Condition-based wireless power   

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to:

U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/262,119 entitled “WIRELESS POWER” filed on Nov. 17, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

1. Field

The present invention relates generally to wireless power, and more specifically, to methods and systems for condition-based wireless power.

2. Background

Typically, each device powered by a chargeable battery may require its own charger and power source, which is usually an AC power outlet. This becomes unwieldy when many devices need charging.

Approaches are being developed that use over the air power transmission between a transmitter and the device to be charged (i.e., energy transfer that does not require a wire connection between the charger and the device being charged). For example, energy may be transferred by means of coupling of plane wave radiation (also called far-field radiation) between a transmit antenna and receive antenna on the device to be charged which collects the radiated power and rectifies it for charging the battery. Antennas are generally of resonant length in order to improve the coupling efficiency. This approach suffers from the fact that the power coupling falls off quickly with distance between the antennas. So, typically, applying this charging solution over reasonable distances (e.g., >1-2 m) becomes difficult. Additionally, since the system radiates plane waves, unintentional radiation can interfere with other systems if not properly controlled through filtering.

Other approaches are based on inductive coupling between a transmit antenna embedded, for example, in a “charging” mat or surface and a receive antenna plus rectifying circuit embedded in the host device to be charged. This approach has the disadvantage that the spacing between transmit and receive antennas must be very close (e.g. mms). Though this approach does have the capability to simultaneously charge multiple devices in the same area, this area is typically small, hence the user must locate the devices to a specific area.

When a user charges a device at home or in a car, the user may select the source and pay for the energy consumed. In other environments, the availability and delivery of power to authorized user may be more challenging, since a relationship between the responsibility of the source and the need for charge may no longer apply.

A need exists for enhanced systems and methods for transferring wireless power to authorized users, as well as preventing the transfer of power to unauthorized users.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a wireless power transfer system.

FIG. 2 shows a simplified schematic diagram of a wireless power transfer system.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a loop antenna for use in exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of a transmitter, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a receiver, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a simplified schematic of a portion of transmit circuitry for carrying out messaging between a transmitter and a receiver.

FIG. 7A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device.

FIG. 7B is another depiction of the electronic device of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 depicts a wireless system including an entity and a plurality of electronic devices.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another method, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating yet another method, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating another method, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating yet another method, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present invention can be practiced. The term “exemplary” used throughout this description means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other exemplary embodiments. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the novelty of the exemplary embodiments presented herein.

The words “wireless power” is used herein to mean any form of energy associated with electric fields, magnetic fields, electromagnetic fields, or otherwise that is transmitted between from a transmitter to a receiver without the use of physical electromagnetic conductors. It is noted that the present invention may be applicable to any suitable wireless power scenarios, such as near-field, far-field, resonant, and inductive coupling.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless transmission or charging system 100, in accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Input power 102 is provided to a transmitter 104 for generating a radiated field 106 for providing energy transfer. A receiver 108 couples to the radiated field 106 and generates an output power 110 for storing or consumption by a device (not shown) coupled to the output power 110. Both the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 are separated by a distance 112. In one exemplary embodiment, transmitter 104 and receiver 108 are configured according to a mutual resonant relationship and when the resonant frequency of receiver 108 and the resonant frequency of transmitter 104 are very close, transmission losses between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108 are minimal when the receiver 108 is located in the “near-field” of the radiated field 106.

Transmitter 104 further includes a transmit antenna 114 for providing a means for energy transmission and receiver 108 further includes a receive antenna 118 for providing a means for energy reception. The transmit and receive antennas are sized according to applications and devices to be associated therewith. As stated, an efficient energy transfer occurs by coupling a large portion of the energy in the near-field of the transmitting antenna to a receiving antenna rather than propagating most of the energy in an electromagnetic wave to the far field. When in this near-field a coupling mode may be developed between the transmit antenna 114 and the receive antenna 118. The area around the antennas 114 and 118 where this near-field coupling may occur is referred to herein as a coupling-mode region.

