Intelligent wireless power charging system

Smart wireless power charging system

The present invention generally relates to a wireless power charging system, and more specifically, to a system and method for providing wireless smart charging of wireless networked devices.

Internet connections in small offices and homes are becoming more popular. For example, in a home office, there is a strong need to have the ability to inexpensively and reliably interconnect multiple network devices without installing Ethernet or twisted-pair backbone cabling. Such network devices include, for example, personal computers, laptop computers, printers, digital TVs, video converters, home appliances, and so on. To achieve this goal, both wireless solutions and Internet on-power line solutions have been combined (for example, according to<img file="TW201014107A_D0001.tif" />Industrial solutions) are regarded as the physical layer skeleton of the network connection.

As you know,<img file="TW201014107A_D0002.tif" />Utilize existing home AC power lines for high-speed transmission of signal data. Conventional power line networks usually operate at data rates ranging from about 10 kbps to 350 kbps.

US Patent No. 4,815,106 entitled "Power line Communication Apparatus" issued to Propp et al. discloses a power line communication method via an equalizer/coding scheme. A 350kbps power line network system based on frequency modulation (FM) methods such as binary frequency shift keying (BFSK) can be achieved. In US Patent No. 6,243,413 issued to Beukema et al., a modulation system for a 1 Mbps power line communication channel is described.

Currently, all wireless<img file="TW201014107A_D0003.tif" />The system needs to have an antenna and wireless<img file="TW201014107A_D0004.tif" />The wireless device of the adapter to promote the wireless data communication between the wireless device and the network. However, wireless devices require power to maintain operation. Mainly by using batteries to power wireless devices (especially their portable wireless devices). The battery is charged periodically using a charging device that is usually plugged into a wall-mounted AC power outlet to obtain power from it.

In order to reduce wire congestion, a wireless method of implementing a wireless device for charging the battery has been realized. These wireless charging methods include coupling the battery pack to the radio frequency interface, optical interface, or magnetic interface of the wireless charging source. Some examples of wireless rechargeable battery systems include: At present, most RFID systems are passive and usually include a transmitter or transceiver to provide operating power (electromagnetic field, electric field, or magnetic field) to a receiver (tag) within a specified rangeDevice. Device device. Device. In response to the application of the transmitted operating power, the tag generates a signal that is received by the receiver (transceiver) of the RFID system. The generated tag signal includes one or more unique identifiers for uniquely identifying the tag and the object associated with it. In passive RFID tags, there is no power storage, and therefore no battery is required. However, passive power such as generated by RFID transmission devices cannot be used to power existing wireless devices such as mobile phones and portable computers.

A way to charge the battery wirelessly is shown in the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20060238365 entitled "Short-range wireless power transmission and reception" by Vecchione, Elio, and others. It describes a short-range wireless power transmission and reception system method. Electricity is transmitted from the mains power of the electronic facility to the powered appliance via electromagnetic radiation. These appliances can receive the transmitted electricity, convert it into electricity and store it for later use, and use it directly to power the appliances. This method is now implemented to charge the battery of an electric toothbrush, however, it does not solve the problem of line congestion, because the receiving system still needs a line.

The US Patent Application Publication No. 20070010295 entitled "Power transmission system, apparatus and method with communication" by Greene, Charles E. et al. teaches a power transmission system for communication, which has a base station, and the base station has a wireless The power transmitter, a wireless data transmission component and a first wireless data receiving component. The system includes a remote station having a current collector for converting power from a power transmitter into direct current and a power storage component communicating with the power collector for storing the direct current. Alternatively, the system includes a base station having a wireless power transmitter that transmits power at a frequency (at which frequency, any sideband is at or below the required level), and a first wireless data communication Components. The base station is used to transmit operating power and data to the remote station. Different from the RFID system, the proposed remote station is an active system, which means it contains a power storage and has the ability to operate when the base station is not supplying operating power. However, due to the lack of a smart power charging system, when the device is in use, the battery may be overcharged or may not have sufficient capacity. An additional problem is that no warning system is provided when the device is placed outside the charging range and there is no mechanism to ensure reliable and continuous operation, because battery charging will interrupt the data communication operation.

