Cooling profile in wireless charging system

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device that identifies cooling level information and noise level information for multiple cooling profiles. [Solution] The wireless charging system 8 includes a wireless power receiving device 24 that receives a wireless power signal from a wireless power transmitting device 12, the wireless power transmitting device transmits cooling capacity information to the wireless power receiving device, and the wireless power receiving device transmits a cooling profile request to the wireless power transmitting device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 19 / 264,225, filed Jul. 9, 2025, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 711,068, filed Oct. 23, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 688,422, filed Aug. 29, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. (Technical Field) This application generally relates to a power system including a wireless power system for charging an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] In a wireless charging system, a wireless power transmitting device wirelessly supplies power to a wireless power receiving device. The wireless power receiving device uses the wireless power to charge a battery and / or supply power to components. Under some usage conditions, the temperature of the wireless power transmitting device and / or the wireless power receiving device may increase during the wireless charging operation.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] An electronic device may include a wireless power transmission coil, a rectifier operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, and a control circuit operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and the rectifier, the control circuit configured to receive, using the wireless power transmission coil, a first packet identifying cooling level information and noise level information of a plurality of cooling profiles from an additional electronic device, and to transmit, using the wireless power transmission coil, a second packet to the additional electronic device, the second packet identifying a requested cooling profile of the plurality of cooling profiles.

[0004] The electronic device may include a wireless power transmission coil, an inverter configured to supply an AC drive signal to the wireless power transmission coil, one or more cooling systems, and a control circuit operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, the inverter, and one or more cooling systems, which uses the wireless power transmission coil to transmit a first packet to an additional electronic device identifying cooling level information and noise level information for a plurality of cooling profiles, and uses the wireless power transmission coil to receive a second packet from the additional electronic device identifying a requested cooling profile among the plurality of cooling profiles, and operates one or more cooling systems according to the requested cooling profile. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary wireless power system according to several embodiments.

[0006] [Figure 2] This is a circuit diagram of a wireless power transmission and reception circuit according to several embodiments.

[0007] [Figure 3] This is a table of exemplary cooling capacities of wireless power transmission devices according to several embodiments.

[0008] [Figure 4] This figure shows how, according to several embodiments, a wireless power transmission device can transmit cooling capacity information to a wireless power receiving device.

[0009] [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating exemplary data packets that can be transported between a wireless power transmission device and a wireless power reception device, according to several embodiments.

[0010] [Figure 6A] This is a diagram of an exemplary message in a packet containing cooling capacity information, according to several embodiments. [Figure 6B]This is a diagram of an exemplary message in a packet containing cooling capacity information, according to several embodiments.

[0011] [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary extended power transmitter extended capability packet according to several embodiments.

[0012] [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of exemplary methods that can be performed by a wireless power transmission device according to several embodiments.

[0013] [Figure 9] This is a flowchart of exemplary methods that can be performed by a wireless power receiving device according to several embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] An exemplary wireless power system (sometimes called a wireless charging system) is shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless power system 8 may include one or more wireless power transmission devices, such as a wireless power transmission device 12, and one or more wireless power receiving devices, such as a wireless power receiving device 24. The wireless power system 8 may also be referred to herein as a wireless power transmission (WPT) system 8 or wireless power system 8. The wireless power transmission device 12 may also be referred herein as a power transmitter (PTX) device 12 or simply PTX 12. The wireless power receiving device 24 may also be referred herein as a power receiver (PRX) device 24 or simply PRX 24.

[0015] The PTX device 12 includes a control circuit 16, which is mounted within a housing 30. The PRX device 24 includes a control circuit 38, which is mounted within a corresponding housing 52 for the PRX device 24. Exemplary control circuits 16 and 38 are used to control the operation of the WPT system 8. This control circuit may include a processing circuit that includes one or more processors, such as a microprocessor, a power management unit, a baseband processor, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), an application-specific integrated circuit with processing circuits, and / or other processing circuits. The processing circuit implements desired control and communication functions within the PTX device 12 and the PRX device 24. For example, the processing circuit may be used to control power to one or more coils, determine and / or set power transmission levels, generate and / or process sensor data (e.g., to detect foreign objects and / or external electromagnetic signals or electromagnetic fields), control the operation of one or more cooling systems, process user input, handle negotiation between the PTX device 12 and the PRX device 24, send and receive in-band and out-of-band data, perform measurements, and / or control the operation of the WPT system 8.

[0016] The control circuits within the WPT system 8 (e.g., control circuits 16 and / or 38) may be configured to perform operations within the WPT system 8 using hardware (e.g., dedicated hardware or circuitry), firmware, and / or software. The software code for performing operations within the WPT system 8 is stored on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a tangible computer-readable storage medium) within the control circuits of the WPT system 8. The software code may be referred to as software, data, program instructions, instructions, or code. The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium may include non-volatile memory such as non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM), one or more hard drives (e.g., magnetic drives or solid-state drives), one or more removable flash drives, or other removable media. The software stored on the non-temporary computer-readable storage medium can be executed on the processing circuits of control circuits 16 and / or 38.

[0017] The PTX device 12 may be a standalone power adapter (e.g., a wireless charging mat or charging pack including a power adapter circuit), a wireless charging mat or pack connected by cable to a power adapter or other device, an electronic device (e.g., a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a computer monitor with a built-in embedded computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a small device such as a wristwatch device, a pendant device, headphones or earphone devices, glasses, goggles, or a device incorporated into other equipment worn on the user's head, or other wearable or miniature devices, a television, a computer display without a built-in embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, a wireless internet-connected voice-controlled speaker, a home entertainment device, a remote control device, a gaming controller, a peripheral user input device, a wireless base station or access point, equipment implementing two or more functions of these devices, or other electronic equipment), equipment incorporated into furniture, a vehicle, or other system, a removable battery case, or other wireless power transmission equipment.

[0018] The PRX device 24 can be an electronic device such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a computer monitor including an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular phone, a media player, or other handheld electronic device or portable electronic device, a wristwatch device, a pendant device, a headset device or earphone device, a device embedded in glasses, goggles or other equipment worn on the user's head, or other wearable device or miniature device, a wireless tracking tag, a television, a computer display excluding an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an Internet-connected voice-controlled wireless speaker, a home entertainment device, a remote control device, a gaming controller, a peripheral user input device, a wireless base station or access point, a device implementing functions of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment.

[0019] The PTX device 12 may be connected to a main power source such as a wall outlet or an AC-DC adapter plugged into a wall outlet. Alternatively or additionally, the PTX device 12 may have a battery for supplying power and / or another power source. In an implementation where the PTX device 12 is coupled to the main power source via an external power adapter, the adapter may have an AC-DC power converter that converts alternating current (AC) power from a wall outlet or other power source to direct current (DC) power. If necessary, the PTX device 12 may include a DC-DC power converter for converting DC power between different DC voltages. Additionally or alternatively, the PTX device 12 may include an AC-DC power converter that generates DC power from AC power provided by a wall outlet (e.g., in an implementation where the PTX device 12 is connected to a wall outlet without an external power adapter). The DC power can be used to supply power to the control circuit 16. During operation, a controller in the control circuit 16 uses the power transmission circuit 22 to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiving circuit 46 of the PRX device 24.

[0020] The power transmission circuit 22 may have a switching circuit (e.g., an inverter circuit 26 formed from transistors) that is turned on and off based on a control signal supplied by the control circuit 16 to generate an AC current signal via one or more wireless power transmission coils, such as one or more wireless power transmission coils 32. These coil drive signals cause the coil(s) 32 to transmit wireless power. In implementations where the coil(s) 32 includes multiple coils, the coils may be arranged on a ferromagnetic structure, arranged in a planar coil array, or arranged to form a cluster of coils (e.g., two or more coils, 5 to 10 coils, at least 10 coils, 10 to 30 coils, fewer than 35 coils, fewer than 25 coils, or any other appropriate number of coils). In some implementations, the PTX device 12 includes only a single coil 32.

