POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL DEVICE, POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND LOAD STATE DETECTION CIRCUIT

• US 20100176659A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TOKUNAGA, Masakazu, AOYAMA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,395,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0081 with antenna coils loop aerials H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• 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

There is provided a power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device included in a contactless power transmission system in which power is transmitted from the power transmission device to a power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling an elementary coil and a secondary coil and the power is supplied to a load of the power receiving device. The power transmission control device includes a load state detection circuit that detects a load state of the power receiving device on the basis of a first signal from a first end of a resonance capacitor forming a resonant circuit with the elementary coil and a second signal from a second end of the resonance capacitor.

Claims

1. A power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device included in a contactless power transmission system in which power is transmitted from the power transmission device to a power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling an elementary coil and a secondary coil and the power is supplied to a load of the power receiving device, the power transmission control device comprising

a load state detection circuit that detects a load state of the power receiving device on the basis of a differential signal between a first signal from a first end of a resonance capacitor forming a resonant circuit with the elementary coil and a second signal from a second end of the resonance capacitor.

2. The power transmission control device according to claim 1, wherein

the load state detection circuit includes:

a differential amplifier that outputs an amplifier output signal corresponding to the differential signal; and

a phase difference detection circuit that detects a phase difference between the amplifier output signal from the differential amplifier and a reference clock signal and outputs a phase difference signal.

3. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the load state detection circuit includes a phase difference measurement circuit that measures the phase difference on the basis of the phase difference signal from the phase difference detection circuit.

4. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the differential amplifier outputs the amplifier output signal having a reference voltage at the center of an amplitude thereof.

5. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the differential amplifier outputs a signal obtained by attenuating the differential signal, as the amplifier output signal.

6. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the differential amplifier includes:

an operation amplifier having first and second input terminals, the first input terminal receiving a first input signal corresponding to the first signal, the second input terminal receiving a second input signal corresponding to the second signal;

a first output resistance provided between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the operation amplifier; and

a second output resistance provided between the second input terminal and a node for supplying a reference voltage.

7. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the phase difference detection circuit includes:

a comparator that compares the amplifier output signal with a comparison voltage; and

a phase difference output circuit that outputs the phase difference signal on the basis of a comparator output signal from the comparator and the reference clock signal.

8. The power transmission control device according to claim 7, wherein

an identical voltage is set for the reference voltage and the comparison voltage.

9. The power transmission control device according to claim 7, wherein

different voltages are set for the reference voltage and the comparison voltage.

10. The power transmission control device according to claim 9, wherein

different voltages are set for the reference voltage and the comparison voltage by giving a hysteresis characteristic to the comparator.

11. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the load state detection circuit includes a phase shift circuit that outputs a signal obtained by delaying a phase of a drive clock signal of the elementary coil, as the reference clock signal in order to compensate for a delay of the amplifier output signal.

12. The power transmission control device according to claim 2, wherein

the load state detection circuit includes a low-pass filter provided between the differential amplifier and the phase difference detection circuit.

13. The power transmission control device according to claim 1, further comprising

a controller that determines the load state of the power receiving device on the basis of detection information from the load state detection circuit.

14. The power transmission control device according to claim 1, wherein

one end of the resonance capacitor is connected to an output node of a power transmission driver, the power transmission driver driving the elementary coil, and the other end thereof is connected to a coil end node of the elementary coil.

15. A power transmission device comprising:

the power transmission control device according to claim 1; and

a power transmission section that produces an alternating-current voltage and supplies the alternating-current voltage to the elementary coil.

16. The power transmission device according to claim 15, further comprising

a waveform monitor circuit provided between first and second ends of the resonance capacitor and first and second input terminals of the load state detection circuit.

17. The power transmission device according to claim 16, wherein the waveform monitor circuit includes:

a first AC-coupling capacitor provided between the first end of the resonance capacitor and the first input terminal of the load state detection circuit; and

a second AC-coupling capacitor between the second end of the resonance capacitor and the second input terminal of the load state detection circuit.

18. The power transmission device according to claim 17, wherein the waveform monitor circuit includes:

a first input resistance provided between the first AC-coupling capacitor and the first input terminal of the load state detection circuit; and

a second input resistance provided between the second AC-coupling capacitor and the second input terminal of the load state detection circuit.

19. An electronic apparatus comprising

the power transmission device according to claim 15.

20. A load state detection circuit provided in a power transmission device included in a contactless power transmission system in which power is transmitted from the power transmission device to a power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling an elementary coil and a secondary coil and the power is supplied to a load of the power receiving device, the load state detection circuit detecting a load state of the power receiving device, the load state detection circuit comprising:

a differential amplifier that outputs an amplifier output signal corresponding to a differential signal between a first signal from a first end of a resonance capacitor forming a resonant circuit with the elementary coil and a second signal from a second end of the resonance capacitor; and

a phase difference detection circuit that detects a phase difference between the amplifier output signal from the differential amplifier and a reference clock signal and outputs a phase difference signal.