WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20140308996A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Byun, Kang-Ho, Kim, Hong-Kweun, Park, Se-Ho, Lee, Kyung-Woo, Lee, Young-Min
• Granted Patent: US 10,432,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a power information transmission period from a mobile terminal to be charged in a wireless charging apparatus. To this end, a wireless charging apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a communication unit for receiving power information from at least one mobile terminal; and a control unit for determining a transmission period of power information for each of the at least one mobile terminal based on the power information and adjusting the transmission period according to whether the power information is received from the at least one mobile terminal. As described above, the waste of resources, which may occur due to unnecessary packet transmission, can be reduced by adaptively adjusting the transmission period, thereby increasing the efficiency of power transmission .

Claims

1. An apparatus for wirelessly charging a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit that receives power information from at least one mobile terminal capable of being charged; and

a control unit that determines a mobile terminal with which communication is to be performed during an allocation period with respect to the at least one mobile terminal, schedules a cycle for receiving power information for the each mobile terminal during the allocation period, and transmits the scheduled information.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scheduled information is provided to the at least one mobile terminal by using a notice frame.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces a transmission cycle of power information of a mobile terminal that has not transmitted the power information.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether there is a mobile terminal having the transmission cycle of the power information which becomes 0 according to the reduction of the transmission cycle of the power information, and deletes the mobile terminal from a communication target list, when it is determined that there is the mobile terminal having the transmission cycle of the power information which becomes 0.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a transmission cycle of the power information of the at least one mobile terminal to a basic cycle in which the power information is capable of being periodically received, when a current change is sensed.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a transmission cycle of the power information of the at least one mobile terminal to a basic cycle in which the power information is capable of being periodically received, when the control unit receives a message notifying of an abnormal state from the at least one mobile terminal.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a transmission cycle of the power information of the at least one mobile terminal to a basic cycle in which the power information is capable of being periodically received, when a power transmission efficiency does not reach a predetermined power transmission efficiency.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes, to a basic cycle, a transmission cycle of the power information of a mobile terminal, of which the transmission cycle of the power information is longer than or equal to the basic cycle with respect to the at least one mobile terminal.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit determines transmission of power to the at least one mobile terminal based on the power information received through the communication unit.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power information comprises at least one of:

information on a voltage and a current induced in an antenna of the at least one mobile terminal;

information on a voltage and a current obtained by rectifying power induced in a coil; and

information on a voltage and a current supplied to a charging unit.

11. A method for wirelessly charging a mobile terminal by an apparatus for wireless charging, the method comprising:

setting a transmission cycle, in which at least one mobile terminal capable of being charged needs to transmit power information to the apparatus for the wireless charging;

determining whether the power information is received from the at least one mobile terminal; and

adjusting the set transmission cycle according to whether the power information is received from the at least one mobile terminal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the set transmission cycle comprises increasing a transmission cycle of the power information of a mobile terminal that has transmitted the power information, and reducing a transmission cycle of the power information of a mobile terminal that has not transmitted the power information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether there is a mobile terminal having the transmission cycle of the power information which becomes 0; and

deleting the mobile terminal from a communication target list, when it is determined that there is the mobile terminal having the transmission cycle of the power information which becomes 0.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising determining transmission of power to the at least one mobile terminal based on the received power information.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the power information comprises at least one of:

information on a voltage and a current induced in an antenna of the at least one mobile terminal;

information on a voltage and a current obtained by rectifying power induced in a coil; and

information on a voltage and a current supplied to a charging unit.