Wendler and Steves US Patent Application Publication No. 20060244573A1 entitled "Integration of antenna and solar charger for remote asset tracking" proposes a device that includes a device configured to provide power to an asset tracking device (asset tracking device) A solar array and antenna configured to provide signals to the asset tracking device. The solar cell array includes a set of solar cells connected to the asset tracking device. The solar cells are configured to provide power to enable the asset tracking device to operate when external power is not available for the asset tracking device. The power from the solar cell array can be used to directly power the asset tracking device and/or charge the battery used by the asset tracking device. The antennas may include global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antennas and wireless transceivers for receiving information from the asset tracking device and transmitting information to the asset tracking device.

When solar energy is the only power source, these devices must be placed under the sun. It can be used in a greenhouse, but the battery will run out at night or during cloudy days. It is not a reliable means of maintaining power for devices such as mobile phones or portable computers.

Ayala and Adan proposed a battery charge indicator for portable power tools. The U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20060251958A1 named "Battery charge indicator" has a movable component that is moved by the protruding of a non-wired device and a charger. Position indicator assembly to indicate the state of charge of the battery pack. Show the battery charging level of the unwiring tool. When it is fully charged, the system can start charging another battery. Use the wired interface to charge this tool. There is no need for smart battery charging in these applications.

For the wireless power charging system, it is desirable to ensure that the battery is maintained at full capacity so that there is no power outage during the utilization period of the wireless device. It is further desired that the battery is not overcharged, that is, the charging mechanism can be terminated when the full charging capacity is reached. for<img file="TW201014107A_D0005.tif" />For applications, it is also necessary that the wireless device is located within the charging distance so that the battery of the device can be efficiently charged. Another key aspect of this application is that during the use of the wireless device, battery charging should not interrupt data communication operations. for<img file="TW201014107A_D0006.tif" />System, there is a need for a smart charging system, in which the battery is automatically charged in the wireless mode to ensure uninterrupted wireless data communication.

The present invention provides an intelligent battery charging system (herein referred to as IBCS) for wireless devices, so that the main control battery is always maintained at an appropriate charge level. Charging is performed via wireless communication.

In one aspect, the present invention includes a backup battery, so when the main control battery is in use, the backup battery can be charged to avoid interrupting normal operation and maintain normal operation.

In addition, the present invention provides the ability to achieve a predetermined battery charge level and maintain it within the upper and lower limits. When the battery level reaches its lower limit, the IBCS initiates a command for initial charging; and when the battery level reaches its upper limit, the IBCS stops charging.

In another aspect, the present invention includes a battery exchange mechanism that is operable to cause automatic and smooth exchange of the backup battery when the main control battery reaches a preset lower limit, and allow the main control battery to continue to be charged.

Another object of the present invention is to enable the built-in warning device to be embedded for operation in the IBCS. When the wireless device is placed outside its battery charging range, the built-in warning device triggers a warning signal.

Thus, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, an intelligent power management system and method for wireless network-based devices are provided. The wireless network-based devices include one or more devices for supplying power to the network-based devices. Rechargeable energy storage device. The system includes: an adapter device adapted to be coupled to an AC power jack to provide an AC power signal; the adapter device further includes a power charging unit that receives the AC power signal and generates and Transmits RF power signals for charging the rechargeable energy storage device of the wireless network type device; the adapter further has a transmitter device for transmitting the wireless data communication signal to the wireless network type device, and A receiver device that receives wireless data communication signals from a wireless network device; and a switchable antenna device that is switched to receive wireless data communication signals from the wireless network device or transfer wireless data in the first operation mode The communication signal is transmitted to the wireless network-based device, and is switched to transmit an RF power signal in the second operation mode for powering the wireless network-based device.

Further to this embodiment, the wireless network device includes: a power harvesting unit including an RF energy converter for receiving the transmitted RF power signal and converting the RF power signal into a suitable A charging current for charging a wireless network device; a switch device coupled to one or more rechargeable energy storage devices for turning on or off the charging current according to the power level state of the device; and a control unit , Which is used to monitor the device power level state indicating the charge state of one or more energy storage devices, and the control unit is operatively coupled to the switching device for enabling the device power level state to be determined to be lower than acceptable When the limit is reached, the charging current is turned on to charge the energy storage device, wherein the system provides power charging of the wireless device to maintain the energy storage device at an appropriate charge level.

In addition, the power charging unit of the adapter device includes: a signal converter component for generating a dc signal commensurate with the received AC power signal; a frequency generator device for receiving the generated dc signal and The generated dc signal is used to select the RF power signal frequency; and the RF power amplifier is used to generate the transmitted RF power signal for powering the wireless network device at the selected RF power signal frequency.