[0021] When an AC current flows through one or more coils 32, an alternating electromagnetic field (e.g., magnetic field) (wireless power signal 44) is generated and received by one or more corresponding receiving coils such as coils (singular or plural) 48 within the PRX device 24. In other words, one or more of the coils 32 are inductively coupled to one or more of the coils 48. The PRX device 24 may have a single coil 48, at least two coils 48, at least three coils 48, at least four coils 48, or another suitable number of coils 48. When the alternating electromagnetic field is received by the coil(s) 48, a corresponding alternating current is induced within the coil(s) 48. The AC signal used when transmitting wireless power may have any desired frequency (e.g., between 100 - 400 kHz, 1 - 100 MHz, between 1.7 MHz - 1.8 MHz, less than 2 MHz, between 100 kHz - 2 MHz, between 100 kHz - 15 MHz, 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, etc.). A rectification circuit such as rectification circuit 50, including rectification components such as synchronous rectification transistors disposed within a bridge network, converts the received AC signal (the received alternating signal associated with the wireless power signal 44) into a DC voltage signal for powering the PRX device 24 from one or more coils 48. The wireless power signal 44 may be referred to herein as wireless power 44 or wireless charging signal 44. The coil 32 may be referred to herein as wireless power transmission coil 32, wireless charging coil 32, or wireless power sending coil 32. The coil 48 may be referred to herein as wireless power transmission coil 48, wireless charging coil 48, or wireless power receiving coil 48.

[0022] The DC voltage generated by the rectifier circuit 50 (sometimes called the rectifier output voltage Vrect) may be used to charge a battery such as the battery 34, or to supply power to other components in the PRX device 24, such as the control circuit 38 and the input / output (I / O) device 54. The PTX device 12 may also include input / output devices such as the input / output device 28. The input / output device 54 and / or the input / output device 28 may include input devices for collecting user inputs and / or performing environmental measurements, and may include output devices for providing outputs to the user.

[0023] For example, input / output devices 28 and / or 54 may include a display (screen) for generating a visual output, a speaker for presenting the output as an audio signal, a light-emitting diode status indicator light and other light-emitting components for emitting light to provide status information and / or other information to the user, a tactile device for generating vibration and other tactile outputs, and / or other output devices. Input / output devices 28 and / or 54 may also include sensors for collecting user input and / or making measurements of the surroundings of the WPT system 8.

[0024] Figure 1 shows an example in which the input / output device 54 within the PRX 24 includes one or more temperature sensors 62. One or more temperature sensors can measure the temperature related to the environment of the PRX 24 and / or the temperature of the PRX 24 itself. In one exemplary example, at least one temperature sensor may be positioned to measure the temperature of the outer surface of the housing 52, and at least one temperature sensor may be positioned to measure the temperature of the battery 34 (inside the PRX 24).

[0025] The example of a PRX device 24 including a battery 34 in Figure 1 is illustrative. More generally, the electronic device may include an energy storage device 34. The energy storage device 34 may be a battery or, for example, a supercapacitor that stores electric charge.

[0026] The PTX device 12 and the PRX device 24 can communicate wirelessly using in-band or out-of-band communication. Implementations using in-band communication, for example, can utilize frequency-shift keying (FSK) and / or amplitude-shift keying (ASK) techniques to communicate in-band data between the PTX device 12 and the PRX device 24. Wireless power and in-band data transmission can be carried using coils 32 and 48 simultaneously. When the PTX 12 transmits in-band data to the PRX 24, the wireless transceiver (TX / RX) circuit 20 can modulate the wireless charging signal 44 to provide FSK or ASK communication, and the wireless transceiver circuit 40 can demodulate the wireless charging signal 44 to obtain the transmitted data. When the PRX 24 transmits in-band data to the PTX 12, the wireless transceiver (TX / RX) circuit 40 can modulate the wireless charging signal 44 to provide FSK or ASK communication, and the wireless transceiver circuit 20 can demodulate the wireless charging signal 44 to obtain the transmitted data.

[0027] Implementations using out-of-band communication can utilize, for example, a hardware antenna structure and a communication protocol such as Bluetooth or NFC to communicate out-of-band data between the PTX device 12 and the PRX device 24. Power can be wirelessly carried between coils 32 and 48 simultaneously with the transmission of out-of-band data. The wireless transceiver circuit 20 can wirelessly transmit and / or receive out-of-band signals to and / or from the PRX device 24 using an antenna such as antenna 56. The wireless transceiver circuit 40 can wirelessly transmit and / or receive out-of-band signals to and / or from the PTX device 12 using an antenna such as antenna 58.

[0028] The control circuit 16 within the PTX device 12 includes a measurement circuit 18 that can be used to perform measurements of one or more external characteristics of the PTX device 12. For example, the measurement circuit 18 may detect external objects on or adjacent to the charging surface of the housing of the PTX device 12. Although shown in Figure 1 as being separated from the power transmission circuit 22 for clarity, the measurement circuit 18 may form part of the power transmission circuit 22 if desired.

[0029] The measurement circuit 18 may detect foreign objects such as coils, paper clips, and other metallic objects, may detect the presence of the PRX device 24 (for example, the circuit 18 may detect the presence of one or more coils 48 and / or magnetic core material associated with the coils 48), and / or the presence of other power transmitting devices in the vicinity of the PTX device 12 and / or the WPT system 8. The measurement circuit 18 may also be used to perform sensor measurements using a capacitive sensor, to perform temperature measurements, and / or in other ways to collect information indicating whether foreign objects, power transmitting devices, power receiving devices, or other external objects (e.g., the PRX device 24) are present on or adjacent to the coils 32 of the PTX device 12. If necessary, the PRX device 24 may include a measurement circuit 42. The measurement circuit 42 may perform one or more of the measurements performed by the measurement circuit 18 (for example, for or using the coils 48 on the PRX device 24).

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the PTX 12 may include one or more cooling systems 64. The cooling systems are configured to cool one or more parts of the PTX 12. The cooling systems may cool the temperature of the charging surface of the housing 30 of the PTX 12. When the PRX 24 is mounted on the charging surface, cooling the charging surface may also cool the PRX 24.

[0031] The cooling system 64 may include one or more fans 66. Each fan can be individually controlled by the control circuit 16 to adjust the overall cooling applied by the cooling system 64. Each fan may have a maximum speed (having the associated maximum cooling effect), a minimum speed (e.g., when the fan is off and there is no associated cooling effect), and one or more intermediate speeds. In a specific example, the fan may be able to operate in four states: an off state where the fan does not rotate, a low state where the fan rotates at a first speed and provides a first cooling effect, an intermediate state where the fan rotates at a second speed and provides a second cooling effect, and a high state where the fan rotates at a third speed and provides a third cooling effect. The second speed may be greater than the first speed, and the third speed may be greater than the second speed. The second cooling effect may be greater than the first cooling effect, and the third cooling effect may be greater than the second cooling effect.

[0032] The cooling system 64 may include one or more solid cooling modules 68. The solid cooling modules may include a thermoelectric heat pump (sometimes called a Peltier cooler, Peltier element, solid refrigerator, thermoelectric cooler, etc.) that transfers heat along with the consumption of electrical energy. Each solid cooling module may be capable of operating in different conditions having different corresponding cooling levels.

[0033] The cooling systems provided herein are for illustrative purposes only. In general, the PTX 12 may include any desired type(s) of cooling system.

[0034] Each of the housings 30 and 52 can be formed from plastic, metal, fiber composite materials such as carbon fiber materials, wood and other natural materials, glass, other materials, and / or combinations of two or more of these materials.

[0035] The example in Figure 1, where PTX 12 transmits wireless power and PRX 24 receives wireless power, is merely illustrative. PTX 12 can optionally receive wireless power signals using one or more coils 32, and PRX 24 can optionally transmit wireless power signals using one or more coils 48. When a device is capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless power signals, the device may include both an inverter and a rectifier.