FIG. 2 shows a simplified exemplary schematic diagram of a wireless power transfer system. The transmitter 104 includes an oscillator 122, a power amplifier 124 and a filter and matching circuit 126. The oscillator is configured to generate a signal at a desired frequency, which may be adjusted in response to adjustment signal 123. The oscillator signal may be amplified by the power amplifier 124 with an amplification amount responsive to control signal 125. The filter and matching circuit 126 may be included to filter out harmonics or other unwanted frequencies and match the impedance of the transmitter 104 to the transmit antenna 114.

The receiver 108 may include a matching circuit 132 and a rectifier and switching circuit 134 to generate a DC power output to charge a battery 136 as shown in FIG. 2 or power a device coupled to the receiver (not shown). The matching circuit 132 may be included to match the impedance of the receiver 108 to the receive antenna 118. The receiver 108 and transmitter 104 may communicate on a separate communication channel 119 (e.g., Bluetooth, zigbee, cellular, etc).

As illustrated in FIG. 3, antennas used in exemplary embodiments may be configured as a “loop” antenna 150, which may also be referred to herein as a “magnetic” antenna. Loop antennas may be configured to include an air core or a physical core such as a ferrite core. Air core loop antennas may be more tolerable to extraneous physical devices placed in the vicinity of the core. Furthermore, an air core loop antenna allows the placement of other components within the core area. In addition, an air core loop may more readily enable placement of the receive antenna 118 (FIG. 2) within a plane of the transmit antenna 114 (FIG. 2) where the coupled-mode region of the transmit antenna 114 (FIG. 2) may be more powerful.

As stated, efficient transfer of energy between the transmitter 104 and receiver 108 occurs during matched or nearly matched resonance between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 108. However, even when resonance between the transmitter 104 and receiver 108 are not matched, energy may be transferred at a lower efficiency. Transfer of energy occurs by coupling energy from the near-field of the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna residing in the neighborhood where this near-field is established rather than propagating the energy from the transmitting antenna into free space.

The resonant frequency of the loop or magnetic antennas is based on the inductance and capacitance. Inductance in a loop antenna is generally simply the inductance created by the loop, whereas, capacitance is generally added to the loop antenna\'s inductance to create a resonant structure at a desired resonant frequency. As a non-limiting example, capacitor 152 and capacitor 154 may be added to the antenna to create a resonant circuit that generates resonant signal 156. Accordingly, for larger diameter loop antennas, the size of capacitance needed to induce resonance decreases as the diameter or inductance of the loop increases. Furthermore, as the diameter of the loop or magnetic antenna increases, the efficient energy transfer area of the near-field increases. Of course, other resonant circuits are possible. As another non-limiting example, a capacitor may be placed in parallel between the two terminals of the loop antenna. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that for transmit antennas the resonant signal 156 may be an input to the loop antenna 150.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of a transmitter 200, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The transmitter 200 includes transmit circuitry 202 and a transmit antenna 204. Generally, transmit circuitry 202 provides RF power to the transmit antenna 204 by providing an oscillating signal resulting in generation of near-field energy about the transmit antenna 204. By way of example, transmitter 200 may operate at the 13.56 MHz ISM band.

Exemplary transmit circuitry 202 includes a fixed impedance matching circuit 206 for matching the impedance of the transmit circuitry 202 (e.g., 50 ohms) to the transmit antenna 204 and a low pass filter (LPF) 208 configured to reduce harmonic emissions to levels to prevent self-jamming of devices coupled to receivers 108 (FIG. 1). Other exemplary embodiments may include different filter topologies, including but not limited to, notch filters that attenuate specific frequencies while passing others and may include an adaptive impedance match, that can be varied based on measurable transmit metrics, such as output power to the antenna or DC current draw by the power amplifier. Transmit circuitry 202 further includes a power amplifier 210 configured to drive an RF signal as determined by an oscillator 212. The transmit circuitry may be comprised of discrete devices or circuits, or alternately, may be comprised of an integrated assembly. An exemplary RF power output from transmit antenna 204 may be on the order of 2.5 Watts.

