Wireless Battery Pack Retrofit for Legacy Device Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Many legacy mobile electronic devices lack wireless charging capabilities, preventing them from utilizing existing wireless charging infrastructure, and retrofitting these devices with wireless charging often requires costly redesigns.
Innovation Solution
A wireless charging system that includes a battery-powered mobile electronic device with an installed battery pack, featuring a power management IC and a wireless receiver system, which allows the device to selectively charge via wireless power from an external source, maintaining compatibility with wired-only charging interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If legacy devices are redesigned to include wireless charging capabilities, then wireless charging functionality is achieved, but redesign costs and manufacturing change costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless charging system is segmented into independent modules: a wireless power receiver integrated into the battery pack, a separate wireless charging controller, and existing device components. This modular approach allows the wireless charging functionality to be added as a discrete unit rather than requiring complete device redesign, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while achieving wireless charging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the traditional power source and a wireless power receiver. The wireless charging controller manages both wired and wireless charging operations, making the charging system universal and adaptable to different charging methods without requiring separate dedicated components for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wireless charging components are added to legacy devices, then wireless charging infrastructure accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless power receiver, wireless charging controller, and battery management functions are merged into an integrated battery pack assembly. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and interconnections needed, thereby adding wireless charging functionality while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless charging controller acts as an intermediary between the wireless power receiver, the battery, and the device's power management system. It handles the complexity of wireless power reception and charge management, shielding the rest of the device from complex interactions and simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a wireless receiver system is integrated into the battery pack, then wireless charging functionality is enabled, but battery pack complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless power receiver and control circuitry are nested within the battery pack structure, utilizing the existing battery pack housing and mounting points. This nesting approach allows the wireless charging components to be housed within the same volume as the battery, minimizing additional space requirements and reducing the apparent complexity increase of the battery pack.
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
Enables legacy mobile electronic devices to access wireless charging infrastructure without the need for costly redesigns, improving user experience, reliability, and reducing maintenance issues associated with traditional wired charging.
Implementation Method 1
a wireless receiver system configured to wirelessly receive power from a power source outside of the device in order to charge the battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A device charging system includes a legacy battery-powered mobile electronic device configured for wired-only charging and a wireless charging enabled battery pack. The wireless charging enabled battery pack may contain one or more battery cells as well as a power management integrated circuit (IC) configured to manage charging of the battery cells. The wireless charging enabled battery pack also contains a wireless power module to receive power wirelessly from a WPT (wireless power transfer) power source outside of the legacy device. In keeping with embodiments of the disclosure, a pack microcontroller in the battery pack interfaces to the legacy device, presenting an interface consistent with a wired-only charged battery pack.