Communication operation in wireless power systems

Abstract

A wireless power system may include a power transmitting device for transmitting wireless power to a power receiving device that receives the wireless power. The power transmitting device may include data communication facilities for transmitting and receiving data packets. The power transmitting device may selectively disable its data communication facilities. The power receiving device may include data communication facilities for transmitting and receiving data packets. The power receiving device may selectively disable its data communication facilities.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 937,480, filed November 5, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 572,073, filed March 29, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates in general to power systems, and more specifically to wireless power systems for charging electronic devices. Background Technology

[0003] In a wireless charging system, a wireless power transmitter sends wireless power to a wireless power receiver. The wireless power receiver uses the wireless power to charge the battery and / or power components. The wireless power receiver can communicate with the wireless power transmitter to control the wireless power transmission operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of this disclosure provides a method for operating an electronic device. The method may include: transmitting wireless power to a power receiving device using a wireless power transmission coil; obtaining packets transmitted from the power receiving device using a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil; determining whether the packets have an associated silence period; and deactivating one or more communication components of the electronic device during at least a portion of the silence period in response to determining that the packets have an associated silence period.

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure provides a power transmitting device comprising: a wireless power transmission coil; an inverter configured to supply an AC signal to the wireless power transmission coil for transmitting wireless power to a power receiving device; a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and configured to receive packets transmitted from the power receiving device having an associated communication silence period; and control circuitry configured to deactivate at least a portion of the data receiver during at least a portion of the communication silence period.

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure provides a power receiving device comprising: a battery; a wireless power transmission coil configured to receive wireless power from a power transmitting device; a rectifier coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and configured to output a voltage for charging the battery; a data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and configured to transmit packets to the power transmitting device, the packets having an associated communication silence period; and control circuitry configured to deactivate at least a portion of the data transmitter during at least a portion of the communication silence period.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a power transmitting device configured to transmit wireless power to a power receiving device, the power transmitting device including a wireless power transmission coil and a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil. The one or more programs may include instructions for the following operations: The packet is processed at the data receiver, determining whether the packet has an associated quiet period, and in response to determining that the packet has an associated quiet period, deactivating at least a portion of the data receiver during at least a portion of the quiet period.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a power receiving device configured to receive wireless power from a power transmitting device, the power receiving device having a wireless power transmission coil and a data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil. The one or more programs may include instructions for performing the following operations: transmitting packets using the data transmitter, the packets having an associated silence period; and deactivating the data transmitter for at least a portion of the silence period after transmitting the packets.

[0009] One aspect of this disclosure provides a control circuit coupled to a wireless power transmission coil of a power transmitting device. The control circuit can be configured to initiate communication with a power receiving device, during which the wireless power transmission coil transmits wireless power to the power receiving device; process packets received from the power receiving device during the communication; determine whether the packet has an associated silence period; and, in response to determining that the packet has an associated silence period, deactivate one or more communication components of the power transmitting device during at least a portion of the silence period.

[0010] One aspect of this disclosure provides a control circuit coupled to a wireless power transmission coil of a power receiving device. The control circuit can be configured to initiate communication with a power transmitting device, during which the wireless power transmission coil receives wireless power from the power transmitting device to transmit packets to the power transmitting device during the communication, and to deactivate one or more communication components of the power receiving device during at least a portion of a silence period associated with the packets. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary wireless power system based on some implementation schemes.

[0012] Figure 2It is a circuit diagram of a wireless power transmission and reception circuit according to some implementation schemes.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps of operating a power transmitting device during wireless power transmission operations, according to some implementation schemes.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for waking up a power transmitting device in response to a detected change in power draw at a power receiving device, according to some implementation schemes.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for negotiating the duration of a quiet period, based on some implementation schemes.

[0016] Figure 6 This is an illustration of exemplary packets that can be transmitted between a power receiving device and a power transmitting device according to some implementation schemes.

[0017] Figure 7 This illustrates some implementation schemes. Figure 6 The diagram illustrates how different selector values ​​in the shown groups can correspond to different configurable quiet period durations. Detailed Implementation

[0018] A wireless power transmission system includes a wireless power transmitting device and a wireless power receiving device. The wireless power transmitting device (sometimes referred to herein as "PTX") can transmit wireless power to the wireless power receiving device (sometimes referred to herein as "PRX"). The wireless power receiving device may include electronic devices such as wristwatches, cellular phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, earphones, battery cases for earphones and other devices, tablet computer styluses (pens) and other input-output devices, wearable devices, head-mounted devices, glasses, or other electronic equipment. The wireless power transmitting device may be an electronic device such as a wireless charging pad or disk, a tablet computer, or other battery-powered electronic device with wireless power transmitting circuitry, or other wireless power transmitting devices. The wireless power receiving device uses the wireless power received from the wireless power transmitting device to power internal components and to charge an internal battery. Because the transmitted wireless power is often used to charge the internal battery, the wireless power transmission operation is sometimes referred to as wireless power transfer or wireless charging operation.

[0019] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless power transfer system 8 (sometimes referred to as a wireless charging system) is shown. For example... Figure 1As shown, system 8 includes a wireless power transmitting device (such as wireless power transmitting device 12) and a wireless power receiving device (such as wireless power receiving device 24). Wireless power transmitting device 12 may include control circuitry 16, while wireless power receiving device 24 may include control circuitry 30. The control circuitry in system 8, such as control circuitry 16 and control circuitry 30, is used to control the operation of system 8. Such control circuitry may include processing circuitry associated with a microprocessor, power management unit, baseband processor, application processor, digital signal processor, microcontroller, and / or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having processing circuitry.

[0020] The processing circuitry implements desired control and communication features in devices 12 and 24. For example, the processing circuitry can be used to select coils, determine power transmission levels, process sensor data and other data, process user input, handle negotiations between devices 12 and 24, transmit and receive in-band and out-of-band data, perform measurements, and otherwise control the operation of system 8. As another example, the processing circuitry may include one or more processors, such as an application processor, for running software such as internet browsing applications, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications, telephone calling applications, email applications, media playback applications, operating system functions, power management functions for controlling when one or more processors wake up, gaming applications, maps, instant messaging applications, payment applications, calendar applications, notification / reminder applications, etc.

