RECEPTION NODE AND TRANSMISSION NODE USING MUTUAL RESONANCE, POWER AND DATA TRANSCEIVING SYSTEM USING MUTUAL RESONANCE, AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140204860A1
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Zo, Kwon, Sang Wook, Kim, Ki Young, Kim, Nam Yun, Kim, Bong Chul, Park, Yun Kwon, Park, Jae Hyun, Song, Keum Su, Ahn, Chi Hyung, Ryu, Young Ho, Yoon, Chang Wook, Lee, Byoung Hee
• Granted Patent: US 9,347,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/30 Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/10 Power supply arrangements, e.g. stand-by circuits
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/30 characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A reception (RX) node using mutual resonance includes a target resonator configured to receive power via mutual resonance with a source resonator; a controller configured to wake up in response to the received power, determine a point in time at which the controller woke up to be a point in time at which synchronization with other RX nodes is performed, and generate a data packet, and a sensor configured to wake up in response to the received power, sense information.

Claims

1. A reception (RX) node using mutual resonance, the RX node comprising:

a target resonator configured to receive power via mutual resonance with a source resonator;

a sensor configured to sense information in response to the received power;

a controller configured to, in response to the received power;

generate a data packet comprising the sensed information; and

transmit the data packet to the source resonator via the target resonator at a timing selected to prevent the RX node from colliding with any other RX node.

2. The RX node of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the data packet to the source resonator via the target resonator after a data transmission waiting time elapses from a time the power is received by the target resonator;

wherein the data transmission waiting time is set for the RX node to prevent the RX node from colliding with the any other RX node.

3. The RX node of claim 1, further comprising a modulator configured to modulate the data packet using a load modulation scheme;

wherein the target resonator is further configured to transmit the modulated data packet to the source resonator via the mutual resonance.

4. The RX node of claim 1, wherein the power received by the target resonator is alternating current (AC) power;

and

the RX node further comprises;

a rectifier configured to;

receive the AC power from the target resonator; and

rectify the AC power to direct current (DC) power; and

a DC-to-DC (DC/DC) converter configured to;

convert a voltage level of the DC power to a rated voltage level of the controller; and

convert the voltage level of the DC power to a rated voltage level of the sensor.

5. The RX node of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to output a sensing request;

the sensor comprises a battery configured to be charged by the received power; and

the sensor is further configured to;

receive the sensing request from the controller;

determine whether an amount of power stored in the battery is equal to or greater than a minimum amount of power the sensor needs to sense the information; and

sense the information in response to the sensing request and a result of the determining being that the amount of power stored in the battery is equal to or greater than the minimum amount of power the sensor needs to sense the information.

6. The RX node of claim 1, wherein the source resonator is mounted in a door of a kimchi refrigerator;

the target resonator, the controller, and the sensor are mounted in a kimchi container of the kimchi refrigerator;

the sensor is further configured to sense an acidity of kimchi in the kimchi container, and an internal temperature of the kimchi container; and

the controller is further configured to determine an aging state of the kimchi based on the acidity.

7. The RX node of claim 1, wherein the source resonator is mounted in a door of a washing machine;

the target resonator, the controller, and the sensor are mounted in a washing container of the washing machine;

the sensor is further configured to sense any one or any combination of a weight of laundry in the washing container, a pressure of water flowing into the washing container, an internal temperature of the washing container, and an internal humidity of the washing container; and

the controller is further configured to determine a washing state of the laundry.

8. A transmission (TX) node using mutual resonance, the TX node comprising:

a source resonator configured to;

transmit power via mutual resonance with a target resonator of an RX node; and

receive a signal from the target resonator, the signal having been generated by the RX node load-modulating a data packet;

a demodulator configured to demodulate the data packet based on a change in a waveform of the signal received by the source resonator; and

a controller configured to display information in the demodulated data packet on a display window.

9. The TX node of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an amount of power to be transmitted by the source resonator based on a power level needed to wake up a controller and a sensor of the RX node.

10. The TX node of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

interrupt transmission of the power from the source resonator in response to completion of receiving of the data packet from the RX node; and

restart transmission of the power from the source resonator in response to a predetermined delay period elapsing after the interruption of the transmission of the power.

11. The TX node of claim 8, further comprising:

a frequency generator configured to generate a signal having a resonant frequency enabling the source resonator and the target resonator to mutually resonate; and

an amplifier configured to amplify the signal having the resonant frequency to a controllable power level;

wherein the controller is further configured to control the amplifier to control the power level of the amplified signal.

12. The TX node of claim 8, wherein the source resonator, the demodulator, and the controller are mounted in a door of a kimchi refrigerator;

the RX node is mounted in a kimchi container of the kimchi refrigerator; and

the controller is further configured to;

acquire an aging state of kimchi in the kimchi container from the demodulated data packet; and

display the acquired aging state on the display window.

13. The TX node of claim 8, wherein the source resonator, the demodulator, and the controller are mounted in a door of a washing machine;

the RX node is mounted in a washing container of the washing machine; and

the controller is further configured to;

acquire washing information of laundry in the washing container from the demodulated data packet; and

display the acquired washing information on the display window.