[0036] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary wireless charging circuit for system 8. As shown in Figure 2, the circuit 22 may include an inverter circuit, such as one or more inverters 26, or other drive circuits that generate a wireless power signal transmitted via an output circuit, such as one or more coils 32 and a capacitor, such as a capacitor 70. In some embodiments, the device 12 may include a plurality of individually controlled inverters 26, each supplying a drive signal to an individual coil 32. In other embodiments, the inverters 26 are shared among the plurality of coils 32 using a switching circuit.

[0037] During operation, control signals for the inverter(s) 26 are provided by the control circuit 16 at the control input 74. While a single inverter 26 and a single coil 32 are shown in the embodiment of Figure 2, multiple inverters 26 and multiple coils 32 may be used as needed. In a multiple-coil configuration, a switching circuit (e.g., a multiplexer circuit) can be used to couple a single inverter 26 to multiple coils 32, and / or each coil 32 to an individual inverter 26. During wireless power transmission operation, transistors in one or more selected inverters 26 are driven by AC control signals from the control circuit 16. The relative phase between inverters can be dynamically adjusted (e.g., a pair of inverters 26 may produce in-phase or out-of-phase output signals).

[0038] By applying a drive signal using an inverter (one or more) 26 (for example, a transistor or other switch in circuit 22), the output circuit formed from the selected coil 32 and capacitor 70 generates an AC electromagnetic field (signal 44) which is received by the wireless power receiving circuit 46 using a wireless power receiving circuit formed from one or more coils 48 and one or more capacitors 72 in device 24.

[0039] The rectifier circuit 50 is coupled to one or more coils 48 and converts the received power from AC to DC, supplying a corresponding DC output voltage Vrect between the rectifier output terminals 76 to power load circuits within the device 24 (for example, to charge the battery 34, to power the display and / or other input / output devices 54, and / or other components).

[0040] The cooling system(s)64 within the PTX 12 may be capable of operating in numerous different configurations, each configuration having its own characteristics. Figure 3 is a table of exemplary cooling system configurations. Each cooling system configuration may be referred to as a cooling profile. In the example in Figure 3, the cooling system(s)64 can operate in 10 unique profiles, i.e., profile 0, profile 1, profile 2, etc. The magnitude of the cooling effect provided by each cooling profile may increase as the profile number increases. In other words, profile 1 provides a greater cooling effect than profile 0, profile 2 provides a greater cooling effect than profile 1, profile 3 provides a greater cooling effect than profile 2, and so on. Thus, the profile number also indicates the cooling level associated with that profile (higher profile numbers indicate higher cooling levels).

[0041] As shown in the table in Figure 3, each cooling profile may have corresponding noise information and power sacrifice information. The noise information indicates the audible noise generated by the cooling system(s) 64 while the cooling system is operating according to its cooling profile. The power sacrifice information, also called power reservation information, indicates whether the power transmission circuit 22 must reduce its transmit power so that power is reserved for the operation of the cooling system(s) 64 when it is operating using its cooling profile.

[0042] As an example of a cooling profile, consider a PTX 12 with two fans and a solid cooling module. In the first cooling profile, one of the two fans can be turned on at a low speed, one of the two fans can be turned off, and the solid cooling module can be turned off. In the second cooling profile, which has a greater cooling effect than the first, both fans can be turned on at a low speed and the solid cooling module can be turned off. In the third cooling profile, which has a greater cooling effect than the second, one of the two fans can be turned on at a low speed, one of the two fans can be turned on at a high speed, and the solid cooling module can be turned off. In the fourth cooling profile, which has a greater cooling effect than the third, both fans can be turned on at a high speed and the solid cooling module can be turned off. In the fifth cooling profile, which has a greater cooling effect than the fourth, one of the two fans can be turned on at a low speed, one of the two fans can be turned off, and the solid cooling module can be turned on. In the sixth cooling profile, which provides greater cooling than the fifth cooling profile, both fans are turned on at low speed and the solid cooling module may be turned on. In the seventh cooling profile, which provides greater cooling than the sixth cooling profile, one of the two fans is turned on at low speed and the other at high speed and the solid cooling module may be turned on. In the eighth fourth cooling profile, which provides greater cooling than the seventh cooling profile, both fans are turned on at high speed and the solid cooling module may be turned on.

[0043] Operating fans at higher speeds is noisier than operating them at lower speeds. Similarly, operating more fans is noisier than operating fewer fans. Some cooling systems, such as solid cooling modules (one or more) 68, may be relatively quiet (whether turned on or off). The noise characteristics associated with each cooling profile may indicate how detectable the noise from the cooling system(s) is against ambient noise in the PTX 12's surrounding environment. The noise characteristics of a cooling system(s) 64 when all cooling systems(s) are turned off may be zero (e.g., no noise is generated by the cooling system when it is turned off). In a quiet room, the noise characteristics of a cooling system(s) 64 with one fan turned on at a low speed may be low. In a quiet room, the noise characteristics of a cooling system(s) 64 with two fans turned on at a high speed may be high. In noisy environments, ambient noise may mask noise from the cooling system(s) 64. In noisy environments, the noise characteristics of the cooling system(s) 64 when one fan is turned on at low speed may be none (for example, one fan at low speed may not produce any audible noise in a noisy environment). In noisy environments, the noise characteristics of the cooling system(s) 64 when two fans are turned on at high speed may be low (for example, two high-speed fans may produce low audible noise in a noisy environment).

[0044] Therefore, the noise characteristics may include perceived noise associated with the cooling profile (taking ambient noise into account) and / or noise associated with the cooling profile independently of ambient noise.

[0045] Operating more fans and / or solid cooling modules may require more power consumption than operating fewer fans and / or solid cooling modules (for example, turning on three fans requires more power than turning on one fan). Similarly, operating a single cooling system to have a high cooling effect may require more power consumption than operating the cooling system to have a low cooling effect (for example, operating a fan at high speed requires more power than operating a fan at low speed). The higher the power consumption of the cooling system(s)64, the more likely the PTX 12 is to need to reserve power that is sent to the PRX 24 by the power transmission circuit 22. For example, the PTX 12 may supply 15W of power to the PRX 24 when the cooling system is not turned on. When the cooling system is operating according to the first cooling profile, the PTX 12 may continue to supply 15W of power to the PRX 24 (for example, the power does not need to be reserved). When the cooling system operates according to the second cooling profile, PTX 12 may supply 14W of power to PRX 24 (for example, 1W of power must be reserved). When the cooling system operates according to the third cooling profile, PTX 12 may supply 12W of power to PRX 24 (for example, 3W of power must be reserved).

[0046] The power reservations associated with each cooling profile may depend on the real-time operating conditions of the PTX 12. For example, the PTX 12 may not need to reserve power for the first, second, or third cooling profile when it is connected to a mains power source (e.g., a wall outlet). However, when the PTX 12 is not connected to a mains power source (and is operating using battery power), it may need to reserve power for the second and third cooling profiles.

[0047] During the operation of the wireless charging system 8, the PTX 12 may transmit cooling capacity information to the PRX 24. The cooling capacity information may identify the cooling profile and corresponding cooling level information, noise information, and / or power reservation information. As an example, the cooling capacity information transmitted from the PTX 12 to the PRX 24 may include the information in the table in Figure 3. Upon receiving the cooling capacity information from the PTX 12, the PRX 24 may select one of the profiles identified in the cooling capacity information and transmit this selection (sometimes called a request) to the PTX 12. The PTX 12 may then operate the cooling system(s) 64 using the cooling profile requested by the PRX 24.

