Methods, devices, and charging devices

Abstract

A method is described, in which a device (2) is connected to a charging device (4) and is charged wirelessly in a charging state by means of a transmission module of the charging device to a reception module of the device, wherein the device has a discharge state in which energy is consumed, wherein the device has a charging connection, on which a charging voltage is applied in order to charge, which can be adjusted by means of the charging device, wherein the device has a switch connection for switching on and off the device, wherein the device has a switch, which is connected to the switch connection and can be switched by means of the charging voltage, in that the charging voltage is adjusted to an intermediate voltage, wherein the charging device adjusts the charging voltage to the intermediate voltage, the switch is switched and the device switches to an off state, in which the device is switched off. Furthermore, a corresponding device (2) and a charging device (4) are described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method, apparatus, and charging device. Background Technology

[0002] Here, "device" should be understood as a mobile device; therefore, a device is generally portable and has its own energy storage for power supply. Devices are typically associated with a single user and can be tuned to the user individually, even when needed. The energy storage is usually a secondary battery unit (such as a lithium battery), which can be charged by connecting the mobile device to a charging device. For this purpose, the device is connected to the charging device either by contact or wirelessly to transfer energy from the charging device to the device, and then this energy is used to charge the device, more precisely, its energy storage.

[0003] A concrete example of such a device is a hearing aid, designed for users with hearing impairments. For this purpose, the hearing aid includes a microphone that receives sound from the environment and generates an electrical input signal. This electrical input signal is fed to a signal processing unit within the hearing aid for modification. Specifically, the modification is based on the user's individual audiogram, thereby compensating for the user's individual hearing impairment. The signal processing unit outputs an electrical output signal as a result, which is then converted back into sound via the hearing aid's earpiece and output to the user. Instead of a microphone and earpiece, other input and / or output converters may be used, depending on the type of hearing aid. Hearing aids are configured to be binaural or monoaural, i.e., for use on either side of the user's head or only on one side of the user's head.

[0004] Other examples of devices are headphones, earphones, wearable devices, smartphones, and similar devices.

[0005] The device is in a charging state during charging. After charging, although the device remains connected to the charging device, it is generally switched on and into a discharging state, or the charging device continues to transfer energy to prevent a switch to a discharging state. In both cases, energy is consumed undesirably. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In this context, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce energy consumption after charging. To this end, a suitable method, apparatus, and charging device are provided.

[0007] According to the present invention, the aforementioned technical problems are solved by a method having the features of the present invention, a device having the features of the present invention, and a charging device having the features of the present invention. Advantageous designs, extensions, and variations are the subject of the following description. The description of the method also applies to the device and the charging device, and vice versa. If the steps of the method are described below, then advantageous designs of the device and the charging device are obtained accordingly by constructing the device and the charging device to perform one or more of these steps, in particular by means of a corresponding control unit in the device or the charging device.

[0008] In this method, the device is connected to a charging device and wirelessly charged while charging. This is achieved by wirelessly transmitting energy from the charging device's transmitting module to the device's receiving module. During charging, the device is switched off and in a charging state. The device has a charging connector, and a charging voltage V is applied to the charging connector for charging. cc The charging voltage V can be adjusted using a charging device. cc Adjustments are made. In addition, the device has a switch connector for turning the device on and off. The charging connector and switch connector are preferably connectors to the device's energy management module (also known as the PMIC). The energy management module accepts a charging voltage, thereby charging the device's energy storage device, such as a lithium battery.

[0009] The device also has a discharge state, in which energy is consumed, i.e., by one or more of the device's electrical components. In the discharge state, the energy management module controls the energy supply from the device's energy storage to the electrical components. Therefore, in the charging state, the device receives energy from the charging device; in the discharging state, the device consumes energy. In the charging state, the device must be connected to the charging device; in the discharging state, the device is either disconnected from or connected to the charging device. "Device on" should be understood as supplying energy to the electrical components, specifically via the energy management module; "Device off" should therefore be understood as not supplying energy to the electrical components, although the energy management module may continue to consume energy. In principle, the device is also on in the discharge state. If the following description refers to the device as "off," it should be understood that, firstly, if the device is on, then the device is "off"; secondly, if the device is already off, then the device is "kept off."

[0010] Furthermore, the device has a switch connected to a switch connector, and the switch can be switched on and off using the charging voltage, which is set to an intermediate voltage. The switch is specifically part of the device's shutdown circuit. The charging device sets the charging voltage to the intermediate voltage, thereby switching the switch on and off, and the device switches to the off state, where it is closed. This should be understood in particular as: the device is shut down (i.e., closed or kept closed) by means of the charging device, which sets the charging voltage to the intermediate voltage, thereby switching the switch on and off, and the device switches to the off state. This setting of the intermediate voltage and subsequent switching to the off state is particularly effective when charging is completed or interrupted, but in principle, it can also be performed in general under fault conditions, such as when the energy storage device overheats or experiences overvoltage / overcurrent. Thus, by using the charging device, automatic shutdown is achieved once energy is no longer supplied to the device. Thus, the charging device initiates the switching of the device to the off state, where the device (unlike in the discharging state) no longer consumes energy. Here, the charging device utilizes the possibility of setting the charging voltage in a variable manner. Therefore, by automatically shutting down, energy is advantageously saved after charging, because the device is turned off, and in particular, the device does not switch to a discharging state.

[0011] The device is a mobile device and is therefore generally portable. It is typically associated with a single user and can be tuned to the user individually, even when needed. The energy storage is usually a secondary battery unit (such as a lithium battery), which can be charged by connecting the device to a charging device.

[0012] The preferred device is a hearing aid, intended for use by users with hearing impairments. For this purpose, the hearing aid includes a microphone that receives sound from the environment and generates an electrical input signal. This electrical input signal is fed to a signal processing unit within the hearing aid for modification. Specifically, the modification is based on the user's individual audiogram to compensate for their hearing impairment. The signal processing unit outputs an electrical output signal, which is then converted into sound by the hearing aid's earpiece and output to the user. Depending on the type of hearing aid, other input and / or output converters may be used instead of a microphone and earpiece. The hearing aid is configured to be binaural or monoaural, i.e., for use on either side of the user's head or only on one side. The input converter (e.g., microphone), output converter (e.g., earpiece), and signal processing unit are the electrical components of the device.

[0013] Alternatively, the devices could be headphones, earphones, wearable devices, smartphones, etc.

[0014] For charging, the device is connected to a charging device. This involves embedding, inserting, or placing the device into or on the charging device in a suitable manner. For example, the charging device may be configured as a charging dock with a recess into which the device can be inserted. Optionally, the charging device may have a cover for sealing the charging device, specifically for covering the recess, thereby completely enclosing the device inside the charging device. The recess is suitably shaped so that the device is held within it in a predefined arrangement relative to the charging dock.

[0015] Depending on the amount of electricity the energy storage device has, i.e., how fully charged the energy storage device is, the energy storage device provides voltage V to one or more electrical devices. bat When needed, the voltage V can be pre-controlled, for example, by using a conversion unit in the energy management module. bat The conversion is performed, and the energy management module then outputs voltage V to the electrical equipment. out The larger the charge, the higher the voltage generally should be. Charging equipment uses a charging voltage V. cc The device is charged using the charging input voltage (i.e., the voltage present in the device to charge the energy storage device). The energy storage device is then charged until the desired amount of charge or voltage is reached. For this purpose, a charging threshold voltage V is pre-defined in a suitable manner. chg,thres (i.e., "charging threshold voltage"), comparing the charging threshold voltage with the charging voltage to determine when to start charging and when not to charge. Preferably, charging ends when the charging voltage falls below the charging threshold voltage. The charging threshold voltage is, for example, a fixed, pre-defined voltage.

[0016] To shut down a device (i.e., turn it off or keep it off), automatic switch-off is advantageous after the device is fully charged. Here, although the automatic switch-off is performed by the device itself, it is not initiated by the device itself, but by the charging device; more accurately, the automatic switch-off is an "externally initiated automatic switch-off." The charging device determines when to turn off the device and then sends a switch-off signal to the device, thereby shutting it down. This switch-off signal results in an intermediate voltage in the device. Without automatic switch-off, the device will remain connected and consume energy after charging, especially as the energy management module keeps the device running. Even though the current used is generally very small, the device still consumes energy. This energy continues to be drawn from the charging device when needed, and the charging device remains connected to the device after actual charging. This is especially true for portable charging devices with their own energy storage, which continuously discharges from the device, specifically to prevent the device from switching on and off. Furthermore, there are usually specifications to ensure compatibility between the device and other devices. Such specifications are, for example, "Made for iPhone / iPod / iPad," abbreviated as MFi. For instance, the specification requires that the device's BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) function be disabled, so that the device will not operate in coupled or provisioning mode as long as it is connected to a charging device and unless explicit user input is made to enable BLE. Regarding coupled mode, the specification correspondingly requires that the device should not couple with another device while connected to a charging device. Regarding provisioning mode, the specification therefore requires that the device should not send a ready signal (indicating its readiness for coupling) to other devices while connected to a charging device.

[0017] However, some scenarios may result in the device being switched on after charging but still connected to the charging device, thus operating in a discharging state. In this discharging state, contrary to the specification, BLE functionality is also activated. The first such scenario is a power outage, in which the power supply to the charging device is interrupted. The second scenario is unplugging the power cable of the charging device, where the cable is connected to the power grid, for example, via a household outlet. The second scenario is essentially similar to the first. The third scenario is that the portable charging device's energy storage is completely discharged, so the charging device can no longer provide energy for charging the device. In all these scenarios, no energy is transferred to the device, so the device is generally placed in a discharging state. As a result, the device is switched on, not switched off. Correspondingly, energy-consuming functions, such as BLE functionality, are also activated.