[0021] The control circuitry in system 8 can be configured to perform operations within system 8 using hardware (e.g., dedicated hardware or circuitry), firmware, and / or software. Software code used to perform operations within system 8 is stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a tangible computer-readable storage medium) in the control circuitry 8. Software code may sometimes be referred to as software, data, program instructions, commands, or code. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include non-volatile memory such as non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), one or more hard disk drives (e.g., disk drives or solid-state drives), one or more removable flash drives, or other removable media. The software stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be executed on the processing circuitry of control circuitry 16 and / or 30. The processing circuitry may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with processing circuitry, one or more microprocessors such as an application processor, a central processing unit (CPU), or other processing circuitry.

[0022] The wireless power transmitting device 12 can be a standalone power adapter (e.g., a wireless charging pad or disk including power adapter circuitry), a wireless charging pad or disk coupled to a power adapter or other equipment via a cable, a battery-powered electronic device (cellular phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, removable chassis), equipment already integrated into furniture, vehicles, or other systems, or other wireless power transmission equipment. The exemplary configuration of the wireless power transmitting device 12 as a wireless charging disk or battery-powered electronic device is sometimes described herein as an example.

[0023] The wireless power receiving device 24 can be a portable electronic device, such as a wristwatch, cellular phone, laptop computer, tablet computer, accessories such as earphones, tablet computer input devices such as wireless tablet computer styluses, battery cases, wearable devices, headsets, glasses, or other electronic equipment. The wireless power transmitting device 12 can be coupled to a wall socket (e.g., an AC power source), may have a battery for supplying power, and / or may have another power source. Device 12 may have an AC-DC power converter, such as an AC-DC power converter 14, for converting AC power from the wall socket or other power source into DC power. In some configurations, the AC-DC power converter 14 may be housed in a separate housing (e.g., a brick power supply housing) from the housing of device 12 (e.g., a wireless charging disc housing or a battery-powered electronic device housing), and a cable may be used to couple DC power from the power converter to device 12. The DC power may be used to power control circuitry 16.

[0024] During operation, the controller in control circuitry 16 can use power transmission circuitry 52 to transmit wireless power to power receiving circuitry 54 of device 24. Power transmission circuitry 52 may have a switching circuit (e.g., an inverter circuitry 60 formed of transistors) that is switched on or off based on a control signal provided by control circuitry 16 to generate an AC current signal through one or more wireless power transmission coils 42. Coil 42 may be arranged as a planar coil array (e.g., in a configuration where device 12 is a wireless charging pad) or may be arranged to form a coil cluster (e.g., in a configuration where device 12 is a wireless charging disk). In some arrangements, device 12 (e.g., a charging pad, plate, disk, battery-powered device, etc.) may have only a single wireless power transmission coil. In other arrangements, wireless charging device 12 may have multiple coils (e.g., two or more coils, five to ten coils, at least ten coils, ten to thirty coils, fewer than thirty-five coils, fewer than twenty-five coils, or other suitable number of coils).

[0025] When an AC current passes through one or more coils 42, the coils 42 generate a corresponding electromagnetic field 44 in response to the AC current signal. This electromagnetic field (sometimes referred to as wireless power or a wireless power signal) 44 can then induce a corresponding AC current to flow in one or more nearby receiver coils, such as coil 48, within the power receiving device 24. A rectifier circuit, such as rectifier 50 (which includes rectifying components such as synchronously rectified metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors arranged in a bridging network), converts the induced AC current flowing through coil 48 into a DC voltage signal for powering one or more loads in the power receiving device 24, such as powering an application processor and charging a battery in the device 24. This principle of wireless power transfer can be referred to as the transmission and reception of wireless power or a wireless power signal.

[0026] The DC voltage generated by rectifier 50 can be used to power energy storage devices such as battery 58, and can also be used to power other components in power receiving device 24. For example, device 24 may include input-output devices 56, such as displays, touch sensors, communication circuitry, audio components, sensors, components that generate electromagnetic signals sensed by touch sensors in tablet computers or other devices having touch sensors (e.g., to provide stylus (pen) input, etc.), and other components, and these components may be powered by the DC voltage generated by rectifier 50 (and / or by the DC voltage generated by battery 58 or other energy storage devices in device 24). Wireless power transmitting device 12 may also include one or more input-output devices 62 (e.g., input devices and / or output devices described in conjunction with input-output devices 56) or may omit input-output devices 62 (e.g., to reduce device complexity).

[0027] The control circuitry 16 in the power transmitting device 12 may include transceiver circuitry 40 and measurement circuitry 41. Measurement circuitry 41 may be configured to detect external objects on the charging surface of the housing of device 12 (e.g., on top of the charging pad, or, if desired, to detect objects adjacent to the coupling surface of the charging pad). Therefore, measurement circuitry 41 is sometimes referred to as an external object measurement circuit. The housing of device 12 may have polymer walls, walls of other dielectrics, metal structures, fabric, and / or other housing wall structures encapsulating the coils 42 and other circuitry of device 12. The charging surface may be a flat outer surface of the upper housing wall of device 12. Measurement circuitry 41 may detect foreign objects such as coils, paperclips, and other metallic objects, and may detect the presence of wireless power receiving device 24 (e.g., circuitry 41 may detect the presence of one or more coils 48). During object detection and characterization operations, external object measurement circuitry 41 may be used to measure coil 42 to determine the presence of any device 24 on the charging surface of device 12.

