WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION/RECEPTION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110080051A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wit Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jeong Hoon, LEE, Kwang Du, Kim, Eung Ju, Kim, Kyung Uk
• Granted Patent: US 8,633,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wireless power transmission/reception apparatus. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus includes a wireless power transmission unit and a wireless power reception unit. The wireless power transmission unit receives power, generates a wireless power signal to be wirelessly transmitted, wirelessly transmits the generated wireless power signal in a magnetic resonance manner, receives a returned wireless power signal and detects the number of power consumption devices, and wirelessly transmits a wireless power signal using resonance frequency appropriate for the number of power consumption devices.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission/reception apparatus, comprising:

a wireless power transmission unit for receiving power from an outside, generating a wireless power signal to be wirelessly transmitted, wirelessly transmitting the generated wireless power signal in a magnetic resonance manner, receiving a returned wireless power signal and detecting a number of power consumption devices, and wirelessly transmitting a wireless power signal using resonance frequency appropriate for the number of power consumption devices, thereby transmitting the wireless power signals so that to power can be supplied to the power consumption devices; and

a wireless power reception unit installed in each of the power consumption devices, and configured to receive the wireless power signal from the wireless power transmission unit in a magnetic resonance manner, provide the wireless power signal to at least one connected power consumption device, and return a remaining wireless power signal, not consumed by at least one unconnected power consumption device, to the wireless power transmission unit.

2. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmission unit comprises:

a power signal generator for receiving the power from the outside, and generating and outputting the wireless power signal, that is, power to be wirelessly transmitted;

a first resonance antenna comprised of an inductor and a capacitor, and configured to transmit the wireless power signal in a magnetic resonance manner using resonance frequency depending on the inductor and the capacitor, and receive and output the returned wireless power signal output from the wireless power reception unit;

a directional power coupler having directionality so that the wireless power signal input from the power signal generator through a first port thereof is output to the first resonance antenna through a second port thereof and the returned wireless power signal input from the first resonance antenna through the second port is output through a third port thereof;

a power detector for detecting and outputting power of the returned wireless power signal output through the third port of the directional power coupler; and

a controller for detecting the number of power consumption devices based on intensity of the power of the returned wireless power signal detected by the power detector, and controlling the first resonance antenna so that the wireless power signal is transmitted using resonance frequency and power intensity appropriate for the detected number of power consumption devices.

3. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising an impedance matcher disposed between the power signal generator and the first resonance antenna and configured to provide impedance matching between the power signal generator and the first resonance antenna.

4. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the controller searches for a minimum inflection point of the returned wireless power signal received by the power detector while varying impedance of the impedance matcher, and sets the impedance of the impedance matcher to impedance corresponding to the found minimum inflection point.

5. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the controller searches for a minimum inflection point of the returned wireless power signal received by the power detector while adjusting resonance frequency of the first resonance antenna and sets the resonance frequency of the first resonance antenna to a resonance frequency corresponding to the found minimum inflection point.

6. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the power signal generator comprises:

an oscillator for receiving external power and generating a desired wireless power signal to be transmitted; and

a power amplifier for amplifying and outputting the wireless power signal generated by the oscillator.

7. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless power reception unit comprises:

a second resonance antenna comprised of an inductor and a capacitor, and configured to receive the wireless power signal from the wireless power transmission unit using resonance frequency depending on the inductor and the capacitor in a magnetic resonance manner and return the remaining wireless power signal to the wireless power transmission unit;

a power signal converter connected to each of a plurality of power consumption devices, configured to convert the wireless power signal received through the second resonance antenna into a power signal appropriate for a power supply method and supply the resulting power signal to the power consumption device;

a power detector for detecting and outputting power intensity of the wireless power signal received through the second resonance antenna; and

a controller for performing control so that the wireless power signal is received using the second resonance antenna and power is supplied to the power consumption device and so that the remaining wireless power signal is returned to the wireless power transmission unit.

8. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the controller of the wireless power reception unit searches for a maximum inflection point of the power intensity detected by the power detector while tuning the resonance frequency of the first resonance antenna and sets the resonance frequency of the second resonance antenna to a resonance frequency corresponding to the found maximum inflection point.

9. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the wireless power reception unit further comprises an impedance matcher between the second resonance antenna and the power signal converter; and

the controller searches for a maximum inflection point of the power intensity detected by the power detector while adjusting impedance of the impedance matcher and sets the impedance of the impedance matcher to an impedance corresponding to the found maximum inflection point.

10. The wireless power transmission/reception apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the wireless power reception unit further comprises a switch disposed between the second resonance antenna and the power signal converter and configured to block transmission of the power received by the second resonance antenna; and

the controller, when connection of the power consumption device is released, controls the switch so that transmission of the power received by the second resonance antenna is blocked.

11. A wireless power transmission unit, comprising:

a power signal generator for receiving power from an outside, and generating and outputting a wireless power signal, that is, power to be wirelessly transmitted;

a first resonance antenna comprised of an inductor and a capacitor, and configured to transmit the wireless power signal in a magnetic resonance manner using resonance frequency depending on the inductor and the capacitor, and receive and output a returned wireless power signal returned from a wireless power reception unit;

a directional power coupler having directionality so that the wireless power signal input from the power signal generator through a first port thereof is output to the first resonance antenna through a second port thereof and the returned wireless power signal input from the first resonance antenna through the second port is output through a third port thereof;

a power detector for detecting and outputting power of the returned wireless power signal output through the third port of the directional power coupler; and

a controller for detecting a number of power consumption devices based on intensity of the power of the returned wireless power signal detected by the power detector, and performing control so that the wireless power signal is transmitted using resonance frequency and power intensity appropriate for the detected number of power consumption devices.

12. The wireless power transmission unit as set forth in claim 11, further comprising an impedance matcher disposed between the power signal generator and the first resonance antenna and configured to provide impedance matching between the power signal generator and the first resonance antenna.

13. The wireless power transmission unit as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a battery charger for performing charging using the power of the returned wireless power signal detected by the power detector.

14. The wireless power transmission unit as set forth in claim 11, wherein the directional power coupler is a circulator.

15. The wireless power transmission unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the controller searches for a minimum inflection point of the returned wireless power signal received by the power detector while varying impedance of the impedance matcher, and sets the impedance of the impedance matcher to an impedance corresponding to the found minimum inflection point.

16. The wireless power transmission unit as set forth in claim 11, wherein the controller searches for a minimum inflection point of the returned wireless power signal received by the power detector while adjusting resonance frequency of the first resonance antenna and sets the resonance frequency of the first resonance antenna to a resonance frequency corresponding to the found minimum inflection point.

17. A wireless power reception unit, comprising:

a second resonance antenna installed in a power consumption device, comprised of an inductor and a capacitor, and configured to receive a wireless power signal from a wireless power transmission unit using resonance frequency depending on the inductor and the capacitor in a magnetic resonance manner and return a remaining wireless power signal to the wireless power transmission unit;

a power signal converter for converting the wireless power signal received through the second resonance antenna into a power signal appropriate for a power supply method and supplying the resulting power signal to the power consumption device;

a power detector for detecting and outputting power intensity of the wireless power signal received through the second resonance antenna; and

a controller for performing control so that the wireless power signal is received through the second resonance antenna and power is supplied to the power consumption device and so that the remaining wireless power signal is returned to the wireless power transmission unit.

18. The wireless power reception unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the power signal converter comprises:

an Alternating Current (AC) converter for converting the received wireless power signal into an AC signal; and

an AC-Direct Current (DC) converter for converting the received wireless power signal into a DC signal.

19. The wireless power reception unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the controller searches for a maximum inflection point of power intensity detected by the power detector while adjusting the resonance frequency of the second resonance antenna and sets the resonance frequency of the second resonance antenna to resonance frequency corresponding to the found maximum inflection point.

