Wireless power transmitter and method of controlling power thereof

• US 10,163,564 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Bae, Su Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US14/038,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20140084701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Disclosed are a wireless power transmitter and a method of controlling power thereof. A wireless power transmitter includes a power supply device to supply AC power to the wireless power transmitter; and a transmission coil to transmit the AC power to a reception coil of a wireless power receiver by resonance. The wireless power transmitter controls transmission power to be transmitted to the wireless power receiver based on a coupling state between the transmission coil and the reception coil.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a detection circuit configured to detect a coupling coefficient between the wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver connected to a load; and

a transmission coil configured to transmit a first transmission power to a reception coil of the wireless power receiver;

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a load impedance of the load based on the detected coupling coefficient to maximize power transfer efficiency,

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a reception power based on the determined load impedance,

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a second transmission power based on the determined reception power, and

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to adjust the first transmission power to the determined second transmission power, and the transmission coil is configured to transmit the second transmission power to the reception coil, the second transmission power being received by the load of the wireless power receiver as the reception power.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmitter determines a second reception power, which is presently received by the load, and controls the transmission power such that the first reception power is transmitted to the load if the second reception power is different from the first reception power.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the wireless power transmitter determines the second reception power by detecting the coupling coefficient.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 3, wherein the wireless power transmitter determines the second reception power through in-band communication or out-of-band communication with the wireless power receiver.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to measure an input impedance obtained, the input impedance obtained as an impedance that is viewed from the power supply device to the wireless power transmitter, and wherein the detection circuit is further configured to detect the coupling coefficient based on the measured input impedance.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 5, wherein the detection circuit detects the coupling coefficient by measuring an input impedance of the wireless power transmitter after fixing an output impedance of the wireless power receiver.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 5, further comprising a storage circuit configured to store the reception power, the maximum power transfer efficiency corresponding to the coupling coefficient, and the second transmission power, and

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to search for the second transmission power corresponding to the detected coupling coefficient to transmit the searched second transmission power to the wireless power receiver.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the power supply device receives DC power from a power supply circuit to output the AC power, and

wherein the wireless power transmitter controls the transmission power by adjusting the AC power output from the power supply device.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the power supply device transmits a power control signal to control the DC power output from the power supply circuit through power line communication.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the power supply device comprises an AC power generating circuit to generate the AC power by receiving DC power from a power supply circuit, and

wherein the wireless power transmitter determines the coupling coefficient based on an intensity of current input to the AC power generating circuit or output from the AC power generating circuit and controls the transmission power according to the determined coupling coefficient.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a power supply device comprising a power transmission state detecting circuit and a control circuit,

wherein the power transmission state detecting circuit is configured to detect a coupling state between the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver based on a distance between the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver or positions of the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a signal from the power transmission state detecting circuit and to adjust output voltage.

12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a power transmission state detecting circuit and a control circuit,

wherein the power transmission state detecting circuit comprises a current sensor configured to measure intensity of current flowing through the wireless power transmitter,

wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a distance between the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver based on the intensity of current measured by the current sensor and to determine a DC voltage to be received from the power supply device.

13. A method of controlling power of a wireless power transmitter, the method comprising:

detecting, by a detection circuit, a coupling coefficient between the wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver connected to a load;

transmitting, by a transmission coil, a first transmission power to a reception coil of the wireless power receiver;

determining, by the wireless power transmitter, a load impedance of the load based on the detected coupling coefficient to maximize power transfer efficiency;

determining, by the wireless power transmitter, a reception power based on the determined load impedance;

determining, by the wireless power transmitter, a second transmission power based on the determined reception power;

controlling transmission power by adjusting, by the wireless power transmitter, the first transmission power to the determined, second transmission power; and

transmitting, by the transmission coil, the second transmission power to the reception coil, the second transmission power being received by the load of the wireless power receiver as the reception power.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining of the second transmission power comprises determining the second transmission power by searching a storage circuit to store the reception power, the maximum power transfer efficiency being based on the coupling coefficient.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the coupling coefficient comprises detecting the coupling coefficient by using an input impedance of the wireless power transmitter.

16. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a detection circuit configured to detect a coupling coefficient between the wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver connected to a load; and

a transmission coil configured to transmit a first transmission power to a reception coil of the wireless power receiver;

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a load impedance of the load based on the detected coupling coefficient to maximize power transfer efficiency,

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine the maximized power transfer efficiency based on the coupling coefficient,

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a reception power based on the determined load impedance,

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a second transmission power based on the determined first reception power in consideration of the maximized power transfer efficiency, and

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to adjust the first transmission power to the determined second transmission power, and the transmission coil is configured to transmit the second transmission power to the reception coil, the second transmission power being received by the load of the wireless power receiver as the reception power.