[0018] Generally, however, especially due to the specifications described, it is desirable to turn off the device after charging, as long as it remains connected to the charging device. The device should be turned off as much as possible at the end of the charging process, avoiding being placed in a discharging state and not being switched on.

[0019] To comply with regulations, it is advantageous to use the charging connector of the device's energy management module to achieve automatic shutdown, thereby shutting down the device after charging. The charging connector is an electrical contact, such as a pin, which connects to the charging device used for charging, thereby also galvanizing during contact-based charging. A charging voltage is applied to the charging connector, which is therefore generally a power contact. The switch connector is also constructed as a pin, for example. In particular, a pull-up resistor is used to pull up the switch connector. For manual shutdown of the device, a manually operable switch is connected between the switch connector and ground in a suitable manner. Then, for automatic shutdown by means of the charging device, the device has, independently of the aforementioned shutdown circuit with a switch, which uses the charging connector and the switch connector. The switch is preferably a transistor with a gate, source, and drain, i.e., with corresponding terminals. Here and below, the terms gate, drain, and source are used to refer to the three terminals of a transistor. However, these descriptions are generally fully applicable to any switch having three terminals that are functionally equivalent to the gate, source, and drain of a transistor. The transistor's gate is pulled up to the charging voltage using a charging connector and a resistor in a shut-off circuit. The resistor connects the gate to the source and to ground. The transistor's drain and source are connected to a switching connector or to ground.

[0020] Generally and specifically, by means of the shutdown circuit described above, the device can advantageously achieve an additional operating state, namely a shutdown state, through automatic shutdown. In this shutdown state, although the device is connected to the charging device, it is turned off, thus neither consuming energy nor receiving energy from the charging device. In contrast, in the charging state, the device is turned off, but still receives energy (particularly for enabling the energy management module to operate), and in the discharging state, the device is turned on and consumes energy. To switch between the charging and discharging states (in both directions), the device also additionally has a waiting state (i.e., an "idle state"), thus enabling a total of four operating states, which are mutually exclusive.

[0021] Preferably, the device switches from a discharging state, a shutdown state, or a standby state to a charging state when the charging voltage at least corresponds to the charging threshold voltage. The charging state remains active as long as the charging voltage at least corresponds to the charging threshold voltage. When the charging voltage is less than the charging threshold voltage, the device switches from the charging state to a standby state. When the charging voltage is less than the reset voltage V... rstAt that time, and additionally especially when a discharge time t has also elapsed. disc For extended periods, the device switches from a standby state to a discharge state. The reset voltage is, for example, a fixed, pre-defined voltage, and specifically a parameter of the energy management module. The reset voltage is used to stop the energy management module from operating and initialize it to a predefined default state by applying a voltage at least corresponding to the reset voltage to the energy management module. This initialization then enables correct operation subsequently. Here, the reset voltage is also used to determine when to switch from the standby state to the discharge state. The discharge time is, for example, a fixed, pre-defined few seconds. Conversely, when the charging voltage is less than the charging threshold voltage and greater than the reset voltage, the device switches from the discharge state to the standby state, and when the charging voltage at least corresponds to the charging threshold voltage, the device switches from the standby state to the charging state. The standby state remains active as long as the charging voltage is less than the charging threshold voltage.

[0022] Now, automatic shutdown, i.e., switching to the off state, is achieved by setting the charging voltage on the charging connector to an intermediate voltage, which is the gate-source threshold voltage V of the transistor. gs-thres And it should be suitably positioned between the reset voltage and the minimum gate-source threshold voltage, i.e., the minimum value of the gate-source threshold voltage. The gate-source threshold voltage is the voltage required to switch (especially to turn on) the transistor, and this voltage is specifically within the range between the minimum gate-source threshold voltage (the minimum voltage required to switch the transistor) and the maximum gate-source threshold voltage (the maximum voltage at which the transistor can be switched). The reset voltage is particularly greater than the gate-source threshold voltage actually used; however, the maximum gate-source threshold voltage may be greater than the reset voltage. The transistor should preferably have the largest possible difference between the minimum and maximum gate-source threshold voltages. The maximum gate-source threshold voltage is, for example, 20V.

[0023] With a minimum gate-source threshold voltage on one hand and a reset voltage on the other, the intermediate voltage now spans the voltage range used to switch to the off state. When the charging voltage is less than the reset voltage, the device switches to the discharging state. In principle, firstly, if the charging voltage is less than the minimum gate-source threshold voltage, the discharging state remains active. When the charging voltage is less than the reset voltage and greater than the charging threshold voltage, and additionally, especially when a period longer than the switch activation time t has also elapsed... scaFor an extended period (during which the intermediate voltage is maintained), the device switches to the off state. Correspondingly, once the intermediate voltage is reached on the transistor's gate, the transistor is switched on, and the switch junction is pulled to ground. The device briefly switches to a discharge state, and from there transitions to the off state, specifically after the switch junction activation time. The switch junction activation time is, for example, a fixed, predetermined period of several seconds. Preferably, the device can only transition to the off state from the discharge state.

[0024] First, the device can be switched on via a charging state, specifically, switching from a closed state to a discharging state. In a suitable design, the device switches from a closed state to a charging state when the charging voltage at least corresponds to the charging threshold voltage. Alternatively or additionally, the switching can begin from a closed state by the user manually switching the device on. For this purpose, the device typically includes a switch, such as a button, key, or slide switch.

[0025] The described solution for automatically shutting down a device can be easily implemented via contact-based charging, as a current connection exists, through which the intermediate voltage can be easily regulated. Since the charging voltage is directly provided by the charging device, the intermediate voltage can be regulated accordingly. However, this is not easily achieved in the case of wireless charging devices, because the charging voltage is not directly provided by the charging device, but rather induced in the device by the charging device via a transmitting module; therefore, the charging voltage may not necessarily exist within the charging device itself. However, without automatic shutdown, the charging device must continuously supply energy to the device to prevent the activation of a discharge state, and when energy supply is interrupted, the device will typically be automatically placed into a discharge state, as described above, activating a waiting state when needed. Now, the starting point of the present invention is, in particular, to achieve a shutdown state for charging devices used for wireless charging, i.e., especially wirelessly, not in a contact-based manner. The description to date applies not only to contact-based charging but also to wireless charging. In a wireless charging device, energy is transferred from one device to another using a transmitter module and a receiver module within the device.

[0026] During charging, energy transfer is preferably achieved using a magnetic field. The transmitting coil of the transmitting module generates the magnetic field, and the receiving coil of the receiving module receives it. Then, to set the charging voltage to an intermediate voltage in the wireless charging device, the transmitting module is controlled to induce an intermediate voltage in the device. A significant advantage of this invention is that the device is wirelessly turned off using the charging device. For this purpose, the charging voltage is adjusted to an intermediate voltage using the magnetic field of the charging device, causing the device to switch to a shutdown state. Thus, wireless automatic shutdown is achieved using a magnetic field. Therefore, in other cases, the magnetic field used for charging also serves as a shutdown signal under corresponding control, which is sent from the charging device to the device. Accordingly, the device and charging device are constructed appropriately. Specifically, the magnetic field that normally induces the charging voltage in the device is changed in the charging device to generate an intermediate voltage. Especially when the device is fully charged, or when the charging device no longer provides energy (see the various scenarios described above), the shutdown state is automatically activated, causing the device to shut down and not consume energy. Wireless automatic shutdown is further advantageous because it allows for more flexible spatial arrangement of devices and charging devices relative to each other, at least within the limits where energy transfer can still be carried out for charging, compared to contact-based automatic shutdown.

[0027] The charging device and the charging equipment together form a wireless charging system. In addition to the energy management module and energy storage, the device specifically includes the aforementioned receiving module and one or more power-consuming devices. In the discharge state, the power-consuming devices operate using energy from the energy storage. Examples of power-consuming devices are BLE modules providing BLE functionality, signal processing units, or electroacoustic devices such as handsets or microphones. The receiving module provides a charging voltage and outputs the charging voltage to the energy management module. The receiving module is configured to receive energy from the charging device, which correspondingly has the aforementioned transmitting module for transmitting energy. The transmitting module has a transmitting coil suitable for transmitting energy, and the receiving module similarly has a receiving coil for receiving energy. The transmitting coil generally operates using the power supply of the charging device. The receiving module has suitable wiring for the receiving coil to generate the charging voltage. This wiring includes, for example, a tuning capacitor, a smoothing capacitor, and a Schottky diode.

[0028] Charging voltage V cc It is generally related to several parameters, especially the current I to the transmitting coil. tx Transmitting coil L tx and receiving coil L rxThe coupling factor is related to the inductance of each coil, the transmission frequency f used to transfer energy via a magnetic field, and the coupling factor k. The coupling factor is particularly related to the distance and tilt angle between the transmitting and receiving coils; that is, generally speaking, it is related to the charging equipment and its spatial arrangement during charging. The smaller the distance and the smaller the tilt angle, the larger the coupling factor. For charging voltage, a general value of V is applicable. cc ∝2π·f·k·√(L tx ·L rx )·I tx Therefore, it is particularly evident that the actual charging voltage present in the device is related to some parameters of the charging device (transmission frequency, inductance of the transmitting coil, current used to run the transmitting coil), and can be correspondingly controlled by the charging device.

[0029] In principle, the shutdown circuit for wireless automatic shutdown is constructed in the same way as the shutdown circuit for contact-based automatic shutdown. In other words, the shutdown circuit has a switch, preferably a transistor, which is switched (especially turned on) by an intermediate voltage. The transistor in the shutdown circuit is preferably a MOSFET. The resistor connecting the gate and source of the transistor has a large value, for example, 100kΩ, generally preferably between 10kΩ and 1MΩ. The receiver module pulls the gate up to the charging voltage. The drain is connected to the switching terminal of the power management module, and the source is connected to ground. In this way, it is possible to achieve the four operating states already described, especially the shutdown state.

