Inductive power transmission device

• US 10,116,167 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Friwo Gerätebau GmbH
• Original Assignee: Friwo Gerätebau GmbH
• Inventors: Pomp-Melchers, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Kessie, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhuri, Swarna N
• Application Number:
  US14/289,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

A power transmission device for inductive energy transfer. The power transmission device comprises a first stage adapted to be connected to a supply input voltage and adapted to convert the supply input voltage to an operating voltage. The power transmission device further includes a second stage comprising a resonant circuit connected to the first stage and adapted to generate an oscillating voltage from the operating voltage so as to generate a magnetic field for inductive transfer of energy from the power transmission device to a target device. A control circuit is connected to the second stage. The control circuit is adapted to detect a parameter value of the second stage and is adapted to start or stop amplification of the resonant circuit based on the detected parameter value.

Claims

1. A power transmission device for inductive energy transfer, wherein the power transmission device comprises:

a first stage adapted to be connected to a supply input voltage and adapted to convert the supply input voltage to an operating voltage;

a second stage including a resonant circuit connected to the first stage and adapted to generate an oscillating voltage from the operating voltage so as to generate a magnetic field for inductive transfer of energy from the power transmission device to a target device;

a control circuit connected to the second stage, the control circuit being adapted to detect a parameter value of the second stage, the detected parameter indicating whether the target device is being recharged or not, and adapted to start or stop amplification of the resonant circuit based on the detected parameter value;

wherein the resonant circuit is composed by the parallel connection of a capacitor with a winding of a transfer coil and a magnetically coupled sensing coil, both coils being wound around a core and serving as primary coils for inductively transferring energy to the target device including a secondary coil, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to detect the parameter value of the sensing coil;

wherein the second stage further includes a switching element connected to the resonant circuit, the switching element being adapted to amplify the oscillations of the resonant circuit so as to start or stop amplification of the resonant circuit;

wherein the control circuit is adapted to detect an oscillation voltage value of the sensing coil of the resonant circuit and to switch the switching element in-phase with the oscillations of the resonant circuit so as to amplify the oscillation of the resonant circuit, the switching of the switching element being performed as zero-voltage switching amplification of the resonant circuit.

2. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit compares the detected parameter with a predefined threshold value and starts or stops amplification based on the comparison result.

3. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the parameter value is a mean voltage value across the resonant circuit and the control circuit is configured to start amplification of the resonant circuit if an actual mean voltage is below a voltage threshold value.

4. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the parameter value is a peak voltage value across the resonant circuit and wherein the control circuit senses the peak voltage and is configured to start amplification of the resonant circuit if the sensed peak voltage is below a voltage threshold value.

5. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the parameter value comprises a peak voltage value and the rising time thereof across the resonant circuit and wherein the control circuit senses the peak voltage and the rising time and is configured to start amplification of the resonant circuit if the sensed peak voltage and rising time is below a voltage threshold value after a specified time.

6. The power transmission device of claim 3, wherein the voltage threshold value is a previously measured parameter value and the control circuit is configured to start amplification if the actual parameter input is bigger or smaller than the previously measured parameter value.

7. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the parameter value is an input current input from the first stage to the second stage and the control circuit is configured to start amplification of the resonant circuit if an actual sensed input current is larger than a current threshold value.

8. The power transmission device of claim 7, wherein the current threshold value is a previously measured current input to the second stage and the control circuit is configured to start amplification of the resonant circuit when the actual input current is larger than the previously measured input current.

9. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the second stage further includes a switching element connected to the resonant circuit, the switching element being adapted to amplify so as to start or stop amplification of the resonant circuit.

10. The power transmission device of claim 9, wherein the switching element is switched off for stopping amplification of the resonant circuit.

11. The power transmission device of claim 9, wherein the amplification and/or switching element is switched on for starting amplification of the resonant circuit.

12. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the first stage includes a dimming section configured to increase or decrease the input voltage to a predefined operating direct current voltage.

13. The power transmission device of claim 12, wherein the dimming section includes a high ohmic MOSFET element and/or the resonant circuit includes a capacitor and a choke connected in parallel or series.

14. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit stops amplification for a predefined off-time, the ratio of the off-time with a period of the oscillating signal being chosen so as to minimize losses of the first stage.

15. A system for inductive energy transfer, the system comprising:

a power transmission device according to claim 1; and

a target device adapted to be magnetically coupled to the power transmission device for transfer of energy from the power transmission device to the target device.

16. The system for inductive energy transfer of claim 15, wherein the power transmission device senses an opposing magnetic field of a power receiving coil in the target device to which the power is transferred, the opposing magnetic field being sensed through the detected parameter value.

17. The system for inductive energy transfer of claim 16 wherein a magnetic decoupling of the power receiving coil is activated by switching the power receiving coil electrically to a high ohmic load and/or by electrically opening one or both wire ends of the power receiving coil to disconnect said one or both wire ends from the low ohmic load, wherein the magnetic decoupling triggers the less power consuming no-load mode.

18. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to detect a parameter of a signal that is supplied via the sensing coil and subsequently delayed via a RC circuit element.

19. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to detect a parameter of a signal that is supplied via the sensing coil and is subsequently rectified via a diode.