Wireless power transmitter utilizing phase and amplitude control algorithm and wireless power receiver

• US 10,516,302 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jaesup, Hwang, Injune, Khang, Seungtae, Yu, Jongwon
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/491,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20170302109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter includes a signal generator for generating power signals, a modulator for modulating a phase of a power signal to be time reversed based on beacon signals received from the wireless power transmitter and modulating an amplitude of a power signal to be amplified, a controller for providing a phase and amplitude control algorithm to be performed by the modulator, and an antenna unit for transmitting the power signals and receiving the beacon signals. The wireless power transmitter controls the amplification of amplitudes by using the phase and amplitude control algorithm, thereby improving wireless power transmission efficiency. In addition, the wireless power transmitter includes a multiple polarization antenna to enable high-efficiency wireless power transmission, regardless of a direction of the power signals and a direction of polarization.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate power signals;

a detector configured to detect a phase and an amplitude of beacon signals received from a wireless power receiver;

a modulator configured to modulate a phase and an amplitude of the power signals generated by the signal generator to be time reversed based on the received beacon signals and to be amplified, respectively;

a controller configured to provide a phase and amplitude control algorithm to be executed by the modulator; and

a plurality of antennas configured to receive the beacon signals and to transmit the modulated power signals to the wireless power receiver,

wherein the controller assigns a respective weight value for each of the power signals to the modulator based on the phase and amplitude control algorithm,

wherein the amplitude of the power signals generated by the signal generator is amplified in a way that a greater the amplitude of the respective beacon signal received by a corresponding antenna of the plurality of antennas, a greater the weight value for amplifying the respective power signal transmitted by the corresponding antenna, and

wherein the detector is further configured to perform feedback operation for detecting a phase and an amplitude of modified beacon signals over time, and detect respective rates of change as a function of time in the phase and the amplitude of the beacon signals, and the modulator is further configured to perform a time reversal process on the phase of the power signals and to amplify the amplitude of the power signals based on the modified beacon signals when at least one of the detected respective rates of change exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises a plurality of phase-amplitude modulators, and

wherein the plurality of antennas has a one-to one correspondence or a many-to-one correspondence with respect to the plurality of phase-amplitude modulators.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of phase-amplitude detectors and

wherein the plurality of antennas has a one-to one correspondence or a many-to-one correspondence with respect to the plurality of phase-amplitude detectors.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the phase and amplitude control algorithm operates to amplify the power signals by combining amplitudes of the power signals with amplitudes of the beacon signals that is multiplied by a predetermined factor.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 4, wherein the phase and amplitude control algorithm operates not to amplify at least one from among the power signals corresponding to a beacon signal having an amplitude that is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value from among the beacon signals.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the phase and amplitude control algorithm operates to amplify the power signals by combining amplitudes of the power signals with amplitudes of the beacon signals and amplitudes of a predetermined value.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the phase and amplitude control algorithm operates not to amplify at least one from among the power signals corresponding to a beacon signal having an amplitude that is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold from among the beacon signals.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas are further configured to receive communication signals from the wireless power receiver and to provide the received communication signals to the controller, and

the controller is further configured to analyze the communication signals in order to adjust the modulation of the phase and the amplitude of the power signals.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to modify the phase and amplitude control algorithm based on the communication signals.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a communicator configured to receive communication signals from the wireless power receiver and to transmit the received communication signals to the controller,

wherein the controller is further configured to analyze the communication signals in order to adjust the modulation of the phase and the amplitude of the power signals.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas comprise at least one multiple polarization antenna.

12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the wireless power receiver comprises at least one multiple polarization antenna.

13. A wireless power receiver comprising:

at least one multiple polarization antenna receiving wireless power signals from the wireless power transmitter of claim 1;

a rectifier configured to rectify the received wireless power signals into direct current signals; and

a beacon signal generator configured to transmit the beacon signals to the wireless power transmitter.

14. The wireless power receiver of claim 13, further comprising a communicator configured to provide communication signals to the wireless power transmitter.

15. The wireless power receiver of claim 13, wherein the wireless power receiver includes at least one from among a mobile phone, a portable headset, a laptop PC, a tablet PC, a portable MP3 player, a portable video player, a smart watch, and a wireless sensor.

16. The wireless power receiver of claim 13, wherein the wireless power receiver has an external shape having side surfaces configured to connect a first pair of surfaces that face each other and a second pair of surfaces that face each other.

17. The wireless power transmitter of claim 13, wherein the at least one multiple polarization antenna comprises two single polarization antennas, and the two single polarization antennas form a predetermined angle therebetween.

18. A wireless power transmitter system comprising:

a wireless power transmitter; and

a wireless power receiver,

wherein the wireless power receiver comprises a beacon signal generator configured to generate beacon signals and an antenna configured to transmit the generated beacon signals upon receiving power signals from the wireless power transmitter, and

the wireless power transmitter comprises a detector configured to detect a phase and an amplitude of the beacon signals, a modulator configured to modulate a phase of the power signals based on a time reversal phase of the beacon signals and to modulate an amplitude of the power signals based on a phase and amplitude control algorithm, a controller configured to calculate the time reversal phase of the beacon signals and to provide the phase and amplitude control algorithm to the modulator, and a plurality of antennas configured to receive the beacon signals and to transmit the modulated power signals to the wireless power receiver;

wherein the controller assigns a respective weight value for each of the power signals to the modulator based on the phase and amplitude control algorithm,

wherein the amplitude of the power signals generated by the signal generator is amplified in a way that a greater the amplitude of the respective beacon signal received by a corresponding antenna of the plurality of antennas, a greater the weight value for amplifying the respective power signal transmitted by the corresponding antenna, and

wherein the detector is further configured to perform feedback operation for detecting a phase and an amplitude of modified beacon signals over time, and detect respective rates of change as a function of time in the phase and the amplitude of the beacon signals, and the modulator is further configured to perform a time reversal process on the phase of the power signals and to amplify the amplitude of the power signals based on the modified beacon signals when at least one of the detected respective rates of change exceeds a predetermined value.

19. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate power signals;

a detector configured to detect a phase and an amplitude of beacon signals received from a wireless power receiver;

a modulator configured to modulate a phase and an amplitude of the power signals generated by the signal generator to be time reversed based on the received beacon signals and to be amplified, respectively;

a controller configured to provide a phase and amplitude control algorithm to be executed by the modulator; and

a plurality of antennas configured to receive the beacon signals and to transmit the modulated power signals to the wireless power receiver,

wherein the controller assigns a respective weight value for each of the power signals to the modulator based on the phase and amplitude control algorithm,

wherein the amplitude of the power signals generated by the signal generator is amplified in a way that a greater the amplitude of the respective beacon signal received by a corresponding antenna of the plurality of antennas, a greater the weight value for amplifying the respective power signal transmitted by the corresponding antenna, and

wherein the phase and amplitude control algorithm operates not to amplify at least one from among the power signals corresponding to a beacon signal having an amplitude that is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value from among the beacon signals.