Device for aggregated wireless power transfer with multiple coils and communication channels

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, devices, apparatuses and methods for wireless power transmission, including computer programs encoded on storage media. A wireless power transmission device may transmit multiple wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device, which is configured to combine power from multiple wireless power signals. The wireless power receiving device may provide the combined wireless power signal to a load, such as a battery charger or an electronic device. In some implementations, each set of primary coils and secondary coils may utilize a low-power wireless power signal (such as 15 watts or less) according to a wireless charging standard. By combining power from multiple low-power wireless power signals, the wireless power receiving device can support higher power requirements of electronic devices. Multiple communication channels can be established between the wireless power transmission device and the wireless power receiving device.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 201911047528, filed on November 21, 2019, entitled “AGGREGATED WIRELESS POWERTRANSFER WITH MULTIPLE COILS AND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS” and assigned to its assignee. The disclosure of that prior application is considered a part of this patent application and is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless power, and more particularly, to aggregated wireless power transfer using multiple coils and communication channels. Background Art

[0004] Conventional wireless power systems have been developed with the primary purpose of charging batteries in wireless power receiving devices such as mobile devices, small electronic devices, gadgets, etc. In conventional wireless power systems, a wireless power transmission device may include a primary coil that generates an electromagnetic field. When the secondary coil is placed close to the primary coil, the electromagnetic field may induce a voltage in the secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device. In this configuration, the electromagnetic field can wirelessly transfer power to the secondary coil. Power can be transferred using resonant or non-resonant inductive coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil. The wireless power receiving device can use the received power to operate or can store the received energy in a battery for subsequent use. Traditional technologies for wireless power transfer may not provide sufficient power for newer electronic devices. It is expected to increase the reliability and amount of power that can be wirelessly transferred to electronic devices. Summary of the invention

[0005] The systems, methods and devices of the disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0006] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in a wireless power transmission device. In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device may include multiple primary coils for transmitting wireless power to different secondary coils of a wireless power receiving device. The multiple primary coils may include at least a first primary coil and a second primary coil. The wireless power transmission device may include a power signal generator electrically connected to the multiple primary coils and configured to selectively provide power to the multiple primary coils. The wireless power transmission device may include a transmission (TX) controller coupled to the power signal generator and the multiple primary coils. The TX controller may be configured to control the amount of power provided by the power signal generator to the multiple primary coils.

[0007] In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device may include one or more communication units that are communicatively coupled to the TX controller and configured to communicate with the wireless power receiving device. The one or more communication units may communicate via at least a first communication channel at the first primary coil and a second communication channel at the second primary coil.

[0008] In some implementations, the one or more communication units may be configured to receive a first communication from the wireless power receiving device via a first communication channel at the first primary coil. The one or more communication units may be configured to receive a second communication from the wireless power receiving device via a second communication channel at the second primary coil.

[0009] In some implementations, the first communication and the second communication are received at different times.

[0010] In some implementations, the first communication includes a first identifier for identifying the first communication channel, and the second communication includes a second identifier for identifying the second communication channel.

[0011] In some implementations, the TX controller can be configured to detect a foreign object at either the first primary coil or the second primary coil based on the first communication or the second communication, respectively.

[0012] In some implementations, the TX controller may be configured to determine a first quality factor (Q factor) of the first primary coil, determine a second Q factor of the second primary coil, obtain a first reference quality value from the first communication, and obtain a second reference quality value from the second communication. The TX controller may be configured to detect the foreign object based on a first comparison of the first Q factor with the first reference quality value or a second comparison of the second Q factor with the second reference quality value.

[0013] In some implementations, the TX controller may be configured to obtain a first received power metric regarding wireless power received by a first secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from the first primary coil from the first communication. In some implementations, the TX controller may be configured to obtain a second received power metric regarding wireless power received by a second secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from the second primary coil from the second communication. The TX controller may be configured to determine a first transmit power metric of the first primary coil and determine a second transmit power metric of the second primary coil. The TX controller may be configured to detect the foreign object based on a first comparison of the first transmit power metric with the first receive power metric or a second comparison of the second transmit power metric with the second receive power metric.

[0014] In some implementations, the first communication may include a first received power metric regarding wireless power received by a first secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from the first primary coil. The second communication may include a second received power metric regarding wireless power received by a second secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from the second primary coil.

[0015] In some implementations, the one or more communication units may be further configured to transmit a third communication to the wireless power receiving device via either or both of the first primary coil and the second primary coil.

[0016] In some implementations, the first communication and the second communication may be received by demodulating an amplitude load modulated signal. The third communication may be transmitted by modulating wireless power using frequency modulation.

[0017] In some implementations, the amplitude load modulated signal may include amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation. The frequency modulation may include frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation.

[0018] In some implementations, each primary coil can be configured to generate an electromagnetic field for inductively transferring wireless power of no more than 15 W. Multiple primary coils can collectively enable wireless power transfer of more than 15 W.

[0019] In some implementations, the plurality of primary coils can include at least four primary coils, and the plurality of primary coils can collectively enable wireless power transfer of at least 60 watts.

[0020] In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device may include one or more switches electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of primary coils. If the at least one primary coil is not transmitting wireless power to the wireless power receiving device, or if a foreign object is detected between the at least one primary coil and the wireless power receiving device, the one or more switches may be selectively opened by the TX controller to disable the at least one primary coil.

[0021] In some implementations, each primary coil is compatible with a zero power class (PC0) rating, and the plurality of primary coils collectively enable wireless power transfer with a first power class (PC1) rating.

[0022] In some implementations, the plurality of primary coils are configured to provide power via more than one primary coil when the wireless power receiving device has a PC1 rated power requirement. In some implementations, the plurality of primary coils are configured to provide power via one primary coil when the wireless power receiving device has a PC0 rated power requirement.

[0023] In some implementations, the TX controller is configured to identify whether the wireless power receiving device has the PC0 rated power requirement or the PC1 rated power requirement based at least in part on communications received from the wireless power receiving device via at least one of the plurality of primary coils.

[0024] In some implementations, a wireless power transmission device may include a charging surface associated with a plurality of primary coils. The wireless power transmission device may include one or more alignment aids to increase the likelihood that a plurality of secondary coils in the wireless power receiving device will be correspondingly aligned with the plurality of primary coils when the wireless power receiving device is placed on the charging surface.

[0025] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in a wireless power receiving device. In some implementations, the wireless power receiving device may include multiple secondary coils. Each secondary coil may be configured to receive wireless power from a different primary coil of a wireless power transmission device. The multiple secondary coils may include at least a first secondary coil and a second secondary coil. The wireless power receiving device may include a power combining circuit electrically coupled to the multiple secondary coils and configured to combine the wireless power from the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil. The power combining circuit may be configured to provide the combined wireless power to at least a first load.

[0026] In some implementations, the wireless power receiving device may include a receive (RX) controller coupled to a power combining circuit and a plurality of secondary coils. In some implementations, the wireless power receiving device may include one or more communication units that are communicatively coupled to the RX controller and configured to communicate with the wireless power transmission device. The one or more communication units may communicate via at least a first communication channel at the first secondary coil and a second communication channel at the second secondary coil.