[0028] The control circuitry 30 in the power receiving device 24 may include transceiver circuitry 46 and measurement circuitry 43. Measurement circuitry 43 may include signal generator circuitry, pulse generator circuitry, signal detection circuitry, and other and / or measurement circuitry (e.g., circuitry of the type described in conjunction with circuitry 41 in control circuitry 16). Circuitry 41 and / or circuitry 43 may be used to perform current and voltage measurements, measurements of transmitted and received power for power transmission efficiency estimation, coil Q-factor measurements, coil inductance measurements, coupling coefficient measurements, and / or other measurements. Based on this or other information, control circuitry 30 may characterize the operation of devices 12 and 24. For example, measurement circuitry 41 may measure coil 42 to determine the inductance and Q-factor values ​​of coil 42, may measure the transmitted power in device 12 (e.g., by measuring the DC voltage supplying inverter 60 and the DC current of inverter 60 and / or by otherwise measuring the voltage and current in the wireless power transmission circuitry 52 of device 12), and may perform other measurements of operating parameters associated with other components in device 12. In the power receiving device 24, the measurement circuit 43 can measure the coils 48 to determine the inductance and Q-factor values ​​of those coils, measure the power received in the device 24 (e.g., by measuring the output current and output voltage Vrect of the rectifier 50 and / or by otherwise measuring the voltage and current in the wireless power receiving circuit 54 of the device 24), and perform other measurements on operating parameters associated with other components in the device 24.

[0029] During wireless power transfer operations, the wireless transceiver (TX / RX) circuit 40 may use one or more coils 42 to transmit in-band signals to the wireless transceiver circuit 46, which are received by the wireless transceiver circuit 46 using coil 48. A suitable modulation scheme may support communication between the power transmitting device 12 and the power receiving device 24. In one exemplary configuration, Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) may be used to transfer in-band data from device 12 to device 24, and Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) may be used to transfer in-band data from device 24 to device 12. As another example, FSK may be used to transfer data in both directions between devices 12 and 24. As another example, ASK may be used to transfer data in both directions between devices 12 and 24. During these FSK and ASK transmissions, wireless power may be transferred from device 12 to device 24. The transmission of in-band data between devices 12 and 24 using FSK / ASK or other modulation schemes may be referred to as, and defined herein as, "in-band communication." Other types of in-band communication may be used if desired.

[0030] During wireless power transfer operation, the power transmitting circuit 52 supplies an AC drive signal to one or more coils 42 at a given power transmission frequency (sometimes referred to as the carrier frequency, power carrier frequency, or drive frequency). The power carrier frequency can be a predetermined frequency, such as approximately 125 kHz, approximately 128 kHz, approximately 200 kHz, approximately 326 kHz, approximately 360 kHz, at least 80 kHz, at least 100 kHz, less than 500 kHz, less than 300 kHz, 1.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, or other suitable wireless power frequencies. Devices operating under the Qi wireless charging standard established by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) typically operate between 110 kHz and 205 kHz, 80 kHz and 300 kHz, or 300 kHz and 400 kHz. In some configurations, the power transmission frequency can be negotiated in startup communication between devices 12 and 24. In other configurations, the power transmission frequency can be fixed.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the wireless power transmission and reception circuitry and associated wireless data transceiver circuitry in devices 12 and 24. The power transmission circuitry 52 of device 12 can use an inverter 60 or other driver to generate a wireless power signal, which is transmitted through an output circuit having one or more coils 42 and capacitors such as capacitor 70. The control signal for the inverter 60 is provided by the control circuitry 16 at the control input section 74. Figure 2 The example shows a single coil 42, but multiple coils 42 can be used if needed.

[0032] During wireless power transfer / transmission operation, the transistors in inverter 60 are driven by an AC control signal from control circuitry 16 (e.g., controller 16 supplies a drive signal to inverter 60 at the desired AC drive frequency at input 74). This causes the output circuitry formed by coil 42 and capacitor 70 to generate an alternating current (AC) electromagnetic field (signal 44), which is received by wireless power receiving circuitry 54 formed by coil 48 in device 24. Rectifier 50 can then convert the received power from AC to DC and supply a corresponding DC output voltage Vrect across rectifier output terminal 76 to power load 78 in device 24 (e.g., to charge battery 58, to power display and / or other input / output devices 56, and / or to power other circuitry in load 78).

[0033] During wireless power transmission operation, although the power transmission circuit 52 in device 12 drives the AC signal to coil 42 at the power transmission frequency to generate signal 44, the wireless transceiver circuit 40 in device 12 can use frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation to modulate the power transmission frequency driving the AC signal, and thereby modulate the frequency of signal 44. Figure 2 As shown, the FSK modulator 40T can modulate the power transmission frequency supplied by the controller 16 to the input section 74 of the inverter 60. Operating in this manner, FSK data is transmitted from the device 12 within the band to the device 24. This data can be received in the power receiving device 24 using the FSK demodulator 46R (data receiver RX) to perform FSK demodulation.

[0034] In power receiving device 24, coil 48 is used to receive signal 44. Power receiving circuitry 54 in device 24 uses the received signal on coil 48 and rectifier 50 to generate DC power. Simultaneously, wireless transceiver circuitry 46 (e.g., FSK demodulator 46R) in device 24 uses FSK demodulation to extract the transmitted in-band data from signal 44. This method allows FSK data (e.g., FSK data packets) to be transmitted from device 12 to device 24 in-band using coils 42 and 48, while simultaneously transferring wireless power from device 12 to device 24 via coils 42 and 48. Transceiver circuitry 46 may be coupled to coil 48 (e.g., via one or more capacitors). Measurement circuitry 43 may also be coupled to coil 48 or another node in power receiving circuitry 54 for impedance measurements, impulse response measurements, or other desired measurements for external object detection.

[0035] Such in-band communication between device 24 and device 12 can also utilize ASK modulation and demodulation techniques. For example, wireless transceiver circuit 46 includes an ASK modulator 46T coupled to coil 48 to modulate the impedance of power receiving circuit 54 (e.g., to adjust the impedance at coil 48). This, in turn, modulates the amplitude of signal 44 and the amplitude of the AC signal passing through coil 42. ASK demodulator 40R monitors the AC signal passing through coil 42 and uses ASK demodulation to extract the transmitted in-band data from these signals transmitted by wireless transceiver circuit 46. ASK demodulator 40R may be coupled to node 71 between coil 42 and capacitor 70, or may be coupled to some other node in power transmitting circuit 52. Similarly, measurement circuit 41 may be optionally coupled to node 71 or some other node in power transmitting circuit 52 for impedance measurements, impulse response measurements, or other desired measurements for external object detection. Using ASK communication allows ASK data bits (e.g., ASK data packets) to be transmitted from within the band of device 24 to device 12 via coils 48 and 42, while simultaneously wireless power is wirelessly transferred from device 12 to device 24 via coils 42 and 48.

