Identification using signals from a secondary device before wireless power transfer

Abstract

An apparatus includes a ping detection module that detects a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad. The secondary pad is located on a mobile device and the primary pad located on a stationary WPT device, where the stationary WPT device transmits power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation. The ping signal includes a mobile device ID and the mobile device ID is unique to the mobile device. The apparatus includes an ID detection module that detects the mobile device ID from the ping signal received at the primary pad and a pairing module that pairs the stationary WPT device with the mobile device in response to detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a ping detection circuit module that detects a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on a mobile device, the primary pad located on a stationary wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the stationary WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation, the ping signal comprising a mobile device identifier (“ID”), the mobile device ID being unique to the mobile device; 
 an ID detection circuit module that detects the mobile device ID from the ping signal received at the primary pad; 
 a pairing circuit module that pairs the stationary WPT device with the mobile device in response to detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; 
 a signal strength circuit module that determines a signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal, wherein the ping signal has a signal strength at a power level lower than a power level during wireless power transfer; and 
 an alignment circuit module that determines an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of:
 the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and 
 the stationary WPT device comprises one of a plurality of stationary WPT devices. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a communication circuit module that communicates with at least the plurality of stationary WPT devices and alerts the plurality of stationary WPT devices that the stationary WPT device that received the ping signal is paired with the mobile device that transmitted the ping signal. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein one or more of:
 the pairing circuit module pairs the stationary WPT device with the mobile device; and 
 a wireless power circuit module initiates the wireless power transfer operation; 
 
 in response to:
 the ID detection circuit module detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; and 
 the alignment circuit module determining that the signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within a specified alignment tolerance. 
 
 
     
     
       5. An apparatus comprising:
 an ID circuit module that generates a mobile device identifier (“ID”), the mobile device ID being unique to a mobile device; 
 a ping transmit circuit module that transmits a ping signal from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on the mobile device, the primary pad located on a stationary wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the stationary WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation, the ping signal comprising the mobile device ID, wherein the ping transmit module comprises a switching circuit connected to the secondary pad and configured to generate the ping signal; 
 a pairing circuit module that pairs the stationary WPT device receiving the ping signal with the mobile device transmitting the ping signal in response to the stationary WPT device detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device, wherein one or more of:
 the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and 
 the stationary WPT device comprises one of a plurality of stationary WPT devices; and 
 
 an alignment confirmation circuit module that receives an alignment confirmation that the secondary pad is aligned within the primary pad within a specified alignment tolerance, the alignment confirmation in response to determining, at the primary pad, a signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal, and determining that an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal is within the specified alignment tolerance. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein one or more of:
 the pairing circuit module pairs the stationary WPT device with the mobile device; and 
 a wireless power circuit module initiates the wireless power transfer operation; 
 
 in response to:
 the stationary WPT device detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; and 
 the stationary WPT device determining that the signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within the a specified alignment tolerance. 
 
 
     
     
       7. A method comprising:
 detecting a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on a mobile device, the primary pad located on a stationary wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the stationary WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation, the ping signal comprising a mobile device identifier (“ID”), the mobile device ID being unique to the mobile device; 
 detecting the mobile device ID from the ping signal received at the primary pad; 
 pairing the stationary WPT device with the mobile device in response to detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; 
 determining a signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal, wherein the ping signal has a signal strength at a power level lower than a power level during wireless power transfer; and 
 determining an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 ,
 wherein one or more of:
 the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and 
 the stationary WPT device comprises one of a plurality of stationary WPT devices; and 
 
 further comprising communicating with at least the plurality of stationary WPT devices and alerting the plurality of stationary WPT devices that the stationary WPT device that received the ping signal is paired with the mobile device that transmitted the ping signal. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 ,
 wherein one or more of:
 pairing the stationary WPT device with the mobile device; and 
 initiating the wireless power transfer operation; 
 
 occur in response to:
 detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; and 
 determining that the signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within a specified alignment tolerance. 
 
