Operating an Inductive Energy Transfer System

摘要

A receiver device in an inductive energy transfer system can include a touch sensing device. If the input surface of the touch sensing device is touched, a transmitter device can periodically stop transferring energy to allow the touch sensing device to sense touch samples while inductive energy transfer is inactive. Additionally or alternatively, a transmitter device can produce an averaged duty cycle by transferring energy to the receiver device for one or more periods at a first duty cycle step and for one or more periods at different second first duty cycle step. Additionally or alternatively, a transmitter device can reduce a current level received by a DC-to-AC converter if the current received by the DC-to-AC converter equals or exceeds a threshold. Additionally or alternatively, a transmitter device can ping a receiver device and transfer energy only after a response signal is received from the receiver device.

主权项

1. A method for operating an inductive energy transfer system that includes a transmitter device and a receiver device, the transmitter device including a current sense circuit operatively connected to an input of a DC-to-AC converter and a processing device operatively connected to the current sense circuit, the method comprising:
during inductive energy transfer from the transmitter device to the receiver device, the current sense circuit measuring a current input into the DC-to-AC converter; the processing device determining if the measured current equals or exceeds a threshold; and if the measured current equals or exceeds the threshold, reducing the current input into the DC-to-AC converter by modifying an operation of the DC-to-AC converter.