Therefore, in this embodiment, for those devices with low data communication, a single adapter with only one antenna is used to supply power to the transmitter (TX) and the receiver (RX); however, the wireless device The data may be shelved while the battery is being charged. This embodiment can be used for wireless networked devices to download any kind of files, including text, photos, videos, etc.. However, a single low-cost antenna can be used to share these three functions.

According to a second embodiment, an intelligent power management system and method for wireless networked devices are provided. The wireless networked devices include one or more rechargeable energy storage devices for supplying power to the networked devices . The system includes: a first adapter device for coupling to an AC power jack, the first adapter device having a transmitter device for transmitting wireless data communication signals to a wireless network device, And a receiver device for receiving wireless data communication signals from a wireless network device, the first adapter device provides an interface for transmitting data signals to the network via an AC power line; a second adapter A device for coupling to an AC power jack to provide an AC power signal, and adapted for wireless data communication with a wireless networked device, the second adapter device further includes a power charging unit, the power charging The unit receives AC power signals and generates and transmits RF power signals for powering wireless networked devices; the first adapter device includes adapted to receive wireless data communication signals from wireless networked devices or send wireless signals to A single antenna device of a wireless network device, and the second adapter device includes a single antenna device adapted to transmit an RF power signal for powering the wireless network device, and the wireless network device simultaneously receives Both the wireless data communication signal of the first adapter device and the RF power signal from the second adapter device; a power harvesting unit provided at the wireless network device, the power harvesting unit including an RF energy conversion The RF energy converter unit is used to receive the transmitted RF power signal and convert the RF power signal into a charging current suitable for charging the wireless network type device; a switch at the wireless network type device A device, which is coupled to one or more rechargeable energy storage devices, and is used to turn on or off the charging current according to the power level status of the device; and a control unit that is used to monitor and indicate the one or more energy storage devices The device power level state of the charge state, the control unit is operatively coupled to the switching device for enabling the charging current to be turned on to charge the energy storage device when it is determined that the device power level state is below an acceptable range, wherein , The system provides wireless device power charging to maintain the energy storage device at an appropriate charge level.

Thus, in this embodiment, two adapter plugs (a slave adapter plug for power charging and a master adapter plug for data communication) are provided for simultaneous activation The data communication operation and battery charging operation of the wireless network device.

According to a third embodiment, an intelligent power management system and method for wireless networked devices are provided. The wireless networked devices include one or more rechargeable energy storage devices for supplying power to the networked devices . The system includes: a first adapter device for coupling to an AC power jack, the first adapter device having a transmitter device for transmitting wireless data communication signals to a wireless network device , And a receiver device for receiving wireless data communication signals from a wireless network device, the first adapter device provides an interface for transmitting data signals to the network via an AC power line; a second adapter A device for being coupled to an AC power jack to provide an AC power signal and adapted for wireless data communication with a wireless networked device, the second adapter device further includes a power charging unit, the power The charging unit receives AC power signals and generates and transmits RF power signals for powering wireless networked devices; the first adapter device includes adapted to receive wireless data communication signals from wireless networked devices or transmit wireless signals A single antenna device to the wireless network device, and the second adapter device includes a single antenna device adapted to transmit RF power signals for powering the wireless network device, and the wireless network device simultaneously receives Both the wireless data communication signal from the first adapter device and the RF power signal from the second adapter device; a power harvesting unit provided at the wireless network device, the power harvesting unit includes RF energy conversion The RF energy converter unit is used to receive the transmitted RF power signal and convert the RF power signal into a charging current suitable for charging the wireless network type device; a switch at the wireless network type device A device, which is coupled to one or more rechargeable energy storage devices, and is used to turn on or off the charging current according to the power level status of the device; and a control unit that is used to monitor and indicate the one or more energy storage devices The device power level state of the charge state, the control unit is operatively coupled to the switching device for enabling the charging current to be turned on to charge the energy storage device when it is determined that the device power level state is below an acceptable range, the one The or multiple energy storage devices include a main control battery for supplying power to the wireless network device, and further include a backup battery, the switching device can be controlled to automatically control the battery to cut off the power supply to the wireless network connection device, And when it is determined that the main control battery has a device power level state below the acceptable range, the charging operation of the main control battery is initiated, and the backup battery is smoothly connected for power supply to the wireless network device operation, wherein, The department

Thus, in the third embodiment, two rechargeable energy storage devices (batteries) are provided in the wireless device-one battery is adapted as a backup battery. Therefore, in this embodiment, the power charging operation will not interrupt data transmission and reception. In other words, the battery can be exchanged dynamically and kept charged during the exchange by means of the capacitor device. As a result, sufficient power supply to the wireless device will be maintained.