 
     
     
       10. A method comprising:
 generating a mobile device identifier (“ID”), the mobile device ID being unique to a mobile device; 
 transmitting a ping signal from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on the mobile device, the primary pad located on a stationary wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the stationary WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation, the ping signal comprising the mobile device ID, wherein the ping signal is generated with a switching module connected to the secondary pad; 
 pairing the stationary WPT device with the mobile device in response to the stationary WPT device detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device, wherein one or more of:
 the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and 
 the stationary WPT device comprises one of a plurality of stationary WPT devices; and 
 
 receiving an alignment confirmation that the secondary pad is aligned within the primary pad within a specified alignment tolerance, the alignment confirmation in response to determining, at the primary pad, a signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal, and determining that an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal is within the specified alignment tolerance. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein one or more of:
 pairing the stationary WPT device with the mobile device; and 
 initiating the wireless power transfer operation of the power from the primary pad to the secondary pad; 
 
 occur in response to:
 detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; and 
 determining that the signal strength of the received ID embedded ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within the a specified alignment tolerance. 
 
 
     
     
       12. An apparatus comprising:
 a ping detection module that detects a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on a mobile device, the primary pad located on a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation;   a signal strength module that determines a signal strength of the detected ping signal, wherein the ping signal is operated at a power level lower than a power level during wireless power transfer; and   an alignment module that determines an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the detected ping signal.   
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one or more of:
 the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and   the WPT device comprises one of a plurality of WPT devices.   
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a communication module that communicates with at least the plurality of WPT devices and alerts the plurality of WPT devices that the WPT device that detected the ping signal is paired with the mobile device that transmitted the ping signal. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
 a mobile device identifier (“ID”) detection module that detects a mobile device ID from the ping signal, the mobile device ID being unique to the mobile device; and   a pairing module that pairs the WPT device with the mobile device;   wherein a wireless power module initiates the wireless power transfer operation in response to:   the mobile device ID detection module detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; and   the alignment module determining that the signal strength of the detected ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within a specified alignment tolerance.   
     
     
       16. An apparatus comprising:
 a ping transmit module that transmits a ping signal from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on a mobile device, the primary pad located on a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation, wherein the ping transmit module comprises a switching circuit connected to the secondary pad and configured to generate the ping signal;   a pairing module that pairs the WPT device receiving the ping signal with the mobile device transmitting the ping signal, wherein one or more of: the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and   the WPT device comprises one of a plurality of WPT devices, and   an alignment confirmation module that receives an alignment confirmation that the secondary pad is aligned within the primary pad within a specified alignment tolerance, the alignment confirmation in response to determining, at the primary pad, a signal strength of the received ping signal, and determining that an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ping signal is within the specified alignment tolerance.   
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:
 the ping signal comprises a mobile device identifier (“ID”) that is unique to the mobile device; and   a wireless power module initiates the wireless power transfer operation in response to:   the WPT device detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device in the ping signal; and   the WPT device determining that the signal strength of the ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within the specified alignment tolerance.   
     
     
       18. A method comprising:
 detecting a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on a mobile device, the primary pad located on a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation;   determining a signal strength of the ping signal, wherein the ping signal is operated at a power level lower than a power level during wireless power transfer; and   determining an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the ping signal.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18,
 wherein one or more of:   the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and   the WPT device comprises one of a plurality of WPT devices; and   further comprising communicating with at least the plurality of WPT devices and alerting the plurality of WPT devices that the WPT device that received the ping signal is paired with the mobile device that transmitted the ping signal.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
 detecting a mobile device ID from the ping signal, the mobile device ID being unique to the mobile device;   pairing the WPT device with the mobile device; and   initiating the wireless power transfer operation in response to detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device; and   determining that the signal strength of the detected ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within a specified alignment tolerance.   
     
     
       21. A method comprising:
 transmitting a ping signal from a secondary pad to a primary pad, the secondary pad located on a mobile device, the primary pad located on a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device, the WPT device transmitting power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation, wherein the ping signal is generated with a switching circuit connected to the secondary pad;   pairing the WPT device with the mobile device, wherein one or more of:   the mobile device comprises one of a plurality of mobile devices; and   the WPT device comprises one of a plurality of WPT devices; and   receiving an alignment confirmation that the secondary pad is aligned within the primary pad within a specified alignment tolerance, the alignment confirmation in response to determining, at the primary pad, a signal strength of the received ping signal, and determining that an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ping signal is within the specified alignment tolerance.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more of:
 pairing the stationary WPT device with the mobile device; and   initiating the wireless power transfer operation of the power from the primary pad to the secondary pad;   occur in response to:   detecting a mobile device ID from the ping signal, the mobile device ID being unique to the mobile device; and   determining that the signal strength of the detected ping signal is above a ping signal threshold signifying that the amount of alignment of the secondary pad with the primary pad is within a specified alignment tolerance.