WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, FURNITURE HAVING WIRELESS CHARGING FUNCTION USED THEREIN, AND WIRELESS POWER TRANSMSSION APPARATUS USED THEREIN

• US 20140285140A1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Hybrid Technologies, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Hanrim Postech Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: JUNG, Chun-Kil
• Granted Patent: US 9,722,449 B2
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a furniture having a wireless charging function, including: one or more transmission coil units disposed on the same plane of a flat plate of the furniture; and a central transmission controlling unit configured to select at least one transmission coil unit corresponding to a wireless power reception apparatus when the wireless power reception apparatus is placed on the flat plate, and to transmit a wireless power signal through the selected transmission coil unit, the central transmission controlling unit being installed separately from the plurality of transmission coil units.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a wireless power transmission apparatus; and

a wireless power reception apparatus,

wherein the wireless power transmission apparatus comprises;

a plurality of transmission coil units; and

a central transmission controlling unit, and

wherein the wireless power reception apparatus comprises;

a reception coil;

a rectifier; and

a battery cell module, and

wherein the central transmission controlling unit selects a transmission coil unit from the plurality of transmission coil units when the wireless power reception apparatus is positioned on the selected transmission coil unit, and transmits a wireless power signal through the selected transmission coil unit, and

wherein the central transmission controlling unit is installed separately from the plurality of transmission coil units,

wherein the reception coil receives the wireless power signal generated from the selected transmission coil unit, and

wherein the rectifier rectifies an alternating current (AC) power generated by the reception coil, and charges the battery cell module with the rectified power.

2. The wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the central transmission controlling unit selects at least two transmission coil units when a plurality of wireless power reception apparatuses are positioned on the selected transmission coil units, and transmits the wireless power signals through the selected transmission coil units, respectively.

3. The wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the central transmission controlling unit comprises:

an object sensor unit;

a switching controller;

a driving driver;

a resonant converter; and

a transmission controller,

wherein the object sensor unit senses a variation in one of a current and a voltage in the plurality of transmission coil units to generate an object sensing signal,

wherein the switching controller turns on and off a supplying of a power to each of the plurality of transmission coil units, and

wherein the transmission controller selects the selected transmission coil unit based on the object sensing signal from the object sensor unit, controls the switching controller to control a switching unit to transfer a driving signal to the selected transmission coil unit, and controls the driving driver and the resonant converter to transmit an ID request signal to the selected transmission coil unit when it receives the object sensing signal and to transmit a wireless power transmission signal when it receives an ID signal from the wireless power reception apparatus according to the ID request signal.

4. A furniture having a wireless charging capability, the furniture comprising:

a plurality of transmission coil units disposed on the same plane of a flat plate of the furniture; and

a central transmission controlling unit,

wherein the central transmission controlling unit selects at least one of the plurality of transmission coil units when the wireless power reception apparatus is placed on the flat plate upon the at least one selected transmission coil unit, and transmits a wireless power signal through the at least one selected transmission coil unit, and

wherein the central transmission controlling unit is installed separately from the plurality of transmission coil units.

5. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 4,

wherein the plurality of transmission coil units are installed in parallel with each other on the upper surface of the flat plate, and

wherein the central transmission controlling unit is installed on a lower surface of the center of the flat plate, and comprises:

an object sensor unit;

a switching controller; and

a transmission controller,

wherein the object sensor unit senses a variation in one of a current and a voltage in the plurality of transmission coil units to generate an object sensing signal,

wherein the switching controller turns on and off supplying of a power to the transmission coil unit, and

wherein the transmission controller selects a transmission coil unit where the wireless power reception apparatus is positioned, based on the object sensing signal from the object sensor unit, and controls the switching controller to control a switching unit to transfer a driving signal to the selected transmission coil unit.

6. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 5,

wherein the central transmission controlling unit further comprises a driving driver and a resonant converter, and

wherein the transmission controller controls the driving driver and the resonant converter to transmit an ID request signal to the selected transmission coil unit when it receives the object sensing signal from the object sensor unit, and to transmit a wireless power transmission signal when it receives an ID signal from the wireless power reception apparatus according to the ID request signal.

7. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 4, wherein the plurality of transmission coil units are disposed so as to be non-overlapped with each other.

8. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 4, wherein the transmission coil unit comprises:

a transmission coil; and

a shielding core part comprising an accommodating part where the transmission coil is partially accommodated and seated.

9. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 4, further comprising a cable connecting the plurality of transmission coil units to the central transmission controlling unit in a wired scheme.

10. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 4, further comprising a coating part covering the plurality of transmission coil units.

11. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 10, wherein the coating part comprises a light emitting part emitting a light using the wireless power signal generated from the transmission coil unit.

12. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 11, wherein the coating part further comprises:

an induction coil;

a coating controller;

a light guide plate;

a pattern forming plate disposed on the light guide plate and having a pattern formed thereon; and

a transparent protective film layer adhered onto the pattern forming plate,

wherein the induction coil receives the wireless power signal, and transfers a power to the light emitting part,

wherein the coating controller rectifies the power generated from the induction coil, and controls an operation of the light emitting part, and

wherein the light guide plate transfers the light generated from the light emitting part.

13. The furniture having a wireless charging function of claim 12, wherein the coating controller receives a charging state information transmitted from the wireless power reception apparatus through the induction coil, and controls an operation of the light emitting part based on the charging state information.

14. A wireless power transmission apparatus comprising:

a plurality of transmission coil units; and

a central transmission controlling unit,

wherein the central transmission controlling unit selects a transmission coil unit from the plurality of transmission coil units when a wireless power reception apparatus is positioned on the selected transmission coil unit, and transmits a wireless power signal through the selected transmission coil unit, and

wherein the central transmission controlling unit is installed separately from the plurality of transmission coil units.

15. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 14, wherein the central transmission controlling unit comprises:

an object sensor unit;

a switching controller; and

a transmission controller,

wherein the object sensor unit senses a variation in one of a current and a voltage in the plurality of transmission coil units to generate an object sensing signal,

wherein the switching controller turns on and off supplying of a power to the transmission coil unit, and

wherein the transmission controller selects the selected transmission coil unit based on the object sensing signal from the object sensor unit, and controls the switching controller to control a switching unit to transfer a driving signal to the selected transmission coil unit.

16. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 15,

wherein the central transmission controlling unit further comprises a driving driver and a resonant converter, and

wherein the transmission controller controls the driving driver and the resonant converter to transmit an ID request signal to the selected transmission coil unit when it receives the object sensing signal from the object sensor unit, and to transmit a wireless power transmission signal when it receives an ID signal from the wireless power reception apparatus according to the ID request signal.