# US 11,310,946 B2 · Automotive wireless charger with self temperature management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,946 B2 - Document ID: US11310946B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/788,162 - Filed: 2020-02-11 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-11 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Erik A. Wippler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310946B2 ## CPC - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H05K 7/20945: {Thermal management, e.g. inverter temperature control} - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02J 7/80: including monitoring or indicating arrangements - H05K 7/20845: {for automotive electronic casings (H05K7/2089 takes precedence)} - H10N 10/10: operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Methods, systems, devices and apparatuses for a wireless charger for charging an electronic device within a vehicle. The wireless charger includes a first sensor. The first sensor is configured to measure or detect a temperature of the electronic device. The wireless charger includes a thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric device is configured to adjust the temperature of the electronic device or a surface of the charging pad. The wireless charger includes a processor coupled to the first sensor and the thermoelectric device. The processor is configured to determine that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds a first threshold temperature and control the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the surface of the charging pad. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless charger for charging an electronic device within a vehicle, comprising: a first sensor configured to measure or detect a temperature of the electronic device to be charged; a memory configured to store data relating to settings or requirements based on device type of a plurality of devices, the data including a first threshold temperature associated with the electronic device; a thermoelectric device configured to adjust the temperature of the electronic device or a temperature of a surface of a charging pad; and a processor coupled to the first sensor, the memory, and the thermoelectric device and configured to: determine that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds the first threshold temperature, and control the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the determination that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds the first threshold temperature comprises a determination that the temperature of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The wireless charger of claim 2, wherein the controlling of the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad comprises controlling of the thermoelectric device to decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad when the temperature of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the determination that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds the first threshold temperature comprises a determination that the temperature of the electronic device is less than the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The wireless charger of claim 4, wherein the controlling of the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad comprises controlling of the thermoelectric device to increase the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad when the temperature of the electronic device is less than the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad comprises controlling of the thermoelectric device to: decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad when the temperature of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first threshold temperature; and increase the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad when the temperature of the electronic device is less than a second threshold temperature lower than the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wireless charger of claim 1, further comprising: a second sensor configured to measure or detect an ambient temperature within the vehicle; wherein the processor is further configured to: control the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad based on the ambient temperature and the temperature of the electronic device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wireless charger of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the thermoelectric device to increase or decrease the temperature of the electronic device or the temperature of the surface of the charging pad until the temperature of the electronic device no longer exceeds the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 9 A charging apparatus, comprising: a temperature sensor configured to measure or detect a temperature of an electronic device that is to be charged; a battery sensor configured to measure or detect a state of charge of a battery of the electronic device; a thermoelectric device configured to adjust the temperature of the electronic device; and a processor coupled to the temperature sensor, the battery sensor, and the thermoelectric device and configured to: determine that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds a temperature range, cause the thermoelectric device to increase the temperature of the electronic device when the temperature of the electronic device is below the temperature range, cause the thermoelectric device to decrease the temperature of the electronic device when the temperature of the electronic device is above the temperature range, determine the state of charge of the battery of the electronic device, and cause the thermoelectric device to deactivate when the state of charge of the battery of the electronic device is greater than or equal to a threshold amount. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the temperature range has a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a first difference between the temperature of the electronic device and the minimum temperature when the temperature of the electronic device is less than the minimum temperature; and determine a second difference between the temperature of the electronic device and the maximum temperature when the when the temperature of the electronic device is greater than the maximum temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The charging apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: cause the thermoelectric device to increase the temperature of the electronic device based on the first difference; and cause the thermoelectric device to decrease the temperature of the electronic device based on the second difference. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The charging apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a housing that encloses the temperature sensor, the processor, the battery sensor, and the thermoelectric device and is coupled to a power source within a vehicle that provides power to the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The charging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric device is a Peltier device configured to use electricity to cool a surface of the housing to decrease the temperature of the electronic device or to warm the surface of the housing to increase the temperature of the electronic device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The charging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the Peltier device changes or reverses a polarity of the electricity to either cool or warm the surface of the housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: cause the thermoelectric device to deactivate when the temperature of the electronic device is within the temperature range. ### Claim 16 A method for adjusting a temperature of a device to be charged within a vehicle, comprising: measuring or detecting, by a temperature sensor, the temperature of the device to be charged; determining, by a processor and based on data (i) relating to settings or requirements based on device type of a plurality of devices and (ii) including a first threshold temperature associated with the device to be charged, a predetermined temperature range associated with the device to be charged defined by a first threshold temperature; determining, by the processor, that the temperature of the device to be charged is greater than the first threshold temperature; and decreasing, by the processor and using a thermoelectric device, the temperature of the device to be charged in response to the temperature of the device to be charged being greater than the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining, by the processor, that the temperature of the device to be charged is less than a second threshold temperature; and increasing, by the processor and using the thermoelectric device, the temperature of the device to be charged in response to the temperature of the device to be charged being less than the second threshold temperature. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: deactivating, by the processor, the thermoelectric device in response to the temperature of the device to be charged being greater than the second threshold temperature and less than the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the second threshold temperature is less than the first threshold temperature. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: obtaining, by the processor, an ambient temperature within the vehicle; wherein the decreasing or the increasing of the temperature of the device to be charged is based on the ambient temperature within the vehicle.