Wireless charging apparatus based on three-dimensional (3D) wireless charging zone

• US 10,199,853 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Cho, In Kui, Kim, Seong Min, Moon, Jung Ick, Ahn, Duk Ju, Yun, Je Hoon, Choi, Hyung Do, Jang, Dong Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US15/363,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20170179754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

Provided is a wireless charging apparatus for performing wireless charging of an electronic device including a receiving coil located in a three-dimensional (3D) wireless charging zone using a plurality of transmitting coils arranged in the 3D wireless charging zone and at least one power source configured to supply a current to the plurality of transmitting coils.

Claims

1. A wireless charging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of transmitting coils included in a wireless charging zone in a three-dimensional (3D) form; and

at least one power source configured to supply a current to the plurality of transmitting coils,

wherein the plurality of transmitting coils includes at least one pair of transmitting coils arranged to face each other in the wireless charging zone,

wherein the at least one pair of transmitting coils are configured to form a quiet zone indicating a magnetic field having an equalized energy density in the wireless charging zone using the current supplied from the at least one power source.

2. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of transmitting coils are configured to form a quiet zone in a direction the same as a direction of at least one receiving coil present in the wireless charging zone.

3. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the direction of the at least one receiving coil is a direction in which an induced current is formed on the receiving coil through a coupling with one of the plurality of transmitting coils included in the wireless charging zone.

4. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one power source is configured to supply currents to the at least one pair of transmitting coils such that phases of the currents differ by 90 degrees.

5. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one power source is configured to supply an in-phase current or an out-of-phase current to the plurality of transmitting coils included in the wireless charging zone.

6. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one capacitor configured to reduce sizes of the plurality of transmitting coils or reduce resonant frequencies of the transmitting coils.

7. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one capacitor is located between the at least one power source and the plurality of transmitting coils.

8. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one power source includes:

an inverter configured to control a phase of the current supplied to the plurality of transmitting coils.

9. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the inverter is configured to control the phase of the current supplied to the plurality of transmitting coils based on gradients between the transmitting coils and a receiving coil present in the wireless charging zone or a location of the receiving coil.

10. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the current has a difference in phase between the at least one pair of transmitting coils in the wireless charging zone or includes at least two phases having the same phase.

11. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communicator configured to detect an induced current formed on the plurality of transmitting coils in the wireless charging zone.

12. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inverter is configured to control a phase of a current initially set to be supplied to the plurality of transmitting coils based on the induced current detected by the communicator.

13. A wireless charging apparatus comprising:

at least one pair of transmitting coils arranged to face each other in a wireless charging zone in a three-dimensional (3D) form;

a power source including an inverter configured to control a phase of a current supplied to the at least one pair of transmitting coils;

at least one capacitor configured to reduce sizes of the at least one pair of transmitting coils or reduce resonant frequencies of the at least one pair of transmitting coils; and

a communicator configured to detect an induced current formed on at least one pair of transmitting coils present in the wireless charging zone,

wherein the at least one pair of transmitting coils are configured to form a quiet zone indicating a magnetic field having an equalized energy density in the wireless charging zone using the current supplied from the power source.

14. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one pair of transmitting coils are configured to form a quiet zone in a direction the same as a direction of at least one receiving coil present in the wireless charging zone.

15. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one power source is configured to supply an in-phase current or an out-of-phase current to the at least one pair of transmitting coils arranged in the wireless charging zone.

16. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the inverter is configured to control a phase of a current supplied to the at least one pair of transmitting coils based on gradients between the at least one pair of transmitting coils and a receiving coil present in the wireless charging zone or a location of the receiving coil.

17. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the current has a difference in phase between the at least one pair of transmitting coils arranged in the wireless charging zone or includes at least two phases having the same phase.

18. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the inverter is configured to control a phase of a current initially set to be supplied to the at least one pair of transmitting coils based on the induced current detected by the communicator.