[0030] For wireless power transfer, the charging device also includes, in a suitable manner, a converter and an oscillator. The oscillator generates current to operate the transmitting coil, and is therefore a power source. The transmitting coil and the oscillator thus form a transmitting module. The oscillator is, for example, an inverter or a power amplifier, and generally generates current (i.e., alternating current) to generate a magnetic field using the transmitting coil. Conversely, the converter generates a converter voltage to operate the oscillator. Therefore, the converter affects the current used to operate the transmitting coil. Thus, the charging voltage is regulated by means of the converter voltage, and therefore, in particular, the intermediate voltage is also regulated. Preferably, the converter is a buck converter, which is configured to convert the input voltage to a relatively reduced output voltage, i.e., the converter voltage. The converter is particularly connected to or can be connected to the energy source of the charging device, such as to the energy storage of the charging device or to the power grid outside the charging device.

[0031] For fixed values ​​of the inductance of the transmitting and receiving coils and the transmission frequency, the charging voltage increases linearly with increasing coupling factor and with increasing current to the transmitting coil. Advantageously, this relationship—between the charging voltage and coupling factor, and the charging voltage and current—is used to control the charging voltage in the charging device by means of the current to the transmitting coil, given the coupling factor, thereby selectively activating the off state. The converter voltage of the converter in the charging device controls the oscillator, which in turn controls the current to the transmitting coil. Therefore, firstly, the current to the transmitting coil can be adjusted using the converter and its converter voltage, and ultimately, the charging voltage in the device can also be adjusted, thus setting the charging voltage to an intermediate voltage. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the converter and adjusting its converter voltage, the off state of the device is activated externally by the charging device. As described above, the converter voltage V... dd and charging voltage V cc The relationship between them is through V cc ∝2π·f·k·√(L tx ·L rx )·I tx To describe, where, as described, the current I tx It is the converter voltage V dd The current is a function of the converter voltage, and the current is proportional to the converter voltage in a suitable manner.

[0032] As described above, the converter voltage, which can be set to generate a specific charging voltage, particularly an intermediate voltage, is related to the coupling factor between the transmitting and receiving modules and can, in principle, be changed. Conversely, the inductance and transmission frequency are, in principle, known for a given charging system. The transmission frequency is preferably between 3MHz and 30MHz, for example, 13.56MHz. Therefore, in a preferred design, to generate the intermediate voltage, the converter voltage is set, and therefore the current is also set, by first determining the coupling factor and then using it to determine the converter voltage required to generate the intermediate voltage. This is based on the relationship between the charging voltage and the converter voltage, i.e., V... cc ∝2π·f·k·√(L tx ·L rx )·l tx (V dd Then, in order to automatically shut down, the converter voltage determined in this way is adjusted so that an intermediate voltage is induced in the device, and the device switches to the off state.

[0033] Similarly, the coupling factor is determined in a suitable manner via the relationship between charging voltage and current / converter voltage, but now the charging voltage V is used. ccand current I tx The known values ​​are given. Since the charging voltage is not known to the charging device, it is advantageous for communication between the charging device and the charging device to determine the coupling factor. At the end of charging, i.e., when no more energy is transferred to the device, the device sends the charging voltage (more precisely, its value) that was last applied during charging to the charging device. This last applied charging voltage is also called the "final charging voltage". The final charging voltage is in particular greater than the reset voltage and the gate-source threshold voltage. In addition, the charging device stores a current (more precisely, its value) that is used to operate the transmitting coil at the time of the final charging voltage, i.e., the current that was last applied during charging, and this current is similarly called the final current. The final charging voltage is transmitted between the device and the charging device via a data connection. For this purpose, the device and the charging device each have a communication unit, such as an antenna and suitable circuitry for the antenna, for transmitting and / or receiving data, especially the final charging voltage. The charging device receives the final charging voltage and then combines it with the final current to determine the coupling factor, particularly via the aforementioned relationship.

[0034] Then, the converter voltage of the converter is determined using the desired intermediate voltage and coupling factor. Since the intermediate voltage is within the voltage range between the reset voltage and the minimum gate-source threshold voltage, a suitable voltage range is also obtained for the converter voltage, and the converter voltage is then selected from this voltage range, for example, by simply selecting the average value of this voltage range.

[0035] In summary, setting the converter voltage preferably includes the following four steps: In the first step, the final current and the final charging voltage are determined. Subsequently, in the second step, the coupling factor is determined based on the final current and the final charging voltage. Subsequently, in the third step, the required converter voltage is determined using the coupling factor and the desired intermediate voltage. Finally, the converter voltage is set in the fourth step.

[0036] The relationship between the coupling factor and the converter voltage is determined and stored in the charging device's memory, for example, as a function or as a table. To this end, the relationship V is stored appropriately as a parameterized function package. cc ∝2π·f·k·√(Lt x ·L rx )·l tx (V dd To determine the coupling factor, the charging voltage is stored, specifically as a function of the coupling factor, and parameterized together with the current to obtain the corresponding function package. To determine the converter voltage, the charging voltage is stored, specifically as a function of the converter voltage, and parameterized together with the coupling factor to obtain the corresponding function package.

[0037] Typical numerical examples are described below for illustration; however, these numerical examples should not be construed as limiting, but rather as providing appropriate orders of magnitude in any given situation.

[0038] The final charging voltage is, for example, 7.6V, and the associated final current is, for example, 0.5A. Based on these values, combined with the inductance and transmission frequency, the coupling factor is exemplarily determined to be k = 0.07. The reset voltage is, for example, 2V, and the minimum gate-source threshold voltage is, for example, 1V, thus obtaining a voltage range between 1V and 2V for the desired intermediate voltage. Then, for this intermediate voltage, using the coupling factor k = 0.07, the converter voltage is exemplarily determined to be in the range of 0.125V and 0.275V. Then, for example, the converter voltage is set to 0.2V, thereby obtaining the corresponding intermediate voltage in the device, and the device switches to a shutdown state, which is initiated wirelessly by the charging device.

[0039] The appropriate transistor is suitable only if its gate-source threshold voltage is at least partially less than the reset voltage; otherwise, other transistors are not suitable for use in the shutdown circuit. For the 2V reset voltage exemplarily mentioned above, a suitable transistor is thus obtained having a minimum gate-source threshold voltage of less than 2V, for example, a minimum gate-source threshold voltage of 1.4V or 0.7V.

[0040] The reset voltage defines an upper limit for the converter voltage for all distances because the converter voltage is not allowed to exceed a value that would cause the reset voltage to be exceeded in the device (for simplicity, referred to here as distance; however, these descriptions generally apply to coupling constants). In the exemplarily mentioned case of a 2V reset voltage, the upper limit for the converter voltage is, for example, 0.69V. If this is not met, automatic shutdown will not be possible for some distances and in certain situations. For charging, the distance between the transmitting and receiving coils should be appropriately between 1mm and 10mm. To enable automatic shutdown for all distances, the charging voltage must be above the gate-source threshold voltage at any distance. For distances that do not meet this condition, automatic shutdown is not possible. It is thus clear that a transistor with the smallest possible minimum gate-source threshold voltage enables automatic shutdown over a significantly larger range of distances. Therefore, in the example mentioned above where the transistor has a minimum gate-source threshold voltage of 0.685V, the usable voltage range for the converter voltage to generate a suitable intermediate voltage for automatic shutdown over all distances is only 0.005V. Then, a smaller converter voltage might no longer be sufficient for automatic shutdown at distances of 5mm or greater. Using another transistor with a minimum gate-source threshold voltage of 0.5V, a voltage range of approximately 0.2V is available for the converter voltage to generate a suitable intermediate voltage for automatic shutdown across all distances. Therefore, automatic shutdown can be performed without problems within a total range of 1mm to 10mm. Furthermore, a wide possible voltage range for the converter voltage is advantageous to compensate for potential tolerances.

[0041] In one exemplary application, the distance between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil is 4 mm. The device first switches to a charging state and charges. Then, for automatic shutdown, the converter voltage is set to 0.6V. Therefore, the charging voltage in the device is set to an intermediate voltage of 1.5V. The device first switches to a discharging state and begins to consume energy after a few seconds, for which the energy management module provides, for example, 1.3V to the device. Then, the device switches to a shutdown state. Then, after a few seconds (e.g., ≥6s), the converter voltage is set to 0V to shut down the converter. The charging device can now be completely shut down and disconnected from the device, whereby the device remains in the shutdown state without switching back to the discharging state, although the charging voltage is then 0V.

[0042] By determining the coupling factor in a suitable manner to enable automatic shutdown, the actual spatial arrangement of the device and charging device is also automatically considered, making shutdown advantageously largely independent of this arrangement. Therefore, a high degree of freedom in arrangement can be achieved without affecting the automatic shutdown function. Automatic shutdown is initiated by the charging device via its magnetic field. Unlike contact-based automatic shutdown (i.e., utilizing the current connection between the device and charging device), wireless (i.e., without a current connection between the device and charging device) automatic shutdown is more complex because the intermediate voltage cannot be simply set by the charging device, as it is generated only indirectly via the magnetic field and is also related to the coupling constant. Correspondingly, appropriate data, i.e., the final charging voltage, is transmitted from the device to the charging device. Therefore, the difference between the solution for wireless automatic shutdown described here and the solution for contact-based automatic shutdown lies, on the one hand, in the design of the charging device, especially its hardware in general, specifically its converter and communication unit, and on the other hand, in the design of the device, especially the switching of its shutdown circuit.