Further to these embodiments, a range checking and warning system is provided so that when the wireless network device is not placed close enough to the adapter, the device will warn the user that it cannot be charged, and the device should be closer Placed as a slave adapter.

Further to the above-identified embodiments of the present invention, the wireless charging signal generated by the IBCS system can be tailored to suit a specific device. That is, for example, wireless charging can be performed in a controlled manner (such as operably programmed by instructions executed by the processor device provided at the plug).

For example, a wireless charging signal can be formulated to match the characteristics of the storage device to, for example, perform charging hysteresis required for a particular type of battery or storage device, and/or control the depth of the charge/discharge cycle.

Further to the above-identified embodiments of the present invention, the types of power storage devices covered for wireless charging according to the present invention include (but are not limited to): rechargeable/rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, electric charge Storage, electrolysis device, chemical energy storage, flow cell, voltaic battery, radioactive device, or other energy storage device.

In view of the following embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the features and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to those familiar with the art.

Referring to FIG. 1 depicting the IBCS 10 of the present invention, it provides a wireless means for communicating with and charging wireless appliances (for example, electronic devices such as those found in homes or businesses). Such wireless devices that can benefit from wireless charging systems include (but are not limited to) personal computers, laptop computers, printers, digital TVs, video converters, household appliances, etc.

As shown in Figure 1, the IBCS of the present invention includes one for plugging into a power socket<img file="TW201014107A_D0007.tif" />The adapter 10 is equipped with an antenna for transmitting RF signals to and receiving RF signals from the wireless device 20 for wireless communication therewith. According to an implementation, the wireless signal transmitted from the adapter 10 is at the first frequency or in the first frequency range, or according to industrial power line communication standards (such as,<img file="TW201014107A_D0008.tif" />Specification (e.g.<img file="TW201014107A_D0009.tif" /> 1.0), one of at least two versions of the home network connection technology specification for connecting devices to each other via the power line in the home).<img file="TW201014107A_D0010.tif" />The certified product is connected to a PC and other devices using Ethernet, USB and 802.11. Many devices have<img file="TW201014107A_D0011.tif" />,Should<img file="TW201014107A_D0012.tif" />These devices are built-in and connected to other home devices via a home network (for example, Ethernet). As will be explained in more detail herein, the adapter 10 operates in a wireless environment to provide at least signals (such as data signals, video signals, audio signals, etc.) to and receive signals from electronic devices. A signal source and at least one power transmission source for ensuring that the electronic device is always fully charged.

In one embodiment, the adapter 10 also includes a wireless power charging unit designed to transmit RF signals at a second frequency or in a second frequency range, and the RF signals are used to control (For example, through Figure 2<img file="TW201014107A_D0013.tif" />The frequency generator in the adapter unit 10 charges the wireless device 20 remotely. The remote wireless device must be placed within a certain distance range so that the charging efficiency can be maintained. In one example, the RF signal can be<img file="TW201014107A_D0014.tif" />The range of the distance communicated by the adapter 10 to the wireless device is in the range of 3 feet to 20 feet, but it can be increased with the advancement of technology. In addition, in this example embodiment, two or more (for example, three) wireless device antennas are configured for receiving at the wireless device. This is because in one embodiment, data transmission and reception are performed at the same time. And electric charging. It is conceivable that in other embodiments, since data transmission and battery charging can be performed in different time periods, a smaller number of antennas can be allowed. Although explain one<img file="TW201014107A_D0015.tif" />Power system, but it is understandable that the same smart battery charging method can be applied to other wireless configurations, such as configurations using a base station and multiple end-point wireless devices. In any embodiment, when the wireless device 20 is not within the power charging range and the battery is below a predetermined lower limit, the audible warning signal may be generated by the system and will be triggered to alert the user.

