IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,462,945
Granted Patent B2
US 11,462,945 · App. 16/893,428 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Zero-crossing amplitude shift keying demodulation

Inventors: Eric Heindel Goodchild (San Tan Valley, AZ); James Scott (Chandler, AZ)
Assignee: AIRA, INC.
H02J50/12H01F38/14H02J7/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,462,945
App. No.
16/893,428
Filed
Jun 4, 2020
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2851
USPC
320/108
Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A charging device has a resonant circuit comprising one or more transmitting coils, a driver circuit configured to provide a charging current to the resonant circuit, a zero-crossing detector configured to provide a zero-crossing signal that includes edges corresponding to transitions of a voltage measured across the resonant circuit through a zero volt level or corresponding to transitions of a current in the resonant circuit through a zero ampere level and an Amplitude Shift Keying demodulator. The demodulator may be configured to receive a plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit captured at times determined by the edges included in the zero-crossing signal, and demodulate a modulated signal obtained from the charging current using the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit.

Claims (45)

1. A method for operating a wireless charging device, comprising:

providing a charging current to a resonant circuit when a receiving device is present on a surface of the wireless charging device;

providing a zero-crossing signal that includes edges corresponding to transitions of a voltage measured across the resonant circuit through a zero volt level or to transitions of a current in the resonant circuit through a zero ampere level;

capturing a plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit at times determined by the edges included in the zero-crossing signal, wherein the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit is captured by sampling the voltage or current at a fundamental frequency of the current or voltage in the resonant circuit; and

demodulating a modulated signal obtained from the charging current using the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit, wherein the modulated signal is modulated using Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zero volt level corresponds to a current amplitude midway between maximum and minimum amplitudes of an alternating current (AC) measured in the resonant circuit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zero volt level corresponds to a voltage level midway between maximum and minimum amplitudes of an AC voltage measured across the resonant circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing each of the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit following after a delay that follows an edge in the zero-crossing signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the delay is calculated to cause sampling of the voltage or current when the voltage or current has a maximum amplitude.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a series of samples of voltage in the resonant circuit to demodulate the modulated signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a series of samples of current in the resonant circuit to demodulate the modulated signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining phase differences between a series of samples of voltage in the resonant circuit and a corresponding series of samples of current in the resonant circuit; and

demodulating the modulated signal based on the phase differences.

9. A charging device, comprising:

a resonant circuit comprising a transmitting coil;

a driver circuit configured to provide a charging current to the resonant circuit;

a zero-crossing detector configured to provide a zero-crossing signal that includes edges corresponding to transitions of a voltage measured across the resonant circuit through a zero volt level or corresponding to transitions of a current in the resonant circuit through a zero ampere level; and

an Amplitude Shift Keying demodulator configured to:

receive a plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit captured at times determined by the edges included in the zero-crossing signal, wherein the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit is captured by sampling the voltage or current at a fundamental frequency of the current or voltage in the resonant circuit; and

demodulate a modulated signal obtained from the charging current using the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit.

10. The charging device of claim 9 , wherein the zero volt level corresponds to a current amplitude midway between maximum and minimum amplitudes of an alternating current (AC) measured in the resonant circuit.

11. The charging device of claim 9 , wherein the zero volt level corresponds to a voltage level midway between maximum and minimum amplitudes of an AC voltage measured across the resonant circuit.

12. The charging device of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit is captured following after a delay that follows an edge in the zero-crossing signal.

13. The charging device of claim 12 , wherein the delay is calculated to cause sampling of the voltage or current when the voltage or current has a maximum amplitude.

14. The charging device of claim 9 , wherein the Amplitude Shift Keying demodulator is further configured to:

use a series of samples of voltage in the resonant circuit to demodulate the modulated signal.

15. The charging device of claim 9 , wherein the Amplitude Shift Keying demodulator is further configured to:

use a series of samples of current in the resonant circuit to demodulate the modulated signal.

16. The charging device of claim 9 , wherein the Amplitude Shift Keying demodulator is further configured to:

determine phase differences between a series of samples of voltage in the resonant circuit and a corresponding series of samples of current in the resonant circuit; and

demodulate the modulated signal based on the phase differences.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor of a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to:

provide a charging current to a resonant circuit when a receiving device is present on a surface of a wireless charging device;

provide a zero-crossing signal that includes edges corresponding to transitions of a voltage measured across the resonant circuit through a zero volt level or to transitions of a current in the resonant circuit through a zero ampere level;

capture a plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit at times determined by the edges included in the zero-crossing signal, wherein the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit is captured by sampling the voltage or current at a fundamental frequency of the current or voltage in the resonant circuit; and

demodulate a modulated signal obtained from the charging current using the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit, wherein the modulated signal is modulated using Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK).

18. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the processing circuit to:

capture each of the plurality of samples of voltage or current in the resonant circuit following after a delay that follows an edge in the zero-crossing signal, wherein the delay is calculated to cause sampling of the voltage or current when the voltage or current has a maximum amplitude.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the processing circuit to:

determine phase differences between a series of samples of voltage in the resonant circuit and a corresponding series of samples of current in the resonant circuit; and

demodulate the modulated signal based on the phase differences.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2020
From: GOODCHILD, ERIC HEINDEL; SCOTT, JAMES
To: AIRA, INC.
Reel/Frame 052955/0894 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210384768A1 · Dec 9, 2021
Cited By (11)
US 12,191,930 US 12,199,695 US 12,231,187 US 12,320,838 US 12,355,527 US 12,438,573 US 12,531,595 US 12,537,564 US 12,592,745 US 12,695,329 US 12,719,528