[0043] Generally speaking, in terms of hardware, the charging device is primarily configured for wireless charging and preferably not for contact-based charging. A contact module with corresponding electrical contacts, such as pins or pogo pins, for energy transmission is unnecessary and preferably absent. However, as described, the charging device has a transmitting module for energy transfer and a communication unit for data exchange with the device. The antenna of the communication unit is, for example, helical and / or spiral-shaped, and is configured as a wire or conductor trace.

[0044] Therefore, both the preferred device and the charging device have communication units for exchanging data. The communication unit of the charging device, together with the communication unit of the other device, forms a communication system for data exchange. This communication system is specifically used to transmit data, particularly data related to the charging voltage of the device, to the charging device. Correspondingly, the communication system can be configured to be bidirectional or simply unidirectional from the device to the charging device. The communication system is preferably wireless and uses a corresponding communication protocol, such as magnetic induction in a communication band within the MHz range, to transmit data. Data transmission is performed, for example, by amplitude modulation within the communication band (i.e., "in-band"), or, for example, by frequency modulation or phase-shift keying (i.e., "out-of-band"). Correspondingly, the device modulates the data for transmission (also called "load modulation"). The data transmitted from the device to the charging device is particularly data about the device's energy storage, preferably about its state of charge (SOC), current voltage, current charging current, temperature, the previously described charging voltage, or a combination thereof. The charging device receives data and, in particular, demodulates the data (also known as "load demodulation"). For demodulation, the charging device appropriately incorporates a demodulator circuit. In an advantageous design, the demodulator circuit also determines the current in the transmitting module, more precisely, the current through the transmitting coil, for which the transmitting coil is integrated into the demodulator circuit. For this purpose, the demodulator circuit appropriately incorporates a capacitor at which the current is obtained as the ratio of the maximum object identification voltage of the demodulator circuit at the transmission frequency of the transmitting coil to its impedance.

[0045] In contact-based automatic shutdown, the converter is suitably a low dropout regulator (LDO) or a buck converter, and the voltage between the output reset voltage and the minimum gate-source threshold voltage is used as the converter voltage to shut down the device. However, in wireless automatic shutdown, this voltage range of the converter voltage may not be applicable, as a smaller converter voltage is generally required for shutdown. In wireless automatic shutdown, the converter voltage is the input voltage of an oscillator. The oscillator is specifically a power amplifier. The converter voltage is suitably a DC voltage, which the oscillator then converts to AC voltage to generate an AC current for the transmitting coil. The oscillator also amplifies the converter voltage, resulting in a correspondingly larger charging voltage in the device, especially when the receiving coil has more turns than the transmitting coil. When the charging voltage is too high, especially above the reset voltage, the device switches to a charging or standby state, but does not switch to a shutdown state, and can no longer reach a shutdown state. Therefore, in the case of wireless automatic shutdown, the converter voltage is significantly lower than in the case of contact-based automatic shutdown, and is suitably in the millivolt range, i.e., at least 1mV, and in any case less than 0.6V. Especially in designs as buck converters, the converter generally cannot generate a converter voltage below the converter's internal feedback reference voltage ("feedback reference voltage"), which is typically at least 0.6V. Therefore, in a preferred design, in addition to the converter, the discharge device also has a reference voltage circuit for generating a converter voltage below the converter's feedback reference voltage overall. For this purpose, the reference voltage circuit has an external reference voltage with respect to the converter, which is connected to the converter's feedback terminal. The external reference voltage is greater than the internal feedback reference voltage. The reference voltage circuit is thus constructed and connected to the converter such that, as one aspect, the internal feedback reference voltage V... fb The converter voltage V is obtained by the difference between the following and the other side. dd That is, the difference is an external reference voltage V weighted by the appropriate resistance ratio R1 / R2 of the two resistors. ref and internal feedback reference voltage V fb The difference. In other words: V dd =V fb -R1·(V ref -V fbR1 / R2. These two resistors form a voltage divider with two terminals. The output of the converter is connected to these two terminals, and an external reference voltage is connected to these two terminals. The feedback terminal is connected to the midpoint between these two resistors.

[0046] As described above, the switch in the device's shutdown circuit is preferably a transistor, especially a MOSFET. The transistor is preferably constructed in terms of the voltage involved as described below. The maximum gate-source threshold voltage is suitably as large as possible to avoid damage in case the charging voltage is unintentionally or in fault conditions excessively high. For example, the charging voltage may fluctuate and not yet stabilize at the start of charging, or the charging voltage may overshoot due to external interference. The maximum gate-source threshold voltage corresponds at least to the maximum possible charging voltage in a suitable manner. Furthermore, it is important, particularly, to consider the gate-source threshold voltage, also known as the turn-on voltage. The gate-source threshold voltage is suitably less than the reset voltage so that the device can switch to a discharging state and from there switch to a shutdown state. The larger the voltage range between the minimum gate-source threshold voltage and the reset voltage, the more likely automatic shutdown can be achieved for different devices and charging devices relative to each other's spatial arrangement (distance and tilt angle). Therefore, the smallest possible gate-source threshold voltage is preferred. For automatic shutdown, the charging voltage must drop to the middle of the voltage range between the minimum gate-source threshold voltage and the reset voltage. The voltage range between the minimum gate-source threshold voltage and the reset voltage preferably has a width of at least 1V. Therefore, in summary, the preferred application is: 1) minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres <Charging voltage V cc Reset voltage V rst and 2) Reset voltage V rst –Maximum gate-source threshold voltage V gs,max_thres ≥1V.

[0047] The charging device has a control unit, a communication unit, and an inverter connected to the control unit in a suitable manner. The inverter is configured using the control unit, i.e., based on data received via the communication unit.

[0048] The charging device appropriately incorporates an emergency energy storage device to maintain an intermediate voltage and, specifically, to generate a shutdown signal in the event of an interruption in the power supply to the charging device (see the scenario described above), thereby still prompting the device to switch to a shutdown state. When the power supply to the charging device is interrupted, energy is spontaneously no longer provided to operate the charging device, and thus the charging device can no longer generate a shutdown signal. However, with the emergency energy storage device, in addition to the conventional power supply via cable or energy storage, there is an energy source that still provides sufficient energy, at least for a short period, to generate the shutdown signal. The emergency energy storage device is specifically constructed to be separate from the energy storage device present when needed for charging the device. The size of the emergency energy storage device is correspondingly designed to be small. The emergency energy storage device is appropriately a battery or a supercapacitor.

[0049] In general, an advantageous method is achieved by combining a shutdown circuit with a communication system, in which the device is automatically and wirelessly shut down in a manner initiated by the charging device, particularly when the charging of the device's energy storage ends, generally when energy transfer from the charging device to the device is interrupted. For this purpose, the method preferably includes one or more of the following steps, preferably in the order mentioned: In the first step, the device preferably repeatedly sends data to the charging device. In the second step, the data is analyzed, for example, by a control unit. If the data is modulated, it is demodulated beforehand in the second step, for example, using the described modulator circuit. In the third step, the control unit sets the converter based on the data, particularly the converter. The control unit sets the converter, for example, using a DAC signal (DAC = "digital analog converter") or a PWM signal (PWM = "pulse width modulation"). In the fourth step, the converter then outputs a converter voltage to an oscillator and thereby controls the oscillator. Also in the fourth step, the oscillator output is used to operate the transmitting coil. Therefore, the current is set by the converter in the middle of the fourth step. In the fifth step, the transmitting coil generates a magnetic field according to the current. In the sixth step, a magnetic field is received by a receiving coil, which in turn generates a charging voltage in the device, thereby inducing a charging voltage in the charging device overall. Then, in the seventh step, if the charging voltage is within the voltage range between the reset voltage and the minimum gate-source threshold voltage, that is, if the charging voltage is an intermediate voltage as described above, the device is turned off. Therefore, in the presence of an intermediate voltage, the device switches to the off state in the seventh step, and is thus shut down. In the seventh step, preferably, the device switches to the off state only after a time longer than the switch activation time, as described. Finally, automatic shutdown is performed based on the data sent by the device to the charging device. Finally, in a suitable eighth step, the converter is also turned off, preferably after a specific time, such as 10 seconds, after the device switches to the off state. This prevents the converter from continuing to consume energy.

[0050] So far, the process of shutting down the device upon completion of charging has been described. The data thus includes at least the final charging voltage, which is determined in conjunction with the final current, and also, in conjunction with the final current, is used by the control unit to determine the appropriate converter voltage, which is then configured accordingly to the above description. However, in principle, other events that mark the end of charging are also suitable for initiating automatic shutdown, such as when the energy storage temperature exceeds its limit (overheating), when the voltage or current on the energy storage exceeds its corresponding limit (overvoltage / overcurrent), generally speaking, in the event of a failure in the energy storage (failure condition), or similar events. Then, when the control unit analyzes the data, it infers one or more of these events and then controls the converter accordingly to initiate automatic shutdown. Attached Figure Description

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein:

[0052] Figure 1 Accordingly, the equipment and charging equipment are schematically shown.

[0053] Figure 2 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 Equivalent circuit diagrams of the devices and charging equipment in the diagram.

[0054] Figure 3 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 Another illustration of the devices and charging equipment in the picture.

[0055] Figure 4 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 Another illustration of the device in the diagram.

[0056] Figure 5 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 The four operating states of the equipment in the middle,

[0057] Figure 6 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 Another illustration of the charging device in the image.

[0058] Figure 7 Accordingly, the charging voltage as a function of the coupling factor is schematically shown.

[0059] Figure 8 Accordingly, the charging voltage as a function of the converter voltage is schematically shown.

[0060] Figure 9 Accordingly, the four steps of the method are illustrated schematically.