[0048] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating how PTX 12 can send cooling capacity information to PRX 24. As shown in Figure 4, PRX 24 may optionally send packet 106 to PTX 12. Packet 106 (sometimes called a cooling capacity request packet or GET_COOLING_INFO packet) can function as a request from PRX 24 for PTX 12 to send cooling capacity information to PRX 24. Packet 106 may optionally be omitted, and PTX 12 may automatically send cooling capacity information to PRX 24 at regular intervals and / or in response to changes in PTX 12's cooling capacity.

[0049] PTX 12 may send packet 102 to PRX 24. Packet 102 (sometimes called the Cooling Capability packet or COOLING_CAP packet) may identify several cooling profiles having corresponding cooling level information, noise information, and / or power reservation information. PRX 24 receives the Cooling Capability packet 102 and selects one of the profiles identified in the Cooling Capability information. PRX 24 may then send packet 104 (sometimes called the Cooling Profile Request packet 104 or SET_COOLING_PARAM packet 104) to PTX 12, identifying the requested profile from among the profiles identified in the Cooling Capability information. In response to receiving the Cooling Profile Request packet 104, PTX 12 may optionally send a response packet 108 (sometimes called the Cooling Profile Request Response packet 108 or RSP_COOLING_PARAM packet 108) to confirm whether the requested cooling profile has been implemented by PTX 12.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the process in which PTX 12 sends a cooling capacity packet 102 to PRX 24 and PRX 24 responds with a cooling profile request packet 104 may be repeated. PRX 24 may respond with a cooling profile request packet 104 each time it receives a cooling capacity packet 102. PRX 24 may optionally choose to receive a cooling capacity packet 102 and take no further action (for example, PRX 24 may not send a cooling profile request packet 104 in response to receiving a cooling capacity packet 102). PTX 12 may send a cooling capacity packet 102 at periodic intervals when there is a change in the cooling capacity information contained in the cooling capacity packet and / or in response to receiving a cooling capacity request packet 106 from PRX 24.

[0051] For example, the cooling profile characteristics may change when the PTX 12 is connected to a mains power source (e.g., an AC-DC adapter plugged into a wall outlet). The PTX 12 may send a first cooling capacity packet before it is connected to the mains power source. Depending on whether the PTX 12 is connected to the mains power source, the PTX 12 may send a second cooling capacity packet containing updated cooling profile information indicating that the PTX is connected to the mains power source.

[0052] Each of packets 102, 104, 106, and 108 may contain a number of data bits (sometimes called bits). The data bits may be grouped into bytes, each byte containing any desired number of bits (e.g., 8 bits). Each of packets 102, 104, 106, and 108 may be transmitted using in-band communication.

[0053] Data packets may be transmitted between device 12 and device 24 within a data stream. Many types of data may be transmitted between a wireless power transmitting device and a wireless power receiving device. As shown in relation to Figure 4, data transmitted between a wireless power transmitting device and a wireless power receiving device may include cooling capacity information and / or cooling profile requests. Furthermore, transmitted data may include authentication data, firmware updates, commands, configuration data, power data (e.g., received power level, charge status, etc.), or any other desired type of data. Numerous types of data packets may be transmitted during the operation of one or more data streams. Auxiliary data control (ADC) packets can be used to open and close (activate and deactivate) data streams. Auxiliary data transmission (ADT) packets can be used to transmit data using an active data stream. Data stream response (DSR) packets may allow the transmission of an acknowledgment upon successful reception of data. All of these types of packets may optionally include a stream header or other stream identification information.

[0054] In some communication schemes, using in-band communication between devices 12 and 24, only one active data stream may exist per communication direction. This restricts the transmission of only one type of data to the devices at a time. Data packets may be transmitted using the data stream until all associated data packets have been successfully transmitted. After transmission is complete, the transmission of additional packets of a different type may begin. Alternatively, to increase the flexibility of data communication, a communication scheme that allows multiple active data streams may be used. This provides more control over the transmission of different types of information. For example, a first data stream containing a first type of data may be paused, and a second type of data may be transmitted using a second data stream. Once the second type of data is transmitted, the transmission of the first type of data using the first data stream may resume.

[0055] Figure 5 is a diagram of an exemplary data packet containing cooling capacity information. As shown in Figure 5, packet 102 may include a preamble 204 (e.g., preamble bytes), a header 206 (e.g., header bytes), a message 208 (e.g., one or more message bytes), and a checksum 210 (e.g., checksum bytes). The preamble 204 may include a sequence of bits that allows a data packet receiving device to accurately detect the start bit of the header. The header 206 may indicate the type of packet being transmitted. If the packet is a cooling capacity packet, the header may identify the packet as a data packet providing cooling capacity information. The message 208 (sometimes called payload 208) contains the data that is to be transmitted. If the packet is a cooling capacity packet, the message 208 may include cooling capacity information (as shown in more detail in relation to Figure 6A). The checksum 210 allows verification that the entire packet was successfully transmitted. A device receiving the packet can calculate the checksum value of the packet and compare the calculated checksum value to the received target checksum value in the checksum byte. If the calculated checksum value matches the target checksum value, the packet is interpreted as having been transmitted successfully. If the calculated checksum value does not match the target checksum value, the packet transmission is interpreted as containing an error.

[0056] In a communication scheme having multiple simultaneously active data streams, packet 102 may include an optional stream header that identifies the corresponding stream number of the data packet. The stream header may be transmitted after the header 206 but before the message 208, or at any other desired position within the packet.

[0057] Figure 6A is a diagram of an exemplary message byte 208 of the cooling capacity packet 102 in Figure 5. As shown, the message 208 contains 5 bytes (B0, B1, B2, B3, B4), each byte having 8 bits (b0, b1, etc.). This example is illustrative, and generally, packet 102 may contain any desired number of bytes and any desired number of bits per byte. The message 208 may contain one or more bits 212 representing the number of entries / profiles in the cooling capacity packet 102. For example, if the PTX 12 has 10 possible cooling profiles as in the example in Figure 3, one or more bits 212 may indicate a magnitude of 10 (for 10 corresponding profiles).

[0058] Subsequent bits in message 208 can convey the characteristics of each profile. As shown in Figure 6A, one or more bits 214 may identify a first profile, such as profile 0. One or more bits 216 may identify the cooling level associated with the first profile. One or more bits 218 may identify the noise level associated with the first profile. One or more bits 220 may identify the power reservation level associated with the first profile.

[0059] The profile identification information 214 can simply identify a particular cooling profile. When the PRX 24 selects one of the cooling profiles in the cooling profile request packet 104, the cooling profile request packet may contain one or more bits that identify the profile identification information 214 associated with the selected profile. The example in Figure 6A, which uses 4 bits to convey the profile identification information, is merely illustrative. In general, the profile identification information 214 may have any desired format and may contain any desired number of bits.

[0060] The cooling level information 216 may identify the cooling level associated with a particular cooling profile. The cooling level may be the ranking of the cooling level of that profile relative to other profiles, a quantification of the cooling of that profile relative to the maximum possible cooling level, the magnitude of the cooling capacity, a coarse characterization of the cooling level (e.g., low, medium, or high), and so on.

[0061] In the example in Figure 3, the cooling profiles are ordered by cooling level, with profile 0 having the lowest corresponding cooling level and profile 9 having the highest corresponding cooling level. In this type of example, the profile number also functions as the cooling level information for that profile. When the profile number also functions as the cooling level information for each profile, the profile identification bit 214 and the cooling level bit 216 are redundant, and either the profile identification bit 214 or the cooling level bit 216 can be omitted from message 208. When the profile number also serves as the cooling level information for each profile, the profile identification information may be called profile identification and cooling level information.