14. A system for transceiving power and data using mutual resonance, the system comprising:

a transmission (TX) node comprising a source resonator configured to transmit power; and

a plurality of reception (RX) nodes each comprising;

a target configured to receive power from the source resonator via mutual resonance with the source resonator;

a controller configured to;

wake up in response to the received power;

determine a point in time at which the controller wakes up to be a point in time at which synchronization with other RX nodes of the plurality of RX nodes is performed; and

generate a data packet; and

a sensor configured to;

wake up in response to the received power; and

sense information;

wherein the source resonator and the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes are further configured so that the source resonator mutually resonates with the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes at a same resonant frequency.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the TX node is mounted in a door of a kimchi refrigerator;

the plurality of RX nodes are respectively mounted in a plurality of kimchi containers of the kimchi refrigerator;

the sensor of each of the plurality of RX nodes is further configured to sense an acidity of kimchi in a respective one of the plurality of kimchi containers, and an internal temperature of the respective one of the plurality of kimchi containers;

the controller of each of the plurality of RX nodes is further configured to;

determine an aging state of the kimchi in the respective one of the kimchi containers based on the acidity; and

generate the data packet so that the data packet comprises;

identification information of a respective one of the plurality of RX nodes;

the acidity;

the internal temperature;

the aging state;

a time required to transmit the data packet; and

a data packet transmission waiting time set for the respective one of the plurality of RX nodes to prevent the respective one of the plurality of RX nodes from colliding with the other RX node of the plurality of RX nodes;

the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes is further configured to transmit the data packet of the respective one of the plurality of RX nodes to the source resonator of the TX node via the mutual resonance;

the source resonator of the TX node is further configured to receive the data packet from the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes via the mutual resonance;

the TX node is further configured to;

acquire the aging state of the kimchi in each of the plurality of kimchi containers and the internal temperature of each of the plurality of kimchi containers from the data packet of each of the plurality of RX nodes received by the source resonator; and

display on a display window of the kimchi refrigerator the acquired aging state of the kimchi in each of the plurality of kimchi containers and the acquired internal temperature of each of the plurality of kimchi containers.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of RX nodes is further configured to generate a signal by load-modulating the data packet;

the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes is further configured to transmit the signal to the source resonator of the TX node via the mutual resonance;

the source resonator of the TX node is further configured to receive the signal from the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes via the mutual resonance; and

the TX node further comprises;

a demodulator configured to demodulate the data packet of each of the plurality of RX nodes based on a change in a waveform of the signal received by the source resonator from the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes; and

a controller configured to;

acquire information from the demodulated data packet of each of the plurality of RX nodes; and

display the acquired information on a display window.

17. A method of transceiving power and data using mutual resonance, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a source resonator of a transmission (TX) node, power to a target resonator of each of a plurality of reception (RX) nodes via mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator of each of the plurality of RX nodes;

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, receiving, by the target resonator, power from the source resonator, and rectifying the received power;

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, waking up a controller and a sensor of the RX node in response to the received power;

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, sensing, by the sensor, information;

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, generating, by the controller of the RX node, a data packet;

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, modulating, by a modulator of the RX node, the data packet using a load modulation scheme in response to elapsing of a respective data transmission waiting time set for the RX node to prevent the RX node from colliding with other RX nodes of the plurality of RX nodes;

receiving, by the source resonator, the signal from each of the plurality of RX nodes;

demodulating, by a demodulator of the TX node, the modulated data packet of each of the plurality of RX nodes based on a change in a waveform of the signal received by the source resonator from each of the plurality of RX nodes;

displaying, by the controller of the TX node, information in the demodulated data packet of each of the plurality of RX nodes on a display window; and

interrupting, by the controller of the TX node, transmission of the power.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the TX node is mounted in a door of a kimchi refrigerator;

the plurality of RX nodes are respectively mounted in a plurality of kimchi containers of the kimchi refrigerator; and

the method further comprises;

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, sensing, by the sensor, an acidity of kimchi in a respective kimchi container of the plurality of kimchi containers, and an internal temperature of the respective kimchi container; and

in each of the plurality of RX nodes, determining, by the controller of the RX node, an aging state of the kimchi based on the acidity.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating, by the controller of each of the plurality of data packets, the data packet so that the data packet comprises:

identification information of a respective one of the plurality of RX nodes;

the acidity;

the internal temperature;

the aging state;

a time required to transmit the data packet; and

a data packet transmission waiting time set for the RX node to prevent the RX node from colliding with other RX nodes of the plurality of RX nodes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the display window is a display window of the kimchi refrigerator;

and

the displaying comprises;

acquiring, by the controller of the TX node, the aging state of the kimchi in each of the plurality of kimchi containers and the internal temperature of each of the plurality of kimchi containers from the demodulated data packet of each of the plurality of RX nodes; and

displaying, by the controller of the TX node, on the display window of the kimchi refrigerator the acquired aging state of the kimchi in each of the plurality of kimchi containers and the acquired internal temperature of each of the plurality of kimchi containers.