spectrum. In one embodiment, the WP TX unit may transmit its spectral pattern on a control channel and/or through RFID messages.

Fig. 33 is a flowchart of a method for managing a wireless power supply system according to another embodiment of the present invention, which begins with step 560 where the device determines a TX WP frequency from a WP TX spectrum available to the WP TX unit. For example, the device may receive a control channel and/or RFID message indicating the WP TX frequency and/or may perform a frequency scan to identify the TX WP frequency. The method may continue with step 562 where the device identifies possible frequencies that it may use to meet its wireless power needs. The device marks these frequencies as candidate frequencies.

The method continues at step 564 where the device enters a loop. The loop begins at step 566 where the device selects a candidate frequency from the generated list of candidate frequencies. The method continues at step 568 where the device determines whether there is a loss problem with this candidate frequency. Loss problems include low quality magnetic coupling, magnetic field interference, interference in device operation, interference with control channel communications, and/or any other factors that may result in less than optimal magnetic coupling to the WP TX unit and/or less than optimal performance of the device.

If the device determines that there is no loss problem with the current candidate frequency, the device may determine the efficiency of using this candidate frequency in step 570, which may include determining the magnetic coupling efficiency, the tuning range of the device RX coil and impedance matching circuit, etc. The device records this information. If, however, the device determines that there is a loss, then the device may remove this candidate frequency from the list in step 572. In either case, the method will continue at step 574 with the device determining whether it has analyzed all or the desired number of candidate frequencies. If not, the loop repeats from another candidate frequency in step 566. If so, the method continues at step 576 where the apparatus exits the loop.

After exiting the loop, the device selects a remaining candidate frequency usage to satisfy its radio power requirements at step 578. The method will continue with step 580 where the device communicates its own frequency selection to the WP TX unit. The method will continue at step 582 with the device determining whether the WP TX unit approves use of the selected frequency. If not, in step 584, the device determines whether the timeout period has expired. If not, the device waits in a loop for an ACK or for a timeout to expire at step 582. If the timeout expires, the device selects another frequency and repeats the process at step 578. If the WP TX unit approves the selected frequency, the method will continue at step 586 with the device tuning its RX power circuit to the selected frequency.

Fig. 34 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a WP TX unit 588 and a device 590 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a magnetic object 592 (e.g., a key, magnet, etc.) is in close proximity to WP TX unit 588 and device 590 so that it can interfere with the magnetic coupling between TX coil 594 and RX coil 596. In this case, WP TX unit 588 and device 590 attempt to mitigate the adverse effects of magnetic article 592. For example, the WP TX unit 588 and the device 590 may change the operating frequency, change the direction of the magnetic field, send out information stating the repositioning of the device 590, use another TX coil, use another RX coil, and/or increase the magnetic field to saturate the object. If no feasible solution exists, a message is sent on device 590 to remove magnetic object 592 and disable wireless power until the interfering object is removed.

The WP TX unit 588 and/or the device 590 may determine the presence of an interferer by determining that the actual magnetic coupling is significantly less than the expected magnetic coupling. Additionally or alternatively, device 590 includes an RF radar circuit 598 that may perform RF radar scans of the vicinity of device 590. The RF radar response may be used to determine the type of material (e.g., metal, organic, etc.) of object 592 and the relative position of object 592. From this reference information, the device 590 can calculate whether the object 592 will adversely affect the magnetic coupling between the WP TX unit 588 and the device 590.

Fig. 35 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless power supply system including a WP TX unit 10 and a plurality of devices 12-14 (e.g., a cellular phone, a personal AV player, a laptop computer, a touch panel computer, a video game unit, etc.) according to another embodiment of the present invention. WP TX unit 10 comprises a processing module 18, a WP transceiver 20, an RFID tag and/or card reader 48, a network transceiver 1020 and power TX circuitry (not shown in the figure). The network transceiver 1020 may provide a wired or wireless network connection to a network 1022 (e.g., a LAN, a WAN, the internet, a cellular telephone network, etc.). The WP TX unit 10 may thus serve as a communication router between the devices 12-14 and the network 1022. WP TX unit 10 may be included in a network device 12-14 such as a computer, access point, router, modem, or the like. Other aspects of the devices 12-14 and WP TX unit 10 may have the functionality described above.