[0036] Control circuitry 16 can also be configured to provide a power supply voltage (such as power supply voltage Vin) to power inverter 60. Device 12 may also include one or more voltage sensors (such as voltage sensor 18A) and one or more current sensors (such as current sensor 18B). Although voltage sensor 18A and current sensor 18B are shown separately from measurement circuitry 41, they can sometimes be considered as part of measurement circuitry 41. Voltage sensor 18A can be configured to measure the voltage level relative to inverter power supply voltage Vin, while current sensor 18B can be configured to measure the current level relative to inverter current Iin flowing through inverter 60.

[0037] If needed, the power receiving device 24 may also include one or more voltage sensors (such as voltage sensor 19A) and one or more current sensors (such as current sensor 19B). Although voltage sensor 19A and current sensor 19B are shown separately from measurement circuitry 43, they can sometimes be considered part of measurement circuitry 43. Voltage sensor 19A can be configured to measure the voltage level of the voltage Vrect output from rectifier 50, while current sensor 19B can be configured to measure the current level of the output current flowing into load 78. The voltage and current sensors within system 8 can be used to determine the power level within the system. Figure 2The specific locations of sensors 18A, 18B, 19A, and 19B (located on the DC side of inverter 60 and rectifier 50, respectively) are merely illustrative. In general, voltage and current sensors can be located at any desired location within power transmitting circuit 52 and power receiving circuit 54 (e.g., on the AC side of inverter 52 and rectifier 50, if desired).

[0038] As described above, the power transmitting device (PTX) 12 and the power receiving device (PRX) 24 can exchange in-band communications during wireless power transmission operations. During in-band communications, one or more packets can be transmitted between devices 12 and 24. During such in-band communications, there may be periods when no packets are exchanged between devices 12 and 24. Such periods or time windows during in-band communications, when no packets are exchanged between devices 12 and 24 or when no packets are expected to be exchanged, may herein be referred to as quiet periods, communication quiet periods, or quiet windows. Wireless power transmission can still occur during quiet periods. In practice, communication quiet periods can sometimes be used to provide a data receiver with an opportunity to respond to received data packets. For example, a data transmitter may instruct a data receiver (which may be part of the power transmitting device 12) to change its output power. Based on prior negotiation and / or compliance with protocol specifications, the transmitter and receiver understand that, following a specific instruction, a quiet period applies, allowing the data receiver (within the power transmitting device 12) to adjust the characteristics of the wireless signal without risking affecting in-band communication attempts on the signal.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the power transmitting device 12 can be configured to selectively deactivate one or more hardware components, particularly those facilitating data communication, during a quiet period to conserve power. Since quiet periods can occur frequently, and sometimes periodically, during wireless power transmission operations, deactivating one or more hardware components during these events can be technically advantageous and beneficial in significantly reducing power consumption, which can result in lower heat dissipation and higher power delivery and efficiency when charging the power receiving device 24.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps of operating a power transmitting device during wireless power transfer operation according to some embodiments. During operation at block 100, the power transmitting device 12 may begin transmitting wireless power to the power receiving device (PRX) 24. This type of operation mode of the power transmitting device 12, in which device 12 transmits wireless power signals to the power receiving device 24, is sometimes referred to as an active wireless power transfer mode. During the active wireless power transfer mode, the power receiving circuitry 54 of device 24 can convert the wireless power signal into a corresponding output voltage Vrect, which can be used to charge the battery within device 24 (see, for example, ...). Figure 2 Vrect at the output of the intermediate rectifier 50 and Figure 1 (58-cell battery).

[0041] During operation of box 102, power transmitting device 12 can receive packets from power receiving device 24 via in-band communication. Generally, packets can be transmitted periodically or aperiodically between devices 12 and 24. For example, power transmitting device 12 can receive control error packets (CEP) or extended control error (XCE) packets from power receiving device 24 according to the Qi standard specified by the Wireless Power Alliance. Control error packets and extended control error packets are packets that include information for controlling the amount of power transmitted from power transmitting device 12 to power receiving device 24, and are therefore sometimes more generally referred to as power feedback requests (or packets), power control requests (or packets), or power conditioning requests (or packets) that include power feedback information, power control information, or power conditioning information. Power receiving device 24 can transmit CEP or XCE packets to power transmitting device 12 at regular intervals during active wireless power transmission mode. This can be achieved by data receiver 40R (see...). Figure 2 Packets are received by sampling the signal at node 71. For example, a high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 90 can be configured to sample in-band ASK modulated data at node 71. The high-speed ADC 90 can be considered as... Figure 2 It is part of the ASK demodulator 40R shown, or alternatively can be considered as a separate front-end component at the input of the ASK demodulator 40R.

[0042] The example in which the power transmitting device 12 receives a power adjustment request / packet from the power receiving device 24 during block 104 is illustrative. During block 104, the power transmitting device 12 may additionally or alternatively obtain packets from the power receiving device 24 via in-band communication, including packets indicating the amount of power received at device 24, packets indicating the charge or battery level at device 24, authentication packets, and / or other types of data packets.