Transmit circuitry 202 further includes a controller 214 for enabling the oscillator 212 during transmit phases (or duty cycles) for specific receivers, for adjusting the frequency of the oscillator, and for adjusting the output power level for implementing a communication protocol for interacting with neighboring devices through their attached receivers.

The transmit circuitry 202 may further include a load sensing circuit 216 for detecting the presence or absence of active receivers in the vicinity of the near-field generated by transmit antenna 204. By way of example, a load sensing circuit 216 monitors the current flowing to the power amplifier 210, which is affected by the presence or absence of active receivers in the vicinity of the near-field generated by transmit antenna 204. Detection of changes to the loading on the power amplifier 210 are monitored by controller 214 for use in determining whether to enable the oscillator 212 for transmitting energy to communicate with an active receiver.

Transmit antenna 204 may be implemented as an antenna strip with the thickness, width and metal type selected to keep resistive losses low. In a conventional implementation, the transmit antenna 204 can generally be configured for association with a larger structure such as a table, mat, lamp or other less portable configuration. Accordingly, the transmit antenna 204 generally will not need “turns” in order to be of a practical dimension. An exemplary implementation of a transmit antenna 204 may be “electrically small” (i.e., fraction of the wavelength) and tuned to resonate at lower usable frequencies by using capacitors to define the resonant frequency. In an exemplary application where the transmit antenna 204 may be larger in diameter, or length of side if a square loop, (e.g., 0.50 meters) relative to the receive antenna, the transmit antenna 204 will not necessarily need a large number of turns to obtain a reasonable capacitance.

The transmitter 200 may gather and track information about the whereabouts and status of receiver devices that may be associated with the transmitter 200. Thus, the transmitter circuitry 202 may include a presence detector 280, an enclosed detector 290, or a combination thereof, connected to the controller 214 (also referred to as a processor herein). The controller 214 may adjust an amount of power delivered by the amplifier 210 in response to presence signals from the presence detector 280 and the enclosed detector 290. The transmitter may receive power through a number of power sources, such as, for example, an AC-DC converter (not shown) to convert conventional AC power present in a building, a DC-DC converter (not shown) to convert a conventional DC power source to a voltage suitable for the transmitter 200, or directly from a conventional DC power source (not shown).

As a non-limiting example, the presence detector 280 may be a motion detector utilized to sense the initial presence of a device to be charged that is inserted into the coverage area of the transmitter. After detection, the transmitter may be turned on and the RF power received by the device may be used to toggle a switch on the Rx device in a pre-determined manner, which in turn results in changes to the driving point impedance of the transmitter.

As another non-limiting example, the presence detector 280 may be a detector capable of detecting a human, for example, by infrared detection, motion detection, or other suitable means. In some exemplary embodiments, there may be regulations limiting the amount of power that a transmit antenna may transmit at a specific frequency. In some cases, these regulations are meant to protect humans from electromagnetic radiation. However, there may be environments where transmit antennas are placed in areas not occupied by humans, or occupied infrequently by humans, such as, for example, garages, factory floors, shops, and the like. If these environments are free from humans, it may be permissible to increase the power output of the transmit antennas above the normal power restrictions regulations. In other words, the controller 214 may adjust the power output of the transmit antenna 204 to a regulatory level or lower in response to human presence and adjust the power output of the transmit antenna 204 to a level above the regulatory level when a human is outside a regulatory distance from the electromagnetic field of the transmit antenna 204.

As a non-limiting example, the enclosed detector 290 (may also be referred to herein as an enclosed compartment detector or an enclosed space detector) may be a device such as a sense switch for determining when an enclosure is in a closed or open state. When a transmitter is in an enclosure that is in an enclosed state, a power level of the transmitter may be increased.

