Wireless Power Utilization in a Local Computing Environment

Abstract

Various embodiments of a wirelessly powered local computing environment are described. The wireless powered local computing environment includes at least a near field magnetic resonance (NFMR) power supply arranged to wirelessly provide power to any of a number of suitably configured devices. In the described embodiments, the devices arranged to receive power wirelessly from the NFMR power supply must be located in a region known as the near field that extends no further than a distance D of a few times a characteristic size of the NFMR power supply transmission device. Typically, the distance D can be on the order of 1 meter or so.

1 . An electronic device configured to supply wireless power to an external device, comprising:
 a coil;   transmit circuitry coupled to the coil, wherein the transmit circuitry is configured to supply the wireless power to the external device using the coil via a wireless link;   load sensing circuitry coupled to the coil, wherein the load sensing circuitry is configured to detect a change in loading of the coil indicative of a presence of the external device adjacent to the coil; and   a controller coupled to the load sensing circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to receive wireless power information from the external device and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the transmit circuitry based on the detected change in loading of the coil and the received wireless power information.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the wireless power information from the external device via the wireless link using the coil. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device defined in  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a frequency of the wireless power supplied by the transmit circuitry based on the wireless power information received from the external device. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device defined in  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to enable the transmit circuitry to supply the wireless power to the external device in response to detecting the change in loading of the coil. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device defined in  claim 3 , wherein the wireless power information comprises an amount of the wireless power supplied by the transmit circuitry that is received at the external device. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device defined in  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 compare the amount of wireless power that is received at the external device to a threshold value; and   in response to determining that the amount of wireless power that is received at the external device exceeds the threshold value, adjusting the frequency of the wireless power supplied by the transmit circuitry.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device defined in  claim 3 , wherein the load sensing circuitry comprises a current sensor that is configured to detect a current associated with the coil and the controller is configured to adjust the transmit circuitry based on the detected current. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device defined in  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to enable the transmit circuitry to supply the wireless power to the external device in response to detecting a change in the detected current. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an antenna coupled to the controller, wherein controller is configured to control the transmit circuitry to supply the wireless power in a first frequency channel and wherein the controller is configured to receive the wireless power information from the external device in a second frequency channel that is different from the first frequency channel using the antenna.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic device defined in  claim 9 , wherein the first frequency channel comprises lower frequencies than the second frequency channel. 
     
     
         11 . An electronic device configured to supply wireless power to an external device via a wireless link, comprising:
 a coil;   transmit circuitry coupled to the coil;   load sensing circuitry coupled to the coil, wherein the load sensing circuitry is configured to detect a change in loading of the coil indicative of a presence of the external device adjacent to the coil; and   a controller coupled to the load sensing circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to enable the transmit circuitry to transmit the wireless power to the external device using the coil via the wireless link in response to detecting the change in loading of the coil using the load sensing circuitry.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device defined in  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to receive wireless power information from the external device and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the transmit circuitry based on the received wireless power information. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the wireless power information via the wireless link using the coil. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device defined in  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a frequency of the wireless power transmitted by the transmit circuitry based on the wireless power information received from the external device. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic device defined in  claim 11 , wherein the load sensing circuitry comprises a current sensor configured to detect a change in current in the transmit circuitry and the controller is configured to enable the transmit circuitry to transmit the wireless power to the external device in response to detecting the change in current in the transmit circuitry. 
     
     
         16 . An electronic device configured to supply wireless power to a wireless power receiving device, comprising:
 a wireless power transmitting coil;   transmit circuitry coupled to the wireless power transmitting coil, wherein the transmit circuitry is configured to transmit the wireless power to the wireless power receiving device using the wireless power transmitting coil via a wireless link;   a current sensor coupled to the wireless power transmitting coil, wherein the current sensor is configured to detect a change in current in the transmit circuitry associated with a presence of the wireless power receiving device adjacent to the wireless power transmitting coil; and   a controller coupled to the current sensor, wherein the controller is configured to receive wireless power information from the wireless power receiving device and is configured to adjust a frequency of the wireless power transmitted by the transmit circuitry based on the received wireless power information.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic device defined in  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to enable the transmit circuitry in response to detecting the change in current in the transmit circuitry. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device defined in  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the wireless power information via the wireless link using the wireless power transmitting coil. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device defined in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an antenna coupled to the controller, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit radio-frequency signals to the wireless power receiving device over a radio-frequency link that is different from the wireless link.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic device defined in  claim 19 , wherein the electronic device comprises a computer selected from the group consisting of: a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a tablet computer.