[0043] During the operation of block 104, the power transmitting device 12 can process the received packets and determine whether the received packets have an associated silence period. For example, the data receiver 40R can decode the received packets and transmit the decoded packets to the control circuit 16 (see...). Figure 2 Processing should be performed at ) location. In Figure 2In the example, firmware 94 or other processing subsystem within control circuitry 16 may be configured to process received packets and determine whether the packet has an associated quiet period (e.g., by examining or evaluating information in the packet header). The packet header may include information indicating the packet type and whether the packet has an associated quiet period. Some packets, such as CEP or XCE power conditioning packets, have a guaranteed subsequent quiet period. For example, in response to receiving a CEP or XCE packet, power transmitting device 12 may anticipate a quiet period with a duration in the millisecond range, such as 5 milliseconds to 600 milliseconds (ms). Device 12 may anticipate that device 24 will not transmit any packets during the quiet period immediately following the transmission of the CEP or XCE packet. During the quiet period, power transmitting device 12 may ramp up or ramp down its wireless power transmission level based on a power conditioning request. Such adjustment of the wireless power level can be achieved by adjusting the power level from inverter 60 (see [link to inverter 60]). Figure 2 This is achieved by adjusting the phase and / or duty cycle of the AC signal output and supplied to the wireless power transmission coil 42. The example of an associated quiet period for CEP / XCE power conditioning packets described herein is illustrative. In general, other types of packets may also have associated quiet periods of varying durations.

[0044] In response to determining that a packet has an associated silence period, power transmitting device 12 can start or activate a timer (see operation of box 106). This timer (sometimes referred to as a silence period timer) can be managed by firmware 94 or other timing components within control circuitry 16. The timer can have a configurable duration equal to the silence period duration. Different packets can have different silence period durations, and therefore different timer durations. The silence period duration can optionally be negotiated or selected by power receiving device 24, which will combine... Figures 5 to 7 A more detailed description is provided. The quiet period can optionally be synchronized with a quiet period timer (for example, the timer can expire at the end of the communication quiet period).

[0045] During operation of block 108, power transmitting device 12 can be configured to perform tasks based on information in received packets and optionally transmit corresponding acknowledgments to power receiving device 24. For example, in response to receiving a CEP or XCE packet, firmware 94 or other control components running on circuit 16 can be configured to dynamically adjust the non-zero inverter power supply voltage Vin. A power adjustment packet requesting higher wireless transmission power will result in an increased inverter power supply voltage Vin, while a power adjustment packet requesting lower wireless transmission power will result in a decreased inverter power supply voltage Vin. Adjustment of the inverter power supply voltage Vin may involve data conversion at an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 92 within control circuit 16. The speed of the data converter 92 may be relatively lower than the speed of the sampling ADC 90.

[0046] After, before, or in parallel with voltage Vin adjustment, power transmitting device 12 may send an acknowledgment (ACK) packet back to power receiving device 24 via in-band communication to acknowledge the execution of the requested task. During block 108, if firmware 94 running on device 12 determines for any reason that Vin adjustment is not feasible, firmware 94 may instruct device 12 to send a negative acknowledgment (NACK) packet back to device 24 via in-band communication to notify device 24 that the requested task will not be completed. Generally, other types of packets may cause power transmitting device 12 to perform other types of tasks, and may or may not require the transmission of acknowledgments.

[0047] During operation of block 110, power transmitting device 12 may temporarily de-energize (shut down or deactivate) one or more communication components during a quiet period to conserve power. As an example, power transmitting device 12 may selectively deactivate a data receiver (e.g., an ASK decoder) 40R and / or optionally the high-speed ADC 90 at the input of receiver 40R. In some embodiments, device 12 may selectively deactivate one or more components that are part of or associated with the ASK decoder 40R (e.g., device 12 may shut down a portion of the ASK decoder or may completely shut down the ASK decoder). When only a portion of the ASK decoder 40R is deactivated, the other portion of the ASK decoder 40R may still be energized. If desired, power transmitting device 12 may optionally deactivate firmware 94, ADC 92, and / or other components available for in-band communication. If desired, power transmitting device 12 may also selectively deactivate its data transmitter (e.g., an FSK encoder) 40T after sending an acknowledgment packet to device 24. In other words, the power transmitting device 12 can partially or completely shut down the transceiver 40 during at least a portion of the silent period.

[0048] The operation of block 110 for deactivating one or more hardware and / or software components within power transmitting device 12 is exemplary. If necessary, power receiving device 24 may optionally power off (shut down or deactivate) one or more hardware and / or software components (including communication components) during at least a portion of a silent period to conserve power on device 24. For example, device 24 may selectively deactivate its data receiver (e.g., FSK decoder) 46R after receiving an acknowledgment packet from device 12. If necessary, power receiving device 24 may also selectively deactivate its data transmitter (e.g., ASK encoder) 46T during a silent period. In other words, power receiving device 24 may partially or completely shut down transceiver 46.

[0049] The operation in box 110 is shown to occur after the operation in box 108. Figure 3 The examples are illustrative. Operation of block 110 can also occur in parallel (simultaneously) with operation of block 108 if desired. For example, power transmitting device 12 can selectively power off data receiver 40R and / or ADC 90 in parallel with regulating inverter supply voltage Vin or in parallel with transmitting acknowledgment packets back to power receiving device 24. In other embodiments, operation of block 110 can optionally occur prior to operation of block 108.

[0050] In response to the expiration of the silent period timer, the power transmitting device 12 can power on (reactivate or reconnect) one or more communication components that were previously deactivated during block 110 to resume in-band communication (see operation of block 112). If the power receiving device 12 previously deactivated any components during block 110, device 12 can also reconnect those components during block 112. When the power transmitting device 12 receives another packet from the power receiving device 24, processing can cycle back to block 102, as indicated by arrow 114. Opportunistically deactivating one or more in-band communication components in device 12 and / or device 24 during the silent period in this way can be technically advantageous and beneficial for power saving, which can result in reduced heat dissipation and improved wireless power delivery and charging efficiency.

[0051] The power transmitting device 12 is configured to deactivate one or more in-band communication components during the entire silent period. Figure 3 The examples are illustrative. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps of how the power transmitting device 12 can be woken up early before the end of the silent period. During the operation of block 200, the power transmitting device 12 can temporarily deactivate one or more communication components during the silent period to save power. Figure 4 The frame 200 can be equivalent to Figure 3 Box 110, and the steps in boxes 100 to 108 need not be repeated here to avoid obscuring this implementation.