In exemplary embodiments, a method by which the transmitter 200 does not remain on indefinitely may be used. In this case, the transmitter 200 may be programmed to shut off after a user-determined amount of time. This feature prevents the transmitter 200, notably the power amplifier 210, from running long after the wireless devices in its perimeter are fully charged. This event may be due to the failure of the circuit to detect the signal sent from either the repeater or the receive coil that a device is fully charged. To prevent the transmitter 200 from automatically shutting down if another device is placed in its perimeter, the transmitter 200 automatic shut off feature may be activated only after a set period of lack of motion detected in its perimeter. The user may be able to determine the inactivity time interval, and change it as desired. As a non-limiting example, the time interval may be longer than that needed to fully charge a specific type of wireless device under the assumption of the device being initially fully discharged.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a receiver 300, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The receiver 300 includes receive circuitry 302 and a receive antenna 304. Receiver 300 further couples to device 350 for providing received power thereto. It should be noted that receiver 300 is illustrated as being external to device 350 but may be integrated into device 350. Generally, energy is propagated wirelessly to receive antenna 304 and then coupled through receive circuitry 302 to device 350.

Receive antenna 304 is tuned to resonate at the same frequency, or near the same frequency, as transmit antenna 204 (FIG. 4). Receive antenna 304 may be similarly dimensioned with transmit antenna 204 or may be differently sized based upon the dimensions of the associated device 350. By way of example, device 350 may be a portable electronic device having diametric or length dimension smaller that the diameter of length of transmit antenna 204. In such an example, receive antenna 304 may be implemented as a multi-turn antenna in order to reduce the capacitance value of a tuning capacitor (not shown) and increase the receive antenna\'s impedance. By way of example, receive antenna 304 may be placed around the substantial circumference of device 350 in order to maximize the antenna diameter and reduce the number of loop turns (i.e., windings) of the receive antenna and the inter-winding capacitance.

Receive circuitry 302 provides an impedance match to the receive antenna 304. Receive circuitry 302 includes power conversion circuitry 306 for converting a received RF energy source into charging power for use by device 350. Power conversion circuitry 306 includes an RF-to-DC converter 308 and may also in include a DC-to-DC converter 310. RF-to-DC converter 308 rectifies the RF energy signal received at receive antenna 304 into a non-alternating power while DC-to-DC converter 310 converts the rectified RF energy signal into an energy potential (e.g., voltage) that is compatible with device 350. Various RF-to-DC converters are contemplated, including partial and full rectifiers, regulators, bridges, doublers, as well as linear and switching converters.

Receive circuitry 302 may further include switching circuitry 312 for connecting receive antenna 304 to the power conversion circuitry 306 or alternatively for disconnecting the power conversion circuitry 306. Disconnecting receive antenna 304 from power conversion circuitry 306 not only suspends charging of device 350, but also changes the “load” as “seen” by the transmitter 200 (FIG. 2).

As disclosed above, transmitter 200 includes load sensing circuit 216 which detects fluctuations in the bias current provided to transmitter power amplifier 210. Accordingly, transmitter 200 has a mechanism for determining when receivers are present in the transmitter\'s near-field.

When multiple receivers 300 are present in a transmitter\'s near-field, it may be desirable to time-multiplex the loading and unloading of one or more receivers to enable other receivers to more efficiently couple to the transmitter. A receiver may also be cloaked in order to eliminate coupling to other nearby receivers or to reduce loading on nearby transmitters. This “unloading” of a receiver is also known herein as a “cloaking” Furthermore, this switching between unloading and loading controlled by receiver 300 and detected by transmitter 200 provides a communication mechanism from receiver 300 to transmitter 200 as is explained more fully below. Additionally, a protocol can be associated with the switching which enables the sending of a message from receiver 300 to transmitter 200. By way of example, a switching speed may be on the order of 100 μsec.

In an exemplary embodiment, communication between the transmitter and the receiver refers to a device sensing and charging control mechanism, rather than conventional two-way communication. In other words, the transmitter uses on/off keying of the transmitted signal to adjust whether energy is available in the near-filed. The receivers interpret these changes in energy as a message from the transmitter. From the receiver side, the receiver uses tuning and de-tuning of the receive antenna to adjust how much power is being accepted from the near-field. The transmitter can detect this difference in power used from the near-field and interpret these changes as a message from the receiver.

