Patent Publication Number: US-2017353060-A1

Title: Over the air charging shield

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/345,742, filed on Jun. 3, 2016. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Many user devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, etc. may utilize over-the-air (OTA) charging. OTA charging may generate electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, and/or other interference associated with transmitted power. 
     Such interference raises various safety concerns. Many users may want to conveniently charge devices using OTA charging but may want some protection from radiation or interference associated with such charging. 
     Therefore there exists a need for a shield that is able to allow OTA charging while protecting people, pets, and/or objects. 
     SUMMARY 
     Some embodiments provide a physical shield for use with OTA charging. The shield may include a planar element that forms a conical or umbrella shape. One surface of the shield (e.g., the interior surface of the umbrella) may be reflective and/or refractive. Such qualities may be provided by various appropriate materials adhered to, embedded with, and/or otherwise included with at least of portion of the surface. Another surface of the shield (e.g., the exterior surface of the umbrella) may be obstructive and/or absorptive. 
     During use, the shield may be coupled to and/or placed over one or more OTA transmitters (and/or otherwise be positioned to at least partly block signals transmitted from the OTA transmitter(s)). The transmitter(s) and shield may provide an adjustable coverage area. The adjustable coverage area may be configured by adjusting the power of the OTA transmitter(s) and/or adjusting the position of the shield (e.g., raising or lowering the shield, modifying the radius of the cone, changing the shape of the shield, etc.). In some embodiments, multiple shields may be used to provide an irregularly shaped coverage area, and/or to otherwise define the coverage area. 
     Some embodiments may include a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or other appropriate visual indicators that may provide a visual indication of the coverage area (i.e., the area where OTA charging is permitted by the shield). 
     Different embodiments may be shaped in various different ways, as appropriate (e.g., rectangular shapes may correspond to rectangular tables or desks, round shapes may correspond to round tables, etc.). In addition, different embodiments may be sized differently, depending on various relevant factors (e.g., the number of devices the OTA transmitter(s) are capable of charging, the size of the surface used to support devices being charged, etc.). 
     In some embodiments, the shield may be coupled to the OTA charger or transmitter(s) and/or otherwise associated with the transmitter(s). 
     Some embodiments may include wireless communication capabilities and/or other features that allow the shield to interact with the charger, devices being charged, and/or other appropriate devices. For instance, some embodiments may be able to be at least partly controlled using an app that runs on a mobile device. 
     The preceding Summary is intended to serve as a brief introduction to various features of some exemplary embodiments. Other embodiments may be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The exemplary features of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purpose of explanation, several embodiments are illustrated in the following drawings. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic block diagram of an over the air (OTA) charging system according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range at a first height and a first power level; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range at a second power level; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range at a second height; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range for a first example configuration; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range for a second example configuration; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range for a third example configuration; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 , showing a charging range for a fourth example configuration; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process that controls the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process that provides a visual indication of charging range for the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process that adjusts the OTA charging system of  FIG. 1  based on a visual indication of charging range; and 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computer system used to implement some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description describes currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of some embodiments, as the scope of the disclosure is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Various features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. Broadly, some embodiments generally provide an over the air (OTA) charging system and safety shield. 
     Throughout the specification and appendix, terms such as “radio frequency” or “RF” may be used to refer to any wireless signal without limitation to a particular frequency spectrum. 
     A first exemplary embodiment provides a safety shield for over the air (OTA) charging, the safety shield comprising: a structural element having: a first surface that reflects and refracts OTA charging transmissions; and a second surface that obstructs and absorbs OTA charging transmissions. 
     A second exemplary embodiment provides an over the air (OTA) charging system comprising: an OTA charging station; and a safety shield movably coupled to the OTA charging station. 
     A third exemplary embodiment provides an over the air (OTA) charging device comprising: a housing; at least one OTA transmitter positioned inside the housing; and a safety shield coupled to the housing. 
     Several more detailed embodiments are described in the sections below. Section I provides a description of a hardware architecture of some embodiments. Section II then describes a charging shield of some embodiments. Next, Section III describes various exemplary configurations used by some embodiments. Section IV then describes various methods of operation used by some embodiments. Lastly, Section V describes a computer system which implements some of the embodiments. 