[0027] In some implementations, the one or more communication units are configured to transmit a first communication to the wireless power transfer device via a first communication channel at the first secondary coil and transmit a second communication to the wireless power transfer device via a second communication channel at the second secondary coil.

[0028] In some implementations, the first communication and the second communication are transmitted at different times.

[0029] In some implementations, the first communication includes a first identifier for identifying the first communication channel, and wherein the second communication includes a second identifier for identifying the second communication channel.

[0030] In some implementations, the first communication includes a first received power metric regarding wireless power received by the first secondary coil from a first primary coil of the wireless power transmission device, and wherein the second communication includes a second received power metric regarding wireless power received by the second secondary coil from a second primary coil of the wireless power transmission device.

[0031] In some implementations, the one or more communication units are further configured to receive a third communication from the wireless power transfer device via either or both of the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil.

[0032] In some implementations, the first communication and the second communication are transmitted by modulating an amplitude load modulated signal, and wherein the third communication is received by demodulating the wireless power using frequency modulation.

[0033] In some implementations, the amplitude load modulated signal includes amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation, and the frequency modulation includes frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation.

[0034] In some implementations, each secondary coil is configured to receive no more than 15 watts of wireless power via an electromagnetic field generated by a different primary coil of the wireless power transfer device, and wherein the plurality of secondary coils collectively receive more than 15 watts of wireless power.

[0035] In some implementations, the plurality of secondary coils includes at least four secondary coils, and the plurality of secondary coils collectively receive at least 60 watts of wireless power.

[0036] In some implementations, each secondary coil is compatible with a power level zero (PC0) standard specification, and wherein the plurality of secondary coils collectively receive wireless power of a power level one (PC1) standard specification.

[0037] In some implementations, the wireless power receiving device may include a housing for the plurality of secondary coils, the housing being configured to be attached to an electronic device. The load may include a battery charger for the electronic device.

[0038] In some implementations, the wireless power receiving device may include one or more alignment aids to increase the likelihood that the multiple secondary coils will be correspondingly aligned with the multiple primary coils associated with the charging surface of the wireless power transmitting device when the wireless power receiving device is placed on the charging surface.

[0039] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method performed by a wireless power transmission device. In some implementations, the method may include generating a power signal by a power signal generator and providing the power signal to a plurality of primary coils. The method may include transmitting the power signal as wireless power to different secondary coils of a wireless power receiving device by the plurality of primary coils. The plurality of primary coils may include at least a first primary coil and a second primary coil. The method may include controlling the amount of power generated by the power signal generator.

[0040] In some implementations, the method may include communicating with the wireless power receiving device via at least a first communication channel at the first primary coil and a second communication channel at the second primary coil.

[0041] In some implementations, the method may include receiving a first communication from the wireless power receiving device via a first communication channel at the first primary coil, and receiving a second communication from the wireless power receiving device via a second communication channel at the second primary coil.

[0042] In some implementations, the first communication and the second communication are received at different times.

[0043] In some implementations, the first communication includes a first identifier for identifying the first communication channel, and the second communication includes a second identifier for identifying the second communication channel.

[0044] In some implementations, the method may include detecting a foreign object at either the first primary coil or the second primary coil based at least in part on the first communication or the second communication, respectively.

[0045] In some implementations, the first communication includes a first received power metric regarding wireless power received by a first secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from a first primary coil, and the second communication includes a second received power metric regarding wireless power received by a second secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from a second primary coil.

[0046] In some implementations, the method may include transmitting a third communication to the wireless power receiving device via either or both of the first primary coil and the second primary coil.

[0047] In some implementations, the first communication and the second communication are received by demodulating an amplitude load modulated signal, and wherein the third communication is transmitted by modulating the wireless power using frequency modulation.

[0048] In some implementations, the amplitude load modulated signal includes amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation, and wherein the frequency modulation includes frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation.

[0049] In some implementations, each primary coil is compatible with a zero-order power (PC0) standard specification, and wherein the plurality of primary coils collectively implement wireless power transfer of a primary power (PC1) standard specification.

[0050] In some implementations, the method may include selectively opening one or more switches coupled to the plurality of primary coils to disable at least one primary coil if the at least one primary coil is not transmitting wireless power to the wireless power receiving device, or if a foreign object is detected between the at least one primary coil and the wireless power receiving device.

[0051] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method performed by a wireless power receiving device. In some implementations, the method may include receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmission device through multiple secondary coils. Each secondary coil may be configured to receive wireless power from a different primary coil of the wireless power transmission device. The multiple secondary coils may include at least a first secondary coil and a second secondary coil. The method may include combining the wireless power from the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil by a power combining circuit to form a combined wireless power. The method may include providing the combined wireless power to at least a first load.

[0052] In some implementations, the method may include communicating with the wireless power transfer device via at least a first communication channel at the first secondary coil and a second communication channel at the second secondary coil.

[0053] In some implementations, the method may include transmitting a first communication to the wireless power transfer device via a first communication channel at the first secondary coil, and transmitting a second communication to the wireless power transfer device via a second communication channel at the second secondary coil. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative sizes of the following drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0055] Figure 1 An overview of components associated with an example wireless power system is shown in accordance with some implementations.

[0056] Figure 2 A visual diagram illustrating an example wireless power receiving device having multiple secondary coils for receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmitting device in accordance with some implementations.

[0057] Figure 3 A visual diagram illustrating an example wireless power transmission device having multiple primary coils for transmitting wireless power to a wireless power receiving device in accordance with some implementations.

[0058] Figure 4 A visual diagram of an example wireless power system is shown in accordance with some implementations, in which a wireless power receiving device is configured to provide power to an electronic device.

[0059] Figure 5 A block diagram of an example wireless power transfer device is shown in accordance with some implementations.

[0060] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example wireless power receiving device is shown in accordance with some implementations.

[0061] Figure 7 Examples of multiple communication channels between an example wireless power receiving device and an example wireless power transmitting device are shown according to some implementations.

[0062] Figure 8 Shown based on reference Figure 7 An example process for foreign object detection of an example communication channel is described.

[0063] Fig. 9 Another example of using multiple communication channels between an example wireless power receiving device and an example wireless power transmitting device is shown in accordance with some implementations.

[0064] Fig.10 A flow chart illustrating an example process for wireless power transfer according to some implementations.

[0065] Fig.11 A flow chart illustrating an example process for wireless power reception according to some implementations.

[0066] Fig.12A block diagram is shown of an example device for use in a wireless power system according to some implementations.

[0067] Throughout the various drawings, like reference numbers and designations indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any component, device, system, or method for transmitting or receiving wireless power.