[0061] Figure 10Accordingly, the charging voltage as a function of the converter voltage is schematically shown for two different transistors.

[0062] Figure 11 Accordingly, the voltage of the electrical equipment and the charging voltage of the device are schematically shown.

[0063] Figure 12 Accordingly, the time period that is relatively later is schematically shown. Figure 11 The voltage in

[0064] Figure 13 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 The demodulator circuit of the charging device in the middle,

[0065] Figure 14 Accordingly, schematically shown Figure 1 The reference voltage circuit of the charging device in the middle,

[0066] Figure 15 The eight steps of the method are illustrated accordingly. Detailed Implementation

[0067] exist Figure 1 The diagram shows device 2 and charging device 4, suitable for performing the methods described herein. Device 2 is connected to charging device 4 and performs wireless charging in charging state LZ by wirelessly transmitting energy to receiving module 8 of device 2 using transmitting module 6 of charging device 4. Figure 1 In this example, device 2 is a binaural hearing device with two single devices, thus correspondingly having two receiving modules 8, which are powered by the transmitting module 6 of the charging device. Figure 2 The equivalent circuit diagrams of device 2 and charging device 4 are shown in the figure. Then, in Figure 3 Another illustration of device 2 and charging device 4 is shown again. Figure 4 Only device 2 is shown in the image. Figure 2 , 3 and 4 relative to Figure 1 The design has been simplified so that only one receiving module 8 and one transmitting module 6 are shown, i.e., only one of a single device is shown. However, the following description generally applies regardless of the number of transmitting modules 6 and receiving modules 8, i.e., depending on the design of device 2 and charging device 4, there may be one or more receiving modules 8, and independently, there may also be one or more transmitting modules 6.

[0068] During charging, device 2 is turned off and in a charging state LZ. Device 2 has a charging connector 10, and a charging voltage V is applied to the charging connector 10 for charging. ccThe charging device can be used to charge the voltage V. cc Adjustments are made. Additionally, device 2 has a switch connector 12 for switching on and off. Here, the charging connector 10 and the switch connector 12 are connectors for the energy management module 14 (also called the PMIC), which accepts the charging voltage V. cc This charges the energy storage device 16 of device 2.

[0069] Device 2 also has a discharge state EZ, in which energy is consumed, i.e., by one or more electrical devices 18. In discharge state EZ, the energy management module 14 controls the supply of energy from the energy storage 16 to the electrical devices 18. Therefore, in charging state LZ, device 2 receives energy from charging device 4, and in discharge state EZ, device 2 consumes energy.

[0070] "Device 2 is on" should be understood as supplying energy to electrical equipment 18 via energy management module 14, and "Device 2 is off" should therefore be understood as not supplying energy to electrical equipment 18; however, energy management module 14 may continue to consume energy. In discharge state EZ, device 2 is also on in principle. If the following description refers to device 2 as "off," this should be understood as, firstly, if device 2 is on, then device 2 is "off," and secondly, if device 2 is already off, then device 2 is "kept off."

[0071] In addition, device 2 has a switch 20, which is connected to switch connector 12 and can utilize charging voltage V. cc Switch 20 is switched on and off by changing the charging voltage V. cc Set to the intermediate voltage. Switch 20 is part of the shut-off circuit 22. Now, device 2 is turned off by means of charging device 4, in that charging device 4 applies charging voltage V. cc The charging device 4 sets an intermediate voltage, thereby switching switch 20 on and off, and device 2 switches to the off state AZ. That is, the charging device 4 sets an intermediate voltage, and then device 2 switches to the off state AZ. This can happen, for example, when charging is finished or interrupted, but in principle, it can also happen in general error conditions, such as when the energy storage device 16 experiences overheating or overvoltage / overcurrent. Thus, by using the charging device 4, automatic shutdown is achieved once energy is no longer supplied to device 2. Therefore, the charging device 4 begins switching device 2 to the off state AZ, in which device 2 (unlike in the discharging state EZ) no longer consumes energy. Here, the charging device 4 utilizes a variable setting of the charging voltage V. cc The possibility.

[0072] The device 2 shown here is exemplarily a hearing device for use with a user who has a hearing impairment. For this purpose, the hearing device has microphones 24 (two microphones 24 for each single device) that receive sound from the environment and generate an electrical input signal. The electrical input signal is fed to a signal processing device (not explicitly shown) for modification, and the signal processing device outputs an electrical output signal as a result. This electrical output signal is then converted into sound via the earpiece 26 of the hearing device and output to the user. Instead of microphones 24 and earpiece 26, other input and / or output converters may be used depending on the type of hearing device. Here, the hearing device is configured to be binaural, alternatively configured to be monoaural. Microphones 24, earpiece 26, and signal processing device are respectively the power supply device 18 of device 2. Alternatively, device 2 may be a headset, earphone, wearable device, smartphone, etc.

[0073] To charge, device 2 is connected to charging device 4, for example, as follows: Figure 1 As shown, device 2 is inserted into charging device 4. For this purpose, charging device 4 shown here is configured as a charging dock having a recess 28 into which device 2 can be inserted. Optionally, charging device 4 has a cover 30. The recess is suitably shaped such that the device is held therein relative to the charging dock in a predefined arrangement.

[0074] Depending on the amount of electricity stored in the energy storage device 16, the energy storage device 16 provides voltage V to the electrical device 18. bat When needed, the voltage V is also adjusted in advance using the conversion unit 32. bat The voltage V is transformed. The larger the electrical quantity, the higher the voltage V. bat Generally, the larger the voltage, the better. Charging device 4 uses a charging voltage V. cc Charge device 2 with charging voltage V. cc This is the voltage present in device 2 for charging energy storage 16. Then, energy storage 16 is charged until the desired amount of charge or voltage V is reached. bat Until then. Therefore, a pre-defined charging threshold voltage V is given. chg,thres The charging threshold voltage V chg,thres With charging voltage V cc A comparison is made to determine when to charge and when not to charge. Here, when the charging voltage V... cc Below the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres Charging ends at the specified time. Charging threshold voltage V. chg,thres For example, a fixed, pre-defined voltage.

[0075] Here, although the automatic shutdown is performed by device 2 itself, it is not initiated by device 2 itself, but by charging device 4. Charging device 4 determines when to shut down device 2, and then sends a shutdown signal to device 2, thereby shutting down device 2. The shutdown signal ensures that an intermediate voltage exists in device 2.

[0076] Generally, it is desirable to turn off device 2 after charging, as long as device 2 remains connected to charging device 4. Device 2 should be turned off as much as possible after the charging state LZ ends, avoiding being placed in the discharging state EZ.

[0077] To achieve automatic shutdown, thereby turning off device 2 after charging, the charging connector 10 of the energy management module 14 is used. A charging voltage V is applied to the charging connector 10. cc In one design not explicitly shown, a pull-up resistor is used to pull up the switch connector 12, and a manually operable switch is connected between the switch connector and ground 34 for manual shutdown of device 2. Independently or in combination with this, for automatic shutdown by means of the charging device 4, device 2 has a shutdown circuit 22 with switch 20, as mentioned above, which uses the charging connector 10 and switch connector 12 in a similar manner. Here, switch 20 is a transistor having a gate 36, a source 38, and a drain 40, i.e., corresponding terminals, specifically a MOSFET. The gate 36 is pulled up to the charging voltage V using the charging connector 10 and the resistor 42. cc Resistor 42 connects gate 36 to source 38 and to ground 34. The drain 40 and source 38 of the transistor are connected to switch terminal 12 or to ground 34.

[0078] In the currently implemented off state AZ, although device 2 is connected to charging device 4, device 2 is off, therefore neither consuming energy nor receiving energy from charging device 4. In contrast, in charging state LZ, device 2 is off, but still receives energy to power energy management module 14, and in discharging state EZ, device 2 is on and consumes energy accordingly. To switch between charging state LZ and discharging state EZ (in both directions), in the illustrated embodiment, device 2 also has a waiting state WZ, thus enabling a total of four mutually exclusive operating states: AZ, EZ, LZ, and WZ.

[0079] exist Figure 5 The diagram illustrates an exemplary correlation between operating states AZ, EZ, LZ, and WZ. When the charging voltage V... cc At least corresponding to the charging threshold voltage V chg,thresAt this time, device 2 switches from the discharge state EZ, the off state AZ, or the standby state WZ to the charging state LZ. This is possible as long as the charging voltage V... cc At least corresponding to the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres Then the charging state LZ remains active. When the charging voltage V cc Less than the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres At this time, device 2 switches from charging state LZ to standby state WZ. When the charging voltage V cc Less than the reset voltage V rst At that time, and additionally here, it should also be after a discharge time t disc Over a prolonged period, device 2 switches from standby state WZ to discharge state EZ. Here, the reset voltage V... rst This is a fixed, pre-defined voltage, and a parameter of the energy management module 14, used to stop the energy management module 14 from operating and initialize it to a predefined default state. Here, a reset voltage V is also used. rst This determines when to switch from the waiting state WZ to the discharge state EZ. Discharge time t disc For example, a fixed, pre-given time of several seconds. Conversely, when the charging voltage V... cc Less than the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres And greater than the reset voltage V rst At that time, device 2 switches from the discharge state EZ to the standby state WZ, and when the charging voltage V cc At least corresponding to the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres At this time, device 2 switches from standby state WZ to charging state LZ. This is possible as long as the charging voltage V... cc Less than the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres If so, WZ will remain in a waiting state and will be activated.

