Wireless power transmitter and method for controlling sampling in wireless power transmitter

• US 10,630,110 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Min, Sang Hyun, Lee, Jae Hyung, Lee, Kwang Mook
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N
• Application Number:
  US15/665,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20180123396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 375295, 375355
• 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 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter includes a sampling controller setting different retrieval sampling points of time for each section, among candidate sampling points of time, in each section of a carrier frequency signal; and a sampling unit configured to sample points of the carrier frequency signal at the different retrieval sampling points of time. The sampling controller compares values sampled by the sampling unit with each other, and determines a determined sampling point based on a comparison result.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a sampling controller setting different retrieval sampling points of time for each section, among candidate sampling points of time, in each section of a carrier frequency signal; and

a sampler configured to sample points of the carrier frequency signal at the different retrieval sampling points of time,

wherein the sampling controller compares values sampled by the sampler with each other, and determines a determined sampling point based on a comparison result.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sampler samples at a point of time corresponding to the determined sampling point for each of the plurality of sections of the carrier frequency signal.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a demodulator configured to detect a phase or an envelope of the carrier frequency signal, based on the determined sampling point.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the determined sampling point is the largest value or the smallest value of the values sampled by the sampler.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sections include first to n-th sections,

the candidate sampling points of time includes first to n-th points, and

the sampling controller sets a k-th point of a k-th section as the sampling point of time, where n and k are natural numbers and n is greater than k.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein a time difference between a retrieval sampling point of time of one of the sections and a retrieval sampling point of time of an adjacent section is [(n+1)/n] multiples of a period of one of the plurality of sections, where n is a natural number.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sampling controller determines whether a state of the transmitter satisfies a retrieval condition in every reference period, and

when the state satisfies the retrieval condition, resets different retrieval sampling points of time for each section among the candidate sampling points of time.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 7, further comprising a converter having switches configured to switch based on a frequency of the carrier frequency signal to generate wireless power or the carrier frequency signal,

wherein the retrieval condition includes a first case in which an operation frequency of the converter is changed and a second case in which a duty cycle of the converter is changed.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, further comprising a sensor configured to sense a level of voltage or current of a second node through which the carrier frequency signal passes in the transmitter, the second node being different from a sampling node of the sampler,

wherein the retrieval condition includes a third case in which the level of the voltage or the current sensed by the sensing unit is changed to at least a reference level.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, wherein the sampling controller receives information on a level of voltage or current of a load from a wireless power receiver, and

the retrieval condition includes a fourth case in which the level of the voltage or the current of the load is changed to at least a reference level.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a coil disposed on the transmitter and transmitting power wirelessly to a receiver,

wherein the sampler is configured to sample a level of voltage or current of the coil.

12. A method for controlling a sampling of a wireless power transmitter, comprising:

setting different retrieval sampling points of time for each section among candidate sampling points of time in each section of a carrier frequency signal;

sampling points of the carrier frequency signal at the different retrieval sampling points of time; and

comparing values sampled by the sampler with each other and determining a determined sampling point based on a comparison result.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing the sampling at a point of time corresponding to the determined sampling point for each section of the carrier frequency signal;

receiving information on a level of voltage or current of a load from a wireless power receiver in every reference period; and

when the level of the voltage or the current of the load is changed to at least a reference level, resetting different retrieval sampling points of time for each of the sections among the candidate sampling points of time.

14. A wireless power transmitter configured to determine n candidate sampling points of time for sections of a carrier frequency signal, determine one of k retrieval sampling points for each of the candidate sampling points of time, sample the carrier frequency signal based on the selected sampling point of time,

wherein n and k are natural numbers, and n is greater than k.

15. The wireless power transmitter of claim 14, wherein the carrier frequency signal is sampled at a sampling frequency of [(n/(n+1)] times the carrier frequency.

16. The wireless power transmitter of claim 15, wherein when the candidate sampling points of time is an odd number, a k-th retrieval sampling point of time will correspond to a (2k)-th candidate sampling point of time, and a (2k−

1)-th candidate sampling point of time will correspond to a [(n/2)+k]-th retrieval sampling point of time.

17. The wireless power transmitter of claim 15, wherein the sampling points of time are selected as points of time at which the carrier frequency signal has a positive peak value.

18. The wireless power transmitter of claim 17, wherein additional sampling points of time are selected as points of time at which the carrier frequency signal has a negative peak value.

19. The wireless power transmitter of claim 18, wherein an amplitude or an envelope of the carrier frequency signal is determined based on a value obtained by dividing a sum of absolute values of the sampling points of time and the additional sampling points of time in half.

20. The wireless power transmitter of claim 14, wherein a sampling controller sets the retrieval sampling points and a sampler performs the sampling based on the retrieval sampling points of time.