[0069] A conventional wireless power system may include a wireless power transmission device and a wireless power receiving device. The wireless power transmission device may include a primary coil that transmits wireless energy (as a wireless power signal) to a corresponding secondary coil in a wireless power receiving device. The primary coil refers to a wireless energy source (such as inductive or magnetic resonance energy) in a wireless power transmission device. The secondary coil is located in the wireless power receiving device and receives wireless energy. In some conventional wireless power systems, the primary coil may transfer wireless energy to the secondary coil up to a rated value predetermined by a wireless standard. For example, a low-power wireless power signal may deliver 5 watts (5W), 9W, 12W, or 15W. The Wireless Power Alliance (WPC) is a standards development organization that defines zero-level power (PC0) as a wireless power system that can support wireless power transfer ratings of up to 15 watts. Therefore, a low-power wireless power system can deliver up to 15 watts of energy suitable for many electronic devices.

[0070] Higher power wireless systems are being developed to support wireless power transmission to electronic devices that require more power (greater than 15W). For example, a laptop, monitor, appliance or other electronic device may use 65W, 90W or 120W. The WPC defines the first power (PC1) as a wireless power system that can support wireless power transfer ratings above 15W. What is of concern about higher power wireless systems is the amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI) that high power wireless systems may cause. Undesirable EMI or radiation may be caused by excessive magnetic flux that is not linked to the secondary coil. In addition, the use of a larger primary coil and a larger secondary coil can support higher power transfer, but results in reduced sensitivity to foreign object detection. For example, a larger primary coil may be less able to detect small foreign objects. In addition, a larger primary coil can result in a lower misalignment tolerance compared to a smaller primary coil.

[0071] Various implementations generally involve using multiple primary coils to transmit wireless power to different secondary coils at the same time. According to the present disclosure, a wireless power system may utilize multiple primary coils and secondary coils to transfer wireless power from a wireless power transmission device to a wireless power receiving device. For example, each primary coil may transmit a low-power signal (15W or less) to a corresponding secondary coil. The wireless power receiving device may combine wireless power from multiple secondary coils to provide high-power wireless power to a load. For example, a wireless power receiving device may combine 15W from each of six secondary coils to provide a 90W power signal to an electronic device.

[0072] In some implementations, the wireless power specification may be based on a standardized wireless power specification such as that developed by the WPC. Specification) to manufacture wireless power transmission devices and wireless power receiving devices. For example, a wireless power transmission device may include multiple primary coils, each of which may comply with the PC0 design of the Qi specification. A wireless power receiving device may include multiple secondary coils, each of which may comply with the PC0 design of the Qi specification. Therefore, PC1 power requirements (above 15W) can be met by combining multiple PC0 wireless power channels.

[0073] In some implementations, a wireless power transmission device with multiple PC0 primary coils can provide flexibility to wirelessly power different types of wireless power receiving devices. For example, if the wireless power receiving device has a PC0 secondary coil and is placed on a PC0 primary coil (of the wireless power transmission device), the wireless power transmission device can supply wireless power according to a traditional PC0 system. However, if the wireless power receiving device has multiple PC0 secondary coils (which can be combined to support PC1 ratings), the wireless power transmission device can use multiple PC0 primary coils coupled to multiple PC0 secondary coils (or wireless power receiving devices) to supply wireless power to support PC1 ratings. In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device can support simultaneous charging of multiple PC0 wireless power receiving devices or a combination of PC0 and PC1 wireless power receiving devices.

[0074] In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device and the wireless power receiving device may communicate via multiple communication channels. For example, a first communication channel may include a first primary coil of the wireless power transmission device and a first secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device. The first communication channel may be used for communication from the wireless power receiving device to the wireless power transmission device using amplitude load modulation (such as amplitude shift keying) at the first secondary coil. The second communication channel may include a second primary coil of the wireless power transmission device and a second secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device. The wireless power receiving device may communicate with the wireless power transmission device using amplitude load modulation at the second secondary coil. For forward communication (from the wireless power transmission device to the wireless power receiving device), the wireless power transmission device may use frequency modulation of the signal applied to the primary coil. The present disclosure includes several examples of communication channels and communications that can be performed using amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, or both.

[0075] In other examples, the communication channel can be used to convey information about identification information, capabilities, charging status, and control signals, etc. For example, the wireless power receiving device can transmit information about the receiver type, power capacity, number of secondary coils, identification of the secondary coils (such as identifier (ID) tags), load voltage, charging status, and power received from each of the secondary coils. The wireless power receiving device can transmit a control signal or message to request adjustment of the power level.

[0076] In some implementations, the communication path from the wireless power receiving device to the wireless power transmitting device may be referred to as a reverse communication path. In contrast, the communication path from the wireless power transmitting device to the wireless power receiving device may be referred to as a forward communication path. The wireless power transmitting device may use one or more forward communication paths to convey information about transmitter capabilities, power transmission operating points, and responses to control signals. For example, the wireless power transmitting device may use different responses to indicate whether the wireless power transmitting device confirms, rejects, or does not understand the control or information signal from the wireless power receiving device. In some implementations, each reverse or forward communication path may be associated with a channel ID (also referred to as a tag ID) that uniquely identifies a transmission coil pair (formed by a primary coil and a corresponding secondary coil). The channel ID or tag ID may be included in the communication between the wireless power receiving device and the wireless power transmitting device so that power metrics, reference values, quality measurements, or other information may be specific to the transmission coil pair.

[0077] In some implementations, such as the illustrative examples of the present disclosure, one or more forward communication paths may use a first type of modulation, and one or more reverse communication paths may use a second type of modulation. For example, frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation may be used on the forward communication path, and amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation may be used on the reverse communication path. The modulation types described in this application are for illustrative purposes, and alternative modulation types may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0078] In certain implementations, the design in the present disclosure may improve foreign object detection. For example, foreign object detection may be performed independently for each transmission coil pair (primary coil and corresponding secondary coil). For example, a communication channel may be used to convey a reference quality factor, a received power metric, or other information associated with each transmission coil pair. Information for each PC0 transmission coil pair may be used to detect foreign objects or inefficient alignment of coil pairs. Unlike a single-coil PC1 design, the design in the present disclosure uses multiple PC0 channels, where wireless power transfer is allocated by multiple PC0 transmission coil pairs. As a result, each PC0 transmission coil pair may have a higher sensitivity to foreign objects than a large coil pair that allocates higher power in a single PC1 channel. The higher sensitivity of foreign object detection for PC0 transmission coil pairs is beneficial for detecting foreign objects near the transmission coil pairs. In addition, in some implementations, one or more of the PC0 primary coils may be disabled after a foreign object is detected, while other coils in the PC0 primary coil may continue to transfer wireless power without the foreign object affecting its corresponding PC0 channel.

[0079] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. In some implementations, the described techniques can be used to combine wireless power received from multiple secondary coils to generate a high power output to a load. Compared to conventional wireless power systems that use only one wireless power signal, wireless power systems can cause less EMI and provide better efficiency of wireless power transfer. Electronic devices in both wireless power transmission devices and wireless power receiving devices can utilize modular designs with components with smaller power ratings. Advantageously, implementations of the present disclosure can support higher power for appliances and electronic devices that require greater amounts of power. The cost and complexity of wireless power systems can be reduced by using multiple low-power wireless power signals to accommodate greater wireless power transfers. In addition, the use of multiple communication channels can support better in-band communications to achieve robust foreign object detection and sensitivity.

