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US 12,009,673 B2Granted
Inductive power and data transfer between mobile device and vehicle via common coil
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAaron Matthew DeLong, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Vivekanandh Elangovan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coil is electrically connected with an energy storage unit via circuitry. The coil wirelessly receives power from a cellular phone adjacent to the coil for transfer to the energy storage unit via the circuitry, and wirelessly receives data from the cellular phone. The coil may also wirelessly transfer power and data to the cellular phone.
Claims15
A vehicle comprising:
- a coil arranged adjacent to an exterior body panel of the vehicle;
- an energy storage unit;
- and
- one or more controllers programmed to
- selectively actuate switches connected with the coil to effectively increase a number of turns of the coil, and then drive the coil with current from the energy storage unit at a first frequency to wirelessly transfer power from the energy storage unit to a cellular phone adjacent to the coil, and
- drive the coil with current from the energy storage unit at a second frequency greater than the first frequency to wirelessly transfer data to the cellular phone.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- driving a coil of a vehicle with direct current from an energy storage unit such that the coil generates heat;
- driving the coil with current from the energy storage unit at a first frequency to wirelessly transfer power from the energy storage unit to a cellular phone adjacent to the coil;
- driving the coil with current from the energy storage unit at a second frequency greater than the first frequency to wirelessly transfer data to the cellular phone;
- and
- wirelessly receiving data via the coil from the cellular phone.
2 more elements
A communication and power system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an energy storage unit;
- circuitry;
- a coil electrically connected with the energy storage unit via the circuitry, and configured to wirelessly receive power from a cellular phone adjacent to the coil for transfer to the energy storage unit via the circuitry, and to wirelessly receive data from the cellular phone;
- and
- one or more controllers programmed to, responsive to ambient temperature being less than a threshold, drive the coil with current from the energy storage unit such that the coil generates heat.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.