[0080] Automatic shutdown, i.e., switching to the off state AZ, is achieved by the following method: the charging voltage V on the charging connector 10 is... cc Set as the intermediate voltage, which is the gate-source threshold voltage V of the transistor. gs-thres And at the reset voltage V rst and minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min That is, the gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres Between the minimum values. Gate-source threshold voltage V chg,thres The voltage required by the switching transistor, specifically at the minimum gate-source threshold voltage V, is the voltage required for this process. gs-thres,min and maximum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,max Within the range between [a certain range]. Reset voltage V rst Greater than the actual gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thresHowever, the maximum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,max It can be greater than the reset voltage V rst .

[0081] By using the minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min And on the other hand, the reset voltage V rst Now, for the intermediate voltage, it spans the voltage range used to switch to the off state AZ. When the charging voltage V cc Less than the reset voltage V rst At this time, device 2 switches to discharge state EZ. In principle, firstly, if the charging voltage V... cc Less than the minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min Then the discharge state EZ remains active. When the charging voltage V cc Less than the reset voltage V rst And greater than the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres At that time, and additionally here, the activation time t of the switch connector has also been exceeded. sca For an extended period (during which the intermediate voltage is maintained), device 2 switches to the off state AZ. Correspondingly, once the intermediate voltage is reached on gate 36, the transistor is switched on, and switch connector 12 is pulled to ground 34. Device 2 briefly switches to the discharge state EZ, and from there, during the switch connector activation time t... sca Then, switch to the off state AZ. Switch connector activation time t sca For example, a fixed, pre-defined time period, such as a few seconds. Here, it is only possible to switch from the discharge state EZ to the off state AZ.

[0082] First, device 2 can be switched on via charging state LZ, specifically, switching from off state AZ to discharging state EZ. In the design shown here, when the charging voltage V... cc At least corresponding to the charging threshold voltage V chg,thres At this time, device 2 switches from the off state AZ to the charging state LZ. Alternatively or additionally, the switching can be initiated from the off state AZ by the user manually turning on device 2. For this purpose, device 2 has a switch (not explicitly shown) (e.g., as described above).

[0083] The solution described for automatically shutting off device 2 can be easily implemented via contact-based charging, as a current connection exists, through which the intermediate voltage can be easily regulated. However, this is not easily achieved in the case of charging device 4, which charges wirelessly as described here, because the charging voltage V... ccThe charging voltage V is not directly supplied by the charging device 4, but is induced in the device 2 by the charging device 4 through the transmitting module 6. cc Therefore, the charging device 4 itself may not have a charging voltage.

[0084] As in Figure 2 As can be seen, during charging, energy transfer is preferably achieved using a magnetic field M. The magnetic field M is generated by the transmitting coil 44 of the transmitting module 6 and received by the receiving coil 46 of the receiving module 8. Then, in order to transmit the charging voltage V in the wireless charging device 4... cc The intermediate voltage is set, and the transmitting module 6 is controlled accordingly to induce an intermediate voltage in device 2. Therefore, under the corresponding control, the magnetic field M used for charging is also a shut-off signal, which is sent from charging device 4 to device 2.

[0085] The charging device 4 and device 2 together form a wireless charging system for wireless charging. The receiving module 8 provides the charging voltage V. cc And outputs charging voltage V to energy management module 14. cc The transmitting coil 44 in the transmitting module 6 generally operates using the power supply of the charging device 4. Here, the receiving module 8 also has wiring for the receiving coil 46 to generate the charging voltage V. cc Here, the wiring includes a tuning capacitor 48, a smoothing capacitor 50, and a Schottky diode 52.

[0086] Charging voltage V cc It is related to several parameters, especially the current I to the transmitting coil 44. tx Transmitting coil L tx and receiving coil L rx The coupling factor k is related to the inductance of each coil, the transmission frequency f used to transmit energy via the magnetic field M, and the coupling factor k. The coupling factor k is particularly related to the distance A and tilt angle between the transmitting coil 44 and the receiving coil 46; that is, generally speaking, it is related to the spatial arrangement of the charging devices 4 and 2 during charging. The smaller the distance A and the smaller the tilt angle, the larger the coupling factor k. For the charging voltage V... cc Generally applicable to: V cc ∝2π·f·k·√(L tx ·L rx )·l tx .

[0087] For wireless power transfer, the charging device 4 also includes a converter 54 and an oscillator 56. This is in Figure 6 The details are shown below. The oscillator 56 generates a current I for operating the transmitting coil 44. txTherefore, it is the power source. The transmitting coil 44 and oscillator 56 thus form the transmitting module 6. The converter 54 generates the converter voltage V. dd This is used to operate the oscillator 56. Therefore, the converter 54 affects the current I used to operate the transmitting coil 44. tx Therefore, with the help of the converter voltage V dd To adjust the charging voltage V cc Therefore, the intermediate voltage is also adjusted.

[0088] For the inductance L of transmitting coil 44 and receiving coil 46 tx L rx And the fixed value of the transmission frequency f, and the charging voltage V cc It increases with the increase of the coupling factor k, and on the other hand, it increases with the increase of the current I to the transmitting coil 44. tx The voltage increases as the voltage increases. Here, we utilize the relationship between these two factors, namely, on the one hand, the charging voltage V... cc And the coupling factor k, on the other hand, the charging voltage V cc and current I tx The relationship between them, so that the coupling factor k can be known by means of the current I tx To control the charging voltage V cc This specifically activates the off state AZ. Therefore, by appropriately controlling converter 54 and adjusting its converter voltage V... dd The off state AZ of device 2 is activated externally by charging device 4. As described above, the converter voltage V dd and charging voltage V cc The relationship between them is through V cc ∝2π·f·k·√(L tx ·L rx )·I tx To describe, where, as described, the current I tx It is the converter voltage V dd The function.

[0089] In order to generate a specific charging voltage V cc And the converter voltage V that can be set according to the intermediate voltage. dd It is related to the coupling factor k, and therefore can be changed in principle. Conversely, the inductance L tx L rx The transmission frequency f for a given combination of device 2 and charging device 4 is known. Here, now, in order to generate an intermediate voltage, the converter voltage V is set. dd Therefore, a current I is also set. tx The method is to first determine the coupling factor k, and then use it to determine the converter voltage V required to generate the intermediate voltage. dd This is in Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown in the figure, and this is based on the charging voltage V. cc and converter voltage V dd The relationship between V cc ∝2π·f·k·√(L tx ·L rx )·l tx (V dd (to be carried out)

[0090] like Figure 7 As shown, via charging voltage V cc and current I tx / Converter voltage V dd The coupling factor k is determined by the relationship between the charging voltage V and the charging voltage V. cc and current I tx The known values ​​of the pair. Because the charging voltage V cc Since the coupling factor k is not known to charging device 4, communication is established between charging device 4 and device 2 to determine the coupling factor k. At the end of charging, device 2 sends the charging voltage V that was still applied during the charging process to charging device 4. cc (More precisely: its value). Also, the final applied charging voltage V. cc This is called the "final charging voltage" V. cc In addition, the charging device 4 stores the following current I. tx (More precisely: its value), the current I tx At the final charging voltage V cc The timing is used to operate the transmitting coil 44, i.e., the last current I applied during charging. tx Similarly, this current is also called the final current I. tx The final charging voltage V is transmitted between device 2 and charging device 4 via a data connection. cc Therefore, device 2 and charging device 4 respectively have communication units 58 and 60, such as antennas and suitable circuitry for the antennas, for transmitting and / or receiving data, especially the final charging voltage V. cc The charging device 4 receives the final charging voltage V. cc Then, combined with the final current I tx Determine the coupling factor k, i.e., via, for example, Figure 7 The relationships shown or mentioned.

[0091] Then, the converter voltage V of converter 54 is determined using the desired intermediate voltage and coupling factor k. dd Because the intermediate voltage is at the reset voltage V. rst and minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min Within the voltage range, therefore, as Figure 8 As shown, for the converter voltage V dd This also yields a suitable voltage range 62, from which the converter voltage V is selected. dd For example, you can simply choose the average value of the voltage range of 62.

[0092] In summary, the setting of the converter voltage V described here dd Therefore, including, for example Figure 9 The four steps S101 to S104 are shown: In the first step S101, the final current I is determined. tx and final charging voltage V cc Subsequently, in the second step S102, based on the final current I... st and final charging voltage V cc Determine the coupling factor k. Then, in the third step S103, determine the required converter voltage V using the coupling factor k and the desired intermediate voltage. dd Finally, in the fourth step S104, the converter voltage V is set. dd .

[0093] For example, Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the coupling factor k and the converter voltage V are stored as parameterized function packages accordingly. dd The corresponding relationship is used. To determine the coupling factor k, for example, as... Figure 7 As shown, the charging voltage V is stored as a function of the coupling factor k. cc And the charging voltage V cc Parameterized along with the current, the corresponding function package is obtained. This is to determine the converter voltage V. dd For example, Figure 8 As shown, the converter voltage V dd The function to store the charging voltage V cc And the charging voltage V cc The corresponding function package is obtained by parameterizing it together with the coupling factor k.

[0094] exist Figure 7 In the example, the final charging voltage V cc It is 7.6V, and the associated final current I tx The current is 0.5A. Based on these values, combined with the inductance L... tx L rx Given the transmission frequency f, the coupling factor k is determined to be k = 0.07. Reset voltage V rst It is 2V, and the minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min Since it is 1V, a voltage range between 1V and 2V is obtained for the desired intermediate voltage. Then, according to... Figure 8 In the example above, for this intermediate voltage, using a coupling factor k = 0.07, the converter voltage V is determined in the ranges of 0.125V und and 0.275V. dd Then, for example, the converter voltage V dd The voltage is set to 0.2V, so that the corresponding intermediate voltage is obtained in device 2, and device 2 is switched to the off state AZ.

