Resonator and resonating method

• US 10,714,982 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Seungchul, Kim, Jongpal, Lee, Wonseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Richard
• Application Number:
  US16/656,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20200052529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 331 34
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1265 switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1268 switched inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 1/02 of RC networks, e.g. integrated networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 19/008 with variable switch closing time
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2210/01 Tuned parameter of filter characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2210/043 by measuring time constant
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/325 Adjustable networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A resonator and resonator method are provided. The resonator includes an inductor, a capacitor, and a switch configured to maintain energy in at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for a select period of time and to enable variability of energy in the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for another period of time, to set a resonating frequency of the inductor and the capacitor.

Claims

1. A resonator comprising:

an inductor;

a capacitor;

a switch configured to maintain energy in at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for a select period of time and to enable variability of energy in the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for another period of time, to set a resonating frequency of the inductor and the capacitor; and

a controller configured

to sense values of energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor with respect to a changing of operating time extents of the switch from at least a first operating time extent to a second operating time extent, and

to control the switch to set the resonating frequency with the select period of time being an operating time extent, among the changed operating time extents of the switch based on the sensed values.

2. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the select period of time is selected from among varying periods of time, which the switch is configured to maintain energy in the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor, that variably implement respective resonating frequencies of the inductor and the capacitor.

3. The resonator of claim 2, wherein the switch selectively operates according to the select period of time and the other period of time based upon a control signal from the controller, such that the control signal from the controller implementing the select period of time represents that the select period of time, selected from among the varying periods of time, has been determined by the controller to be a period of time that maximizes a resonance matching of an LC circuit, which includes the inductor and the capacitor, of the resonator and another LC circuit of an exterior resonator that is implementing a wireless power transfer operation between the other LC circuit and the LC circuit of the resonator.

4. The resonator of claim 3, wherein the resonator is a mobile electronic device and further comprises the controller, and wherein the switch is a backscattering switch of the LC circuit of the resonator.

5. The resonator of claim 2, wherein the capacitor has a fixed capacitance and the inductor has a fixed inductance, and the capacitor and inductor are configured to generate plural resonating frequencies depending on which of the varying periods of time is the select period of time.

6. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the switch operates for a first period of time to perform a calibrating maintenance of energy in the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor and a second period of time to not perform the calibrating maintenance of the energy in a second period of time, in response to a control signal provided by the controller that generates the control signal to calibrate the set resonating frequency.

7. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the switch is connected in parallel with the inductor.

8. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the switch is connected in series with the capacitor.

9. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the inductor and the capacitor are connected in parallel.

10. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the inductor and the capacitor are connected in series.

11. The resonator of claim 1,

wherein the switch is a first switch connected in parallel with the inductor and configured to maintain an energy in the inductor for a first select period of time, and

wherein the resonator further comprises a second switch connected in series with the capacitor and configured to maintain an energy in the capacitor for a second select period of time.

12. The resonator of claim 11, wherein the first select period of time is synchronous with the second select period of time, and during the first switch being controlled open the second switch is closed and during the first switch being controlled closed the second switch is open.

13. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the capacitor is a parasitic capacitor of the inductor.

14. The resonator of claim 13, wherein an LC circuit, which includes the inductor, of the resonator that generates the set resonance frequency generates the set resonance frequency without an additional capacitor.

15. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to sense values representing the energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor while changing operating time extents of the switch from a first operating time extent to a second operating time extent, and configured to control operation of the switch, to set the resonating frequency, based on a determined operating time extent for the switch that corresponds to a maximum value among the sensed values.

16. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to sense values representing the energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor while incrementally changing operating time extents of the switch up to a predetermined number of times, and configured to control operation of the switch, to set the resonating frequency, based on a determined operating time extent for the switch that corresponds to a maximum value among the sensed values.

17. The resonator of claim 1, wherein the energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor comprises at least one of a value for a sensed current of the inductor and a value of a sensed voltage for the capacitor.

18. A resonator method, the method comprising:

controlling operation of a resonator, to set a resonating frequency of an inductor and a capacitor of the resonator, between at least a maintaining of energy in at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for a select period of time and an enabling of variability of energy in the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for another period of time;

sensing values of energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor with respect to a changing of operating time extents of a switch from at least a first operating time extent to a second operating time extent; and

controlling the switch to set the resonating frequency with the select period of time as an operating time extent, among the changed operating time extents of the switch.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator between the maintaining of energy and enabling of variability of energy includes respectively implementing the maintaining of energy and the enabling of variability of energy through alternate operations of the switch.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator to set the resonating frequency is based on the switch being connected in parallel with the inductor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator to set the resonating frequency is based on the switch being connected in series with the capacitor.

22. The method of claim 18,

wherein the controlling the switch comprises controlling the switch, to set the resonating frequency, based on a determined operating time extent, of the changed operating time extents, that corresponds to a maximum value among the sensed values.

23. The method of claim 18,

wherein the sensing comprises sensing values representing the energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor while incrementally changing operating time extents of the switch up to a predetermined number of times, and

wherein the controlling comprises controlling the switch, to set the resonating frequency, based on a determined operating time extent, of the changed operating time extents, that corresponds to a maximum value among the sensed values.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein with the sensed energy characteristics of the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor comprises at least one of a value of a sensed current for the inductor and a value of a sensed voltage for the capacitor.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator to set the resonating frequency is based on the inductor and the capacitor being connected in parallel.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator to set the resonating frequency is based on the inductor and the capacitor being connected in series.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator to set the resonating frequency includes controlling a first switch connected in parallel with the inductor and to maintain an energy in the inductor for a first select period of time, and controlling a second switch connected in series with the capacitor and to maintain an energy in the capacitor for a second select period of time.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling of the operation of the resonator to set the resonating frequency is based on the capacitor being a parasitic capacitor of the inductor.

29. A non-transitory processor readable medium comprising processor readable code to control one or more processing devices to implement the method of claim 18.

30. A resonator comprising:

an LC circuit having a fixed inductance and capacitance; and

a resonating frequency controlling circuit configured to selectively maintain energy without change in a portion of the LC circuit for various select periods of time to set respective resonating frequencies of the LC circuit,

wherein the resonating frequency controlling circuit is configured to control a switch to set a resonating frequency based on sensed values of energy characteristics of at least one of the inductance and the capacitance for different operating time extents of the switch, where the controlling of the switch includes controlling the switch to set the resonating frequency with one of the various select periods of time being an operating time extent, among the different operating time extents of the switch.

31. The resonator of claim 30, wherein the LC circuit includes an inductor with the fixed inductance and a capacitor with the fixed capacitance.

32. The resonator of claim 30, wherein the LC circuit includes an inductor with the fixed inductance and the fixed capacitance.

33. The resonator of claim 30, wherein the resonating frequency controlling circuit includes a controller configured to determine a calibrated period of time, from the various select periods of time, to set a calibrated frequency of the LC circuit with a maximum energy level in the LC circuit compared to energy levels that would be provided by remaining select periods of time of the various select periods of time.