Refer to FIG. 2 which is a block diagram of the present invention, which relates to the adapter 10 including a wireless power charging unit 30 which is integrated or accommodated in the existing<img file="TW201014107A_D0016.tif" />Adapter 10 inside. The power charging unit includes an AC-to-DC converter 13, a frequency generator 15 and an RF amplifier 16. Other signal processing devices necessary to reproduce the power transmission signal, such as filters and modulators, may be included as needed. The converter 13 converts the AC current into a DC current, which is used to generate a suitable frequency, which is then amplified by the RF amplifier 16 and transmitted via the antenna device. An antenna switch 18 is provided to allow the antenna to be shared between power transmission and signal transmission. The control unit 26 receives the control signal from the processor 23 to select the antenna switch and control<img file="TW201014107A_D0017.tif" />Other signal/antenna switching activities in the adapter. The power line source is directly connected to the AC/DC converter 13 and in the manner described in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 3<img file="TW201014107A_D0018.tif" />Module 11.

Conventional knowledge of non-power charging unit<img file="TW201014107A_D0019.tif" />The adapter 10 is currently available. However, it does not have an integrated wireless power charging unit 30. By inserting the adapter into a wall-mounted power outlet socket (for example, 110/220 volts, single-phase or 3-phase (not shown)), the adapter can be (for example) from the power line wall in an operating mode The socket receives the power line signal and converts it into an RF signal, which can then be transmitted to a wireless device via a shared antenna according to a communication protocol. Similarly, in another mode of operation, the adapter antenna can receive the RF signal transmitted by the wireless device 20, demodulate and/or process it, and forward information, data or command signals to the home network via the AC power line. Road 99. On the other hand, the data received from the network via the AC power line<img file="TW201014107A_D0020.tif" />The signal of the module 11 is coupled to the 802.3 media access controller (MAC) unit 12. These signals are serialized via the multiplexer device (MUX) 14 and transmitted to the remote device via the transmitter 17 and the antenna. In one embodiment, according to<img file="TW201014107A_D0021.tif" />The network connection technology specification governs the communication on the home network. The specification enables wireless devices to communicate with the network via the power line in the home or business.<img file="TW201014107A_D0022.tif" />Certified products connect computing devices (such as laptops, mobile devices, PCs) and other devices that use Ethernet, USB, and 802.11 via a powerline network. Such<img file="TW201014107A_D0023.tif" />Devices usually act as transparent Ethernet bridges, and many computers can use these devices for network access. There is a way that the present invention can operate according to<img file="TW201014107A_D0024.tif" />Several versions of the standard, including:<img file="TW201014107A_D0025.tif" /> Version 1.0 (standard for controlling (for example) speeds up to 14Mbit/s half-duplex), Turbo version (standard for speeds up to (for example) 85Mbps) and AV version (designed to control signals) The standard for transmission at HDTV speeds up to 200Mbps and VoIP speeds). It should be understood that other home network connection technology standards are at their disposal.

In one aspect, the present invention can be configured to adapt to newly developed standards, such as the standards described in the IEEE P1901 Draft Standard for Broadband over Power Line Networks: media access control and physical layer specifications. This emerging standard governs modulation technology for high-speed communications (for example, greater than 100 Mbps at the physical layer) on AC power lines (ie, for so-called Broadband Power Line (BPL) devices). The proposed IEEE standard will use transmission frequencies below 100MHz and will be used by all types of BPL devices, including first-mile/last-mile connections to broadband services. connection) (to the user end &lt;1500m) BPL devices and BPL devices used for LAN and other data distribution in buildings (between devices &lt;100m). This standard focuses on the balanced and effective use of power line communication channels by all types of BPL devices, defines detailed mechanisms for coexistence and interoperability between different BPL devices, and ensures that the required bandwidth and services can be delivered quality. This standard is limited to the physical layer and the media access sublayer of the data link layer, as defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) basic reference model.

Referring back to Figure 2, in the transmission mode of operation,<img file="TW201014107A_D0026.tif" />When the adapter is activated by the programmable switch device 18, it can be selected by the multiplexer MUX unit 14 or the serial device to transmit data signals from the MAC interface, which converts parallel data into serial data And then transmit via the coupled RF transmitter TX device 17. Similarly, in the receiver operation mode, the signal transmitted by the wireless device is received by the RF receiver RX device 19, and then processed by the demultiplexer 22 or a deserializer that converts serial data into parallel data. Then couple this data to the 802.3 MAC device. The output data signal 24 from the MAC is in a media independent interface (or MII) format, or a similar communication format, and is coupled to<img file="TW201014107A_D0027.tif" />The module 11 is used for communication on the power line/network 99. The memory unit 21 including volatile or non-volatile memory storage or both is used to store commands, key data and important parameters for remote wireless charging and communication operations. The memory unit 21 is coupled to a processor 23, a controller, or a digital signal processor for controlling the antenna switch and controlling the data traffic flow between the adapter and the wireless device, as will be explained in more detail below.