Figure 36 is a flow diagram of a method for managing communications in a radio source computer system that begins at step 1028 with a WP TX unit determining whether it has established a communication link with one or more devices, according to one embodiment of the present invention. If so, the method will continue with step 1030 where the WP TX unit determines if the device needs to access the network through the WP TX unit. If not, the method repeats from the start step.

If the device needs to access the network through the WP TX unit, the method will continue with step 1032 in which the WP TX unit determines whether it has a Bandwidth (BW) that supports the network access requirements of the device, including the required data rate. In this example, the WP TX unit determines whether it is capable of providing the required data rate based on its capabilities and the data rates of other devices it is supporting. When the WP TX unit has sufficient bandwidth, the method will continue at step 1034 with the WP TX unit acting as a wireless router between the device and the network.

If the WP TX unit does not have sufficient bandwidth to support the device requirements, the method will continue at step 1036 with the WP TX unit performing one or more network access sharing protocols. These protocols may include CSMA, CSMA with collision avoidance, CSMA with collision detection, token passing mechanisms, token ring mechanisms, priority mechanisms, and the like. The method will continue at step 1034 with the WP TX unit acting as a router for the device to access the network. The method will continue with step 1038 where the WP TX unit determines if the communication link between itself and the device is broken. If not, the method repeats beginning with determine bandwidth step 1032. If so, the method is complete for this device, but continues for other devices, at step 1040.

If the WP TX unit does not establish a communication link with the device, the method will continue with step 1042, where the WP TX unit determines whether it has received a communication from the network for the device. If not, the method repeats from the start step. If so, the method continues with step 1044 where the WP TX unit determines whether it can deliver the information to the device or provide delivery information to the network. If not, the method will continue with step 1046, the WP TX unit indicates a communication failure and the method will repeat from the start step. If it has delivery information, the method will continue with the WP TX unit delivering the communication or providing delivery information to the network at step 1048.

As used herein, the term "substantially" or "about" provides an industry-accepted tolerance to the corresponding terms and/or relationships between components. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than 1% to 50% and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process fluctuations, temperature fluctuations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. The relationship between components ranges from a small percentage difference to a large difference. As also used herein, the terms "operatively connected," "connected," and/or "coupled" include direct connection and/or indirect connection through intervening components (e.g., such components include, but are not limited to, components, assemblies, circuits, and/or modules), where for indirect connection, intervening components do not alter the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As used herein, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two elements in the same manner as "operably coupled". As also used herein, the term "operably linked" indicates that the components include at least one of: power connections, inputs, outputs, etc. for performing one or more corresponding functions when activated and may further include inferred connections to one or more other components. As used herein, the term "associated," as may be used herein, includes direct and/or indirect connection of an individual component and/or of a component embedded in another component. As also used herein, the term "compares favorably", as may be used herein, indicates that a comparison between two or more components, signals, etc., provides a desired relationship. For example, when the desired relationship is that signal 1 has a greater amplitude than signal 2, favorable comparison results may be obtained when the amplitude of signal 1 is greater than the amplitude of signal 2 or the amplitude of signal 2 is less than the amplitude of signal 1.

Although the transistors shown in the above figures are Field Effect Transistors (FETs), those skilled in the art will appreciate that the transistors may use any type of transistor structure including, but not limited to, bipolar, Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), N-well transistors, P-well transistors, enhancement, depletion, and zero Voltage Threshold (VT) transistors.

The invention has been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating specified functions and relationships. For convenience of description, the boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been defined herein specifically. However, given the appropriate implementation of functions and relationships, changes in the limits and sequences are allowed. Any such boundaries or sequence of changes should be considered to be within the scope of the claims.

The invention has also been described above with the aid of functional blocks illustrating some important functions. For convenience of description, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been defined specifically herein. When these important functions are implemented properly, varying their boundaries is permissible. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may be specifically defined herein to illustrate certain important functions, and the boundaries and sequence of the flow diagram blocks may be otherwise defined for general application so long as the important functions are still achieved. Variations in the boundaries and sequence of the above described functional blocks, flowchart functional blocks, and steps may be considered within the scope of the following claims. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the functional blocks described herein, as well as other illustrative blocks, modules, and components, may be implemented as discrete components, special purpose integrated circuits, processors with appropriate software, and the like.