[0062] In another example, the cooling level information 216 may include a quantification of the cooling of that profile relative to the maximum possible cooling level. Consider the example in Figure 3, where there are 10 possible cooling profiles. The profile with the maximum cooling level (e.g., profile 9 in Figure 3) may be defined as having a cooling level of 100% of the maximum cooling level. The cooling levels of the other profiles may be defined as percentages of the maximum cooling level. For example, the first cooling profile may have a cooling level of 26% of the maximum cooling level, the second cooling profile may have a cooling level of 32% of the maximum cooling level, the third cooling profile may have a cooling level of 47% of the maximum cooling level, and so on. Thus, this type of method for conveying cooling level information provides more detailed cooling level information than simply conveying a cooling level ranking, as in the example in Figure 3.

[0063] In another example, the cooling level information 216 may include a coarse characterization of the cooling level. The cooling level information may include 2 bits with values ​​of 00 for no cooling, 01 for low cooling, 10 for medium cooling, and 11 for high cooling. This example is merely illustrative, and more bits can be used to increase the granularity of the cooling level information as needed.

[0064] The example in Figure 6A, which uses 4 bits to transmit cooling level information, is merely illustrative. In general, the cooling level information 216 may have any desired format and may contain any desired number of bits.

[0065] The noise information 218 can identify the noise level associated with a particular cooling profile. The noise level may be the rank of the noise level of that profile relative to other profiles, a quantification of the noise of that profile relative to the maximum possible noise level, the magnitude of the noise (e.g., in decibels), a rough characterization of the noise level (e.g., low, medium, or high), and so on.

[0066] For example, cooling profiles may be ordered / ranked by noise level. Noise information can identify the noise level of a profile relative to other profiles. In an example with 10 possible profiles, a noise level of 0 corresponds to the lowest noise level, and a noise level of 9 corresponds to the highest noise level.

[0067] In another example, noise information 218 may include a quantification of the noise level of a profile relative to the maximum noise level. A profile with the maximum noise level may be defined as having a noise level of 100% of the maximum noise level. The noise levels of other profiles may be defined as percentages of the maximum noise level. For example, the first cooling profile may have a noise level of 26% of the maximum noise level, the second cooling profile may have a noise level of 32% of the maximum noise level, the third cooling profile may have a noise level of 47% of the maximum noise level, and so on. Thus, this type of method for conveying noise level information provides more detailed noise level information than simply conveying a noise level ranking as in the previous example.

[0068] In another example, noise information 218 may include a coarse characterization of the noise level. The noise level information may include 2 bits with values ​​of 00 indicating no noise, 01 indicating low noise, 10 indicating medium noise, and 11 indicating high noise. This example is illustrative, and more bits may be used to increase the granularity of the noise level information as needed.

[0069] The example in Figure 6A, which uses 4 bits to transmit noise level information, is merely illustrative. In general, the noise information 218 may have any desired format and may contain any desired number of bits.

[0070] The power reservation information 220 may identify the power reservation level associated with a particular cooling profile. The power reservation level may be the rank of the power reservation level of that profile relative to other profiles, a quantification of the power reservation of that profile relative to the maximum possible power reservation level, the magnitude of the power reservation (e.g., in watts), a coarse characterization of the power reservation level (e.g., low, medium, or high), and so on.

[0071] For example, cooling profiles may be ordered / ranked by power reservation level. Power reservation information can identify the power reservation level of a profile relative to other profiles. In an example with 10 possible profiles, a power reservation level of 0 has the lowest corresponding power reservation level, and a power reservation level of 9 has the highest corresponding power reservation level.

[0072] In another example, the power reservation information 220 may include a quantification of the power reservation level of a profile relative to the maximum power reservation level. A profile with the maximum power reservation level may be defined as having a power reservation level of 100% of the maximum power reservation level. The power reservation levels of other profiles may be defined as percentages of the maximum power reservation level. For example, a first cooling profile may have a power reservation level of 26% of the maximum power reservation level, a second cooling profile may have a power reservation level of 32% of the maximum power reservation level, a third cooling profile may have a power reservation level of 47% of the maximum power reservation level, and so on. Thus, this type of method for communicating power reservation level information provides more detailed power reservation level information than simply communicating a power reservation level ranking as in the previous example.

[0073] In another example, power reservation information 220 may include a coarse characterization of the power reservation level. The power reservation level information may include 2 bits with values ​​of 00 indicating no power reservation, 01 indicating a low power reservation, 10 indicating a medium power reservation, and 11 indicating a high power reservation. This example is merely illustrative, and more bits may be used to increase the granularity of the power reservation level information as needed.

[0074] The example in Figure 6A, which uses 4 bits to transmit power reservation information, is merely illustrative. In general, the power reservation information 220 can have any desired format and may contain any desired number of bits.

[0075] Message 208 may include, for each subsequent cooling profile, a corresponding profile identification bit, a corresponding cooling level bit, a corresponding noise level bit, and a corresponding power reservation bit. As shown in Figure 6A, one or more bits 222 may identify a second profile such as profile 1, one or more bits 224 may identify the cooling level associated with the second profile, one or more bits 226 may identify the noise level associated with the second profile, one or more bits 228 may identify the power reservation level associated with the second profile, and so on.

[0076] The cooling profile request packet 104, the cooling capacity request packet 106, and the cooling profile request response packet 108 may have the packet structure shown in Figure 5 or any other desired packet structure. The cooling profile request packet 104 may contain one or more bits that identify one of the cooling profiles contained in the cooling capacity packet 102. The cooling profile request response packet 108 may contain one or more bits that indicate whether the requested cooling profile was successfully implemented by the PTX 12. For example, the cooling profile request response packet 108 may contain bits with a value of "0" to indicate that the requested cooling profile was successfully implemented by the PTX 12, and bits with a value of "1" to indicate that the requested cooling profile was not successfully implemented by the PTX 12 (for example, if the requested cooling profile is not supported by the PTX 12).

[0077] It should be noted that PRX 24 may send a dedicated cooling profile request packet 104, as shown in the example in Figure 4. Alternatively, the cooling profile selected by PRX 24 may be identified in packets containing other information. For example, the cooling profile selected by PRX 24 may be identified in a Received Power (RP) packet which also contains information identifying the received power level in PRX 24, a Control Error (CE) packet which also contains feedback on the desired power level of PRX 24, and a Configuration (CFG) packet which also provides configuration data from PRX 24 to PTX 12.

[0078] Figure 6A shows one configuration of an exemplary message byte 208 for the cooling capacity packet 102 in Figures 4 and 5. However, this example is merely illustrative, and other types of message bytes may be included in the cooling capacity packet as needed. Figure 6B shows another possible configuration of message 208 for the cooling capacity packet 102 in Figures 4 and 5.

[0079] In the example in Figure 6B, byte 1 (B1) contains 4 bits that identify the maximum cooling level available to the PTX 12. For example, the PTX 12 may have 16 available cooling levels, identified by integers between 0 and 15. The first 4 bits of byte 1 identify the maximum cooling level available to the PTX 12 (e.g., cooling level 15). The last 4 bits of byte 1 identify the current cooling level being used by the PTX 12 (e.g., cooling level 7).

[0080] The cooling capacity packet can optionally identify additional details for each cooling level, as needed. In the example in Figure 6B, two bytes are used to identify additional details for each cooling level. Bytes B2 and B3 are used to identify additional details for cooling profile 0, and bytes B4 and B5 are used to identify additional details for cooling profile 1, and so on.

[0081] In the example in Figure 6B, additional details for each cooling level may include two noise level bits and one byte containing power reservation information. The two noise level bits can identify the noise level associated with that cooling profile. A value of "0" (identified by bit 00) may be associated with no noise. A value of "1" (identified by bit 01) may be associated with low noise. A value of "2" (identified by bit 10) may be associated with medium noise. A value of "3" (identified by bit 11) may be associated with high noise. The power reservation information may include the magnitude (in mW) of possible power reduction associated with operating the PTX 12 at the individual cooling level.

[0082] In the example in Figure 6B, the cooling capacity packet includes noise level information and power reservation information for each of the available cooling profiles. This example is illustrative, and the length of the cooling capacity packet can be optionally reduced by omitting additional details regarding the noise level information and power reservation information. When additional details regarding the noise level information and power reservation information are omitted, bytes B2-B5 (and subsequent bytes with additional details) may be omitted from message 208.

