Wireless power and data connector

Abstract

An apparatus for non-galvanic connection between two electrical circuits is described. A base-unit has an RF power source, a data link and an authentication controller. A contactless unit for communication with a base unit has an RF power receiver, a data link and an authentication controller. The base unit and contactless unit can form a non-galvanic connection to replace conventional connectors, for example in a USB wired bus connection.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A base-unit for non-galvanic coupling to a contactless-unit, the base-unit comprising:
 an antenna coupled to an RF power source, 
 at least one data-link, 
 an authentication controller coupled to the at least one data-link, and 
 a data interface for coupling at least one of a data source and data sink to the base unit, the data interface being coupled to the at least one data-link wherein 
 the base-unit is operable to
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the data interface, 
 wirelessly transmit RF power from the RF power source to a contactless-unit in physical proximity to the base-unit, 
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the at least one data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a contactless-unit only when the contactless-unit is in physical proximity to the base-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the at least one data link following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection to a contactless unit; and 
 
 wherein the authentication controller further comprises a watchdog timer and wherein the base-unit is operable to periodically re-authenticate a non galvanic connection to a contactless-unit, the re-authentication period being determined by the watchdog timer, and to disable further payload data transmission and/or reception if the re-authentication of the non-galvanic connection fails. 
 
     
     
       2. The base unit of  claim 1 , wherein the authentication controller is coupled to the RF power source and the authentication controller is operable to disable RF power transmission in response to the failure of the authentication of the non-galvanic connection. 
     
     
       3. The base unit of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a mechanical coupling element and a magnet and wherein in operation, the relative position of the base-unit and a contactless unit non-galvanically coupled to the base unit is fixed. 
     
     
       4. The base unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one data-link comprises at least one of a millimeter wave transmitter, a millimeter wave receiver, a laser, and a photodetector. 
     
     
       5. The base unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one data link comprises a first data-link and a second data-link, the first and second data-links being coupled to the authentication controller, and wherein
 the first data-link comprises a near field communication circuit coupled to a second antenna and the base-unit is operable to
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the first data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a contactless-unit only when the contactless-unit is in physical proximity to the base-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the second data-link following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection to a contactless unit via the first data-link. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The base-unit of  claim 5  wherein the authentication controller is coupled to the RF power source and wherein the authentication controller is operable to enable the RF power transmission following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection. 
     
     
       7. The base-unit of  claim 4 , wherein the second data link comprises a third antenna coupled to at least one of an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. 
     
     
       8. A contactless-unit for non-galvanic coupling to a base-unit, the contactless-unit comprising:
 an antenna coupled to an RF power receiver, 
 at least one data-link, and 
 an authentication controller coupled to the at least one data-link, 
 a data interface for coupling at least one of a data source and data sink to the contactless unit, the data interface being coupled to the at least one data-link, wherein the contactless-unit is operable to
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the data interface, 
 receive RF power provided from a base-unit only when the base-unit is in physical proximity to the contactless-unit, 
 convert the received RF power to supply power to circuits in the contactless-unit, 
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the at least one data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a base-unit only when a base-unit is in physical proximity to the contactless-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the at least one data link following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection to a base unit; and 
 
 wherein the authentication controller further comprises a watchdog timer and wherein the contactless-unit is operable to periodically re-authenticate a non galvanic connection to a base-unit, the re-authentication period being determined by the watchdog timer, and to disable further data transmission and/or reception if the re-authentication of the non-galvanic connection fails. 
 
     
     
       9. The contactless unit of  claim 8 , further comprising at least one of a mechanical coupling element and a magnet and wherein in operation, the relative position of the contactless-unit and a base unit non-galvanically coupled to the contactless unit is fixed. 
     
     
       10. The contactless unit of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one data-link comprises at least one of a millimeter wave transmitter, a millimeter wave receiver, a laser, and a photodetector. 
     
     
       11. The contactless unit of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one data link comprises a first data-link and a second data-link, the first and second data-links being coupled to the authentication controller, wherein
 the first data-link comprises a second antenna coupled to a near field communication circuit and the contactless-unit is operable to 
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the first data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a base-unit only when the base unit is placed in physical proximity to the contactless-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the second data link following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection to a base unit via the first data-link. 
 
     
     
       12. The contactless-unit of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a third data-link coupled to the authentication controller, the third data-link comprising a near field communication circuit coupled to a fourth antenna,
 a fourth data-link coupled to the authentication controller, and 
 a fifth antenna coupled to an RF power source; wherein 
 
 the contactless-unit is further operable to
 transmit RF power to a further contactless-unit in physical proximity to the contactless unit, 
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the third data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a further contactless-unit only when the further contactless-unit is in physical proximity to the contactless-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive data between the contactless-unit and the further contactless-unit via the fourth data link element following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The contactless unit of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one of a sensor and a storage element coupled to the data interface. 
     
     
       14. The contactless-unit of  claim 12 , wherein the second data link further comprises a third antenna coupled to at least one of an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. 
     
     
       15. A base-unit for non-galvanic coupling to a contactless-unit, the base-unit comprising:
 an antenna coupled to an RF power source, 
 at least one data-link, 
 an authentication controller coupled to the at least one data-link, and 
 a data interface for coupling at least one of a data source and data sink to the base unit, the data interface being coupled to the at least one data-link wherein 
 the base-unit is operable to
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the data interface, 
 wirelessly transmit RF power from the RF power source to a contactless-unit in physical proximity to the base-unit, 
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the at least one data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a contactless-unit only when the contactless-unit is in physical proximity to the base-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the at least one data link following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection to a contactless unit; and 
 
 at least one of a mechanical coupling element and a magnet and wherein in operation, the relative position of the base-unit and a contactless unit non-galvanically coupled to the base unit is fixed. 
 
     
     
       16. A contactless-unit for non-galvanic coupling to a base-unit, the contactless-unit comprising:
 an antenna coupled to an RF power receiver, 
 at least one data-link, and 
 an authentication controller coupled to the at least one data-link, 
 a data interface for coupling at least one of a data source and data sink to the contactless unit, the data interface being coupled to the at least one data-link, wherein the contactless-unit is operable to
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the data interface, 
 receive RF power provided from a base-unit only when the base-unit is in physical proximity to the contactless-unit, 
 convert the received RF power to supply power to circuits in the contactless-unit, 
 transmit and/or receive authentication data via the at least one data-link to authenticate a non-galvanic connection to a base-unit only when a base-unit is in physical proximity to the contactless-unit, and 
 transmit and/or receive payload data via the at least one data link following the authentication of the non-galvanic connection to a base unit; and 
 
 at least one of a mechanical coupling element and a magnet and wherein in operation, the relative position of the contactless-unit and a base unit non-galvanically coupled to the contactless unit is fixed.