Receive circuitry 302 may further include signaling detector and beacon circuitry 314 used to identify received energy fluctuations, which may correspond to informational signaling from the transmitter to the receiver. Furthermore, signaling and beacon circuitry 314 may also be used to detect the transmission of a reduced RF signal energy (i.e., a beacon signal) and to rectify the reduced RF signal energy into a nominal power for awakening either un-powered or power-depleted circuits within receive circuitry 302 in order to configure receive circuitry 302 for wireless charging.

Receive circuitry 302 further includes processor 316 for coordinating the processes of receiver 300 described herein including the control of switching circuitry 312 described herein. Cloaking of receiver 300 may also occur upon the occurrence of other events including detection of an external wired charging source (e.g., wall/USB power) providing charging power to device 350. Processor 316, in addition to controlling the cloaking of the receiver, may also monitor beacon circuitry 314 to determine a beacon state and extract messages sent from the transmitter. Processor 316 may also adjust DC-to-DC converter 310 for improved performance.

FIG. 6 shows a simplified schematic of a portion of transmit circuitry for carrying out messaging between a transmitter and a receiver. In some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a means for communication may be enabled between the transmitter and the receiver. In FIG. 6 a power amplifier 210 drives the transmit antenna 204 to generate the radiated field. The power amplifier is driven by a carrier signal 220 that is oscillating at a desired frequency for the transmit antenna 204. A transmit modulation signal 224 is used to control the output of the power amplifier 210.

The transmit circuitry can send signals to receivers by using an ON/OFF keying process on the power amplifier 210. In other words, when the transmit modulation signal 224 is asserted, the power amplifier 210 will drive the frequency of the carrier signal 220 out on the transmit antenna 204. When the transmit modulation signal 224 is negated, the power amplifier will not drive out any frequency on the transmit antenna 204.

The transmit circuitry of FIG. 6 also includes a load sensing circuit 216 that supplies power to the power amplifier 210 and generates a receive signal 235 output. In the load sensing circuit 216 a voltage drop across resistor Rs develops between the power in signal 226 and the power supply 228 to the power amplifier 210. Any change in the power consumed by the power amplifier 210 will cause a change in the voltage drop that will be amplified by differential amplifier 230. When the transmit antenna is in coupled mode with a receive antenna in a receiver (not shown in FIG. 6) the amount of current drawn by the power amplifier 210 will change. In other words, if no coupled mode resonance exist for the transmit antenna 204, the power required to drive the radiated field will be a first amount. If a coupled mode resonance exists, the amount of power consumed by the power amplifier 210 will go up because much of the power is being coupled into the receive antenna. Thus, the receive signal 235 can indicate the presence of a receive antenna coupled to the transmit antenna 235 and can also detect signals sent from the receive antenna. Additionally, a change in receiver current draw will be observable in the transmitter\'s power amplifier current draw, and this change can be used to detect signals from the receive antennas.

As will be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art, a business establishment (e.g., a coffee shop) may provide wireless power to customers who visit the establishment. More specifically, as an example, wireless power access may be provided by a business establishment, a service provider, a third party in agreement with a business establishment or a service provider, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, it is noted that a wireless charger, in addition to being positioned within a business establishment, may be positioned within, for example only, a library, an educational facility, a wireless power station, or a public transportation vehicle (e.g. a bus or a train). Accordingly, an entity may establish a wireless power service, for example, within a business, a public facility, or at an independent wireless power station, similar to a legacy telephone booth or a rest stop along a highway.