[0080] Figure 1An overview of components associated with an example wireless power system according to some implementations is shown. The wireless power system 100 includes a wireless power transmission device 110 having a plurality of primary coils 120. Each of the primary coils 120 may be associated with a power signal generator. For example, the first primary coil 121 may be electrically coupled to a power signal generator 145. Each primary coil may be a wire coil that transmits a wireless power signal (which may also be referred to as wireless energy or an electromagnetic field). The primary coil may transmit wireless energy using an inductor or a magnetic resonance field. The power signal generator may include components (not shown) for preparing a wireless power signal. For example, the power signal generator 145 may include one or more switches, drivers, capacitors in series with each coil, or other components. The wireless power transmission device 110 may include a power source 140 configured to provide power to the power signal generator 145. The power source 140 may convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). The power source 140 may be inside or outside the wireless power transmission device 110. In some implementations, the primary coils 120 may be coupled to the power signal generator 145 via one or more switches such that each primary coil can be independently enabled or disabled by the TX controller 130 .

[0081] The primary coil 120 may be managed by one or more controllers, such as a transmit (TX) controller 130, which controls whether the primary coil is transmitting wireless power. Figure 1 , the TX controller 130 may manage the power signal generator 145, and may also manage one or more switches (not shown) that enable or disable a particular primary coil. The TX controller 130 may also be communicatively coupled to one or more communication units, such as a first channel communication unit 131, a second channel communication unit 132, and a system communication unit 133. The communication units 131, 132, and 133 may be external to the TX controller 130 (as shown), or may be implemented internally or in the TX controller 130.

[0082] In some implementations, each primary coil may be associated with a different driver, voltage regulator, etc. In some implementations, each primary coil may be coupled to a separate circuit component such as a capacitor (in series with the primary coil), a current sensing resistor, or other elements. The TX controller 130 may determine whether to cause a particular primary coil to transmit wireless power. For example, the TX controller 130 may periodically activate one or more switches associated with each primary coil (and the series capacitor) to stimulate (or briefly excite) the primary coil. The TX controller 130 may perform a coil current sensing process to determine whether a wireless power receiving device is located near the primary coil. If a wireless power receiving device is detected, the TX controller 130 may activate one or more switches associated with the primary coil to cause the primary coil to transmit wireless power.

[0083] A controller, such as TX controller 130, may be configured to detect the presence or proximity of a wireless power receiving device. For example, TX controller 130 may cause one or more primary coils to periodically transmit a detection signal and measure changes in coil current or load indicating an object near the primary coil. In some implementations, TX controller 130 may detect pings, wireless communications, load modulation, etc. to determine that a secondary coil of a wireless power receiving device is near the primary coil.

[0084] Figure 1A wireless power receiving device 150 is also shown. The wireless power receiving device may be any type of device capable of receiving wireless power, including mobile phones, computers, laptops, peripherals, gadgets, robots, vehicles, etc. The wireless power receiving device 150 may have an array of secondary coils 160, including a first secondary coil 161 and a second secondary coil 162. The secondary coils 160 may each be capable of receiving wireless power from a different primary coil. For example, when the first secondary coil 161 is located near the first primary coil 121, the first secondary coil 161 may receive wireless power from the first primary coil 121. During the detection phase, the first primary coil 121 may transmit a detection signal (which may also be referred to as a ping). The coil current at the first primary coil 121 may be measured to determine whether the coil current has exceeded a threshold indicating an object in the electromagnetic field of the first primary coil 121. If an object is detected, the TX controller 130 (or the first channel communication unit 131) may wait for a handshake signal (such as a signal strength packet, an identification signal, or a setup signal, etc. in other examples) from the wireless power receiving device 150 to determine whether the object is a wireless power receiving device or a foreign object. A series of load changes, such as load modulation, may be used by the wireless power receiving device 150 to communicate the handshake signal. The load changes may be detected by the sensing circuit and interpreted by the first primary coil 121. In some implementations, the load changes are generated by load amplitude modulation using the first channel communication unit 181 of the wireless power receiving device 150. The first channel communication unit 131 may interpret the changes in the load to resume communications from the wireless power receiving device 150. The communications may include information such as charging level, requested voltage, received power, receiver power capability, support for wireless charging standards, and the like.

[0085] In the wireless power receiving device 150, each of the secondary coils 160 can be part of a separate receiving (RX) circuit. For example, each RX circuit can include one or more secondary coils, rectifiers, DC capacitors, and other components (not shown). Each secondary coil 160 that is properly aligned can generate an induced voltage based on the wireless power signal received from one of the primary coils 120. A capacitor (not shown) can be connected in series between the secondary coil and the rectifier. The rectifier can rectify the voltage and provide a voltage to a power combining circuit 185 that combines the power from multiple secondary coils. The power combining circuit 185 can provide the combined wireless power to a load 190, such as a battery module (not shown). The load 190 can be in the wireless power receiving device 150, or it can be an external device coupled through an electrical interface, such as a power output 187 of the wireless power receiving device 150. The load 190 can include a charger stage, protection circuits such as a temperature detection circuit, and overvoltage and overcurrent protection circuits.

[0086] In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device 110 or the wireless power receiving device 150 may have an alignment mechanism to ensure that the multiple secondary coils 160 and the multiple primary coils 120 are properly aligned. The alignment mechanism may include a physical guide, a tray, a magnetic alignment or a socket, and other examples. In some implementations, the fixed alignment can ensure that the multiple primary coils and the multiple secondary coils are aligned to support high-polymer wireless power transfer from the multiple primary coils 120 to the multiple secondary coils 160.

[0087] Returning to the communication capability, the wireless power transmission device 110 may have a receiving (RX) controller that monitors the power combining circuit 185 and communicates information about the load or charging state. The RX controller 180 may communicate using the first channel communication unit 181, the second channel communication unit 182, or both. Similarly, the RX controller 180 may receive communications from the wireless power transmission device 110 via the system communication unit 183. The system communication unit 183 may sense the voltage at the AC terminal of one or both of the rectifiers 171 and 172. In some implementations, the forward communication path (from the system communication unit 133 via the power signal generator 145 to the rectifiers 171 and 172 and the system communication unit 183) may be used for communication from the wireless power transmission device 110 to the wireless power receiving device 150. The reverse communication path (such as the first path including the first channel communication unit 181 and the first channel communication unit 131) may be used for communication from the wireless power receiving device 150 to the wireless power transmission device 110. The second path may include the second channel communication unit 182 and the second channel communication unit 132. The first and second reverse communication paths may be used for quality metrics or received power metrics regarding a particular pair of primary and secondary coils.