20. The wireless power reception unit as set forth in claim 17, further comprises an impedance matcher between the second resonance antenna and the power signal converter;

and

the controller searches for a maximum inflection point of the power intensity detected by the power detector while adjusting impedance of the impedance matcher and sets the impedance of the impedance matcher to impedance corresponding to the found maximum inflection point.

21. The wireless power reception unit as set forth in claim 17, further comprises a switch disposed between the second resonance antenna and the power signal converter and configured to block transmission of the power received by the second resonance antenna;

and

the controller, when connection of the power consumption device is released, controls the switch so that transmission of the power received by the second resonance antenna is blocked.

22. A wireless power transmission/reception method, comprising:

a wireless power transmission unit transmitting a wireless power signal to a wireless power reception unit in a magnetic resonance manner, being returned a remaining wireless power signal of the wireless power signal to be provided to a power consumption device in which the wireless power reception unit has been installed, and determining whether at least one power consumption device has been connected; and

the wireless power transmission unit, if at least one power consumption device is determined to have been connected, searching for a resonance frequency at which maximum power transmission is performed, detecting a number of power consumption devices using the found resonance frequency, and transmitting a wireless power signal at a power intensity appropriate for the detected number of power consumption devices.

23. The wireless power transmission/reception method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the wireless power transmission unit transmitting a wireless power signal, being returned a remaining wireless power signal and determining whether at least one power consumption device has been connected comprises:

the wireless power transmission unit transmitting the wireless power signal to the wireless power reception unit in a magnetic resonance manner;

a power consumption device in which the wireless power reception unit has been installed receiving the transmitted wireless power signal, and returning the remaining wireless power signal; and

the wireless power transmission unit receiving the returned wireless power signal, detecting a power intensity, and determining whether a power consumption device has been connected.

24. The wireless power transmission/reception method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the wireless power transmission unit searching for a resonance frequency, detecting a number of power consumption devices and transmitting a wireless power signal comprises:

the wireless power transmission unit, if a power consumption device is determined to have been connected, searching for a minimum inflection point of the returned wireless power signal while varying resonance frequency; and

the wireless power transmission unit determining resonance frequency corresponding to the found minimum inflection point to be resonance frequency at which maximum power transmission is performed, detecting a number of power consumption devices using the resulting resonance frequency, and transmitting a wireless power signal at a power intensity appropriate for the detected number of power consumption devices.

25. A wireless power transmission method, comprising:

a wireless power transmission unit transmitting a wireless power signal to a wireless power reception unit in a magnetic resonance manner;

the wireless power transmission unit receiving a returned wireless power signal from a wireless power reception unit, detecting a power intensity, and determining whether at least one power consumption device has been connected; and

the wireless power transmission unit, if at least one power consumption device is determined to have been connected, searching for a resonance frequency at which maximum power transmission is performed, detecting a number of power consumption devices using the found resonance frequency, and transmitting a wireless power signal at a power intensity appropriate for the detected number of power consumption devices.

26. The wireless power transmission method as set forth in claim 25, wherein the wireless power transmission unit searching for a resonance frequency, detecting a number of power consumption devices and transmitting a wireless power signal comprises:

the wireless power transmission unit, if at least one power consumption device is determined to have been connected, searching for a minimum inflection point of a returned wireless power signal while varying resonance frequency; and

the wireless power transmission unit determining a resonance frequency corresponding to the found minimum inflection point to be a resonance frequency at which maximum power transmission is performed, detecting the number of power consumption devices using the determined resonance frequency, and transmitting a wireless power signal at a power intensity appropriate for the detected number of power consumption devices.

27. A wireless power reception method, comprising:

when a wireless power reception unit receives a wireless power signal from a wireless power transmission unit, a power consumption device in which the wireless power reception unit has been installed receiving the transmitted wireless power signal and returning a remaining wireless power signal; and

when connection of power consumption device in which the wireless power reception unit has been installed is released, stopping receiving a wireless power signal from the wireless power transmission unit.