Referring to FIG. 3, a detailed block diagram of the Homeplug module 11 described in the adapter 10 of FIG. 2 is depicted. The Homeplug module 11 is provided as an interface with the power line/home network.<img file="TW201014107A_D0028.tif" />The module 11 includes a coupler 111 connected to a wall-mounted AC socket 110, and has a transmitter 112, a TX filter device 113, an RX filter device 114, a mixed signal front-end device 115, and a MAC/PHY layer Unit 116. The coupler 111 couples the signal to the AC power line/couples the signal from the AC power line. The transmitter transmits the analog signal to the coupler via the driver 112 via the TX filter device 113, and the receiver filter 114 receives the signal from the AC power line via the coupler. The mixing signal front end converts the received analog signal into a digital signal, and vice versa, that is, converts the received digital signal into an analog signal. The converted digital signal is sent to the MAC/PHY block 116 and converted to the MII format.

Referring to FIG. 4, it depicts a wireless device 20 having a wireless battery charging unit according to the present invention. The wireless battery charging unit can be installed in the wireless device 20, coupled to the wireless device 20 or embedded in the wireless device 20. The wireless battery charging unit includes a first antenna dedicated to the power collection unit 200. The power collection unit 200 further includes an RF energy converter unit 201 and a DC charger unit 202. The power collection unit 200 receives from its power transmission antenna<img file="TW201014107A_D0029.tif" />The RF signal transmitted by the power transmitter of the wireless adapter 10. The DC charger 202 converts the RF signal into DC current and will be used to charge one or more batteries or other power storage devices depending on the power requirements of the wireless device. In an embodiment, the wireless device includes two batteries, but the invention is not limited to this. Batteries may include (but are not limited to): rechargeable/rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, charge storage, electrolysis devices, chemical energy storage, flow batteries, voltaic batteries, radioactive devices, or other energy storage devices . In an embodiment, the first battery B1 can serve as a master battery for normal wireless device operation, and the second battery B2 can serve as a backup battery and can be charged at any time. When the power level of the main control battery drops below the preset or controlled lower limit, the backup battery can be used to exchange the main control battery. In the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, four (4) switching devices may be used to coordinate switching. For example, when B1 is fully charged and is in the active mode, B1 is connected to the power supply line of the core device, so switch S3 is shorted and switch S1 is turned off. At the same time, B2 is turned on for charging. At this moment, switch S2 is short-circuited and switch S4 is turned off. To avoid power noise during battery exchange, a capacitor C1 is provided to stabilize the power supply line. The block 300 is a control block, which has a built-in state machine or co-processor, or a DSP unit to control the switch. The algorithm including controlling the charging operation according to the programmed state machine will be discussed in more detail below. The control block 300 sends control signals to the switches S1 to S4, the core 100, and the RF collection unit 200. This is because the request for wireless charging (or the request for stopping wireless charging) is preferably sent via the TX antenna 430 to the controllable adapter to start or terminate the transmission of RF signals.<img file="TW201014107A_D0030.tif" />Adapter 10. The duplex core device 100 can receive signals while independently sending requests. The wireless core design is well known in the art and therefore will not be explained further. The details of RF collection to generate DC current in wireless mode are also known in the art, such as shown and described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,068,991 and 6,664,770 as non-limiting examples.

Fig. 5 depicts an example algorithm for controlling the power charging operation according to the first embodiment example. In this embodiment, a single battery is included and therefore only one corresponding<img file="TW201014107A_D0031.tif" />Adapter.<img file="TW201014107A_D0032.tif" />The adapter 10 can periodically check the battery level of the wireless unit (501), and determine whether the level is acceptable (502). In other words, by transmitting the appropriate inquiry signal from the adapter and receiving the response signal from the wireless device, the IBCS implements smart power management and can determine whether the battery level is below a predetermined lower limit. For example, if the wireless device processor determines that the power charge level is unacceptable, or is lower than the lower threshold, it can generate and transmit a request signal for receiving at the adapter to initiate the charging operation, and as Response via<img file="TW201014107A_D0033.tif" />Adapter, the charger will start charging the battery wirelessly (503) and when the battery is fully charged, it will return to monitor the device charge level at 501. Otherwise, if the power level is determined to be acceptable at 502, the IBCS system is ready (504) for transmitting and/or receiving wireless data communication (505). If no data is available for data communication, the system returns to monitoring the power level. Otherwise, it starts data communication (506).