     I. Hardware Architecture 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic block diagram of an OTA charging system  100  according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown, the system may include an OTA charging station  110 , a number of charging devices  120 , and a controller device  130 . The charging station may include a hardware interface  140 , set of transmitters  150 , a controller  160 , memory  170 , and a communication module  180 . The safety shield of some embodiments is omitted for clarity in this view. 
     The OTA charging station  110  may be an electronic device having a housing or enclosure and attached safety shield. One exemplary device will be described in more detail in reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     The charging devices  120  may be electronic devices having rechargeable batteries that are able to use wireless charging. Such devices may include, for instance, smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, etc. 
     The user device  130  may be an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, etc. that is able to communicate with the OTA station  110  over one or more wired or wireless connections. In addition, the user device  130  may include various user interface (UI) features such as buttons, keypads, displays, touchscreens, microphones, speakers, etc. Of course, user device  130  may also be a charging device  120  (i.e., the user device  130  may communicate with the OTA station  110  while also receiving charging power from the transmitter(s)  150 ). 
     The OTA charging station  110  may include such UI features in some embodiments. The UI features may allow a user to position or manipulate the safety shield and/or otherwise control various aspects of the charging station operation (e.g., setting charging power level, range, enabling visual indicators, etc.) and/or provide feedback to users regarding status or other appropriate information. 
     The hardware interface  140  may be able to interact with various motors, actuators, etc. such that the shield is able to be automatically adjusted (e.g., by activating a motor attached to a linear gear to raise or lower the shield, by controlling an actuator or other physical device capable of changing the shape or dimensions of the safety shield, etc.). 
     In addition, the hardware interface may be able to at least partly control the output of any visual indicators (e.g., LEDs). The visual indicators may be activated, deactivated, intensity adjusted, and/or otherwise be controlled by a user. 
     The hardware interface may also be able to interact with various UI features in order to receive user inputs and provide information to users. 
     The transmitter(s)  150  may be able to generate an OTA signal  190  that is able to charge one or more charging devices. Some embodiments may include multiple transmitters (and/or multiple antennae) in various arrangements. For instance, some embodiments may provide a three hundred sixty degree coverage area using an array of transmitters and/or antennae. 
     The controller  160  may be able to interact with and/or direct the operations of the various other system elements. For instance, the controller may define various transmission parameters (e.g., power) and/or generate commands that are used to control the transmitters  150 . As another example, the controller  160  may define parameters and/or generate commands used to control the hardware interface  140  (and thus the associated hardware components such as motors or actuators, UI features, etc.). 
     The memory  170  may be able to store data and/or instructions for use by the components of system  100 . 
     The communication module  180  may be able to interact with various external devices (such as a smartphone or other user device  130 ) via a wired or wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, universal serial bus (USB), etc.) such that the external user device  130  may be able to at least partly control the operations of the charging station (e.g., power level, shield position, etc.). 
     One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the charging system  100  may be implemented in various different ways without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For instance, some embodiments may provide a stand-alone shield without any other associated hardware. As another example, some embodiments may provide wired charging ports (e.g., a USB charging port). 
     II. Charging Shield 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system  100 . In this view, the charging station  110  includes shield  210  and the charging station  110  and device being charged  120  both rest on a flat surface  220  such as a table. 
     In this example, the OTA signal  190  is represented as a number of dashed lines. As shown, the OTA signals may be reflected and absorbed by the shield  210 , while the signals  190  may be able to pass under the shield  210  to reach the charging device  120 . 
     The shield  210  may be attached to the charging station  110  using various moveable supports, frames, etc. Such attachment elements are omitted for clarity. The attachment elements may be able to automatically move the shield  210  up or down and/or modify the shape of the shield. 
     The shield may include an outer layer  230 , a structural layer  240 , and an inner layer  250 . The structural layer  240  may include various support elements (e.g., a metal frame) and/or be made from flexible material able to hold a particular shape (e.g., plastic, metal, composites, etc.). 
     The outer layer  230  may include material for blocking and absorbing radio and electromagnetic waves. Such material may include, for instance, copper, cloth painted with RF shielding paint, etc. 