[0095] Gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres It must be at least locally less than the reset voltage V. rst Regarding the mentioned 2V reset voltage V... rst Thus, a suitable transistor with a minimum gate-source threshold voltage V less than 2V is obtained. gs-thres,min For example, it has a minimum gate-source threshold voltage of 1.4V or 0.7V.

[0096] Reset voltage V rst Define the converter voltage V for all distances A. dd The upper limit (for simplicity, referred to here as distance A; however, these descriptions generally apply to the coupling constant k). At the mentioned 2V reset voltage V... rst In this case, the converter voltage V dd The upper limit is, for example, 0.69V. If this cannot be met, automatic shutdown may not be possible for some distances A in certain situations. This is in Figure 10 As shown in the diagram. For charging, the distance A is, for example, between 1mm and 10mm (in...). Figure 10 In this context, the converter voltage V is calculated using a step size of 1 mm for different distances A ranging from 1 mm to 7 mm. dd The function shows the charging voltage V cc In order to enable automatic shut-off at all distances A, the charging voltage V is [value missing] at any distance A. cc Both must be at the gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres That's all. For distances A that do not meet this condition, automatic shutdown is not possible. Therefore, it is clear that having the smallest possible gate-source threshold voltage V is crucial. gs-thres,min The transistor enables automatic shutdown over a significantly larger distance A. Therefore, the transistor mentioned above has a minimum gate-source threshold voltage V of 0.685V. gs-thres,min In the example, in order to generate a suitable intermediate voltage for automatic shutdown for all distances A, for the converter voltage V dd The usable voltage range is only 0.005V. Then, an even smaller converter voltage V... ddThis may no longer be sufficient for automatic shutdown at a distance A of 5mm or greater. Utilizing the minimum gate-source threshold voltage V... gs-thres,min Another transistor, rated at 0.5V, is used to generate a suitable intermediate voltage for automatic shutdown across all distances A, for the converter voltage V. dd The usable voltage range is approximately 0.2V. Therefore, automatic shutdown can be performed without problems within a total range of 1mm to 10mm.

[0097] Figure 11 and Figure 12 Oscillator measurements for an exemplary application scenario are shown. Here, the charging voltage V is shown as a function of time t. cc and the voltage V output by the energy management module 14 to the electrical device 18 out Here, the distance A between the transmitting coil 44 and the receiving coil 46 is 4mm. Device 2 first switches to charging state LZ and charges device 2. Then, in order to automatically shut down, as... Figure 11 As shown, the converter voltage of converter 54 is set to V. dd The voltage is 0.6V. Therefore, the charging voltage V in device 2 will be... cc The intermediate voltage is set to 1.5V. Device 2 first switches to discharge state EZ and begins consuming energy after a few seconds. For this purpose, the energy management module 14 provides a voltage V of, for example, 1.3V to the power-consuming device 18. out Then, device 2 switches to the off state AZ, and the off state AZ then... Figure 12 The converter is active. Then, after a few seconds (e.g., ≥6s), the converter voltage V is... dd Set to 0V to turn off converter 54, thus also... Figure 12 The charging voltage V shown is cc The voltage is 0V. Now, charging device 4 can be completely shut down and disconnected from device 2. Device 2 will then remain in the off state AZ without switching back to the discharging state EZ, although the charging voltage V... cc Then it becomes 0V.

[0098] As already described, device 2 and charging device 4 each have communication units 58 and 60 for exchanging data. The communication unit 60 of charging device 4, together with the communication unit 58 of device 2, forms a communication system for data exchange. Here, this communication system is used to communicate the charging voltage V of device 2. ccThe relevant data is transmitted to the charging device 4. Correspondingly, the communication system can be configured to be bidirectional, or simply unidirectional from device 2 to charging device 4. Here, the communication system is wireless and uses a corresponding communication protocol, such as magnetic induction, to transmit data. Device 2 modulates the data for transmission. Transmitted data includes, for example, the state of charge (SOC), current voltage, current charging current, temperature, and the charging voltage V of the described energy storage device 16. cc Or a combination thereof. The charging device 4 receives data and demodulates it. For this purpose, the charging device 4 has a demodulator circuit 68, for example, such as... Figure 13 As shown. The demodulator circuit 68, also shown therein, is used to determine the current I in the transmitter module 6. tx More precisely, the current I through the transmitting coil 44 tx For this purpose, the transmitting coil 44 is integrated into the demodulator circuit 68. The demodulator circuit 68 also includes a capacitor 70 at which the maximum object identification voltage V of the demodulator circuit 68 at the transmission frequency f of the transmitting coil 44 is stored. OD The current I is obtained by comparing it with its impedance. tx .

[0099] In the case of contact-based automatic shutdown, converter 54 outputs a reset voltage V. rst and minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min The voltage between them is used as the converter voltage V. dd In order to shut down device 2. However, in the case of automatic wireless shutdown, the converter voltage V dd This voltage range may not be applicable because, in this case, a smaller converter voltage V is generally required for shutdown. dd In the case of automatic wireless shutdown, the converter voltage V of converter 54... dd This is the input voltage of oscillator 56. Oscillator 56 corresponds to the converter voltage V. dd This is amplified, resulting in a correspondingly larger charging voltage V in device 2. cc This is especially true when the receiving coil 46 has more turns than the transmitting coil 44. Therefore, in the case of automatic wireless shutdown, the converter voltage V... dd This is significantly smaller than in the case of contact-based automatic shutdown, and is, for example, in the millivolt range. Converter 54 generally cannot generate a reference voltage V for its internal feedback. fb The following converter voltage V dd Feedback reference voltage V fbTypically at least 0.6V. Therefore, in addition to converter 54, the discharge device 4 shown here also has a reference voltage circuit 72 for generating a feedback reference voltage V for converter 54 overall. fb The following converter voltage V dd .exist Figure 14 An embodiment of such a reference voltage circuit 72 is shown, which has an external reference voltage V with respect to the converter 54. ref The reference voltage V ref Feedback connector 74 is connected to converter 54. External reference voltage V. ref Greater than the internal feedback reference voltage V fb The reference voltage circuit 72 is thus configured and connected to the converter 54, such that, as one aspect, the internal feedback reference voltage V... fb The converter voltage V is obtained by the difference between the following and the other side. dd That is, the difference is an external reference voltage V weighted by the appropriate resistance ratio R1 / R2 of the two resistors 76 and 78. ref and internal feedback reference voltage V fb The difference, that is, V dd =V fb -R1·(V ref -V fb ) / R2. These two resistors 76 and 78 form a voltage divider with two terminals 80. On one hand, the output terminal 82 of the converter 54 is connected to these two terminals 80. On the other hand, the external reference voltage V ref The feedback connector 74 is connected to the midpoint 84 between the two terminals 80 and the two resistors 76 and 78.

[0100] The charging device 4 also has a control unit 86, a communication unit 58, and a converter 54 connected to the control unit 86. The converter 54 is set by means of the control unit 86, i.e., based on data received by means of the communication unit 58. Optionally, the charging device 4 also has an emergency energy storage 88 for maintaining an intermediate voltage in the event of an interruption in the energy supply to the charging device 4, and for generating a shutdown signal for this purpose.

[0101] In one design, control unit 86 is configured to perform one or more steps of the method described herein. Device 2 also has control unit 90, which, in one design, is configured to perform one or more steps of the method described herein.

[0102] Overall, a method is implemented by combining the shutdown circuit 22 with a communication system, in which the wireless automatic shutdown of device 2 is initiated by the charging device 4, particularly when the charging of the energy storage 16 of device 2 ends, generally speaking, when the energy transfer from the charging device 4 to device 2 is interrupted. For this purpose, the method, for example, has... Figure 15 One or more of the steps shown are preferably performed in the order mentioned. In the first step S201, device 2 repeatedly sends data to charging device 4, for example. In the second step S202, the data is analyzed, for example, by control unit 86. If the data is modulated, it is demodulated beforehand in the second step S202, for example, using the described modulator circuit 68. In the third step S203, the converter 54 is set by control unit 86 based on the data, for example. Control unit 86 sets the converter 54, for example, using a DAC signal or a PWM signal. In the fourth step S204, the converter 54 then outputs the converter voltage V to oscillator 56. dd This controls the oscillator 56. Also in the fourth step S204, the oscillator 56 outputs a current I that is used to operate the transmitting coil 44. tx Therefore, in the fourth step S204, the intermediate ground is set by the converter 54 to provide current I. tx In the fifth step S205, the transmitting coil 44, based on the current I... tx A magnetic field M is generated. In the sixth step S206, the magnetic field M is received by the receiving coil 46, which in turn generates a charging voltage V in the device 2. cc Thus, the charging device 4 induces a charging voltage V in device 2 overall. cc Then, in the seventh step S207, if the charging voltage V cc At reset voltage V rst and minimum gate-source threshold voltage V gs-thres,min Within the voltage range between, that is, if the charging voltage V cc If the intermediate voltage is as described above, then device 2 is turned off. Therefore, when an intermediate voltage is present, in the seventh step S207, device 2 switches to the off state AZ, and thus is turned off. In the seventh step S207, optionally, as described, an additional period of time t beyond the switch contact activation time has elapsed. sca Device 2 switches to the off state AZ only after a long time t. Finally, it automatically shuts down based on the data sent by device 2 to charging device 4. Finally, in the optional eighth step S208, the converter 54 is also shut down, preferably after a specific time t, for example 10 seconds, after device 2 switches to the off state AZ.