It should be understood that according to the present invention, the wireless charging signal generated by the IBCS system can be formulated to match a specific wireless device. I.e., controlled manner (such as, executed by the system processor means so operatively programmable) performs wireless charging. For example, wireless charging signals can be formulated to match the characteristics of the storage device to, for example, perform charging hysteresis required for a particular type of battery or power storage device, and/or control the depth of the charge/discharge cycle.

According to this embodiment and each of the other embodiments of the present invention as described herein, a communication or handshaking mechanism is used between the wireless networked device and the adapter device to check the charge range and power level . In one example, this is achieved by using predetermined code. For example, the wireless device 20 may send a query after determining the need for smart power charging and wait for a predetermined period of time. If no signal is received from the adapter, this is an indication that the device cannot be charged (for example, due to it being outside the wireless data communication range). Thus, the device will initially generate a warning signal (for example, an audible sound or message) to the user. The warning indicates to the user that the charging distance between the devices must be shortened. When the adapter receives a signal from the device, it will respond to the device with a specific code, which can be recognized by the device to mean that the charging distance is acceptable.

Once the charging distance is acceptable, under the control of the programmed processor, the adapter will periodically query the wireless device for the power level, that is, the device will send another predetermined program code through the wireless data communication signal, and the adapter The device device recognizes the other predetermined code to indicate that the power of the wireless device is low and the wireless charging should start within a predetermined time period. As mentioned, the wireless device 20 has a power management design (especially for a dual battery system) to handle battery exchange and charging.

In the second embodiment, the present invention is designed for use with wireless devices required for semi-active data communication. In this example, as shown in Figure 6, two<img file="TW201014107A_D0034.tif" />Adapters 10A and 10B. First<img file="TW201014107A_D0035.tif" />Acts as the master adapter 10A mainly used for data communication. The second adapter 10B is called a slave adapter and is mainly used for power transmission. Therefore, the wireless device 20 should be located within a specific range of the two adapters so that it can receive simultaneous transmissions. Because the power charging signal and the data signal come from different adapters, this "dual plug" (master plug and slave plug) system provides low noise to the wireless device.

Figures 7A and 7B depict two flowcharts that implement separate state machine control of two household adapters operating according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In order to make power charging more effective, the wireless device must first be placed within a specific range facing the power adapter. One way to check this distance is to initiate communication between the device and the power adapter. If the wireless device cannot receive the return signal from the adapter, it will trigger a warning signal indicating that the device is out of the charging range. Another example (slave plug 10B, FIG. 7A) continuously, periodically, or as needed, checks the power charging range and power level of the battery of the wireless device (701). If it is determined that the wireless device is outside the charging range of the wireless charging (702) according to the present invention, a warning signal (704) will be triggered. If the battery level is lower than the predetermined level, it will start charging and the wireless device can start its normal operation. When the battery level reaches a predetermined high level or a set upper limit, the charging operation will stop (703). The process then returns to checking the power level and charge range (701).

It should be understood that, according to each of the embodiments of the present invention, the wireless charging signal generated by the IBCS system can be formulated for matching a specific wireless device. That is, wireless charging can be performed in a controlled manner (such as operatively programmed by instructions executed by the system processor). For example, wireless charging signals can be formulated to match the characteristics of the storage device to, for example, perform charging hysteresis required for a specific type of battery or power storage device, and/or control the depth of the charge/discharge cycle. For example, the wireless charging signals can be further used to ensure that some types of rechargeable batteries are fully discharged before recharging.

In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 7B, the master household plug 10A is only responsible for performing data transmission communication and will first check whether the data is ready for transmission operation or reception operation (705). like<img file="TW201014107A_D0036.tif" />10A is ready for these operations (706), then it performs normal wireless signal communication according to the well-known wireless data communication protocol (707). Therefore, the user must set one plug adapter as the master adapter and the other plug adapter as the slave adapter. The purpose is to transmit data and power at the same time without affecting each other.