[0083] In some communication protocols, PTX 12 may always send a cooling capacity packet that includes additional details from byte B2 onwards in Figure 6B. In some communication protocols, PTX 12 may always send a cooling capacity packet that does not include additional details from byte B2 onwards in Figure 6B. In some communication protocols, PTX 12 may send a cooling capacity packet that includes additional details from byte B2 onwards in Figure 6B, and may send a cooling capacity packet that does not include additional details from byte B2 onwards in Figure 6B. To allow PTX 12 to switch between two packet lengths with different levels of detail, the cooling capacity packet may include one or more bits (e.g., bit b0 in byte B0 in Figure 6B) that identify whether the cooling profile includes additional details.

[0084] Bit b0 of byte B0 in Figure 6B identifies whether the packet is in advanced mode and is sometimes called the advanced mode bit. When the advanced mode bit has a value of 0, message 208 may contain only bytes B0-B1 in Figure 6B (without additional details for each cooling profile). When the advanced mode bit has a value of 1, message 208 may contain bytes B2 onward in Figure 6B (with additional details for each cooling profile).

[0085] When PTX 12 and PRX 24 initiate communication with each other, PTX 12 and PRX 24 may communicate in the configuration, handshake, and / or negotiation phases before commencing the power transmission phase. During the configuration, handshake, and / or negotiation phases, PTX 12 may transmit information about the PTX's capabilities to PRX 24. As a specific example, PTX 12 may transmit Extended Power Transmitter Enhancement Capability (ECAP) packets to PRX 24. PTX 12 may optionally transmit ECAP packets in response to receiving an ECAP request packet from PRX 24.

[0086] Figure 7 is a diagram of an exemplary Extended Power Transmitter Extended Capability (ECAP) packet message. As shown in Figure 7, an ECAP packet may contain bytes containing potential load power information. The potential load power information may be set to the maximum potential load power that can be supported by PTX 12 (e.g., in units of 100mW). An ECAP packet may contain negotiable load power information. The negotiable load power information may contain the maximum available potential load power that PRX 24 is permitted to negotiate (e.g., in units of 100mW).

[0087] The power limit reason may be one or more bits indicating the reason for the power limit. For example, if the negotiable load power is less than the potential load power, the power limit reason will indicate the reason for the lower negotiable load power. Each power limit reason may be assigned a value between 0 and 15. Exemplary examples include a value of 0 when there is no limit, a value of 2 to indicate the presence of a possible foreign object, a value of 3 to indicate brownout protection, a value of 4 to indicate overtemperature, a value of 6 to indicate overcurrent, a value of 7 to indicate maximum available power, a value of 8 to indicate power mode, a value of 10 to indicate that calibration requirements are not met, a value of 11 to indicate calibration limit, and a value of 12 to indicate cooling control. Thus, the cooling control value indicates that the negotiable load power is less than the potential load power due to power requirements for ongoing cooling control.

[0088] The ECAP packet may also contain one or more bits (such as the COOLING bit in Figure 7) that identify whether the PTX 12 supports the cooling control data stream. The COOLING bit may have a value of 0 when the PTX 12 does not support the cooling control data stream. The COOLING bit may have a value of 1 when the PTX 12 supports the cooling control data stream.

[0089] The buffer size bit(s) indicates the size of the data stream buffer. The number of bytes in the buffer is 16 × 2 N It may be equal to , and the N value is included in the buffer size field. The concurrent data stream bit(s) indicates the maximum number of concurrent data streams that the power transmitter can process.

[0090] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for operating a power transmission device 12 having one or more cooling systems 64. As shown in Figure 8, during the operation of block 302, the PTX 12 may collect information. The PTX 12 may collect information using one or more sensors, using a communication circuit, etc. The information collected by the PTX 12 may include information indicating the ambient noise level of the PTX 12, information indicating the contextual situation of the PTX 12, etc.

[0091] As a specific example, one or more microphones within the input / output device 28 can be used to measure ambient noise in the environment of the PTX 12. One or more position and / or motion sensors, such as GPS sensors, within the input / output device 28 can be used to obtain location and / or movement information of the PTX 12. The PTX 12 may also determine the current time and whether it has a wired connection to a power source, such as a mains power supply.

[0092] Next, during the operation of block 304, the PTX 12 may determine the cooling capacity characteristics based on information collected from the operation of block 302. The PTX 12 may have a predetermined number of configurations for one or more cooling systems 64. Each configuration may have a baseline for noise level information and power reservation information. However, the noise level information and power reservation information may be optionally updated in real time based on information collected from block 302.

[0093] As a specific example, the PTX 12 may use ambient noise information from one or more microphones to directly determine that the ambient noise level is high. Based on the real-time ambient noise level, the PTX 12 may determine that the cooling system(s) 64 does not generate any detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Thus, the PTX 12 can change the noise level associated with each cooling profile to "none" or "0".

[0094] As another specific example, PTX 12 may infer a high ambient noise level based on location and / or movement information indicating that the PTX is moving at high speed (e.g., faster than 55 miles per hour). Based on the device's speed, PTX 12 may infer that the device is likely to be inside a car or other vehicle, and therefore likely to be in an ambient noise level. Based on the inferred ambient noise level, PTX 12 may determine that the cooling system(s) 64 does not generate any detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Thus, PTX 12 may change the noise level associated with each cooling profile to "none" or "0".

[0095] As another specific example, PTX 12 may infer a low ambient noise level based on time information (e.g., the time is 3:00 AM) that indicates the user is likely to be sleeping in a quiet environment. Based on the inferred ambient noise level, PTX 12 may determine that the cooling system(s) 64 will generate highly detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Therefore, PTX 12 may change the noise level associated with each cooling profile to "high".

[0096] As another specific example, the PTX 12 may decide that multiple cooling profiles require a non-zero power reservation without a wired connection to the mains power supply. However, if there is a wired connection between the PTX 12 and the mains power supply, the PTX 12 may decide that no power reservation is required for any of the possible cooling configurations. Therefore, if there is a wired connection between the PTX 12 and the mains power supply, the PTX 12 may change the power reservation level associated with each cooling profile to "none" or "0".

[0097] After determining the cooling capacity characteristics based on the information collected during the operation of block 304, the PTX 12 may, during the operation of block 306, send a cooling capacity packet containing the cooling capacity characteristics to the PRX 24. As shown and described in relation to Figures 5 and 6, the cooling capacity packet 102 may include bits identifying the number of available entries / profiles. The cooling capacity packet 102 may also include, for each cooling profile, one or more bits identifying the profile, one or more bits identifying the cooling level of the profile, one or more bits identifying the noise level of the profile, and / or one or more bits identifying the power reservation of the profile.

[0098] After sending the cooling capacity packet during the operation of block 306, PTX 12 may receive a cooling profile request packet from PRX 24 during the operation of block 308 that identifies a cooling profile. The cooling profile request packet may be a dedicated packet that identifies the corresponding profile among several profiles included in the cooling capacity packet from block 306. Alternatively, the requested profile among several profiles may be incorporated into the packet along with other information such as a received power (RP) packet that also includes information identifying the received power level at PRX 24, a control error (CE) packet that also includes feedback on the desired power level at PRX 24, and a configuration (CFG) packet that also provides configuration data from PRX 24 to PTX 12. During the operation of block 308, PTX 12 may send a cooling profile request response packet 108 to PRX 24.

[0099] The cooling capacity packet may be transmitted in block 306 using in-band communication (e.g., using FSK modulation). The cooling capacity packet is transmitted in block 306, and at the same time, radio power can be transmitted to PRX 24. The cooling profile request packet may be received in block 308 using in-band communication (e.g., using ASK demodulation). The cooling capacity packet is received in block 308, and at the same time, radio power can be transmitted to PRX 24. This example is illustrative, and in general, cooling capacity packets and cooling profile request packets may be transmitted using in-band or out-of-band communication.