[0088] In several examples of the present disclosure, the reverse communication path may use ASK modulation, while the forward communication path may use FSK modulation. The modulation type of each path may be different or opposite, as long as the modulation used in the reverse communication path and the forward communication path does not interfere with each other. In addition, although several examples show the use of a single forward communication path, in some implementations, each transmission coil pair (formed by a primary coil and a secondary coil) may create a separate forward and reverse communication path.

[0089] Figure 2A visual diagram of an example wireless power receiving device 150 having multiple secondary coils for receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmission device according to some implementations is shown. The amount and arrangement of the secondary coils are provided as examples. Other amounts, layers, or arrangements of the secondary coils are also possible. Although shown as a laptop computer, the wireless power receiving device 150 can be any type of electronic device. In addition, the wireless power receiving device 150 can be a component integrated into the electronic device, or can be an external component or accessory coupled to the electronic device. Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the wireless power receiving device 150 can be manufactured so that it can be positioned on a charging surface (not shown) so that the plurality of secondary coils 160 are configured to receive wireless power. Inside the wireless power receiving device 150 (such as inside the bottom surface portion 255 of the laptop computer), there are a plurality of secondary coils 160 for receiving wireless power.

[0090] When the secondary coil and the primary coil are aligned to transfer wireless power, they may form a transmission coil pair. Each transmission coil pair may transfer wireless power in accordance with technical standard specifications. In some implementations, each transmission coil pair may be a PC0 design with a low power transfer rate that complies with technical standard specifications. By combining power from multiple PC0 transmission coil pairs, the wireless power receiving device 150 may receive higher aggregate amounts of wireless power, such as those required by PC1 designs.

[0091] There may be various ways to align the wireless power receiving device 150 with the wireless power transmitting device so that the plurality of secondary coils 160 may be aligned with the corresponding plurality of primary coils in the wireless power transmitting device. In some implementations, the wireless power transmitting device 110 or the wireless power receiving device 150 (or both) may include an alignment aid to increase the likelihood that the plurality of secondary coils 160 will be aligned with the corresponding plurality of primary coils when the wireless power receiving device 150 is placed on the charging surface of the wireless power transmitting device 110. The alignment aid may include any one or combination of magnetic alignment, physical structures, visual markings, optical alignment aids, sound alignment aids, and the like.

[0092] Figure 3 A visual diagram of an example wireless power transmission device with multiple primary coils for transmitting wireless power to a wireless power receiving device according to some implementations is shown. The example wireless power transmission device 110 includes 6 primary coils (shown in portion 315). The amount and arrangement of the primary coils are provided as examples. Other amounts, layers, or arrangements of the primary coils are also possible. A charging surface can accommodate the primary coils. The wireless power receiving device can be placed on the charging surface 315. The first set of primary coils 120 can be activated to transfer wireless power to corresponding secondary coils (not shown) in the wireless power receiving device.

[0093] In some implementations, the wireless power transmission device or the wireless power receiving device (or both) may implement overlapping coils. The pattern of overlapping coils may reduce the amount of area where the wireless power signal is exposed (or not aligned with the secondary coil). This may have the result of reducing EMI. Alternatively or additionally, the coils may be spaced apart so that multiple coils can be energized without affecting nearby coils. For example, in some implementations, the distance between the centers of any two primary coils may be greater than 1.5 times the maximum diameter of the largest primary coil.

[0094] By using multiple primary coils 120 to transmit wireless power, the aggregate wireless power transmitted can be higher while maintaining a lower amount of wireless power contributed by each primary coil. The lower power transmission of each primary coil can reduce the amount of EMI and other interference to other components of the wireless power receiving device (or the electronic devices it powers). Therefore, in some implementations, using multiple transmit coil pairs may be advantageous over using a single large coil to transmit high-power wireless signals.

[0095] Among other examples, the wireless power transmission device 110 may be constructed with grooves, notches, magnets, or line markings to assist in the alignment of one or more wireless power receiving devices. For example, the alignment design may allow a single wireless power receiving device to be placed on the charging surface 315 so that multiple primary coils 120 are aligned with corresponding multiple secondary coils in the wireless power receiving device. Alternatively or additionally, the charging surface 315 may support wireless charging of wireless power receiving devices of different sizes. For example, the charging surface 315 may be used with a wireless power receiving device that supports either or both of the PC0 design or the PC1 design. In some implementations, a phone or other small electronic device may receive wireless power from a subset of multiple primary coils 120 according to the PC0 design. A laptop or other larger electronic device may receive wireless power from a larger subset or all of the multiple primary coils 120 according to the PC1 design that aggregates wireless power from multiple PC0 transmission coil pairs.

[0096] Figure 4 A diagram of an example wireless power system 400 is shown in which a wireless power receiving device is configured to provide power to an electronic device according to some implementations. Figure 4 In the embodiment, the wireless power receiving device 150 may be a wireless power pad having a plurality of secondary coils 160. Figure 4In the example of , the secondary coils are arranged in a non-overlapping pattern. The wireless power receiving device 150 may have an electrical interface 455 or other connection to provide power from the wireless power receiving device 150 to the electronic device 450. In some implementations, a fastener 457 (such as a clip, a magnet, a button, a housing, etc.) can be used to physically couple the wireless power receiving device 150 to the electronic device 450. The fastener 457 can be part of the wireless power receiving device 150, the electronic device 450, or both. For example, the wireless power receiving device 150 includes a housing that contains the secondary coil, and the housing can be attached to a laptop or tablet computer.

[0097] Figure 5 A block diagram 500 of an example wireless power transfer device 110 is shown according to some implementations. The first primary coil 121 may have a capacitor 123 and a switch 125 for selectively enabling or disabling wireless power transfer via the first primary coil 121. Similarly, the second primary coil 122 may have a capacitor 124 and a switch 126. Figure 5 The amount of primary coils shown in is for illustrative purposes, and other designs may use a greater number of primary coils (not shown). In some implementations, each of the primary coils may transmit power according to a PC0 design, and the aggregate amount of wireless power transmitted may support wireless power requirements of PC1 or greater. The TX controller 130 may control switches 125 and 126 and the amount of power generated by the power signal generator 145. The power signal generator 145 is expanded to show an example of a circuit that may include a diode and a switch. In addition, the TX controller 130 may control switches in the power signal generator 145 to manage the amount or frequency of the voltage, etc.

[0098] The system communication unit 133 may use frequency modulation (such as frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation) at the power signal generator 145 to communicate via the forward communication path. The first channel communication unit 131 and the second channel communication unit 132 may be coupled to at least a portion of the first primary coil 121 and the second primary coil 122, respectively. The first channel communication unit 131 and the second channel communication unit 132 may include an amplitude demodulator (such as an amplitude shift keying (ASK) demodulator) to receive load modulation communication via the corresponding primary coils 121 and 122.

[0099] exist Figure 5 In the design shown, there may be two reverse communication paths (using the first channel communication unit 131 and the second channel communication unit 132) and one forward communication path (using the system communication unit 133). In other configurations, there may be a separate communication unit (similar to the system communication unit 133) for each of the primary coils 121 and 122.