As used herein, the term “entity” may refer to any entity involved in providing wireless power. For example, an “entity” may include a business entity, a wireless power service provider, a third party in agreement with a business establishment or a service provider, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “data mining” may refer to a variety of techniques for performing an operation on an electronic device to capture data pertaining to the electronic device (e.g., a location of the device or a type of device) or a user of the electronic device (e.g., the user\'s interests, behavior and preferences, the user\'s age, etc.). Furthermore, as used herein, “advertisement” may refer to information including, but not limited to, promotional information, news-based information, account information, terms or conditions information, any of which may include text, audio, image, video, or any combination thereof.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of transferring wireless power to an electronic device. More specifically, a method may include transferring wireless power to at least one electronic device upon a user of the at least one electronic device agreeing to at least one condition as determined by a wireless power service provider. As an example, a method may include transferring wireless power to at least one electronic device and subjecting the at least one electronic device to at least one operation. More specifically, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of transferring wireless power to at least one electronic device, which may further receive one or more advertisements, convey one or more advertisements, be exposed to at least one data mining operation, or any combination thereof.

Other various exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of receiving wireless power at an electronic device. More specifically, a method may include receiving wireless power to an electronic device upon a user of the electronic device agreeing to at least one condition as determined by a wireless power service provider. As an example, a method may include receiving wireless power an electronic device and agree to subject the at least one electronic device to at least one operation. More specifically, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of receiving wireless power at least one electronic device, which may further receive one or more advertisements, may be exposed to at least one data mining operation, or any combination thereof.

FIG. 7A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device 700, which may comprise any known wirelessly chargeable device. For example only, electronic device 700 may comprise a mobile telephone, a personal computer, a media player, a gaming device, or any combination thereof. By way of example only, electronic device 700 may comprise a receiver (not shown in FIG. 7A; see e.g., receiver 300 of FIG. 5) and at least one associated receive antenna 702. Electronic device 700 may further include an energy storage device 706, which may comprise, for example, a battery. According to one exemplary embodiment described more fully below, electronic device 700 may comprise, or may be operably coupled to, a location detection component 709, such as a global positioning system (GPS). Electronic device 700 may further include a memory 703 and one or more processors 701 for executing various exemplary embodiments of the present invention as described herein.

FIG. 7B is another illustration of electronic device 700. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, electronic device 700 may include a user interface 704 having an output device 708 and an input device 710. As will be appreciated by a person having ordinary skill in the art, output device 708 may comprise a display device configured to display audio, video, text, graphics, and the like.

FIG. 8 illustrates a wireless power system 750 including one or more electronic devices 700 and an entity 752, which may comprise, for example only, a service provider (i.e., an entity that provides wireless power), a business establishment (e.g., a coffee shop), or a combination thereof. Entity 752 may comprise one or more wireless chargers 756, may be associated with one or more wireless chargers 756, or any combination thereof. Each wireless charger 756 may comprise a transmitter (not shown in FIG. 9; see e.g., transmitter 200 of FIG. 4) and at least one associated transmit antenna 754. Wireless charger 756 may be configured to wirelessly transmit power within an associated charging region. Furthermore, power transmitted by wireless charger 756 may be received by one or wirelessly chargeable electronic devices, which are positioned within a charging region of wireless charger 752.

Furthermore, according to one exemplary embodiment, wireless charger 756 may comprise a display device 757 configured to display audio, video, text, graphics, and the like. Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment wherein one or more electronic devices may be positioned adjacent (e.g., on a charging surface) to wireless charger 756, display device 757 may display one or more advertisements, which may be viewed by a user prior to and/or while the user\'s electronic device is receiving wireless power.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wireless power may be conveyed from wireless charger 756 to at least one electronic device 700. Moreover, it is noted that, prior to enabling wireless power to be transmitted to the at least one electronic device 700, entity 752 may require a user of the at least one electronic device 700 to agree to at least one condition as determined by entity 752. Stated another way, prior to enabling wireless power to be transmitted to the at least one electronic device 700, entity 752 may require a user of the at least one electronic device 700 to agree to one or more operations being performed on the at least one electronic device 700.

