METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING A DEVICE IN A WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20120068550A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: van Wageningen, Andries, Loef, Christoph, Waffenschmidt, Eberhard, Treffers, Menno Anne, Boer, Bart Michiel De, Seboodt, Lennart
• Granted Patent: US 10,312,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A method of detecting a receiver (214) by a transmitter and a transmitter for detecting a receiver are provided. The transmitter is intended to transmit power inductively to the receiver (214). The transmitter comprising a first transmission coil as a first electrode (204) and a second electrode (206). The first electrode (204) and the second electrode (206) form a capacitor (202). The method comprises the steps of applying a voltage (216) to any one of the electrodes (204, 206) and detecting a capacitance change of the capacitor (202).

Claims

1. A method (2600) of detecting a receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) by a transmitter (800), wherein the transmitter (800) is intended to transmit power inductively to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521), the transmitter (800) comprising a first transmission coil (218, 704, 810, 1504) as a first electrode (204, 704, 810, 904, 1504) and a second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506), the first electrode (204, 704, 810, 904, 1504) and the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506) forming a capacitor (202, 802), the method (2600) comprising:

applying (2602) a voltage to any one of the electrodes (204, 206, 702, 704, 810, 812, 904, 906, 1504, 1506),

detecting (2604) a capacitance change of the capacitor (202, 802).

2. A method (2600) according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter (800) further comprises a second transmission coil (702, 812), wherein the second transmission coil (702, 812) is the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506).

3. A method (2600) according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506) of the capacitor (202, 802) is positioned in the center of the first transmission coil (218, 704, 810, 1504).

4. A method (2600) according to claim 1, wherein a winding of the first transmission coil (218, 704, 810, 1504) comprises an inner part of the winding and an outer part of the winding, wherein the inner part of the winding is the first electrode (204, 704, 810, 904, 1504) and the outer part of the winding is the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506).

5. A method (2600) according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter (800) comprises a plurality of capacitors formed by a plurality of the first electrode and the second electrode pairs, the method (2600) further comprising:

detecting the capacitance change of each one of the plurality of capacitors,

determining the position of the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) depending on which one of the plurality of capacitors'"'"' capacitance change has been detected.

6. A method (2600) according to claim 1, wherein the detected capacitance change indicates that the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) is in proximity to the transmitter (800), and wherein the method further comprises

activating (2606) the transmitter (800) so that the transmitter (800) starts to communicate with the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) or transmit power to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521).

7. A method (2600) according to claim 5, wherein the detected capacitance change indicates that the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) is in proximity to the transmitter (800), and wherein the method further comprises

activating (2606) the transmitter (800) so that the transmitter (800) starts to communicate with the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) or transmit power to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521).

8. A transmitter (800) for detecting a receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521), the transmitter (800) being intended to transmit power inductively to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521), the transmitter (800) comprising:

a first transmission coil (218, 704, 810, 1504) as a first electrode (204, 704, 810, 904, 1504) and a second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506), the first electrode (204, 704, 810, 904, 1504) and the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506) forming a capacitor (202, 802),

a first unit (216) for applying a voltage to any one of electrodes (204, 206, 702, 704, 810, 812, 904, 906, 1504, 1506),

detection circuitry (212) connected to any one of the electrodes (204, 206, 702, 704, 810, 812, 904, 906, 1504, 1506) of the capacitor (202, 802) for detecting a capacitance change of the capacitor (202, 802).

9. A transmitter (800) according to claim 8, further comprising a second transmission coil (702, 812), wherein the second transmission coil (702, 812) is the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506).

10. A transmitter (800) according to claim 8, wherein the second electrode (206, 702, 812, 906, 1506) is positioned in the center of the first transmission coil (218, 704, 810, 1504).

11. A transmitter (800) according to claim 10, wherein the detected capacitance change indicates that the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) is in proximity to the transmitter (800), and the transmitter (800) comprises a second unit for activating the transmitter so that the transmitter (800) starts to communicate with the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521) or transmit power to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521).

12. A method (2600) of detecting a receiver by a transmitter (800), wherein the transmitter (800) is intended to transmit power inductively to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521), the transmitter (800) comprising a first transmission coil (218, 704, 810, 1504) as an electrode (220), the method comprising:

applying (2602) a voltage to the electrode (220),

detecting (2604) a capacitance change of a capacitor formed by the electrode (220) and a ground (222) or formed by the electrode (220) and the receiver.

13. A transmitter (800) for detecting a receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521), the transmitter (800) being intended to transmit power inductively to the receiver (106, 214, 2311, 2521), the transmitter (800) comprising:

a first transmission coil as a first electrode (220),

a first unit (216) for applying a voltage to the electrode (220),

detection circuitry (212) connected to the electrode (220) for detecting a capacitance change of a capacitor formed by the electrode (220) and a ground (222) or formed by the electrode (220) and the receiver.