Wireless power transmitter

• US 10,541,562 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wit Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: WITS Company Limited
• Inventors: Cho, Sang Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Joel
• Application Number:
  US15/155,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter includes a resonator including a variable resonator; an inverter configured to operate the resonator; and, a controller configured to adjust the variable resonator in response to a change in a level of power input to the inverter.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a resonator including a variable resonator, the variable resonator including a variable capacitor;

an inverter configured to operate the resonator; and

a controller configured to adjust a first capacitance of the variable resonator so that an input power to the inverter is decreased in response to a change in a level of the input power to the inverter,

wherein the controller is further configured to re-adjust the first capacitance of the variable resonator based on the input power to the inverter before and after the adjustment of the first capacitance of the variable resonator, and

the controller is further configured to adjust a second capacitance of the variable capacitor in response to the change in the level of the input power to the inverter.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor to decrease the level of the input power to the inverter.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase or decrease a degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor based on a first level of a first input power to the inverter before adjusting a degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor and a second level of a second input power to the inverter after adjusting the degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to further decrease a degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor based on a first level of a first input power to the inverter before adjusting the degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor and a second level of a second input power to the inverter after adjusting the degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor, when the first level of the first input power is higher than the second level of the second input power.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase a degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor based on a first level of a first input power to the inverter before adjusting a degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor and a second level of a second input power to the inverter after adjusting the degree of the second capacitance of the variable capacitor, when the first level of the first input power is lower than the second level of the second input power.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect an input voltage and an input current of the inverter and calculate the input power based on the input voltage and the input current.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the first capacitance of the variable resonator so that the input power calculated by the detector is decreased.

8. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a power supply configured to adjust a voltage of an input power, and output an adjusted input power;

a resonator including a variable resonator, the variable resonator including a variable capacitor;

an inverter configured to receive the adjusted input power from the power supply and operate the resonator;

a detector configured to calculate a first level of the adjusted input power received by the inverter in the wireless power transmitter; and

a controller configured to adjust a capacitance of the variable capacitor in response to a change in the first level of the adjusted input power, the controller further configured to calculate power efficiency by dividing the first level of the adjusted input power received by the inverter in the wireless power transmitter by a second level of an output power received by a wireless power receiver, which is adjacent to the wireless power transmitter, and adjust a degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor so that the power efficiency is increased.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the detector is further configured to calculate the first level of the adjusted input power by detecting an input voltage and an input current of the adjusted input power, which is provided from the power supply to the inverter.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, further comprising:

a near field communication circuit configured to receive information on the second level of the output power received by the wireless power receiver from the wireless power receiver.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to increase or decrease the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor based on a first power efficiency before adjusting the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor and a second power efficiency after adjusting the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor.

12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to further decrease the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor based on a first power efficiency before adjusting the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor and a second power efficiency after adjusting the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor, when the second power efficiency is higher than the first power efficiency.

13. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to further increase the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor based on first power efficiency before adjusting the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor and second power efficiency after adjusting the degree of the capacitance of the variable capacitor, when the second power efficiency is lower than the first power efficiency.

14. A method of controlling a wireless power transmission, comprising:

operating a power supply to provide power to a variable resonator including a variable capacitor;

actuating a detector to determine an input power to or output from the power supply; and

adaptively adjusting, by a controller, a resonance characteristic of the variable resonator in response to determined input power,

wherein the adaptively adjusting includes re-adjusting the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator based on the determined input power before and after adaptively adjusting the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator, and

the adaptively adjusting includes adjusting capacitance of the variable capacitor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a wireless power signal to a wireless power receiver;

operating a wireless communication circuit to receive an indicia about the wireless power signal received by the wireless power receiver; and

adaptively adjusting the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator in response to the indicia and the determined input power.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the adaptively adjusting the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator includes adaptively adjusting the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator in response to a change in the determined input power.