Claims (10)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an integrated power receiving circuit for generating a direct current voltage from the received magnetic field according to a control signal;

a battery charger for converting the DC voltage to a battery charging voltage;

a battery connected to the battery charger in a first mode and providing power in a second mode;

a processing module to:

generating the control signal in accordance with a desired electromagnetic characteristic of at least one of the received magnetic field and the integrated power receiving circuit;

processing the output data to produce processed output data; and

processing the input data to produce processed input data;

one or more input/output modules to at least one of:

transmitting the processed output data from the processing module to a peripheral output component;

and

transmitting the input data from the peripheral input assembly to the processing module; and

one or more circuit modules for at least one of:

generating the output data; and

performing a function on the processed input data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

generating a battery charging control signal; and

sending the battery charge control signal to the battery charger, wherein the battery charger charges the battery according to the battery charge control signal when the device is in the first mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a DC-DC converter for connection with the battery to generate one or more DC supply voltages, wherein at least one of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules is powered by the one or more DC supply voltages.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the power management module is used for controlling the power consumption of the equipment; and

a clock generation module to generate one or more clock signals that are controlled, at least in part, by the power management module to be provided to one or more of the processing module, the one or more input/output modules, and the one or more circuit modules.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the received magnetic field include at least one of frequency, interference avoidance, and magnetic coupling; and

the desired electromagnetic characteristics of the integrated power receiving circuit include at least one of tuning, quality factor, impedance matching, and power level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated power receiving circuit comprises:

a coil for generating an alternating voltage from the received magnetic field;

an impedance matching and rectifying circuit for generating a rectified voltage from the alternating voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching and rectifying circuit is tuned according to the control signal; and

a regulation module for generating the DC voltage from the rectified voltage according to the control signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated power receiving circuit comprises:

a coil for:

generating an alternating voltage from the received magnetic field;

receiving an input electromagnetic modulation signal; and

transmitting an output electromagnetic modulation signal;

an impedance matching and rectifying circuit for generating a rectified voltage from the alternating voltage, wherein at least one of the coil and the impedance matching and rectifying circuit is tuned according to the control signal;

a regulation module for generating the DC voltage from the rectified voltage according to the control signal;

a near field communication transceiver to:

converting the output data into an output electromagnetic modulation signal; and

the input electromagnetic modulation signal is converted into input data.

8. An integrated circuit for use in an electronic device, comprising:

a processing module to:

generating a control signal based on the received magnetic field and a desired electromagnetic characteristic of at least one of the power receiving circuits;

sending the control signal to the integrated power receiving circuit;

generating a battery charger control signal according to the charging requirement of the battery;

sending the battery charger control signal to a battery charger assembly;

processing the output data to produce processed output data; and

processing the input data to produce processed input data; and

one or more input/output modules to at least one of:

transmitting the processed output data from the processing module to a peripheral output component;

and

transmitting the input data from the peripheral input assembly to the processing module.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

generating a dc-dc converter control signal; and

and sending the control signal of the DC-DC converter to the DC-DC converter.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a coil for converting a magnetic field into an alternating voltage, wherein the magnetic field is generated by a wireless power transmitting unit;

a capacitor connected to the coil;

the rectifying circuit is used for converting the alternating voltage into direct-current amplitude voltage;

the direct current-direct current converter is used for converting the direct current amplitude voltage into direct current voltage according to a direct current-direct current converter control signal;

a battery selectively connected to be charged by the DC voltage or to provide a battery voltage; and

a processing module to:

generating a control signal in accordance with the desired electromagnetic characteristic;

sending the control signal to at least one of the coil and the capacitor, wherein the at least one of the coil and the capacitor is tuned according to the control signal;

generating a battery charge control signal to allow the battery to be selectively connected to the DC voltage;

generating a DC-DC converter control signal to obtain a desired voltage value of the DC voltage;

processing the output data to produce processed output data; and

processing the input data to produce processed input data; and one or more input/output modules for at least one of:

transmitting the processed output data from the processing module to a peripheral output component; and

transmitting the input data from the peripheral input assembly to the processing module.