[0103] So far, it has been described how to turn off device 2 when charging is complete. The data therefore includes at least the final charging voltage V.cc Final charging voltage V cc Combined with the final current I tx To determine, and also in conjunction with the final current I tx In particular, the control unit 88 is used to determine the appropriate converter voltage V. dd And the converter is set. However, other events that, in principle, mark the end of charging, are also suitable for initiating automatic shutdown, such as when the temperature of the energy storage 16 exceeds the limit temperature (overheating), when the voltage or current on the energy storage 16 exceeds the corresponding limit value (overvoltage / overcurrent), generally speaking, in the event of a fault in the energy storage 16 (fault condition), or similar events. Then, when the control unit 86 analyzes the data, the control unit 86 infers one or more of these events and then controls the converter 54 accordingly to initiate automatic shutdown.

[0104] List of reference numerals

[0105] 2 Equipment

[0106] 4. Charging equipment

[0107] 6. Transmission Module

[0108] 8. Receiver Module

[0109] 10 Charging connector

[0110] 12 Switch connectors

[0111] 14 Energy Management Module

[0112] 16 Energy Storage

[0113] 18 Electrical equipment

[0114] 20 switches

[0115] 22. Close the circuit

[0116] 24 microphones

[0117] 26. Earpiece

[0118] 28 Grooves

[0119] 30 lids

[0120] 32 Transformation Units

[0121] 34 locations

[0122] 36 gate

[0123] 38 Source

[0124] 40 Drain

[0125] 42 resistor

[0126] 44 Transmitting coil

[0127] 46 Receiving coil

[0128] 48 Tuning capacitor

[0129] 50 smoothing capacitor

[0130] 52 Schottky diode

[0131] 54 converter

[0132] 56 Oscillators

[0133] 58 (device) communication unit

[0134] 60 (Communication unit of charging equipment)

[0135] 62 (Converter voltage) voltage range

[0136] 64 Voltage range

[0137] 66 Voltage range

[0138] 68 Demodulator Circuit

[0139] 70 capacitor

[0140] 72 Reference Voltage Circuit

[0141] 74 Feedback Connector

[0142] 76 resistor

[0143] 78 resistor

[0144] 80 endpoints

[0145] 82 Output Terminal

[0146] 84 Midpoint

[0147] 86 (Charging equipment) control unit

[0148] 88 Emergency Energy Storage

[0149] 90 (Equipment) Control Unit

[0150] A distance

[0151] AZ closed

[0152] EZ discharge state

[0153] I tx Current

[0154] k coupling factor

[0155] L rx Inductance of the receiving coil

[0156] L tx Inductance of the transmitting coil

[0157] LZ charging status

[0158] M magnetic field

[0159] Steps S101–S104

[0160] Steps S201–S208

[0161] t disc Discharge time

[0162] t sca Switch connector activation time

[0163] V bat Voltage

[0164] V cc Charging voltage

[0165] V chg,thres Charging threshold voltage

[0166] V dd Converter voltage

[0167] V fb Feedback reference voltage

[0168] V gs-thres Gate-source threshold voltage

[0169] V gs-thres,max Maximum gate-source threshold voltage

[0170] V gs-thres,min Minimum gate-source threshold voltage

[0171] V OD Object recognition voltage

[0172] V out (Voltage of the energy management module at the electrical equipment location)

[0173] V ref Reference voltage

[0174] V rst Reset voltage

[0175] WZ is in a waiting state.

[0176] t time

Claims

1. A method for reducing energy consumption after charging, - Among them, device (2) is connected to charging device (4), - in, The device has a charging state (LZ), in which wireless charging is performed by using the transmitting module (6) of the charging device (4) to wirelessly transmit energy to the receiving module (8) of the device (2). - Wherein, the device (2) has a discharge state (EZ), in which energy is consumed. - The device (2) has a charging connector (10), and a charging voltage (V) is applied to the charging connector for charging. cc The charging voltage can be adjusted using the charging device (4). - The device (2) has a switch connector (12) for connecting and disconnecting the device (2). - The device (2) has a switch (20) connected to the switch connector (12) and is capable of utilizing the charging voltage (V). cc The method for switching on and off is to switch the charging voltage (V) on and off. cc Adjust to the intermediate voltage. - Wherein, the charging device (4) will charge the charging voltage (V) cc The voltage is adjusted to the intermediate voltage, thereby switching the switch (20) on and off, and the device (2) switches to the off state (AZ), in which the device (2) is turned off. - During charging, energy is transferred using a magnetic field (M), which is generated by the transmitting coil (44) of the transmitting module (6) and received by the receiving coil (46) of the receiving module (8). This is done in order to transmit the charging voltage (V) cc The intermediate voltage is set to the intermediate voltage, and the transmitting module (6) is controlled to induce the intermediate voltage in the device (2).

2. The method according to claim 1, in, The switch (20) is a transistor having a gate (36), a source (38), and a drain (40). The gate (36) is connected to the charging connector (10), and the gate (36) is pulled up to the charging voltage (V) using a resistor (42). cc ), The resistor (42) connects the gate (36) to the source (38) and to ground (34). The drain (40) is connected to the switch connector (12) and the source (38) is connected to ground (34).

3. The method according to claim 1, in, The charging device (4) has a converter (54) and an oscillator (56). The oscillator (56) generates a current (I) tx ), used to generate the magnetic field (M) using the transmitting module (6). The converter (54) generates a converter voltage (V) dd ), used to operate the oscillator (56), Among them, with the help of the converter voltage (V) dd To set the charging voltage (V) cc ).

4. The method according to claim 3, in, The converter voltage (V) dd The coupling factor (k) between the transmitting module (6) and the receiving module (8) is related to the coupling factor (k). In order to generate the intermediate voltage, the converter voltage (V) is set. dd The method is to first determine the coupling factor (k), and then use the coupling factor to determine the converter voltage (V) required to generate the intermediate voltage. dd ).

5. The method according to claim 4, in, The device (2) sends the charging voltage (V) that was last applied during charging to the charging device (4). cc ) as the final charging voltage (V cc ), The charging device (4) stores the final charging voltage (V). cc The timing of the current (I) used to operate the transmitting coil (44) is... tx ) as the final current (I tx ), The charging device (4) receives the final charging voltage (V). cc ), then with the final current (I) tx The coupling factor (k) is determined by combining the following combinations.

6. The method according to claim 3, in, In addition to the converter (54), the charging device (4) also has a reference voltage circuit (72) for generating a feedback reference voltage (V) for the converter (54) in general. fb Converter voltage (V) below dd ).

7. The method according to claim 1, in, The charging device (4) has an emergency energy storage (88) for setting the intermediate voltage even when the energy supply to the charging device (4) is interrupted.

8. A method for reducing energy consumption after charging. - in, The device (2) is connected to the charging device (4). - The device has a charging state (LZ) in which wireless charging is performed by using the transmitting module (6) of the charging device (4) to wirelessly transmit energy to the receiving module (8) of the device (2). - Wherein, the device (2) has a discharge state (EZ), in which energy is consumed. - The device (2) has a charging connector (10), and a charging voltage (V) is applied to the charging connector for charging. cc The charging voltage can be adjusted using the charging device (4). - The device (2) has a switch connector (12) for connecting and disconnecting the device (2). - The device (2) has a switch (20) connected to the switch connector (12) and is capable of utilizing the charging voltage (V). cc The method for switching on and off is to switch the charging voltage (V) on and off. cc Adjust to the intermediate voltage. - Wherein, the charging device (4) will charge the charging voltage (V) cc The voltage is adjusted to the intermediate voltage, thereby switching the switch (20) on and off, and the device (2) switches to the off state (AZ), in which the device (2) is turned off. - Wherein, when the charging voltage (V cc Below the charging threshold voltage (V) chg,thres Charging ends when ( ) - Wherein, when the charging voltage (V cc ) at least corresponds to the charging threshold voltage (V chg,thres When the device (2) switches from the discharge state (EZ) or the off state (AZ) to the charging state (LZ), the device (2) switches from the discharge state (EZ) or the off state (AZ).

9. The method according to claim 8, in, When the charging voltage (V) cc The voltage is less than the charging threshold voltage (V). chg,thres When the charging state (LZ) is reached, the device (2) switches from the charging state (LZ) to the waiting state (WZ), and when the charging voltage (V) is reached... cc Less than the reset voltage (V) rst When the device (2) switches from the waiting state (WZ) to the discharging state (EZ), the device (2) switches from the waiting state (WZ) to the discharging state (EZ).

10. A method for reducing energy consumption after charging. - Among them, device (2) is connected to charging device (4), - in, The device has a charging state (LZ), in which wireless charging is performed by using the transmitting module (6) of the charging device (4) to wirelessly transmit energy to the receiving module (8) of the device (2). - Wherein, the device (2) has a discharge state (EZ), in which energy is consumed. - The device (2) has a charging connector (10), and a charging voltage (V) is applied to the charging connector for charging. cc The charging voltage can be adjusted using the charging device (4). - The device (2) has a switch connector (12) for connecting and disconnecting the device (2). - The device (2) has a switch (20) connected to the switch connector (12) and is capable of utilizing the charging voltage (V). cc The method for switching on and off is to switch the charging voltage (V) on and off. cc Adjust to the intermediate voltage. - Wherein, the charging device (4) will charge the charging voltage (V) cc The voltage is adjusted to the intermediate voltage, thereby switching the switch (20) on and off, and the device (2) switches to the off state (AZ), in which the device (2) is turned off. - Wherein, the device (2) and the charging device (4) each have communication units (58, 60) for exchanging data. - Wherein, the device (2) modulates the data for transmission, - Wherein, the charging device (4) receives data and demodulates the data, - In order to perform demodulation, the charging device (4) has a demodulator circuit (69), which also determines the current (I) in the transmitting module (6). tx ).

11. An apparatus (2) for reducing energy consumption after charging, the apparatus being configured to perform the method for reducing energy consumption after charging according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The device (2) according to claim 11. in, The device (2) is configured as a hearing device.

13. A charging device (4) configured to perform a method for reducing energy consumption after charging according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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