Device with integrated wireless power receiver configured to make a charging determination based on a level of battery life and charging efficiency

A device comprises:

• an integrated power receive circuit configured to generate a DC voltage from a received magnetic field, the integrated power receive circuit tuned with a control signal relating to desired electromagnetic properties of the received magnetic field;
• a battery charger configured to convert the DC voltage into a battery charge voltage, the battery charger configured to be coupled to a battery in a first mode and decoupled from the battery in a second mode;
• and
• a processing module configured to:
• generate the control signal to tune the integrated power receive circuit based on the desired electromagnetic properties of the received magnetic field and the integrated power receive circuit;
• determine a level of the battery that includes an amount of battery life left based on a battery type;
• determine a charging efficiency for the received magnetic field;
• analyze the determined level of the battery and the determined charging efficiency to make a charging determination, the charging determination based, at least in part, on a comparison of the determined level of the battery and the determined charging efficiency on a sliding scale basis, wherein for a given determined level of the battery a minimum pre-defined charging efficiency is established by the sliding scale basis, the value of the minimum pre-defined charging efficiency generally decreasing as the value of the given determined level of the battery decreases, and wherein the charging determination indicates that the battery is to be charged when the determined charging efficiency at least meets the minimum pre-defined charging efficiency corresponding to the determined level of the battery;
• generate a battery charging control signal based on the charging determination;
• and
• provide the battery charging control signal to the battery charger to effect either of the first mode or the second mode, wherein in the first mode the battery charging control signal functions to regulate charging of the battery based on the level of the battery, and wherein the battery is not charged in the second mode.

A device comprises:

• a coil configured to convert a magnetic field into an AC voltage, wherein a wireless power transmit unit generates the magnetic field;
• a capacitor coupled to the coil;
• a rectifying circuit configured to convert the AC voltage into a DC rail voltage;
• a DC to DC converter configured to convert the DC rail voltage into a DC voltage in accordance with a DC to DC converter control signal, the DC to DC converter configured to selectively couple a battery to be charged by the DC voltage and decouple the battery;
• and
• a processing module configured to:
• generate a control signal based on desired electromagnetic properties;
• send the control signal to the coil and the capacitor, wherein the at least one of the coil and the capacitor are tuned in accordance with the control signal;
• determine a level of the battery that includes an amount of remaining battery life;
• determine a charging efficiency relating to the magnetic field;
• generate a battery charger control signal to effect a mode of a plurality of modes based on the level of the battery and the battery charging efficiency, wherein the plurality of modes including coupling of the DC voltage to the battery to be charged in a first mode, and decoupling of the DC voltage from the battery to supply power in a second mode, wherein selection of the first mode or the second mode is based on a comparison of the determined level of the battery and the determined charging efficiency on a sliding scale basis, wherein for a given determined level of the battery a minimum pre-defined charging efficiency is established by the sliding scale basis, the value of the minimum pre-defined charging efficiency generally decreasing as the value of the given determined level of the battery decreases, and wherein the first mode is selected when the determined charging efficiency at least meets the minimum pre-defined charging efficiency corresponding to the determined level of the battery;
• and
• generate the DC to DC converter control signal to achieve a desired voltage for the DC voltage;
• and
• one or more input/output modules configured to at least one of:
• route outbound data from the processing module to a peripheral output component;
• or
• route inbound data from a peripheral input component to the processing module.