Eyewear Wireless Charging With Time-Gated Battery SOC Signaling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable eyewear devices, such as smart glasses, require frequent charging of their power supplies and lack efficient bidirectional communication methods for managing battery state of charge during wireless charging.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a wireless charging system using time-gated power transfer and bidirectional communication via a single coil, allowing the eyewear device to instruct the charger to pause and resume charging based on the charger's battery state of charge, utilizing the Qi baseline power profile for unidirectional communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless charging is implemented using unidirectional communication protocol, then wireless charging function is achieved, but bidirectional communication capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements bidirectional communication by periodically modulating the wireless power signal. The charging device pauses power transfer for specific time periods (time-gated communication) to encode data, allowing two-way communication over the same unidirectional wireless power channel without requiring separate communication hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless power communication channel serves dual purposes: transferring power and enabling bidirectional data exchange. The system uses the power signal itself as the communication medium, making the power transfer system universally capable of both energy and information transmission
2Reliability
If frequent charging is performed to maintain power supply, then device operation is sustained, but user convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback-based battery management where the eyewear device communicates its power needs and charging status to the charging case. The charger monitors the battery state of charge and automatically adjusts charging parameters, providing feedback control that optimizes charging timing and duration, thereby extending battery life and reducing frequent charging requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The charging case maintains a reserved power supply in advance. When the eyewear device is placed in the case, charging begins automatically without user intervention. This preliminary preparation of power in the case eliminates the need for frequent manual charging operations by the user
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient wireless charging and data communication, optimizing battery management by correlating charging periods with the charger's state of charge, ensuring reliable power supply and reducing the need for frequent recharging.
Implementation Method 1
wireless charging and bidirectional communication of the eyewear can be performed using a unidirectional communication protocol, such as the Qi baseline power profile (BPP)
Implementation Method 2
A single coil in the eyewear is tapped by both the NFC front end and the wireless charging receiver because it takes up little space in the eyewear
Data Source
AI summary
Eyewear that is configured to be wirelessly charged and also wirelessly communicate with a case charger having a battery using time gating power transfer. In one example, wireless charging and bidirectional communication of the eyewear can be performed using a unidirectional communication protocol, such as the Qi baseline power profile (BPP) which is only suited for unidirectional communication. The eyewear has a processor configured to send data to the wireless power charger that instructs the wireless power charger to stop wireless charging for a time period that is correlated to a state of charge (SOC) of the wireless power charger battery. The wireless power charger resumes charging of the eyewear battery after the time period, and the eyewear determines the SOC of the wireless power charger battery to be a percentage that correlates to the time period.