System for transmitting ultrasonic short-range wireless power and method of charging ultrasonic wireless power

• US 10,250,077 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seong Hoon Park
• Original Assignee: Seong Hoon Park
• Inventors: Park, Seong Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Cavallari-See, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/315,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20170201130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment

Abstract

Disclosed is an ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system comprising: an ultrasonic transmission transducer configured to transmit power, wherein the ultrasonic transmission transducer comprises: a converter configured to convert power received from an external power source; a controller configured to control power of a modulator and power of an amplifier; a communication unit configured to communicate with an external reception transducer; a sensor configured to sense ultrasonic waves transferred from an ultrasonic wave emission region; the modulator electrically connected to the controller and configured to generate a signal for ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission; and the amplifier configured to amplify a modulation signal generated by the modulator and convert the modulation signal into power; and one or more transmission modules configured to receive the power from the amplifier and convert an electrical reception signal into ultrasonic waves.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system comprising:

an ultrasonic transmission transducer configured to transmit power,

wherein the ultrasonic transmission transducer comprises;

a converter configured to convert power received from an external power source;

a controller configured to control power of a modulator and power of an amplifier;

a communication unit configured to communicate with an external reception transducer;

a sensor configured to sense ultrasonic waves transferred from an ultrasonic wave emission region;

the modulator electrically connected to the controller and configured to generate a signal for ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission; and

the amplifier configured to amplify a modulation signal generated by the modulator and convert the modulation signal into power; and

one or more transmission modules configured to receive the power from the amplifier and convert an electrical reception signal into ultrasonic waves.

2. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an auxiliary power input terminal configured to receive external power,

wherein power supplied to the auxiliary power input terminal is supplied to the modulator and the amplifier when a voltage applied to the auxiliary power input terminal is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and power of the converter is restored when the voltage applied to the auxiliary power input terminal is less than the predetermined value.

3. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the converter or the amplifier comprises one of:

a converter configured to convert commercial power supplied from the outside from an alternating current (AC) voltage into a direct current (DC) voltage;

an inverter configured to convert a DC voltage into an AC voltage; and

a converter configured to convert a DC voltage into a DC voltage.

4. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the converter or a converter of the amplifier comprises one of a fly-back converter, a full-bridge converter, a half-bridge converter, a boost-buck converter, a buck-boost converter, an SEPIC converter, a piezoelectric transducer converter, and a zeta converter.

5. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a charger configured to convert power supplied via the converter or an auxiliary power input terminal into predetermined intensity electric energy; and

a capacitor including a low-voltage blocking circuit.

6. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 5, wherein the charger comprises a constant current circuit or a constant voltage circuit configured to convert input power.

7. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 5, wherein the controller further comprises a switch unit configured to switch to power of the capacitor when a voltage of the converter or the auxiliary power input terminal is less than a predetermined value, to switch from power of the converter to the power of the capacitor when a voltage of the capacitor is received and is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, and to switch from the power of the capacitor to the power of the converter when the voltage of the capacitor is received and is less than the predetermined value.

8. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transmission transducer has the same resonance frequency as a reception transducer.

9. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines an event signal received via the communication unit and controls a power value output from the amplifier,

wherein the event signal comprises at least one of:

a number of measured reception transducers;

an amount of received power;

a reception rate; and

locations of the measured reception transducers.

10. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a priority-order determiner configured to determine an event signal to determine a number of measured reception transducers, an amount of received power, a reception rate, or location information when a plurality of reception transducers are sensed by the communication unit; and

a power distributor configured to sense an amount of power of the plurality of reception transducers and distribute power.

11. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein, when no reception transducer is sensed by the communication unit or the sensor, the controller blocks power of the ultrasonic transmission transducer or is switched to a low-power standby state to receive a signal of a reception transducer.

12. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein a resonance frequency generated by the modulator is selected to be in a range of 20 kHz to 20 MHz according to a medium.

13. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein, when an amount of a transferred ultrasonic signal is below or above an allowance range, the sensor determines the amount of the transferred ultrasonic signal, and blocks or controls power to be supplied to one element selected from among the modulator, the amplifier, and the ultrasonic transmission transducer such that ultrasonic waves are not emitted.

14. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the modulator generating a signal for ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission comprises:

a PWM generator configured to adjust a duty cycle for pulse width modulation (PWM); and

a switch element configured to be switch-driven according to the duty cycle adjusted by the modulator,

wherein PWM performed by the modulator is controlled to generate and output an ultrasonic signal (frequency) from an output of the amplifier.

15. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more transmission modules further comprises:

a piezoelectric element configured to convert an electrical signal received from the amplifier into ultrasonic waves; and

a platform configured to accommodate a diaphragm,

wherein the platform is formed by combining the diaphragm and the piezoelectric element, and

the diaphragm has a single or multiple polygonal shape.

16. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 15, wherein a material of the piezoelectric element of each of the one or more transmission modules comprises a PMN-PT-based material, a PML-PT-based material, or a PZN-PT-based material.

17. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 16, wherein PMN-PT, which is a material of the piezoelectric element, comprises a solid-state single crystal of lead magnesium niobate (PMN) which is a relaxor and lead titanate (PT) which is a piezoelectric material.

18. The ultrasonic short-range wireless power transmission system of claim 15, wherein the diaphragm is formed in a polygonal shape or a honeycomb shape with the shape of the perimeter bored in a central part.