[0100] Figure 6 A block diagram 600 of an example wireless power receiving device 150 according to some implementations is shown. The first secondary coil 161 may have a first channel communication unit 181 including an amplitude modulator. The RX controller 180 may control the switch in the first channel communication unit 181 to create load modulation, thereby communicating with the wireless power transmission device via the first channel (which includes the first secondary coil 161). Similarly, the second secondary coil 162 may have a separate second channel communication unit 182 having an amplitude modulator for the second channel controlled by the RX controller 180. Each of the secondary coils 161 and 162 may be connected to corresponding rectifiers 171 and 172, respectively. The switch 610 in the wireless power receiving device 150 may be capable of disconnecting the load. For example, in other examples, the load may be disconnected to enable calibration of the system to detect foreign objects before power transfer, isolate the system during any fault on the load side, protect the load from faults in the system, or keep the load disconnected until the initial handshake with the wireless power transmission device is completed.

[0101] The system communication unit 183 may be coupled to the AC terminals of either or both of the rectifiers 171 and 172. The system communication unit 183 may receive and demodulate signals from wireless power transmission devices such as Figure 5 The system communication unit 183 may receive the forward path communication (from the wireless power transmission device to the wireless power receiving device 150). The system communication unit 183 may send the received communication to the RX controller 180. The RX controller 180 may have a control line (not shown) to each of the first channel communication unit 181 and the second channel communication unit 182, and use the channel communication unit for the reverse communication path to the wireless power transmission device.

[0102] Figure 7An example 700 of multiple communication channels between an example wireless power receiving device and an example wireless power transmitting device according to some implementations is shown. A first communication channel 751 (using reverse channel load modulation) may include a first secondary coil 161 and a first primary coil 121. The first communication channel 751 may use amplitude modulation (such as ASK modulation). A second communication channel 752 may include a second secondary coil 162 and a second primary coil 122. The second communication channel 752 may also use amplitude modulation. Both the first communication channel 751 and the second communication channel 752 may be referred to as reverse channels because they provide a technique for communication from the wireless power receiving device 150 to the wireless power transmitting device 110. A third communication channel 753 may be referred to as a forward channel because it provides a technique for communication from the wireless power transmitting device 110 to the wireless power receiving device 150. The third communication channel 753 may include frequency modulation of the wireless signal (such as FSK modulation). The third communication channel 753 may use either or both of the primary coils 121 and 122 to transmit FSK modulated communications that may be picked up by the secondary coils 161 and 162, respectively.

[0103] Figure 8 Shown based on reference Figure 7 An example process for foreign object detection of an example communication channel is described. Figure 8 Included with Figure 8 1, except for the addition of a foreign object 810 proximate to the PC0 transmission coil pair, which includes the first primary coil 121 and the first secondary coil 161. In other examples, the foreign object 810 can be any type of object that affects the wireless power transmission via the transmission coil pair, such as a key, a paper clip, a magnet, or a wire, etc. For example, the foreign object 810 can have ferrite or metal properties that affect the electromagnetic waves used for wireless power transfer. Figure 8 At least two example processes may be used to describe foreign object detection.

[0104] The first process for foreign object detection may be based on a quality factor measurement performed before the power transfer phase. Typically, before the power transfer phase, the wireless power receiving device 150 and the wireless power transmission device 110 may exchange some information about the quality factor of the power transfer. Changes in the primary coil environment (such as the presence of foreign matter) may cause the inductance measured at the primary coil terminals to decrease or its equivalent series resistance to increase, or both. These environmental effects may cause the quality factor (Q factor) of the primary coil to decrease. In order to enable the wireless power transmission device 110 to determine whether the measured Q factor reduction is due to the combination of the wireless power receiving device 150 and the foreign object 810, the wireless power receiving device 150 may provide a reference quality factor to the wireless power transmission device 110. The reference quality factor consists of an ideal Q factor tested in a laboratory, which can be measured at the terminals of the primary coil of a standard test power transmitter if the wireless power receiving device 150 is correctly aligned and there is no foreign matter nearby. The reference quality factor is based on the quality of the wireless power receiving device 150 due to the calibration or manufacturing process. The wireless power receiving device 150 may store the reference quality factor and send the reference quality factor to the wireless power transmitting device 110 in the communication before the power transfer phase. In the present disclosure, each secondary coil 161 and 162 may communicate their reference quality factors via reverse communication channels 751 and 752, respectively. The TX controller 130 of the wireless power transmitting device 110 can compare the reference quality factors of the secondary coils 161 and 162 with the measured Q factors of the corresponding primary coils 121 and 122. For example, for each primary coil, when the presence of a receiver is detected, the TX controller 130 may determine the Q factor as the ratio of the voltage across the primary coil to the voltage applied to the resonant tank on the transmitter side. The TX controller 130 may compare each Q factor with the reference quality factor from the wireless power receiving device for each corresponding secondary coil. Figure 8 In the example of , due to the presence of the foreign matter 810, the Q factor of the first primary coil 121 may be significantly lower than the reference quality factor of the first secondary coil 161. On the contrary, if the foreign matter 810 does not affect the transmission coil pair including the second primary coil 122 and the second secondary coil 162, the Q factor of the second primary coil 122 may be close to the reference quality factor of the second secondary coil 162.

[0105] When the Q factor of the first primary coil 121 is lower than the reference quality factor of the first secondary coil 161 by a threshold amount, the TX controller 130 may determine that there is a foreign object 810 near the first transmission coil pair. When the Q factor of the second primary coil 122 is not lower than the reference quality factor of the second secondary coil 162 by a threshold amount, the TX controller 130 may determine that there is no foreign object 810 near the second transmission coil pair. Therefore, the TX controller 130 can detect foreign objects separately for each transmission coil pair. The Q factor sensitivity (change) for each PC0 transmission coil pair when a foreign object 810 is present may be higher than the Q factor sensitivity for the PC1 transmission coil pair using a larger coil. The higher sensitivity to the Q factor change of the PC0 transmission coil pair is conducive to detecting foreign objects near the transmission coil pair. In response to detecting a foreign object 810 near the first transmission coil pair, the TX controller 130 may disable the first primary coil 121. If the foreign object 810 does not affect the second transmission coil pair, the TX controller 130 may maintain wireless power transfer via the second primary coil 122.

[0106] The second process for foreign object detection may be based on power loss accounting during the power transfer phase. For example, during the power transfer phase, the RX controller 180 may measure the voltage and current of the wireless power received at each secondary coil 161 and 162. The measurements at each secondary coil 161 and 162 may be used to determine a power metric about the power that each secondary coil is receiving from the corresponding primary coil 121 and 122 of the wireless power transmission device 110. The RX controller 180 may cause the communication channel units 181 and 182 to communicate power metrics via the first communication channel 751 and the second communication channel 752, respectively. For example, the first channel communication unit 181 may communicate a first power metric packet via the first communication channel 751. The first power metric packet may include a first power metric based on the power received by the first secondary coil 161. The second channel communication unit 182 may communicate a power metric packet via the second communication channel 752. The second power metric packet may include a second power metric based on the power received by the first secondary coil 161.

