Free-Position Wireless Charger Keep-Out
Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. One method for operating a charging device includes determining that a chargeable device is positioned proximate to a charging coil provided by a charging surface, providing a charging current to the charging coil, and excluding adjacent coils from operation while the current is provided to the charging coil. Each of the adjacent coils is located within the charging surface adjacent to the charging coil. The adjacent coils may be excluded from participating in one or more device discovery procedures. The charging device may refrain from providing charging current to the adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil.
1 . A method for operating a wireless charging device, comprising:
determining that a chargeable device is positioned proximate to a charging coil provided at a charging surface of the wireless charging device;
providing a charging current to the charging coil; and
excluding a plurality of adjacent coils from operation while the current is provided to the charging coil, wherein each of the adjacent coils is located on the charging surface adjacent to the charging coil.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
excluding the plurality of adjacent coils from participating in one or more device discovery procedures.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more device discovery procedures include a discovery procedure involving differential capacitive sense.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more device discovery procedures include a passive ping discovery procedure.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more device discovery procedures include an active ping discovery procedure.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein excluding the plurality of adjacent coils from operation comprises:
refraining from providing charging current to the plurality of adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein excluding the plurality of adjacent coils from operation comprises:
blocking wireless communication through the plurality of adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjacent coils includes coils located on or within a circle that is concentric with the charging coil.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjacent coils is arranged around a footprint of the chargeable device on the charging surface.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the chargeable device is positioned proximate to the charging coil comprises:
detecting the chargeable device during a device discovery procedure that includes differential capacitive sense, passive ping or active ping.
11 . A processor-readable storage medium comprising code that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
determine that a chargeable device is positioned proximate to a charging coil provided at a charging surface of a wireless charging device;
provide a charging current to the charging coil; and
exclude a plurality of adjacent coils from operation while the current is provided to the charging coil, wherein each of the adjacent coils is located on the charging surface adjacent to the charging coil.
12 . The processor-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising code that causes the processor to:
exclude the plurality of adjacent coils from participating in one or more device discovery procedures when the plurality of adjacent coils is excluded from operation.
13 . The processor-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the one or more device discovery procedures include a passive ping discovery procedure.
14 . The processor-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the one or more device discovery procedures include an active ping discovery procedure.
15 . The processor-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising code that causes the processor to:
refrain from providing charging current to the plurality of adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil and when the plurality of adjacent coils is excluded from operation.
16 . The processor-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising code that causes the processor to:
block wireless communication through the plurality of adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil when the plurality of adjacent coils is excluded from operation.
17 . A wireless charging device, comprising:
a charging surface comprising a plurality of charging cells;
one or more wireless transmitter circuits each configured to be selectively coupled to one or more of the plurality of charging cells; and
a controller configured to:
determine that a chargeable device is positioned proximate to a charging coil provided at a charging surface of the wireless charging device;
provide a charging current to the charging coil; and
exclude a plurality of adjacent coils from operation while the current is provided to the charging coil,
wherein each of the adjacent coils is located on the charging surface adjacent to the charging coil.
18 . The wireless charging device of claim 17 , wherein the controller configured to:
exclude the plurality of adjacent coils from participating in one or more device discovery procedures when the plurality of adjacent coils is excluded from operation.
19 . The wireless charging device of claim 17 , wherein the controller configured to:
refrain from providing charging current to the plurality of adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil and when the plurality of adjacent coils is excluded from operation.
20 . The wireless charging device of claim 17 , wherein the controller configured to:
block wireless communication through the plurality of adjacent coils while the current is provided to the charging coil when the plurality of adjacent coils is excluded from operation.