[0052] During the quiet period, although power receiving device 24 should not transmit any packets to power transmitting device 12, the power consumed at power receiving device 24 can change based on actions from users of device 24. Power consumption may refer to the amount of power drawn by load 78, which is different from the amount drawn by the load 78. Figure 2The voltage and current sensed by sensors 19A and 19B are related to the amount of power drawn from the battery of device 24. For example, if a user opens an application during a quiet period, power draw at device 24 can increase significantly. Conversely, if the user closes the application during a quiet period, power consumption may decrease dramatically. In either scenario, it may be beneficial to wake up power transmitting device 12 to confirm that the current wireless power delivery is suitable for the current operating conditions of power receiving device 24. Such variations in power drawn by power receiving device 24 may be due to variations in power drawn by load 78, and are therefore sometimes referred to as “load variations” at device 24.

[0053] During operation of block 202, the power transmitting device 12 can detect such changes in power draw or load at the power receiving device 24 by, for example, monitoring corresponding changes in voltage at voltage sensor 18A or current at current sensor 18B. Load changes at the power receiving device 24 can cause corresponding changes in the inverter supply current Iin, the current flowing through coil 42, and / or other currents flowing through the power transmitting circuit 52. Generally, the power transmitting device 12 can detect such load changes at the power receiving device 24 by using the measurement circuit 41 within device 12 to monitor one or more signal levels, not limited to current, voltage, and / or power.

[0054] During operation at block 204, the power transmitting device 12 can compare the detected changes observed during block 202 with thresholds. For example, the power transmitting device 12 can compare the amount of current change with a current threshold. Similarly, the power transmitting device 12 can compare the amount of voltage change with a voltage threshold. And so on, the power transmitting device 12 can compare the amount of power change with a power threshold. If necessary, other types of operating parameters can be measured and compared during block 204.

[0055] In response to determining that the detected load change is greater than a threshold, power transmitting device 12 may continue to activate one or more communication components that were previously deactivated during block 200 before the silent period timer expired (see operation of block 206). The mode of device 12 and / or device 24 is sometimes referred to and defined herein as a "communication sleep mode," during which one or more in-band communication components are selectively de-energized during the silent period. Via Figure 4The step of exiting the communication sleep mode before the end of the silence period can technically advantageously and beneficially allow the power transmitting device 12 to wake up early and begin listening for potential packets that may arrive from the power receiving device 24 due to unexpected changes in power extraction or load at device 24. As an example, the power receiving device 24 may send to device 12 a power renegotiation packet (e.g., renegotiating a new wireless transmit power level due to a sudden load change), a packet instructing the device to switch roles (e.g., a packet instructing device 24 to switch from receiving wireless power to transmitting wireless power to device 12), a packet to stop active wireless power transmission, or a packet instructing device 12 to power down. In other words, the active wireless power transmission mode can optionally be stopped (to switch to a wireless power transmission stop mode) before the end of the silence period.

[0056] The power transmitting device 12 exits the communication sleep mode early. Figure 4 The examples are illustrative. In some implementations, the power transmitting device 12 may, in response to exiting its own communication sleep mode, continue to wake up the power receiving device 24 or transmit one or more packets to the power receiving device before the end of the silent period. For example, after waking up from the communication sleep mode, the power transmitting device 12 may use a data transmitter (e.g., an FSK encoder) 40T to transmit one or more FSK data packets to the power receiving device 24 to notify the device 24 that it has woken up and is ready to start receiving new packets.

[0057] According to Figures 1 to 4 In some implementation schemes where the implementation schemes are not mutually exclusive, the power receiving device 24 can be configured to negotiate or set the duration of the silent period used during the communication sleep mode. Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for negotiating the duration of the silent period. During operation at block 300, the power transmitting device 12 can operate in Foreign Object Detection (FOD) mode and can detect the presence of the power receiving device 24 on its charging surface. As an example, the power transmitting device 12 can use low-power external object detection or simulated ping to detect the presence of a foreign object. As another example, the power transmitting device 12 can employ measurement circuit 41 ( Figure 2 To perform impedance measurement, impulse response measurement or other suitable foreign object detection schemes to detect when device 24 has been placed on the charging surface of device 12.

[0058] After detecting the presence of the power receiving device 24 on its charging surface, the power transmitting device 12 can initiate negotiation by retrieving the wireless charging standard version number from the power transmitting device 12, as shown in the operation of block 302. Generally, as standards are updated over time, each wireless charging standard (protocol) can have versions or revisions. As an example, the Qi specification includes various versions of power profiles that define different maximum power transfer capabilities, communication protocols, object detection capabilities, and other aspects of wireless power transfer operation.

[0059] During the operation of block 304, power receiving device 24 can retrieve information from power transmitting device 12 identifying one or more control profiles supported by device 12. Generally, power transmitting device 12 may support one or more control profiles. Device 12 may support a first (baseline) control profile that provides a default power contract element specifying a default duration of quiescent period. Each power contract element may have a corresponding quiescent period duration value. The default quiescent period duration specified by the default power contract element may be 20 ms, 30 ms, 20 ms-30 ms, less than 20 ms, less than 30 ms, less than 40 ms, less than 50 ms, or other suitable default values.

[0060] Device 12 may optionally support a second (configurable) control profile providing one or more configurable power contract elements. For example, the second control profile may include a first configurable power contract element specifying a first configurable duration of a quiet period, a second configurable power contract element specifying a second configurable duration of a quiet period, a third configurable power contract element specifying a third configurable duration of a quiet period, a fourth configurable power contract element specifying a fourth configurable duration of a quiet period, and so on. As an example, the first configurable quiet period duration associated with the first power contract element may be 50 ms or other configurable values ​​adjustable by device 24; the second configurable quiet period duration associated with the second power contract element may be 100 ms or other configurable values ​​adjustable by device 24; the third configurable quiet period duration associated with the third power contract element may be 200 ms or other configurable values ​​adjustable by device 24; the fourth configurable quiet period duration associated with the fourth power contract element may be 500 ms or other configurable values ​​adjustable by device 24; and so on. If needed, the power transmitting device 12 can support additional power profiles with fixed or configurable (adjustable) power contract elements. Such control profiles supported by the power transmitting device 12 are sometimes referred to as power control profiles.