[0100] During the operation of block 310, the PTX 12 may operate the cooling system(s) 64 according to the identified cooling profile from the cooling profile request packet.

[0101] The operation shown in Figure 8 can be repeated at any desired frequency. For example, the operation in block 302 may be continuously performed by PTX 12. In block 304, PTX 12 can determine the cooling capacity characteristics at periodic intervals in response to a request from PRX 24 and / or when there is a change in the information collected from block 302. In block 306, PTX 12 may send cooling capacity packets at periodic intervals in response to receiving a request packet 106 from PRX 24 when there is a change in the characteristics from block 304 and / or when there is a change in the information collected from block 302.

[0102] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of the powered device 24. As shown in Figure 9, during the operation of block 312, the PRX 24 may receive a cooling capacity packet from the PTX 12. The PRX 24 may optionally send a cooling capacity request packet 106 to the PTX 12 during the operation of block 312 (for example, before receiving a cooling capacity packet from the PTX 12). The cooling capacity packet 102 may include bits identifying the number of available entries / profiles. The cooling capacity packet 102 may also include, for each cooling profile, one or more bits identifying the profile, one or more bits identifying the cooling level of the profile, one or more bits identifying the noise level of the profile, and / or one or more bits identifying the power reservation of the profile.

[0103] During the operation of block 314, the PRX 24 can collect information. The PRX 24 can collect information using one or more sensors, communication circuits, etc. The information collected by the PRX 24 may include information indicating the ambient noise level of the PRX 24, and information indicating the context of the PRX 24, etc. For example, one or more microphones in the input / output device 54 can be used to measure the ambient noise of the environment of the PRX 24. One or more position and / or motion sensors, such as GPS sensors, in the input / output device 54 can be used to obtain location and / or movement information of the PRX 24. The PRX 24 may also determine the current time, determine the charge state of the battery 34, and determine temperature information using one or more temperature sensors 62, and so on.

[0104] During the operation of block 314, one or more sensors may be turned on (or their sampling frequency may be increased) depending on whether they received a packet during the operation of block 312. In other words, the control circuit 38 may increase the power consumption of one or more sensors during the operation of block 314.

[0105] During the operation of block 316, PRX 24 may select a cooling profile based on the information collected from block 314 and the cooling capacity packets from 312. PRX 24 may select one of the possible cooling profiles identified in the cooling capacity packet 102 received during the operation of block 312. PRX 24 may select one of the possible cooling profiles based on the information collected from block 314.

[0106] As a specific example, the PRX 24 may use ambient noise information from one or more microphones to directly determine that the ambient noise level is high. Based on the real-time ambient noise level, the PRX 24 may determine that the cooling system(s) 64 within the PTX 12 does not generate any detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Therefore, during the operation of block 316, the PRX 24 may be more likely to select a cooling profile with a higher noise level than one with a lower ambient noise level.

[0107] As another specific example, PRX 24 may infer a high ambient noise level based on location and / or movement information indicating that the PRX is moving at high speed (e.g., faster than 55 miles per hour). Based on the device's speed, PRX 24 may infer that the device is likely to be inside a car or other vehicle, and therefore likely to be in a high ambient noise level. Based on the inferred ambient noise level, PRX 24 may determine that the cooling system(s) 64 within PTX 12 will not generate any detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Therefore, PRX 24 may be more likely to select a cooling profile with a higher noise level than one with a lower ambient noise level during the operation of block 316.

[0108] As another specific example, PRX 24 may infer that the ambient noise level is low based on time information (e.g., the time is 3:00 a.m.) that indicates the user is likely to be sleeping in a quiet environment. Based on the inferred ambient noise level, PRX 24 may decide that the cooling system(s) 64 will generate highly detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Therefore, PRX 24 may be more likely to select a cooling profile with a lower noise level during the operation of block 316 than when the ambient noise level is low.

[0109] As another specific example, PRX 24 may infer, based on contextual determination, that the ambient noise level is low. For example, the user's calendar may indicate that the user is currently giving a presentation at a work meeting, and PRX 24 may therefore infer that the ambient noise level is low. Based on the inferred ambient noise level, PRX 24 may determine that the cooling system(s) 64 will generate highly detectable noise in any of the possible cooling configurations. Therefore, PRX 24 may be more likely to select a cooling profile with a lower noise level during the operation of block 316 than when the ambient noise level is low.

[0110] As another specific example, PRX 24 may infer, based on time information, that the PRX is likely to remain coupled to PTX 12 for a relatively long period of time (e.g., throughout the night until the user's normal wake-up time). If PRX 24 determines, based on time information, that the PRX is likely to remain coupled to PTX 12 for a relatively long period of time, then PRX 24 may be more likely to select a cooling profile with a higher power reservation level during the operation of block 316 (than if it were less likely that the PRX would remain coupled to PTX 12 for a relatively long period of time).

[0111] As another specific example, the PRX 24 may select a cooling profile based on the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 34. If the battery 34 is at a high SOC (e.g., greater than 90%), the PRX 24 is more likely to select a cooling profile with a higher power reservation level than if the battery 34's SOC were lower.

[0112] As another specific example, the PRX 24 may use one or more temperature sensors 62 to determine one or more temperatures associated with the PRX 24. If one or more of the temperatures are at, near, or above a temperature threshold (indicating that the device is hotter or near hotter than desired for battery charging), the PRX 24 may prioritize the cooling level when selecting a cooling profile during the operation of block 316. If the temperatures are within the target range, the PRX 24 may prioritize the noise level and power reservation level over the cooling level when selecting a cooling profile during the operation of block 316, since excessive cooling can degrade battery charging performance.

[0113] After selecting a cooling profile during the operation of block 316, PRX 24 may, during the operation of block 318, send a cooling profile request packet to PTX 12 that identifies the selected cooling profile. The cooling profile request packet may be a dedicated packet that identifies the corresponding profile among several profiles included in the cooling capacity packet from block 312. Alternatively, PRX 24 may incorporate the requested profile into the packet along with other information, such as a received power (RP) packet that also includes information identifying the received power level at PRX 24, a control error (CE) packet that also includes feedback on the desired power level at PRX 24, and a configuration (CFG) packet that also provides configuration data from PRX 24 to PTX 12. After sending the cooling profile request packet 104, PRX 24 may receive a cooling profile request response packet 108 during the operation of block 318.

[0114] A cooling capacity request packet may be transmitted in block 312 using in-band communication (e.g., using ASK modulation). The cooling capacity request packet may be transmitted in block 312 and simultaneously receive radio power from PTX 12. The cooling capacity packet may be received in block 312 using in-band communication (e.g., using FSK demodulation). The cooling capacity packet may be received in block 312 while simultaneously receiving radio power from PTX 12. A cooling profile request packet may be transmitted in block 318 using in-band communication (e.g., using ASK modulation). The cooling profile request packet may be transmitted in block 318 and simultaneously receive radio power from PTX 12. A cooling profile request response packet may be received in block 318 using in-band communication (e.g., using FSK demodulation). The cooling profile request response packet may be received in block 318 while simultaneously receiving radio power from PTX 12. This example is for illustrative purposes only, and in general, cooling capacity request packets, cooling capacity packets, cooling profile request packets, and cooling profile request response packets may be transmitted using in-band or out-of-band communication.

