AIRA, INC.

A charging system, comprising a charging surface comprising one or more charging areas associated with a wireless charging device, a plurality of power transmitting coils apportioned among the one or more charging areas, and a controller. The controller may be configured to conduct a low-power search of the charging surface to determine if an electrical or magnetic characteristic of two or more power transmitting coils has been affected by an object passing in proximity to the two or more power transmitting coils, determine a geometric relationship between physical locations of the two or more power transmitting coils, and illuminate one or more indicator lines to identify a physical location of a charging area available to wirelessly charge a chargeable device. The physical location may be selected based on the geometric relationship between physical locations of the two or more power transmitting coils.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A charging device includes a power transmitting coil, a transformer and a driver circuit. The power transmitting coil may be configured to produce an electromagnetic flux centered on an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a plane surface of the planar magnetic core. The transformer may be located adjacent to the planar magnetic core and the driver circuit may be configured to use a stepped-up voltage received from the transformer to provide a charging current to the power transmitting coil. The transformer may include a magnetic half-core that contacts the planar magnetic core such that the planar magnetic core completes a magnetic path through the magnetic half-core.

A wireless tag has an antenna configured to receive a wireless signal when enabled, a transceiver coupled to the antenna and configured to process the wireless signal, a controller configured to respond to the wireless signal by transmitting a response signal through the transceiver and antenna when the antenna is enabled, and a switching circuit configured to enable and disable the antenna responsive to a control signal. The antenna may be disabled when the control signal is in a first signaling state and enabled when the control signal is in a second signaling state. An optical receiver may be configured to define signaling state of the control signal based on detection or non-detection of light transmission initiated by an external processing circuit or controller. An energy capture circuit may be configured to extract energy from the wireless signal and to store the energy for use when transmitting the response signal.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A charging device has a plurality of charging cells provided on a charging surface, a charging circuit and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the charging circuit to send pings from a plurality of charging coils using an analog ping process to scan for one or more ping responses from a receiving device in proximity to the charging surface. A subset of charging coils of the plurality of charging coils that received ping responses from the receiving device in response to the sending of pings with the analog process may be determined. Subsequently, the controller then sends pings from the subset of charging coils using a digital ping process. A combination of one or more charging coils of the subset of charging coils may then be selected based on ping responses from the receiving device.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A charging device has a plurality of charging cells provided on a charging surface, a charging circuit and a controller. The controller may be configured detect the presence of a foreign object in proximity to at least one charging coil of a plurality of charging coils in the charging device that is selected for supplying charging energy to a receiving device. Additionally, the controller may be configured to determine whether one or more other charging coils is capable of supplying charging energy to the receiving device, and determine, for each of the one or more other charging coils, whether the foreign object is in proximity thereto. Further, the controller may be configured to select at least one of the one or more other charging coils not in proximity to the foreign object for supplying charging energy to the receiving device.

A wireless charging device has a controller and at least one coil that is positioned near the surface of the charging device and configured to transmit an electromagnetic field and a first driver circuit configured to drive the transmitting coil. The controller is configured to cause the driver circuit to provide a charging current to the transmitting coil, decode a request for lower transmission power from a modulation of the charging current, reduce the amplitude of the charging current in accordance with the request for lower transmission power when a temperature measured at a surface of the charging device is less than a threshold temperature, and initiate a cool down sequence when the temperature measured at the surface of the charging device equals or exceeds the threshold temperature. In one example, the request for lower transmission power may be provided in an ASK-modulated signal superimposed on the charging current.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. An apparatus has a wireless charging apparatus has a battery charging power source coupled to a charging circuit, a plurality of charging cells configured to provide a charging surface, and a controller. The controller may be configured to provide a pulse to the charging circuit, detect a frequency of oscillation of the charging circuit responsive to the pulse or a rate of decay of the oscillation of the charging circuit, and determine that a chargeable device has been placed in proximity to a coil of the charging circuit based on changes in a characteristic of the charging circuit. The pulse may have a duration that is less than half the period of a nominal resonant frequency of the charging circuit.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A charging device has multiple transmitting coils, a driver circuit configured to provide a charging current to the resonant circuit, and a controller. The charging cells may provide a charging surface. The driver circuit may be configured to provide a charging current to the transmitting coils. The charging device includes a radio interface configured for transmitting and receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) signals. The controller may be configured to transmit an interrogation signal configured to stimulate RFID tags through the radio interface when a chargeable device is initially placed on or near a surface of the wireless charger, refrain from initiating wireless charging of a chargeable device when a response to the interrogation signal is received, and negotiate a charging configuration when a response to the interrogation signal is not received.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. One method performed at a wireless charging device includes initiating transmission of a digital ping at a first power level a transmitting coil of the wireless charging device, increasing power level of the digital ping one or more times until current flowing to the transmitting coil has an amplitude that supports Amplitude Shift Key modulation of the digital ping, and determining a charging configuration for transferring power to a chargeable device when a response to the digital ping is received from the chargeable device.

A charging device has a first printed circuit board (PCB) having a top metal layer and a bottom metal layer, where a first plurality of charging cells is provided on the top metal layer of the first PCB and a second plurality of charging cells is provided on the bottom metal layer of the first PCB. The charging device may have a second PCB having a top metal layer and a bottom metal layer, where a third plurality of charging cells is provided on the top metal layer of the second PCB and a fourth plurality of charging cells is provided on the bottom metal layer of the second PCB. An adhesive layer may join the first and second PCBs. One or more interconnects may be provided between the bottom metal layer of the first PCB and the top metal layer of the second PCB.