     The inner layer  250  may include material for reflecting and refracting radio and electromagnetic waves. Such material may include, for instance, glass, plastic, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the layers may be combined into a single element. For instance, a plastic structural layer may be coated on one surface with RF shielding paint while the other surface may have reflective and refractive properties. Some embodiments may include additional layers or elements. For instance, some embodiments may include a support frame or skeleton that may be attached to or embedded into another structural component. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system  100 . This view shows a charging range  310  of the device. In this example, the shield  210  has a round shape and the range  310  is also round. 
     III. Exemplary Configurations 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range at a first height and a first power level. In this example, the OTA charging signal range  410  may be indicated by LEDs or other light sources arranged around the interior rim of the shield  210  (light source omitted for clarity). 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range at a second power level. In this example, the charging range  510  is expanded as shown due to the second power level being greater than the first power level. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a front elevation view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range at a second height. In this example, the charging range  610  is increased as shown due to the second height being greater than the first height. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range for a first example configuration. In this example, the shape of the shield  210  and/or the directional power levels may be adjusted such that the charging range  710  has an oval shape that does not extend to the edges of the table  220 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range for a second example configuration. In this example, the shape of the shield  210  and/or the directional power levels may be adjusted such that the charging range  810  has an oval shape that reaches only a small portion of the table  220 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range for a third example configuration. In this example, the shape of the shield  210  and/or the directional power levels may be adjusted such that the charging range  710  has an oval shape that extends nearly to the edges of the table  220 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a top view of the OTA charging system  100 , showing a charging range for a fourth example configuration. In this example, the shape of the shield  210  and/or the directional power levels may be adjusted such that the charging range  1010  has a rectangular shape that better matches the shape and size of the table  220  and extends nearly to the edges of the table. 
     One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the embodiments of  FIG. 4 - FIG. 10  are provided for example purposes and that other embodiments may have differently sized or shaped charging ranges. 
     IV. Methods of Operation 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process  1100  that controls the OTA charging system  100 . Such a process may begin, for instance, when the OTA charging station of some embodiments is powered on. 
     As shown, the process may provide (at  1110 ) OTA charging. Such charging may be based on default operating parameters, parameters associated with most recent usage, and/or other appropriate parameters (e.g., user defined preferences). In some embodiments, charging may not begin until various parameters are selected and/or set (e.g., transmission power). 
     Next, the process may determine (at  1120 ) whether a command has been received. Such a command may be received from an external device, such as a smartphone using a wired or wireless communication link. Alternatively and/or conjunctively, a command may be received from a user interface element provided by the OTA charging station (e.g., a button, knob, etc.). 
     If the process determines that no command has been received, the process may end. If the process determines that a command has been received, the process may then identify (at  1130 ) the command and/or any associated parameters. 
     Next, the process may determine (at  1140 ) whether the position of the shield should be adjusted based on the identified command. If the process determines that the position needs to be adjusted, the process may adjust (at  1150 ) the shield position and/or shape. Such adjustment may include sending commands via an element such as the hardware interface of some embodiments in order to manipulate various motors, actuators, etc. that are able to at least partly control the position and/or shape of the shield. 
     After adjusting the position or determining that no adjustment is needed, the process may determine (at  1160 ) whether the transmission power should be adjusted based on the received command. If the process determines that the power should be adjusted, the process may then adjust (at  1170 ) the transmission strength. Such an adjustment may be made by a component such as the controller in conjunction with one or more transmitters. 
     After adjusting the transmission strength or after determining that no adjustment should be made, the process may end. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process  1200  that provides a visual indication of charging range for the OTA charging system  100 . Such a process may begin, for instance, when the OTA charging station of some embodiments is powered on. 
     As shown, the process may determine (at  1210 ) whether a visual indicator is available and/or active. Such a determination may be made based on various relevant factors (e.g., capabilities of the charging station or shield, user selection, etc. 
     If the process determines (at  1210 ) that the visual indicator is not available or active, the process may end. If the process determines that a visual indicator is available or active, the process may determine (at  1220 ) the charging power. Such a determination may be made by retrieving a power level from the charging station, where the power level may be based on default settings, user-defined settings, and/or other appropriate factors. 
     Next, the process may determine (at  1230 ) the shield position and/or shape. Such a determination may be made in various appropriate ways. For instance, some embodiments may include motors, actuators, and the like that may be able to supply position information upon request (and/or such data may be stored by a resource such as the charging station of some embodiments). As another example, some embodiments may include various sensors that may be able to determine a position and/or shape of the shield. 
