WIRELESS CHARGING DEVICE, TERMINAL, AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS CHARGING

• US 20130221913A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: KIM, Jae-Ki
• Application Number:
  US13/776,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for operating a wireless charging device includes detecting a chargeable terminal, detecting a valid block coil according to information transmitted from the chargeable terminal, switching on the valid block coil, and controlling a current supply to the valid block coil. A terminal includes a receiving coil configured to induce a current in response to receipt of wireless power, an induced voltage detection unit to measure an induced voltage generated by the induced current, and to generate induced voltage information, and a communication unit to transmit the induced voltage information to a wireless charging device.

Claims

1. A wireless charging device, comprising:

a first block coil to transfer wireless power;

a first power source to provide the first block coil with a current for generating a first wireless power;

a first switch to connect the first power source with the first block coil; and

a controller to determine whether the first block coil is a valid block coil for a first chargeable terminal, and to control the first switch to connect the first power source with the first block coil if the first block coil is determined as a valid block coil for the first chargeable terminal.

2. The wireless charging device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit to receive information indicating whether the first block coil is a valid block coil from the first chargeable terminal.

3. The wireless charging device of claim 2, wherein the information indicating whether the first block coil is a valid block coil comprises induced voltage information.

4. The wireless charging device of claim 3, wherein the first block coil is determined as a valid block coil if an induced voltage value corresponding to the first block coil is greater than a reference voltage.

5. The wireless charging device of claim 2, wherein the induced voltage information comprises an induced voltage value associated with a block coil, and the controller comprises a valid block coil determining unit comprising:

a register to store a first induced voltage value associated with the first block coil, and to store a second induced voltage value associated with a second block coil of the wireless charging device;

a calculator to calculate a difference between the first induced voltage value and the second induced voltage value, the first and second induced voltage values being retrieved from the register; and

a comparator to compare the difference between the first induced voltage value and the second induced voltage value with a reference voltage.

6. The wireless charging device of claim 5, wherein the valid block coil determining unit determines the second block coil as a valid block coil if the difference between the first induced voltage value and the second induced voltage value is greater than the reference voltage.

7. The wireless charging device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second block coil to transfer wireless power; and

a second switch to connect the first power source with the second block coil,

wherein the first power source provides the second block coil with a current for generating a second wireless power, and

the controller determines whether the second block coil is a valid block coil for the first chargeable terminal, and controls the second switch to connect the first power source with the second block coil if the second block coil is determined as a valid block coil for the first chargeable terminal.

8. The wireless charging device of claim 7, wherein the first block coil and the second block coil are configured to be connected in a series connection when the first switch and the second switch are switched on.

9. The wireless charging device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second power source to provide the first block coil with a current for generating a third wireless power.

10. The wireless charging device of claim 9, further comprising:

a third switch to connect the second power source with the first block coil; and

a fourth switch to connect the second power source with the second block coil,

wherein the controller determines whether the first and second block coils are valid block coils for a second chargeable terminal, controls the third switch to connect the second power source with the first block coil if the first block coil is determined as a valid block coil for the second chargeable terminal, and controls the fourth switch to connect the second power source with the second block coil if the second block coil is determined as a valid block coil for the second chargeable terminal.

11. The wireless charging device of claim 10, wherein the controller determines the first block coil as a valid block coil for the first chargeable terminal if wireless power transfer from the first block coil to a receiving coil of the first chargeable terminal is confirmed, and determines the first block coil as a valid block coil for the second chargeable terminal if wireless power transfer from the first block coil to a receiving coil of the second chargeable terminal is confirmed.

12. The wireless charging device of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one switch to switch a connection of the first block coil to the first power source or to the second power source.

13. The wireless charging device of claim 1, further comprising:

a location fixer to fix a location of the first chargeable terminal.

14. A method for operating a wireless charging device, comprising:

detecting a chargeable terminal;

detecting a valid block coil according to information transmitted from the chargeable terminal;

switching on the valid block coil; and

controlling a current supply to the valid block coil.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting of the valid block coil comprises:

driving block coils of a primary coil;

receiving induced voltage information from the chargeable terminal; and

detecting the valid block coil according to the induced voltage information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the block coils of the primary coil are driven sequentially.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether an induced voltage value corresponding to a block coil of the primary block coil is greater than a reference voltage based on the induced voltage value retrieved from the induced voltage information; and

detecting the block coil as a valid block coil if the induced voltage value corresponding to the block coil is greater than the reference voltage.

18. A terminal, comprising:

a receiving coil configured to induce a current in response to receipt of wireless power;

an induced voltage detection unit to measure an induced voltage value generated by the induced current, and to generate induced voltage information; and

a communication unit to transmit the induced voltage information to a wireless charging device.

19. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the induced voltage detection unit comprises:

a register to store induced voltage values measured in association with block coils of the wireless charging device;

a calculator to calculate a difference between a first induced voltage value and a second induced voltage value, the first and second induced voltage values being retrieved from the register; and

a comparator to compare the difference between the first induced voltage value and the second induced voltage value with a reference voltage.

20. The terminal of claim 19, wherein the induced voltage detection unit comprises a counter to count a count value associated with an index of a block coil of the wireless charging device.

21. The terminal of claim 18, further comprising:

a safety circuit to terminate a charging operation if the induced current or temperature of the terminal is greater than a safety value.

22. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the induced voltage detection unit detects a valid block coil of a wireless charging device based on the induced voltage information, and

the communication unit transmits information on the valid block coil to the wireless charging device.

23. A wireless charging device, comprising:

one or more block coils;

a power source to supply a current to a valid block coil for a chargeable terminal, the valid block coil being selected from among the one or more block coils; and

a controller to detect the valid block coil for the chargeable terminal based on an induced voltage value, and to control a current flow into the valid block coil.