The third embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 8, in which two adapters are used and two batteries are installed in the wireless device 20. This configuration can be advantageously used for highly active wireless devices. Data communication is very busy and there is almost no standby mode for battery charging. The algorithm starts by checking the effective electric charge range. The wireless device sends a signal to the home adapter plug and waits for a response (801). If the received signal is bad or unacceptable (802), a visual or audible warning signal (803) will be triggered to alert the user. If the signal strength is acceptable, the smart device will start to check the main control battery level and determine whether the main control battery level is higher than the lower limit of the acceptable charge range. If the charge level is higher than the set lower limit level, a battery exchange occurs (805), and the main control battery immediately undergoes a charging operation (806). The charging operation will continue to charge the main control battery until the level of the main control battery exceeds the upper limit (809). However, if the strength of the main control battery is greater than the predetermined lower limit, it will check the backup battery level to determine whether the backup battery level is higher than the predetermined upper limit (807). If the answer is negative, the charging operation starts to charge the backup battery (808).

Although the embodiments regarded as the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail can of course be easily made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention is not limited to the exact form described and illustrated, but should be interpreted as covering all modifications that may fall within the scope of the accompanying patent application.

<p>10．．．<img file="TW201014107A_D0037.tif" />Adapter/Intelligent Battery Charging System (IBCS)/<img file="TW201014107A_D0038.tif" />Adapter unit/<img file="TW201014107A_D0039.tif" />Wireless adapter</p><p>10A. . .<img file="TW201014107A_D0040.tif" />Power adapter/master adapter/master household plug</p><p>10B. . .<img file="TW201014107A_D0041.tif" />Power adapter/second adapter/slave adapter</p><p>11．．．<img file="TW201014107A_D0042.tif" />Module</p><p>12. . . 802.3 Media Access Controller (MAC) unit</p><p>13. . . AC to DC converter</p><p>14. . . Multiplexer device (MUX) / multiplexer MUX unit</p><p>15. . . Frequency generator</p><p>16. . . RF amplifier</p><p>17. . . Transmitter/RF transmitter TX device</p><p>18. . . Antenna switch/programmed switch device</p><p>19. . . RF receiver RX device</p><p>20. . . Wireless device</p><p>twenty one. . . Memory unit</p><p>twenty two. . . Demultiplexer</p><p>twenty three. . . processor</p><p>twenty four. . . Output data signal</p><p>26. . . control unit</p><p>30. . . Wireless power charging unit</p><p>99. . . Home network/power line/network</p><p>100. . . Core/duplex core device</p><p>110. . . Wall-mounted AC outlet</p><p>111. . . Coupler</p><p>112. . . Transmitter/Drive</p><p>113. . . TX filter device</p><p>114. . . RX filter device/receiver filter</p><p>115. . . Mixing signal front-end device</p><p>116. . . MAC/PHY layer unit</p><p>200. . . Power collection unit/RF collection unit</p><p>201. . . RF energy converter unit</p><p>202. . . DC charger unit/DC charger</p><p>300. . . Control block</p><p>430. . . TX antenna</p><p>B1. . . First battery</p><p>B2. . . Second battery</p><p>C1. . . Capacitor</p><p>MII. . . Independent media interface</p><p>RX. . . receiver</p><p>S1. . . switch</p><p>S2. . . switch</p><p>S3. . . switch</p><p>S4. . . switch</p><p>TX. . . Transmitter</p>

Figure 1 roughly depicts an IBCS wireless communication and battery charging system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting a wireless power charging unit 30<img file="TW201014107A_D0043.tif" />Block diagram of the adapter 10;

Figure 3 shows the adapter 10 of Figure 2<img file="TW201014107A_D0044.tif" />Block diagram of module 11;

FIG. 4 depicts a wireless device 20 with a wireless battery charging unit operable for wireless remote charging according to the present invention;

Figure 5 depicts an example algorithm for controlling power charging according to the method of the first embodiment;

Figure 6 depicts a block diagram that depicts the implementation of two<img file="TW201014107A_D0045.tif" />The wireless remote battery charging system of power adapters 10A and 10B, the first of which<img file="TW201014107A_D0046.tif" />The power adapter serves as the master adapter 10A for data communication with wireless devices, and the second adapter 10B is adapted to be mainly used for power transmission;

Figures 7A and 7B depict two flowcharts that implement the respective state machine control of two household adapters operating according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 8 depicts a third embodiment of the present invention, in which two adapters are used and two batteries are installed in the wireless device.