     The process may then adjust (at  1240 ) the visual indicators, if needed, and then may end. Such adjustment may include, for instance, modifying voltage or current supplied to the visual indicators, changing the position or orientation of the visual indicators, activating and/or deactivating various indicators, etc. In some embodiments, the visual indicators may be used statically, such that the visual indication tracks the physical position or shape of the shield and no further adjustment is needed. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process  1300  that adjusts the OTA charging system  100  based on a visual indication of charging range. Such a process may begin, for instance, when the OTA charging station of some embodiments is powered on. 
     As shown, the process may provide (at  1310 ) a visual indicator of the charging range. As described above, such an indicator may be provided by a set of LEDs or other appropriate elements that are able to generate a visual indication of the range. Next, the process may determine (at  1320 ) whether the indicated range is accepted by a user. Such a determination may be made based on various relevant factors (e.g., explicit command or input received from a user, time elapsed since last received command, etc.). 
     If the process determines (at  1320 ) that the currently indicated range is not accepted, the process may receive (at  1330 ) adjustments to the range, apply (at  1340 ) the received adjustments, and provide (at  1310 ) a visual indicator of the updated range. Such adjustments may involve changes to the orientation, power, etc. of the LEDs or other visual generators. 
     The adjustments may be made using an app of some embodiments. For instance, a user may be able to select from among a set of defined shapes or from a set of available ranges (e.g., one foot, five feet, ten feet, etc.). As another example, a user may be able to enter a radius or distance for the range. Some embodiments may include UI elements such as buttons, joysticks, keypads, etc. that may allow a user to adjust the range (in terms of shape and/or distance) on the OTA station  100  itself. 
     If the process determines (at  1320 ) that the currently indicated range is accepted, the process may determine (at  1350 ) the charging station attributes associated with the indicated range. Such attributes may include, for instance, shield attributes (e.g., height, shape, etc.) and/or station attributes (e.g., transmission power, transmitter selection, etc.). The attributes may be received from a database or lookup table associated with current visual indicator settings. Alternatively or conjunctively, some embodiments may calculate attributes based on the indicated range (e.g., transmission power may be calculated based on a distance of the visual indicator). 
     Next, the process may adjust (at  1360 ) the station based on the determined attributes and then may end. Such adjustment may include moving the shield (e.g., adjusting the height), changing the shape of the shield, changing the transmission power of one or more transmitters, and/or other appropriate adjustments. 
     One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that processes  1100 ,  1200 , and  1300  may be implemented in various appropriate ways without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For instance, additional operations may be included or some listed operations may be omitted. As another example, various operations or sets of operations may be performed iteratively and/or based on some criteria. The operations may also be performed in different orders than shown. Furthermore, the processes may be divided into multiple sub-processes and/or combined into a larger macro process. 
     V. Computer System 
     Many of the processes and modules described above may be implemented as software processes that are specified as one or more sets of instructions recorded on a non-transitory storage medium. When these instructions are executed by one or more computational element(s) (e.g., microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (D SP s), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.) the instructions cause the computational element(s) to perform actions specified in the instructions. 
     In some embodiments, various processes and modules described above may be implemented completely using electronic circuitry that may include various sets of devices or elements (e.g., sensors, logic gates, analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, comparators, etc.). Such circuitry may be able to perform functions and/or features that may be associated with various software elements described throughout. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computer system  1400  used to implement some embodiments. For example, the system described above in reference to  FIG. 1 - FIG. 2  may be at least partially implemented using computer system  1400 . As another example, the processes described in reference to  FIG. 11 - FIG. 13  may be at least partially implemented using sets of instructions that are executed using computer system  1400 . 
     Computer system  1400  may be implemented using various appropriate devices. For instance, the computer system may be implemented using one or more personal computers (PCs), servers, mobile devices (e.g., a smartphone), tablet devices, and/or any other appropriate devices. The various devices may work alone (e.g., the computer system may be implemented as a single PC) or in conjunction (e.g., some components of the computer system may be provided by a mobile device while other components are provided by a tablet device). 