Furthermore, prior to, or while, transferring wireless power to the at least one electronic device 700, entity 752 may cause one or more operations to be performed on electronic device 700. As one example, prior to, or while, transferring wireless power to the at least one electronic device 700, entity 752 may transmit one or more advertisements to the at least one electronic device. It is noted that the one or more advertisements may be transmitted via a channel in which wireless power is transmitted or another communication channel. Furthermore, entity 752 may cause the one or more advertisements, which were transmitted to electronic device 700, to be conveyed (e.g., displayed) by the electronic device 700. It is noted that entity may also cause one or more advertisement, which were previously stored on electronic device 700, to be conveyed. According to one exemplary embodiment, receiving one or more advertisements, information, or applications may be a condition for receiving wireless power. According to another exemplary embodiment, viewing one or more advertisements may be a condition for receiving wireless power. Furthermore, a condition may require that a user view an advertisement and provide meaningful feedback indicating that the user has reviewed the advertisement, such as responding to a question.

It is further noted that the one or more advertisements may comprise any known and suitable format. More specifically, the one or more advertisements may be in a form compatible with the receiving device (e.g., electronic device 700). By way of example only, the one or more advertisements may comprise text, audio, video, image, or any combination thereof. Stated another way, the one or more advertisements may comprise one or more text files, one or more audio files, one or more video files, one or more images, or a combination thereof. Accordingly, electronic device 700 may convey (e.g., either audibly or visually) the one or more advertisements via output device 708. It is noted that advertisements may comprise interactive advertisements wherein a user may “click on” an advertisement to access additional information concerning the advertisement.

Moreover, it is noted that, according to one exemplary embodiment, wireless charger 756 may convey wireless power to electronic device 700 prior to, during, or after the one or more advertisements have been transmitted to electronic device 700. As one example, wireless charger 756 may convey wireless power to electronic device 700 while the one or more advertisements are being transmitted to electronic device 700, after the one or more advertisements have been transmitted to the electronic device 700, or a combination thereof. According to another exemplary embodiment, wireless charger 756 may convey wireless power to electronic device 700 prior to, during, or after the one or more advertisements have been conveyed (e.g., displayed) by electronic device 700. As one example, wireless charger 756 may convey wireless power to electronic device 700 while the one or more advertisements are being conveyed by electronic device 700, after the one or more advertisements have been conveyed by the electronic device 700, or a combination thereof.

As noted above, perceiving one or more advertisements may be a condition for receiving wireless power. Various methods may be used to ensure that a user perceives the one or more advertisements. For example, a user may be required to provide manual feedback after viewing the one or more advertisements. As one example, a user may be required to complete a questionnaire concerning an advertisement. State another way, a user may be required to answer one or more ad-based questions. As another example, a user may be required to click on picture (i.e., with a pointer) to continue receiving wireless power. Furthermore, it is noted that a user may be required to receive or view adds prior to receiving wireless power or upon an event (e.g., after a specific amount of time has lapsed or after a specific amount of wireless power has been received). Moreover, according to one exemplary embodiment, a user may agree to routinely accept advertisements (e.g., on a monthly basis) in exchange for a specific amount of wireless power, or possibly an unlimited amount of wireless power.

As another example, prior to, or while, transferring wireless power to the at least one electronic device 700, entity 752 may be configured to perform one or more data mining operations on electronic device 700 to gather various forms of information. By way of example, the gathered information may be associated with the electronic device 700 (e.g., the type of device, the location of the device, installed programs, etc.), the user of the device (e.g., age, gender, user preferences, user attributes, online history, etc.). Accordingly, as an example, entity 752 may gather information, which may include, for example, demographics of individuals utilizing the wireless power service. Moreover, entity 752 may utilize the gathered data to profile one or more users, as will be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art.

Accordingly, as one example, whenever a device (electronic device 700) is receiving wireless power, entity 752 may collect information associated with the device, such as wireless power usage habits of a user (e.g., a customer), or a user of the device. More specifically, for example, entity 752 may collect information about who is charging (i.e., who is the customer), where the user is charging, when the user is charging, how much the user is charging, or any combination thereof. It is further noted that wireless charger 756 may convey wireless power to electronic device 700 prior to, during, or after the one or more data mining operations have been performed on electronic device 700. As one example, wireless charger 756 may convey wireless power to electronic device 700 while the one or more data mining operations are being performed, after the one or more data mining operations are being performed, or a combination thereof.