[0115] The operation shown in Figure 9 can be repeated at any desired frequency. For example, the operations in blocks 312, 314, and 316 may be performed each time a cooling capacity packet is received. In another possible example, the PRX 24 may continuously monitor the information collected from block 314. If the collected information changes (e.g., the ambient noise level changes), the PRX 24 may repeat the operations in blocks 316 and 318. In other words, the PRX 24 can change the selected cooling profile as needed without receiving new cooling capacity packets from the PTX 12. The PRX 24 can also optionally send a request to the PTX 12 at any time for updated cooling capacity packets.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the electronic device includes a wireless power transmission coil, a rectifier operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, and a control circuit operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil and the rectifier, the control circuit configured to receive a first packet from an additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil, wherein the first packet identifies cooling level information and noise level information of a plurality of cooling profiles, and the wireless power transmission coil transmits a second packet to the additional electronic device, wherein the second packet identifies a requested cooling profile from the plurality of cooling profiles.

[0117] According to another embodiment, the first packet optionally identifies power reservation information for multiple cooling profiles, an additional electronic device optionally designed to transmit the maximum wattage of wireless power, and the power reservation information optionally indicates a reduction in the maximum wattage.

[0118] According to another embodiment, receiving a first packet from an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes receiving a first packet from an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil while simultaneously receiving wireless power from the additional electronic device.

[0119] According to another embodiment, receiving a first packet from an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes receiving a first packet from an additional electronic device using frequency shift keying (FSK) demodulation.

[0120] According to another embodiment, transmitting a second packet to an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes transmitting a second packet to an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil while simultaneously receiving wireless power from the additional electronic device.

[0121] According to another embodiment, transmitting a second packet to an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device using amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation.

[0122] According to another embodiment, the electronic device optionally includes one or more microphones, and the control circuit is optionally configured to select a requested cooling profile based at least on sensor data from one or more microphones before transmitting a second packet to an additional electronic device.

[0123] According to another embodiment, the electronic device optionally includes one or more temperature sensors, and the control circuit is optionally configured to select a requested cooling profile based at least on sensor data from one or more temperature sensors before sending a second packet to an additional electronic device.

[0124] According to another embodiment, the electronic device optionally includes a battery having a charge state, and the control circuit is optionally configured to select a requested cooling profile, at least based on the charge state of the battery, before transmitting a second packet to an additional electronic device.

[0125] According to another embodiment, the control circuit is optionally configured to select a requested cooling profile, at least based on time information, before sending a second packet to an additional electronic device.

[0126] According to another embodiment, the control circuit is configured to optionally increase the power consumption of one or more sensors in response to receiving a first packet from an additional electronic device, and to select a requested cooling profile based on sensor data from one or more sensors.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the electronic device includes a wireless power transmission coil, an inverter configured to supply an AC drive signal to the wireless power transmission coil, one or more cooling systems, and a control circuit operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, the inverter, and one or more cooling systems, and configured to transmit a first packet to an additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil, wherein the first packet identifies cooling level information and noise level information of a plurality of cooling profiles, and the wireless power transmission coil receives a second packet from the additional electronic device, the second packet identifies a requested cooling profile among the plurality of cooling profiles, and operates one or more cooling systems according to the requested cooling profile.

[0128] According to another embodiment, the first packet optionally identifies power reservation information for multiple cooling profiles, the electronic device optionally designed to transmit the maximum wattage of wireless power, and the power reservation information optionally indicates a reduction in the maximum wattage.

[0129] According to another embodiment, transmitting a first packet to an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes transmitting wireless power to the additional electronic device at the same time as transmitting the first packet to the additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil.

[0130] According to another embodiment, transmitting the first packet to an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes transmitting the first packet to an additional electronic device using frequency-shift keying (FSK) modulation.

[0131] According to another embodiment, receiving a second packet from an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes receiving a second packet from an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil while simultaneously transmitting wireless power to the additional electronic device.

[0132] According to another embodiment, receiving a second packet from an additional electronic device using a wireless power transmission coil optionally includes receiving the second packet from the additional electronic device using amplitude shift keying (ASK) demodulation.

[0133] According to another embodiment, one or more cooling systems optionally include fans.

[0134] According to another embodiment, one or more cooling systems optionally include thermoelectric heat pumps.

[0135] According to another embodiment, the electronic device optionally includes one or more microphones, and the control circuit is optionally configured to adjust noise level information for a plurality of cooling profiles based at least on sensor data from one or more microphones before transmitting a first packet to an additional electronic device.

[0136] The above is merely illustrative, and various modifications may be made to the described embodiments. The aforementioned embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, Wireless power transmission coil and A rectifier operably coupled to the aforementioned wireless power transmission coil, A control circuit operably coupled to the aforementioned wireless power transmission coil and rectifier, The wireless power transmission coil is used to receive a first packet from an additional electronic device, wherein the first packet identifies cooling level information and noise level information for a plurality of cooling profiles. The process involves using the wireless power transmission coil to transmit a second packet to the additional electronic device, wherein the second packet identifies the requested cooling profile among the plurality of cooling profiles. A control circuit is configured to perform the following: An electronic device equipped with the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first packet identifies power reservation information for the plurality of cooling profiles, the additional electronic device is designed to transmit wireless power of a maximum wattage, and the power reservation information indicates a reduction of the maximum wattage.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein receiving the first packet from the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes receiving wireless power from the additional electronic device and receiving the first packet from the additional electronic device at the same time using the wireless power transmission coil.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein receiving the first packet from the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes receiving the first packet from the additional electronic device using frequency shift keying (FSK) demodulation.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device at the same time as receiving wireless power from the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device using amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation.

7. The control circuit further comprises one or more microphones, The electronic device according to claim 1, configured to select the requested cooling profile based on at least sensor data from the one or more microphones before transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device.

8. The control circuit further comprises one or more temperature sensors, Before transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device, select the requested cooling profile based on sensor data from at least one of the temperature sensors. The electronic device according to claim 1, configured as described above.

9. The device further comprises a battery that is in a charged state, and the control circuit is Before transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device, the requested cooling profile is selected, at least based on the charge state of the battery. The electronic device according to claim 1, configured as described above.

10. The aforementioned control circuit is Before transmitting the second packet to the additional electronic device, select the requested cooling profile based at least on time information. The electronic device according to claim 1, configured as described above.

11. The aforementioned control circuit is Upon receiving the first packet from the additional electronic device, the power consumption of one or more sensors is increased. Based on sensor data from one or more of the aforementioned sensors, the requested cooling profile is selected. The electronic device according to claim 1, configured as described above.

12. It is an electronic device, Wireless power transmission coil and An inverter configured to supply an AC drive signal to the aforementioned wireless power transmission coil, One or more cooling systems, A control circuit operably coupled to the wireless power transmission coil, the inverter, and one or more cooling systems, The method involves transmitting a first packet to an additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil, wherein the first packet identifies cooling level information and noise level information for a plurality of cooling profiles. Receiving a second packet from the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil, wherein the second packet identifies the requested cooling profile among the plurality of cooling profiles, To operate one or more cooling systems according to the requested cooling profile, A control circuit is configured to perform the following: An electronic device equipped with the following features.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the first packet identifies power reservation information for the plurality of cooling profiles, the electronic device is designed to transmit wireless power of a maximum wattage, and the power reservation information indicates a reduction of the maximum wattage.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein transmitting the first packet to the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes transmitting wireless power to the additional electronic device and transmitting the first packet to the additional electronic device simultaneously using the wireless power transmission coil.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein transmitting the first packet to the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes transmitting the first packet to the additional electronic device using frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation.

16. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein receiving the second packet from the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes transmitting wireless power to the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil and simultaneously receiving the second packet from the additional electronic device.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein receiving the second packet from the additional electronic device using the wireless power transmission coil includes receiving the second packet from the additional electronic device using amplitude shift keying (ASK) demodulation.

18. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the one or more cooling systems include a fan.

19. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the one or more cooling systems include thermoelectric heat pumps.

20. The control circuit further comprises one or more microphones, Before transmitting the first packet to the additional electronic device, adjust the noise level information for the plurality of cooling profiles based at least on sensor data from one or more microphones. The electronic device according to claim 12, configured as described above.

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