[0061] During operation of block 306, the power receiving device 24 may optionally adjust the quiet period duration of one or more power contract elements. For example, device 24 may adjust a second power contract element such that the second configurable quiet period duration changes from 100 ms to 125 ms, 80 ms, or other suitable values. If necessary, device 24 may adjust the durations of multiple power contract elements.

[0062] During operation at block 308, power receiving device 24 can select a control profile from the control profiles identified during block 304. If power transmitting device 12 only supports the baseline control profile (e.g., if the list only includes the baseline control profile), then power receiving device 24 will only be able to select the baseline control profile. If power transmitting device 12 supports multiple control profiles (e.g., if the identified profiles include the baseline control profile, configurable control profiles, and optional other control profiles), then power receiving device 24 can select from many control profiles. During operation at block 310, power transmitting device 12 can begin transmitting wireless power to power receiving device 24 according to the wireless charging standard version number obtained during block 302.

[0063] During the operation of block 312, power receiving device 24 may enable the transmission of packets to power transmitting device 12 according to the control profile selected from block 308. Figure 6 This is an illustration of an example packet, such as packet 400, that can be transmitted between devices 12 and 24. Figure 6 As shown, packet 400 may include headers such as header 402, selectors such as power contract element selector 404, a payload with a payload value 406, and optional other information 408. Although the power contract element selector 404 is shown as a separate field from header 402, it may sometimes be part of header 402. Packet 400 with power contract element selector 404 may be a CEP or XCE packet or other types of power conditioning packet. The payload value 406 of a CEP or XCE packet may be a control error value indicating the amount by which the power transmitting device 12 should increase or decrease its wireless power level to meet the current requirements of device 24. The payload value 406 of packet 400 may additionally or alternatively include a value for specifying the duration of a quiet period associated with packet 400 or a value for calculating the duration of a quiet period associated with packet 400 (e.g., the quiet period duration may be calculated based on values ​​in the packet payload). Other types of grouping may also include selectors, which are used to specify power contract elements or other elements that can be used to assign or calculate the duration of the quiet period.

[0064] The power contract element selector 404 of group 400 can be a single bit or multiple bit fields used to specify a power contract element. (See above for details.) Figure 5 As described in boxes 304 and 306, different power contract elements can be associated with different quiet period durations. Figure 7 Table 500 illustrates how different power contract element selector values ​​in group 400 can correspond to different configurable quiescent period durations. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the first power contract element selector value "0" can correspond to a first configurable quiet period duration T1; the second power contract element selector value "1" can correspond to a second configurable quiet period duration T2 different from T1; the third power contract element selector value "2" can correspond to a third configurable quiet period duration T3 different from T1 and T2; the fourth power contract element selector value "3" can correspond to a fourth configurable quiet period duration T4 different from T1 to T3; and so on. Therefore, when the power transmitting device 12 receives a packet 400 including a power contract element selector value "1", the device 12 will then enter a communication sleep mode with a corresponding quiet period duration T2. Figure 5 The operations in boxes 310 and 312 can correspond to Figure 3 The operations in boxes 100 and 102 within the text. Therefore, combined with... Figure 3 The operations described in boxes 104 to 112 can follow box 312 and do not need to be repeated to avoid obscuring this embodiment.

[0065] Figures 3 to 5 The operations described are illustrative. In some embodiments, one or more of the described operations may be modified, replaced, or omitted. In some embodiments, one or more of the described operations may be performed in parallel. In some embodiments, additional processes may be added or inserted between the described operations. If necessary, the order of certain operations may be reversed or changed, and / or the timing of the described operations may be adjusted so that they occur at slightly different times. In some embodiments, the described operations may be distributed across a larger system.

[0066] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device is provided, the method comprising: transmitting wireless power to a power receiving device using a wireless power transmission coil; obtaining packets transmitted from the power receiving device using a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil; determining whether the packets have an associated quiet period; and deactivating one or more communication components of the electronic device during at least a portion of the quiet period in response to determining that the packets have an associated quiet period.

[0067] According to another implementation, determining whether the group has an associated quiet period may optionally include evaluating the header of the group.

[0068] According to another embodiment, obtaining the packet sent from the power receiving device may optionally include decoding the packet according to a protocol specification utilized by the electronic device and the power receiving device, and determining whether the packet has an associated quiet period may optionally include identifying the type of the packet and determining whether the protocol specification limits a quiet period for the identified type of the packet.

[0069] According to another embodiment, identifying the type of the packet may optionally include identifying whether the packet includes a control error packet or an extended control error packet, the control error packet or the extended control error packet being configured to request adjustment of the wireless power transmitted by the wireless power transmission coil.

[0070] According to another embodiment, deactivating the one or more communication components may optionally include deactivating one or more components of the data receiver.

[0071] According to another embodiment, the data receiver optionally includes an amplitude shift keying (ASK) decoder, and deactivating the one or more communication components optionally includes deactivating at least a portion of the ASK decoder.

[0072] According to another embodiment, the electronic device may optionally further include an inverter configured to output an alternating current (AC) signal to the wireless power transmission coil, and the method may optionally include adjusting the power supply voltage of the inverter during the quiet period.

[0073] According to another embodiment, the method may optionally include adjusting the phase or duty cycle of the AC signal output from the inverter during the quiet period.

[0074] According to another embodiment, the method may optionally include: using a data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil to transmit an acknowledgment packet to the power receiving device after determining whether the packet has an associated silence period and before or in parallel with deactivating the one or more communication components of the electronic device during the silence period.

[0075] According to another embodiment, the method may optionally include deactivating the data transmitter during at least a portion of the silent period after transmitting the acknowledgment packet to the power receiving device.

[0076] According to another embodiment, the method may optionally include: using the data transmitter to transmit packets to the power receiving device before the quiet period expires, wherein the packets notify the power receiving device that the electronic device is ready to receive new packets.

[0077] According to another embodiment, the method may optionally include: after deactivating one or more communication components of the electronic device in response to determining that the packet has an associated quiet period, reactivating the one or more deactivated communication components when or before the quiet period expires.