     As shown, computer system  1400  may include at least one communication bus  1405 , one or more processors  1410 , a system memory  1415 , a read-only memory (ROM)  1420 , permanent storage devices  1425 , input devices  1430 , output devices  1435 , audio processors  1440 , video processors  1445 , various other components  1450 , and one or more network interfaces  1455 . 
     Bus  1405  represents all communication pathways among the elements of computer system  1400 . Such pathways may include wired, wireless, optical, and/or other appropriate communication pathways. For example, input devices  1430  and/or output devices  1435  may be coupled to the system  1400  using a wireless connection protocol or system. 
     The processor  1410  may, in order to execute the processes of some embodiments, retrieve instructions to execute and/or data to process from components such as system memory  1415 , ROM  1420 , and permanent storage device  1425 . Such instructions and data may be passed over bus  1405 . 
     System memory  1415  may be a volatile read-and-write memory, such as a random access memory (RAM). The system memory may store some of the instructions and data that the processor uses at runtime. The sets of instructions and/or data used to implement some embodiments may be stored in the system memory  1415 , the permanent storage device  1425 , and/or the read-only memory  1420 . ROM  1420  may store static data and instructions that may be used by processor  1410  and/or other elements of the computer system. 
     Permanent storage device  1425  may be a read-and-write memory device. The permanent storage device may be a non-volatile memory unit that stores instructions and data even when computer system  1400  is off or unpowered. Computer system  1400  may use a removable storage device and/or a remote storage device as the permanent storage device. 
     Input devices  1430  may enable a user to communicate information to the computer system and/or manipulate various operations of the system. The input devices may include keyboards, cursor control devices, audio input devices and/or video input devices. Output devices  1435  may include printers, displays, audio devices, etc. Some or all of the input and/or output devices may be wirelessly or optically connected to the computer system  1400 . 
     Audio processor  1440  may process and/or generate audio data and/or instructions. The audio processor may be able to receive audio data from an input device  1430  such as a microphone. The audio processor  1440  may be able to provide audio data to output devices  1440  such as a set of speakers. The audio data may include digital information and/or analog signals. The audio processor  1440  may be able to analyze and/or otherwise evaluate audio data (e.g., by determining qualities such as signal to noise ratio, dynamic range, etc.). In addition, the audio processor may perform various audio processing functions (e.g., equalization, compression, etc.). 
     The video processor  1445  (or graphics processing unit) may process and/or generate video data and/or instructions. The video processor may be able to receive video data from an input device  1430  such as a camera. The video processor  1445  may be able to provide video data to an output device  1440  such as a display. The video data may include digital information and/or analog signals. The video processor  1445  may be able to analyze and/or otherwise evaluate video data (e.g., by determining qualities such as resolution, frame rate, etc.). In addition, the video processor may perform various video processing functions (e.g., contrast adjustment or normalization, color adjustment, etc.). Furthermore, the video processor may be able to render graphic elements and/or video. 
     Other components  1450  may perform various other functions including providing storage, interfacing with external systems or components, etc. 
     Finally, as shown in  FIG. 14 , computer system  1400  may include one or more network interfaces  1455  that are able to connect to one or more networks  1460 . For example, computer system  1400  may be coupled to a web server on the Internet such that a web browser executing on computer system  1400  may interact with the web server as a user interacts with an interface that operates in the web browser. Computer system  1400  may be able to access one or more remote storages  1470  and one or more external components  1475  through the network interface  1455  and network  1460 . The network interface(s)  1455  may include one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) that may allow the computer system  1400  to access remote systems and/or storages and also may allow remote systems and/or storages to access computer system  1400  (or elements thereof). 
     As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the terms “computer”, “server”, “processor”, and “memory” all refer to electronic devices. These terms exclude people or groups of people. As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the term “non-transitory storage medium” is entirely restricted to tangible, physical objects that store information in a form that is readable by electronic devices. These terms exclude any wireless or other ephemeral signals. 
     It should be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that any or all of the components of computer system  1400  may be used in conjunction with some embodiments. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many other system configurations may also be used in conjunction with some embodiments or components of some embodiments. 
     In addition, while the examples shown may illustrate many individual modules as separate elements, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that these modules may be combined into a single functional block or element. One of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that a single module may be divided into multiple modules. 
     The foregoing relates to illustrative details of exemplary embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims.