Portable electronic device and capacitive charger providing data transfer and associated methods
View Patent ↗The electronic apparatus includes a portable electronic device and a charger for capacitively charging the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is temporarily placed adjacent the charger. The portable electronic device includes a device data communication unit and an associated battery, and a pair of device capacitive electrodes, defining a device conductive footprint, to receive a charging signal to charge the battery. The charger includes a base having an area larger than the device conductive footprint and able to receive the portable electronic device thereon in a plurality of different positions, and an array of charger capacitive electrodes carried by the base. A charger controller selectively drives only the charger capacitive electrodes within the device conductive footprint with a charging signal to capacitively charge the battery. A charger data communication unit communicates with the device data communication unit via the charger capacitive electrodes and device capacitive electrodes, e.g. by modulating data onto the charging signal.
1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a portable electronic device comprising a housing, a device data communication unit and an associated power pack carried by the housing, and at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes carried by said housing to receive a charging signal to charge said power pack; and
a charger comprising
a base configured to receive said portable electronic device thereon in a plurality of different positions,
an array of charger capacitive electrodes carried by said base,
a charger controller configured to selectively drive said array of charger capacitive electrodes with a charging signal to capacitively charge said power pack of said portable electronic device when said portable electronic device is positioned adjacent said base, and
a charger data communication unit configured to communicate with said device data communication unit via said array of charger capacitive electrodes and said at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes.
2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said charger controller is configured to sense impedances of said array of charger capacitive electrodes to determine which to selectively drive.
3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said charger data communication unit is configured to modulate and encode data onto the charging signal to communicate with said device data communication unit.
4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said portable electronic device comprises a processor connected to said device data communication unit; and wherein said device data communication unit comprises:
a device data interface connected to said at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes;
a device data transceiver connected to said device data interface to demodulate and decode the data communicated on the charging signal; and
a processor interface connected between said device data transceiver and said processor.
5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said charger data communication unit comprises a charger data transceiver configured to modulate and encode the data communicated on to the charging signal.
6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said charger data transceiver is configured to modulate the data onto the charging signal using Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation.
7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said charger controller comprises:
a charging signal generator;
a switching circuit connected between said charging signal generator and said array of charger capacitive electrodes; and
a control circuit connected to said switching circuit.
8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said charger controller further comprises:
a buffer connected between said charging signal generator and said switching circuit; and
an impedance detector connected to said buffer and said control circuit.
9. A charger configured to capacitively charge a portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is placed adjacent the charger, the portable electronic device comprising a housing, a device data communication unit and associated power pack carried by the housing, and at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes carried by the housing to receive a charging signal to charge the power pack, the charger comprising:
a base configured to receive the portable electronic device thereon in a plurality of different positions;
an array of charger capacitive electrodes carried by said base;
a charger controller configured to selectively drive said array of charger capacitive electrodes with a charging signal to capacitively charge said power pack of said portable electronic device when said portable electronic device is positioned adjacent said base; and
a charger data communication unit configured to communicate with the device data communication unit via said array of charger capacitive electrodes and the at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes.
10. The charger according to claim 9 wherein said charger controller is configured to sense impedances of said array of charger capacitive electrodes to determine which to selectively drive.
11. The charger according to claim 9 wherein said charger data communication unit comprises a charger data transceiver configured to modulate and encode data on to the charging signal to communicate with the device data communication unit.
12. The charger according to claim 11 wherein said charger data transceiver is configured to modulate the data onto the charging signal using Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation.
13. The charger according to claim 9 wherein said charger controller comprises:
a charging signal generator;
a switching circuit connected between said charging signal generator and said array of charger capacitive electrodes; and
a control circuit connected to said switching circuit.
14. The charger according to claim 13 wherein said charger controller further comprises:
a buffer connected between said charging signal generator and said switching circuit; and
an impedance detector connected to said buffer and said control circuit.
15. A method of capacitively charging a portable electronic device with a charger, the portable electronic device comprising a housing, a device data communication unit and associated power pack carried by the housing, and at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes carried by the housing to receive a charging signal to charge the power pack, and the charger comprising a base configured to receive the portable electronic device thereon in a plurality of different positions, an array of charger capacitive electrodes carried by the base, a charger controller connected to the charger capacitive electrodes, and an associated charger data communication unit, the method comprising:
selectively driving, via the charger controller, the array of charger capacitive electrodes, when the portable electronic device is placed adjacent the base of the charger, with a charging signal to capacitively charge the power pack of the portable electronic device to thereby capacitively charge the power pack of the portable electronic device; and
communicating data between the charger data communication unit and the device data communication unit via the array of charger capacitive electrodes and at least one pair of device capacitive electrodes.
16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising sensing, via the charger controller, the impedances of the array of charger capacitive electrodes to determine which to selectively drive.
17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the charger data communication unit comprises a charger data transceiver; and wherein communicating comprises modulating and encoding data, with the charger data transceiver, onto the charging signal.
18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the charger data transceiver modulates the data onto the charging signal using Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation.
19. The method according to claim 15 further comprising operatively connecting the charger to a personal computer (PC).