Furthermore, as will be appreciated by a person having ordinary skill in the art, data collected via one or more data mining operations may be used for various purposes. According to one exemplary embodiment, at least some of the collected data may be utilized by entity 752 in a manner such as to improve, modify, or regulate the entities services. For example, entity 752, which is providing wireless power, may gather information about wireless power demands for a specific area. Therefore, entity 752 may provide additional or improved wireless power systems in those areas. As another example, at least some of the collected information may be sold to one or more other entities. As yet another example, at least some of the collected information may be utilized by entity 752 to send one or more advertisements to a user, wherein the one or more advertisements may include subject matter associated with the collected data. Additionally, a time at which the advertisements are sent may be determined from the collected data. For example, the one or more advertisements may include subject matter associated with a charging behavior of the user. As a more specific example, if entity 752 collects data about a user who is charging a device at a Grocery Mart on Mondays and Fridays, from 6 PM to 7 PM, entity 752 may transmit one or more advertisements to the user on Mondays and Fridays from 4 PM to 5 PM for various products. By way of example, the advertisements may be in the form of standard mail, an email, or a pop-up Internet advertisement.

According to an exemplary embodiment wherein electronic device 700 is coupled to location detection component 709 (e.g., a Global Positioning System “GPS”), data, relating to a location of a device, may be collected. Therefore, entity 752 may transmit one or more advertisements in real-time to electronic device 700 that are associated with a business, which is located in a current area of the user. For example, if a user is receiving wireless charging at a service station along a highway, entity 752 may transmit one or more advertisements to the user concerning attractions or restaurants near the highway. In another example wherein a user is utilizing wireless power and accessing the internet, entity 752 may be able to collect data concerning the user\'s online activities. As a result, entity 752 may send the user advertisements associated with their online activities.

Moreover, it is also noted that a link (e.g., a communication link) may be established between an electronic device, such as electronic device 700, and entity 752. Therefore, at anytime while a link exists between entity 752 and electronic device 700, entity 752 may cause one or more operation to be perform on electronic device 700 (e.g., one or more advertisements may be conveyed on electronic device, one or more data mining operations may be performed on electronic device, or any combination thereof).

According to other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, methods relating to verification of one or more conditions being met will now be described. According to one exemplary embodiment, verification may realized via a communication channel, separate from a charging channel, between a charger and a device to be charged. Verification may be provided once, periodically, or at defined intervals. Moreover, verification may be provided over the associated charging channel, whether by time-division, a communication channel in the vicinity of the charging channel, or by modulating the charging channel (e.g., by means of variable loading as is customary in RFIDs).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method 980, in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments. Method 980 may include causing at least one operation to be performed on at least one electronic device (depicted by numeral 982). Method 980 may further include transferring wireless power to the at least one electronic device (depicted by numeral 984).

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another method 986, in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments. Method 986 may include transferring wireless power to at least one electronic device (depicted by numeral 987). Method 986 may further include at least one of causing at least one advertisement to be conveyed by the at least one electronic device and acquiring information associated with at least one electronic device (depicted by numeral 988).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating yet another method 989, in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments. Method 989 may include receiving acceptance of at least one wireless power access entity required condition (depicted by numeral 996). Method 989 may further include transferring wireless power to at least one electronic device based on the acceptance of the at least one wireless power access entity required condition (depicted by numeral 990).

With reference to the flowchart in FIG. 12, another method 991, in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments, is illustrated. Method 991 may include agreeing to at least one condition of a wireless power provider (depicted by numeral 992). Method 991 may further include receiving wireless power at an electronic device (depicted by numeral 993).

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating yet another method 994, in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments. Method 994 accepting at least one condition of an entity associated with wireless power transmission (depicted by numeral 995). The method may further include receiving wireless power at an electronic device upon acceptance of the at least one condition (depicted by numeral 997).

As noted above, the exemplary embodiments described herein may be applicable to wireless charging involving far-field radiation, near-field radiation, induction, resonance, or any other similar wireless power techniques.

Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the invention.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.