Input power appraisal based wireless power system

• US 10,581,272 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiPQTUS Inc.
• Original Assignee: WiPQTUS Inc.
• Inventors: Sankar, Ganapathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, James P
• Application Number:
  US15/253,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20160372963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A wireless power system (WPS) has a wireless power transmitter (WPT) that appraises an input power available to a power inverter from one or more input power sources. The WPT comprises the power inverter that wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power receiver (WCR) of the WPS, and a power appraiser circuit (PAC). The PAC ascertains maximum input power available to the power inverter from the input power sources. The PAC includes a variable load connected to a path carrying the input power to the power inverter or one or more input pins that receive power ratings of the input power sources that indicate available maximum input power from the input power sources. The ascertaining of maximum input power available to the power inverter from the input power sources appraises the input power available to the power inverter. The WCR receives information representing maximum power deliverable by the WPT.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter operatively connected to an input power source, said wireless power transmitter configured to deliver power from said input power source wirelessly to wireless power receiver(s), wherein the number of wireless power receivers that are within its charging zone at one time varies,

said wireless power transmitter including a detection unit, said detection unit configured to sense:

insertion of said wireless power receiver(s) into the charging zone, and

removal of said wireless power receiver(s) from the charging zone,

wherein said wireless power transmitter performs the following;

on sensing the insertion of first placed wireless power receiver(s) into the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter exchanges messages with the wireless power receiver(s), negotiating an initial power transfer contract which defines the minimum and maximum power necessary to ensure stable power delivery from the wireless power receiver(s) to its respective load,

said wireless power transmitter configures its wireless power transmission to ensure that said delivery of power to the load of the wireless power receiver(s) is stable, and

on sensing the insertion of one or more additional newly placed wireless power receivers into the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter sends messages to said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone to update their circuitry to ensure said delivery of power to their respective load is stable, said wireless power transmitter adjusts its wireless power transmission to ensure that said delivery of power to the respective load of all said wireless power receivers that are within the charging zone is stable,

said wireless power transmitter adjusts its wireless power transmission to ensure that said delivery of power to the respective load of all said wireless power receivers that are within the charging zone is stable, and

on sensing the removal of one or more said wireless power receivers from the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter sends messages to said wireless power receiver(s) that are still within the charging zone to update their circuitry to ensure said delivery of power to their respective load is stable, said wireless power transmitter adjust its wireless power transmission to ensure that said delivery of power to the respective load of all said wireless power receiver(s) that are still within the charging zone is stable.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein said wireless power transmitter partitions and distributes the available power from the input power source to one or more said wireless power receivers that are within it'"'"'s charging zone based on one of a fixed algorithm and a dynamic algorithm.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein said wireless power transmitter negotiates a new amount of available power from said input power source to accommodate the needs of one or more said wireless power receivers that are in said wireless power transmitter'"'"'s charging zone.

4. A wireless power receiver configured to receive power wirelessly from a wireless power transmitter when placed in said wireless power transmitter'"'"'s charging zone, said wireless power receiver configured to deliver said received power to its load,

said wireless power receiver negotiating with said wireless power transmitter an initial power transfer contract which defines the minimum and maximum power to ensure stable power delivery to its said load,

said wireless power receiver on detection of violation of one of stable power delivery to its said load and of safety limits of its operating parameters while receiving power from said wireless power transmitter in whose charging zone said wireless power receiver has been placed in, said wireless power receiver, exchanges messages with said wireless power transmitter to renegotiate a new power transfer contract based on which said wireless power receiver updates its circuitry to ensure that said delivery of power to its said load is stable and its operating parameters are within the safety limits.

5. The wireless power receiver of claim 4, wherein said wireless power receiver senses violation of guaranteed maximum power delivery to its load that said wireless power receiver had previously negotiated as part of said power transfer contract with said wireless power transmitter in whose charging zone said wireless power receiver has been placed in, said wireless power receiver exchanges messages with said wireless power transmitter to renegotiate a new said guaranteed maximum power delivery as part of an updated said power transfer contract based on which said wireless power receiver updates its circuitry to ensure that said delivery of power to its load is stable.

6. A method for maintaining stability of power transfer from a wireless power transmitter when delivering power wirelessly to the loads of wireless power receivers, wherein the number of wireless power receivers that are within the charging zone of the wireless power transmitter at one time varies,

said wireless power transmitter including a detection unit, said detection unit configured to sense:

insertion of said wireless power receivers into the charging zone,

and

removal of said wireless power receivers from the charging zone,

said wireless power transmitter performing the following;

on sensing the insertion of first placed wireless power receiver(s) into the charging area, said wireless power transmitter exchanges messages with the wireless power receiver(s), negotiating an initial power transfer contract which defines the minimum and maximum power necessary to ensure stable power delivery from the first placed wireless power receiver(s) to its respective load,

and

on sensing insertion of one or more additional wireless power receivers newly placed into the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter,

receiving messages from the newly placed additional wireless power receivers,

recalculating the power distribution configuration among said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone,

based on the recalculated power distribution configuration, negotiating a power transfer contract with each newly placed additional wireless power receivers which defines the minimum and maximum power to ensure stable power delivery from the one or more newly placed additional wireless power receivers to their respective load,

sending a renegotiate message to one or more said wireless power receivers that were previously placed in the charging zone,

based on the recalculated power distribution configuration, negotiating a new power transfer contract with each previously placed said wireless power receivers which defines the minimum and maximum power to ensure stable power delivery from said wireless power receivers that were previously placed in the charging zone to their respective load,

sending messages to all said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone to update their circuitry to ensure said delivery of power to their respective load is stable and

performing power transmission in accordance with the recalculated power distribution;

or

on sensing insertion of one or more said wireless power receivers newly placed into the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter,

momentarily terminating said power delivery to all said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone thereby interrupting previously placed said wireless power receivers'"'"'s power delivery to their respective load,

restarting a minimal power transfer to said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone necessary to support communication,

receiving various information from said wireless power receivers in the charging zone,

recalculating the power distribution configuration,

based on the recalculating the power distribution configuration, negotiating a new power transfer contract with all said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone which defines the minimum and maximum power to ensure stable power delivery from said wireless power receivers in the charging zone to their respective load,

sending messages to all said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone to update their circuitry to ensure said delivery of power to their respective load is stable and

performing power transmission in accordance with the recalculated power distribution;

or

on sensing insertion of one or more said wireless power receivers newly placed into the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter,

receiving messages from said wireless power receivers newly placed in the charging zone,

sending a renegotiate message to said wireless power receivers that were previously placed in the charging zone,

receiving various information from previously placed said wireless power receivers,

recalculating the power distribution configuration among said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone,

based on the recalculating the power distribution configuration, negotiating a new power transfer contract with all said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone which defines the minimum and maximum power to ensure stable power delivery from said wireless power receivers in the charging zone to their respective load,

sending messages to all said wireless power receivers that are in the charging zone to update their circuitry to ensure said delivery of power to their respective load is stable and

performing power transmission in accordance with the recalculated power distribution;

and

on sensing removal of one or more said wireless power receivers from the charging zone, said wireless power transmitter,

recalculating the power distribution configuration among said wireless power receivers that are still in the charging zone,

based on the recalculating power distribution configuration, negotiating with said wireless power that are still in the charging zone a new power transfer contract which defines the minimum and maximum power to ensure stable power delivery from said wireless power receivers that are still in the charging zone to their respective load,

sending messages to said wireless power receivers that are still in the charging zone to update their circuitry to ensure that said delivery of power to their respective load is stable and

performing power transmission in accordance with the recalculated power distribution.