Granted Patent B2

US 12,597,806 · App. 18/861,363 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Inventors: Viswanathan Kanakasabai (Bangalore, IN); Jayanti Ganesh (Bangalore, IN); Subbarao Tatikonda (Bangalore, IN); Suma Memana Narayana Bhat (Bangalore, IN)

Assignee: GE Intellectual Property Licensing, LLC

H02J50/12H02J50/001H02J50/80H05B6/06

Abstract

Claims (81)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a power source switch configured to selectively couple a load to

a wired power circuit associated with wired power or

a wireless power circuit configured to receive wireless power from a wireless power transmitter;

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with the wireless power transmitter to control a wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter;

an energy harvester that is integrated with or operatively coupled to the wireless communication interface, the energy harvester configured to harvest a bias power from communication signals received by a communication coil of the wireless communication interface; and

a controller configured to:

cause the power source switch to couple the load to the wireless power circuit based on a determination that the wired power is unavailable and the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power,

control, via a first communication to the wireless power transmitter, a wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter when the load is coupled to the wireless power circuit,

wherein the controller is at least initially powered by the bias power.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source switch includes one or more switches that are in a first position until changed by the controller to a second position, the first position configured to couple the load to the wired power circuit, and the second position configured to couple the load to the wireless power circuit.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first position of the one or more switches is normally closed (NC) to couple the load to the wired power circuit and normally open (NO) to decouple the load from the wireless power circuit.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine that the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power based on a second communication received from the wireless power transmitter, and

determine whether the wired power is available or unavailable based on a voltage associated with the wired power circuit.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

a voltage sensor configured to sense the voltage associated with the wired power circuit, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine that the wired power is available when the voltage associated with the wired power circuit is above a voltage threshold, and

determine that the wired power is unavailable when the voltage associated with the wired power circuit is below the voltage threshold.

6 . An apparatus, comprising:

a power source switch configured to selectively couple a load to

a wired power circuit associated with a wired power or

a wireless power circuit configured to receive a wireless power from a wireless power transmitter;

a temperature switch associated with the load, wherein the load includes a heating element; and

a controller configured to:

cause the power source switch to couple the load to the wireless power circuit based on a determination that the wired power is unavailable and the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power, and

control, via a first communication to the wireless power transmitter, a wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter when the load is coupled to the wireless power circuit, wherein control is based, at least in part, on a status of the temperature switch,

wherein the controller is configured to control the wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter based, at least in part, on a status of the temperature switch.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the temperature switch includes a bimetallic element in the wired power circuit, and wherein the bimetallic element opens the wired power circuit when a temperature associated with the heating element reaches a temperature threshold.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the wireless power circuit couples to the heating element such that the wireless power circuit bypasses the temperature switch.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

a switch status sensor configured to detect the status of the temperature switch, the status being either a first state or a second state,

wherein the controller is configured to:

receive the status from the switch status sensor, and

cause the wireless power transmitter to transmit the wireless power when the status is the first state; and

cause the wireless power transmitter to cease transmission of the wireless power when the status of the temperature switch is the second state.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:

the first state is indicative that the temperature switch has been activated by a user and a temperature associated with the heating element is below a temperature threshold, and

the second state is indicative that the temperature switch has been deactivated by the user or the temperature associated with the heating element is above the temperature threshold.

11 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is a kettle or a slow cooker, the apparatus further comprising:

a vessel configured to hold liquid or food, wherein the load includes a heating element configured to heat the liquid or the food using the wired power from the wired power circuit or the wireless power from the wireless power circuit until the liquid or the food reaches a temperature threshold,

wherein the controller is configured to control, via the first communication to the wireless power transmitter, the wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter when the load is coupled to the wireless power circuit based, at least in part, on a status of a temperature switch associated with the temperature threshold.

12 . A method for controlling an apparatus, comprising:

coupling a load via a power source switch configured to selectively couple the load to

a wired power circuit associated with wired power or

a wireless power circuit associated with wireless power from a wireless power transmitter;

causing, by a controller, a change in the power source switch to couple the load to the wireless power circuit based on a determination that the wired power is unavailable and the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power;

controlling, by the controller via a wireless communication interface, a wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter when the load is coupled to the wireless power circuit;

harvesting, by an energy harvester that is integrated with or operatively coupled to the wireless communication interface, a bias power from communication signals received by the wireless communication interface; and

providing the bias power to the controller, wherein the controller is at least initially powered by the bias power.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the power source switch includes one or more switches that are in a first position until changed by the controller to a second position, the first position configured to couple the load to the wired power circuit, and the second position configured to couple the load to the wireless power circuit.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first position of the one or more switches is normally closed (NC) to couple the load to the wired power circuit and normally open (NO) to decouple the load from the wireless power circuit.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining that the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power based on a communication received from the wireless power transmitter; and

determining, by the controller, whether the wired power is available or unavailable based on a voltage associated with the wired power circuit.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

sensing, by a voltage sensor, the voltage associated with the wired power circuit,

determining that the wired power is available when the voltage associated with the wired power circuit is above a voltage threshold, and

determining that the wired power is unavailable when the voltage associated with the wired power circuit is below the voltage threshold.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining that the wired power is available based on the voltage associated with the wired power circuit;

refraining from causing the change in the power source switch such that the load remains coupled to the wired power circuit; and

preventing the wireless power transmitter from transmitting the wireless power.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the communication signals are indicative that the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power.

19 . A method for controlling an apparatus, comprising:

coupling a load via a power source switch configured to selectively couple the load to

a wired power circuit associated with wired power or

a wireless power circuit associated with wireless power from a wireless power transmitter;

causing, by a controller, a change in the power source switch to couple the load to the wireless power circuit based on a determination that the wired power is unavailable and the wireless power transmitter is available to transmit the wireless power;

controlling, by the controller via a wireless communication interface, a wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter when the load is coupled to the wireless power circuit;

determining a status of a temperature switch associated with the load, wherein the load includes a heating element; and

controlling the wireless power transfer state of the wireless power transmitter based, at least in part, on the status of the temperature switch.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the temperature switch includes a bimetallic element in the wired power circuit, and wherein the bimetallic element opens the wired power circuit when a temperature associated with the heating element reaches a temperature threshold.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the wireless power circuit couples to the heating element such that the wireless power circuit bypasses the temperature switch.

22 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

detecting, by a switch status sensor, the status of the temperature switch, the status being either a first state or a second state;

causing the wireless power transmitter to transmit the wireless power when the status is the first state; and

causing the wireless power transmitter to cease transmission of the wireless power when the status of the temperature switch is the second state.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein:

the first state is indicative that the temperature switch has been activated by a user and a temperature associated with the heating element is below a temperature threshold, and

the second state is indicative that the temperature switch has been deactivated by the user or the temperature associated with the heating element is above the temperature threshold.

Assignments (3)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (9)