[0107] The first channel communication unit 131 and the second channel communication unit 132 may demodulate the first and second power measurement packets, respectively. In some implementations, the power measurement packet may include a channel ID or tag ID that uniquely identifies each transmission coil pair (or communication paths 751 and 752). The TX controller 130 may measure the voltage and current of each primary coil 121 and 122 to determine the transmission power that each primary coil 121 and 122 is transmitting. For each transmission coil pair, the TX controller 130 may compare the magnitude of the transmission power and the received power measurement. The difference between the magnitude of the transmission power and the received power measurement may indicate power loss due to misalignment or the presence of foreign matter. For example, a foreign object 810 may absorb some of the power transmitted by the first primary coil 121. The power measurement of the first secondary coil 161 may be lower than the magnitude of the transmission power measured for the first primary coil 121. If the difference exceeds a threshold, the TX controller 130 may determine that a foreign object 810 exists near the coil pair including the first primary coil 121 and the first secondary coil 161. At the same time, the power metric of the second secondary coil 162 may be within a threshold amount of the transmitted power value of the second primary coil 122 .

[0108] Other techniques for foreign object detection are also possible due to the availability of different communication channels, channel IDs, or tag IDs associated with each transmit coil pair. Due to the ability to detect foreign objects at different coil pairs, unaffected coil pairs can continue while affected coil pairs can be disabled. This flexibility and sensitivity is not possible in a PC1 system that uses only a single large primary coil and a single large secondary coil. Therefore, the ability to use the combined power delivered by multiple PC0 transmit coil pairs can improve the flexibility of foreign object detection and wireless power transfer, even for wireless power receiving devices that require PC1 power ratings.

[0109] Fig. 9Another example 900 of using multiple communication channels between an example wireless power receiving device 150 and an example wireless power transmitting device 110 according to some implementations is shown. Each transmission coil pair (represented by a primary coil and a secondary coil) can create a communication channel. This degree of freedom may be available when each primary coil 121 and 122 has a separate power signal generator (such as a separate driver, not shown). Each channel can use ASK and FSK for forward and reverse communication, respectively. For example, the first channel communication unit 931 of the wireless power transmitting device 110 can have an ASK demodulator and an FSK modulator. The first channel communication unit 981 of the wireless power receiving device 150 can have an ASK modulator and an FSK demodulator. Similarly, the second channel communication unit 932 of the wireless power transmitting device 110 can have an ASK demodulator and an FSK modulator. The second channel communication unit 982 of the wireless power receiving device 150 can have an ASK modulator and an FSK demodulator. Reference Figure 8 The foreign body detection techniques described are also applicable to Fig. 9 Example 800 in .

[0110] Fig.10 A flowchart of an example process for wireless power transfer according to some implementations is shown. Flowchart 1000 begins at block 1010. At block 1010, the process includes generating a power signal by a power signal generator and providing the power signal to a plurality of primary coils. At block 1020, the process includes transmitting the power signal as wireless power to different secondary coils of a wireless power receiving device by the plurality of primary coils, the plurality of primary coils including at least a first primary coil and a second primary coil. At block 1030, the process includes controlling an amount of power generated by the power signal generator.

[0111] Fig.11 A flowchart of an example process for wireless power reception according to some implementations is shown. Flowchart 1100 begins at block 1110. At block 1110, the process includes receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmission device through a plurality of secondary coils. Each secondary coil is configured to receive wireless power from a different primary coil of the wireless power transmission device, the plurality of secondary coils including at least a first secondary coil and a second secondary coil. At block 1120, the process includes combining, by a power combining circuit, the wireless power from the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil to form a combined wireless power. At block 1130, the process includes providing the combined wireless power to at least a first load.

[0112] Fig.12A block diagram of an example device for use in a wireless power system according to some implementations is shown. In some implementations, device 1200 may be a wireless power transmission device (such as wireless power transmission device 110) or a wireless power receiving device (such as wireless power receiving device 150). Device 1200 may include a processor 1202 (which may include multiple processors, multiple cores, multiple nodes, or implement multi-threading, etc.). Device 1200 may also include a memory 1206. Memory 1206 may be any one or more of the possible implementations of system memory or computer-readable media described herein. Device 1200 may also include a bus 1211 (such as PCI, ISA, PCI-Express, NuBus, AHB, AXI, etc.).

[0113] The device 1200 may include one or more controllers 1262 configured to manage multiple primary or secondary coils (such as coil array 1264). In some implementations, (one or more) controllers 1262 may be distributed among the processor 1202, the memory 1206, and the bus 1211. (One or more) controllers 1262 may perform some or all of the operations described herein. For example, the controller 1262 may be a TX controller, an RX controller, or both. The controller 1262 may also include one or more communication units (not shown) for modulating or demodulating communications sent or received by the coil array 1264.

[0114] The memory 1206 may include a program executable by the processor 1202 to implement Figure 1-11 1202. Any of these functionalities may be implemented partially (or entirely) in hardware or on the processor 1202. For example, the functionality may be implemented in a dedicated integrated circuit, in logic implemented in the processor 1202, in a coprocessor on a peripheral device or card, etc. In addition, the implementation may include Fig.12 The processor 1202, memory 1206, and controller(s) 1262 may be coupled to the bus 1211. Although shown as being coupled to the bus 1211, the memory 1206 may be coupled to the processor 1202.

[0115] Figure 1-12 The operations described herein are examples meant to aid in understanding example implementations and should not be used to limit potential implementations or to limit the scope of the claims. Some implementations may perform additional operations, fewer operations, operations in parallel or in a different order, and some operations differently.

[0116] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" or "one or more of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For example, "at least one of: a, b, or c" is intended to cover the following possibilities: only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0117] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0118] The hardware and data processing devices used to implement the various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or executed with a general purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, specific processes, operations and methods may be performed by circuits specific to a given function.

[0119] As described above, in some aspects, the implementation of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as software. For example, the various functions of the components disclosed herein, or the various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs. Such a computer program may include a non-transitory processor or computer executable instructions encoded on one or more tangible processors or computer-readable storage media for executing or controlling its operation by a data processing device including a component of the device described herein. As an example and not a limitation, such a storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store program codes in the form of instructions or data structures. The above combination should also be included in the scope of the storage medium.

[0120] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the disclosure, principles, and novel features disclosed herein.