[0078] According to another embodiment, the electronic device may optionally include an inverter configured to output an alternating current (AC) signal to the wireless power transmission coil, and the method may optionally include: reactivating the one or more deactivated communication components before the quiet period expires in response to detecting a change in the load characteristics of the power receiving device using the wireless power transmission coil.

[0079] According to another embodiment, the method may optionally include identifying a value representing the duration of the silent period from a portion of the group, wherein deactivating the one or more communication components of the electronic device includes deactivating the one or more communication components of the electronic device according to the duration specified by the value.

[0080] According to one embodiment, a power transmitting device is provided, the power transmitting device comprising: a wireless power transmission coil; an inverter configured to supply an AC signal to the wireless power transmission coil for transmitting wireless power to a power receiving device; a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and configured to receive packets transmitted from the power receiving device having an associated communication silence period; and control circuitry configured to deactivate the data receiver during at least a portion of the communication silence period.

[0081] According to another embodiment, the power transmitting device may optionally include a data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to deactivate the data transmitter during at least a portion of the communication silence period.

[0082] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a power transmitting device configured to transmit wireless power to a power receiving device, the power transmitting device including a wireless power transmission coil and a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, and the one or more programs including instructions for: processing packets at the data receiver; determining whether the packets have an associated silence period; and deactivating the data receiver during at least a portion of the silence period in response to determining that the packets have an associated silence period.

[0083] According to another embodiment, one or more procedures may optionally include instructions for deactivating a data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil during at least a portion of the silent period.

[0084] According to one embodiment, a control circuit is provided coupled to a wireless power transmission coil of a power transmitting device, wherein the control circuit is configured to: initiate communication with a power receiving device, during which the wireless power transmission coil transmits wireless power to the power receiving device; process packets received from the power receiving device during the communication; determine whether the packets have an associated silence period; and, in response to determining that the packets have an associated silence period, deactivate one or more communication components of the power transmitting device during at least a portion of the silence period.

[0085] According to another embodiment, the deactivated one or more communication components may optionally include a data receiver or data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil.

[0086] The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described implementation scheme. The foregoing implementation scheme can be implemented individually or in any combination.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising: Using a wireless power transmission coil, wireless power is transmitted to a power receiving device; Using a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, packets transmitted from the power receiving device are obtained; Determine whether the grouping has an associated quiet period; as well as In response to determining that the packet has an associated silence period, one or more communication components of the electronic device are deactivated during at least a portion of the silence period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the group has an associated quiet period includes evaluating the header of the group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the packet transmitted from the power receiving device comprises decoding the packet according to a protocol specification utilized by the electronic device and the power receiving device, and wherein determining whether the packet has an associated quiet period comprises identifying the type of the packet and determining whether the protocol specification limits a quiet period for the identified type of the packet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the type of the packet includes identifying whether the packet includes a control error packet or an extended control error packet, the control error packet or the extended control error packet being configured to request adjustment of the wireless power transmitted by the wireless power transmission coil.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the one or more communication components includes deactivating one or more components of the data receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data receiver includes an amplitude shift keying (ASK) decoder, and wherein deactivating the one or more communication components includes deactivating at least a portion of the ASK decoder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises an inverter configured to output an alternating current (AC) signal to the wireless power transmission coil, the method further comprising: The power supply voltage of the inverter is adjusted during the quiet period.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: During the quiet period, the phase or duty cycle of the AC signal output from the inverter is adjusted.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Using a data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, an acknowledgment packet is transmitted to the power receiving device after determining whether the packet has an associated silence period and before or in parallel with deactivating the one or more communication components of the electronic device during the silence period.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: After transmitting the acknowledgment packet to the power receiving device, the data transmitter is deactivated during at least a portion of the silent period.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: Using the data transmitter, packets are transmitted to the power receiving device before the quiet period expires, wherein the packets notify the power receiving device that the electronic device is ready to receive new packets.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After deactivating one or more communication components of the electronic device in response to determining that the packet has an associated quiet period, the one or more deactivated communication components are reactivated when or before the quiet period expires.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises an inverter configured to output an alternating current (AC) signal to the wireless power transmission coil, the method further comprising: In response to detecting a change in the load characteristics of the power receiving device using the wireless power transmission coil, the one or more deactivated communication components are reactivated before the quiet period expires.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A value representing the duration of the silent period is identified from a portion of the group, wherein deactivating the one or more communication components of the electronic device includes deactivating the one or more communication components of the electronic device according to the duration specified by the value.

15. A power transmitting device, the power transmitting device comprising: Wireless power transfer coil; An inverter configured to supply an AC signal to the wireless power transmission coil for transmitting wireless power to a power receiving device; A data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and configured to receive packets with associated communication silence periods transmitted from the power receiving device; and A control circuit configured to deactivate the data receiver during at least a portion of the communication silence period.

16. The power transmitting device according to claim 15, further comprising: A data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to deactivate the data transmitter during at least a portion of the communication silence period.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a power transmitting device configured to transmit wireless power to a power receiving device, the power transmitting device including a wireless power transmission coil and a data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, and the one or more programs including instructions for: Packets are processed at the data receiver; Determine whether the grouping has an associated quiet period; as well as In response to determining that the packet has an associated quiet period, the data receiver is deactivated during at least a portion of the quiet period.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for performing the following operations: During at least a portion of the silent period, the data transmitter coupled to the wireless power transmission coil is deactivated.

19. A control circuit coupled to a wireless power transmission coil of a power transmitting device, the control circuit being configured to: Initiating communication with a power receiving device, during which the wireless power transmission coil transmits wireless power to the power receiving device; Processing packets received from the power receiving device during the communication; Determine whether the grouping has an associated quiet period; as well as In response to determining that the packet has an associated silence period, one or more communication components of the power transmitting device are deactivated during at least a portion of the silence period.

20. The control circuit of claim 19, wherein the deactivated one or more communication components include a data transmitter or data receiver coupled to the wireless power transmission coil.

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