[0121] In addition, various features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations individually or in any suitable subcombination. Thus, although features may be described above as acting in a particular combination, and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be deleted from the combination, and a claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

[0122] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequence, or performing all the operations shown, to achieve the desired result. In addition, the accompanying drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flow chart or a simplified flow chart. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously or between any of the operations shown. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the separation of various system components in the above implementations should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission device, comprising: a plurality of primary coils for transmitting wireless power to different secondary coils of a wireless power receiving device, the plurality of primary coils comprising at least a first primary coil and a second primary coil; a power signal generator electrically connected to the plurality of primary coils and configured to selectively provide power to the plurality of primary coils; a transmit (TX) controller coupled to the power signal generator and the plurality of primary coils, wherein the TX controller is configured to control an amount of power provided by the power signal generator to the plurality of primary coils; as well as one or more communication units communicatively coupled to the TX controller and configured to communicate with the wireless power receiving device, wherein the one or more communication units enable communication via at least a first communication channel at the first primary coil and a second communication channel at the second primary coil; Wherein, the one or more communication units are configured to: receiving a first communication from the wireless power receiving device via the first communication channel at the first primary coil, wherein the first communication includes a first identifier for identifying the first communication channel, and receiving a second communication from the wireless power receiving device via the second communication channel at the second primary coil, wherein the second communication includes a second identifier for identifying the second communication channel, The one or more communication units are further configured to: Based on the first identifier and / or the second identifier, selectively communicate with a corresponding secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device by using the first communication channel and / or the second communication channel.

2. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein: The first communication and the second communication are received at different times.

3. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein: The TX controller is configured to detect a foreign object at the first primary coil or the second primary coil based at least in part on the first communication or the second communication, respectively.

4. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 3, wherein: The TX controller is configured to: determining a first quality factor Q factor of the first primary coil; determining a second Q factor of the second primary coil; obtaining a first reference quality value from the first communication; obtaining a second reference quality value from the second communication; as well as The foreign object is detected based on either a first comparison of the first Q factor with the first reference quality value or a second comparison of the second Q factor with the second reference quality value.

5. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 3, wherein: The TX controller is configured to: obtaining, from the first communication, a first received power metric regarding wireless power received by a first secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from the first primary coil; obtaining, from the second communication, a second received power metric regarding wireless power received by a second secondary coil of the wireless power receiving device from the second primary coil; determining a first transferred power metric for the first primary coil; determining a second transferred power metric for the second primary coil; as well as The foreign object is detected based on a first comparison of the first transmit power metric and the first receive power metric or a second comparison of the second transmit power metric and the second receive power metric.

6. The wireless power transmission device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: The one or more communication units are further configured to transmit a third communication to the wireless power receiving device via either or both of the first primary coil and the second primary coil.

7. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 6, wherein: The first communication and the second communication are received by demodulating amplitude load modulated signals, and wherein the third communication is transmitted by modulating a wireless signal using frequency modulation.

8. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 7, wherein: The amplitude load modulated signal comprises amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation, and wherein the frequency modulation comprises frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation.

9. The wireless power transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Each primary coil is configured to generate an electromagnetic field for inductive transfer of wireless power not exceeding 15 watts, and wherein the plurality of primary coils collectively enable wireless power transfer in excess of 15 watts.

10. The wireless power transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The plurality of primary coils include at least four primary coils, and the plurality of primary coils collectively enable wireless power transfer of at least 60 watts.

11. The wireless power transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: and one or more switches electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of primary coils, wherein the one or more switches can be selectively opened by the TX controller to disable the at least one primary coil if the at least one primary coil is not transmitting wireless power to the wireless power receiving device or if a foreign object is detected between the at least one primary coil and the wireless power receiving device.

12. The wireless power transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Each primary coil is compatible with a zero power class (PC0) rating, and wherein the plurality of primary coils collectively enable wireless power transfer with a first power class (PC1) rating.

13. The wireless power transmission device according to claim 12, in, The plurality of primary coils are configured to provide power via more than one primary coil when the wireless power receiving device has a PC1 rated power requirement, and Wherein, the multiple primary coils are configured to provide power via one primary coil when the wireless power receiving device has a PC0 rated power requirement.

14. The wireless power transmission device of claim 13, further comprising: The TX controller is configured to identify whether the wireless power receiving device has the PC0 rated power requirement or the PC1 rated power requirement based at least in part on communications received from the wireless power receiving device via at least one of the plurality of primary coils.

15. The wireless power transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a charging surface associated with the plurality of primary coils; as well as One or more alignment aids to increase the likelihood that a plurality of secondary coils in the wireless power receiving device will be correspondingly aligned with the plurality of primary coils when the wireless power receiving device is placed on the charging surface.

16. A wireless power receiving device, comprising: a plurality of secondary coils, wherein each secondary coil is configured to receive wireless power from a different primary coil of a wireless power transmission device, the plurality of secondary coils comprising at least a first secondary coil and a second secondary coil; a power combining circuit electrically coupled to the plurality of secondary coils and configured to combine the wireless power from the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil and provide the combined wireless power to at least a first load; a receive (RX) controller coupled to the power combining circuit and the plurality of secondary coils; and one or more communication units communicatively coupled to the RX controller and configured to communicate with the wireless power transfer device, wherein the one or more communication units enable communication via at least a first communication channel at the first secondary coil and a second communication channel at the second secondary coil, wherein the one or more communication units are configured to: transmitting a first communication to the wireless power transfer device via the first communication channel at the first secondary coil, wherein the first communication includes a first identifier for identifying the first communication channel, and transmitting a second communication to the wireless power transfer device via the second communication channel at the second secondary coil, wherein the second communication includes a second identifier for identifying the second communication channel; The one or more communication units are further configured to: Based on the first identifier and / or the second identifier, selectively communicate with a corresponding primary coil of the wireless power transmission device by using the first communication channel and / or the second communication channel.

17. The wireless power receiving device according to claim 16, wherein: The first communication and the second communication are transmitted at different times.

18. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein: The first communication includes a first received power metric regarding wireless power received by the first secondary coil from a first primary coil of the wireless power transmission device, and wherein the second communication includes a second received power metric regarding wireless power received by the second secondary coil from a second primary coil of the wireless power transmission device.

19. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein: The one or more communication units are further configured to receive a third communication from the wireless power transfer device via either or both of the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil.

20. The wireless power receiving device according to claim 19, wherein: The first communication and the second communication are transmitted by modulating an amplitude load modulated signal, and wherein the third communication is received by demodulating a wireless signal using frequency modulation.

21. The wireless power receiving device according to claim 20, wherein: The amplitude load modulated signal comprises amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation, and wherein the frequency modulation comprises frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation.

22. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein: Each secondary coil is configured to receive no more than 15 watts of wireless power via an electromagnetic field generated by a different primary coil of the wireless power transfer device, and wherein the plurality of secondary coils collectively receive more than 15 watts of wireless power.

23. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein: The plurality of secondary coils include at least four secondary coils, and the plurality of secondary coils collectively receive at least 60 watts of wireless power.

24. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein: Each secondary coil is compatible with a zero-order power (PC0) standard specification, and wherein the plurality of secondary coils collectively receive wireless power of a primary power (PC1) standard specification.

25. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, further comprising: A housing for the plurality of secondary coils, the housing being configured to be attached to an electronic device, wherein the load comprises a battery charger for the electronic device.

26. The wireless power receiving device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, further comprising: One or more alignment aids to increase the likelihood that the plurality of secondary coils will be correspondingly aligned with a plurality of primary coils associated with the charging surface of the wireless power transmitting device when the wireless power receiving device is placed on a charging surface.

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