WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTER AND WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140347008A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JUNG, Byungsang, CHAE, Beomseok, SEO, Jeongkyo, YOO, Kwangmin, Lee, Junyoung
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/025 using non-contact coupling, e.g. inductive, capacitive

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter including a power supply unit configured to supply an input voltage; a power conversion unit configured to generate wireless power based on a driving signal, generated by the supplied input voltage and a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and transfer the wireless power to a wireless power receiver; and a power transmission control unit configured to receive a voltage value of a battery charged with the wireless power through a wireless network, and generate the first PWM signal based on the voltage value of the battery.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a power supply unit configured to supply an input voltage;

a power conversion unit configured to generate wireless power based on a driving signal, generated by the supplied input voltage and a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and transfer the wireless power to a wireless power receiver; and

a power transmission control unit configured to;

receive a voltage value of a battery charged with the wireless power through a wireless network, and

generate the first PWM signal based on the voltage value of the battery.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the power transmission control unit is further configured to:

generate an input current reference value based on the voltage value of the battery, a reference current value for charging the battery, and the input voltage value,

generate a battery charging current value for compensating for a difference between the input current reference value and an input current value, and

generate the first PWM signal based on the battery charging current value.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the power transmission control unit is further configured to:

calculate the input current reference value by multiplying the voltage value of the battery and the reference current value for charging the battery, and

divide the multiplied value by the input voltage value.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the power transmission control unit comprises:

a wireless reception module configured to receive the voltage value of the battery, charged with the wireless power, in real time through the wireless network;

an input current reference value generator configured to generate the input current reference value based on the voltage value of the battery, the reference current value for charging the battery, and the input voltage value;

a first current controller configured to compare the input current reference value with a currently-measured input current value, and decide the battery charging current value for compensating for a difference according to the comparison result; and

a first PWM signal generator configured to generate the first PWM signal corresponding to the battery charging current value and apply the first PWM signal as the driving signal to the power conversion unit.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 4, wherein the power transmission control unit comprises:

a wireless transmission module configured to transmit the voltage value of the battery to the wireless reception module;

a second current controller configured to compare the reference current value of the battery with a currently-measured current value of the battery, and decide a battery discharging current value for compensating for a difference according to the comparison result; and

a second PWM signal generator configured to generate a second PWM signal corresponding to the battery discharging current value, and apply the second PWM signal to a power conversion unit of the wireless power receiver.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 5, wherein the power transmission control unit is further configured to generate the second PWM signal in a battery discharging mode.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the power conversion unit is implemented as a bidirectional resonant converter.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein the bidirectional resonant converter comprises:

a first resonant converter including a first inverter executing a switching operation according to the first PWM signal, a first resonant circuit forming resonance according to the switching operation, and a transmitting coil transmitting the wireless power generated by the resonance of the first resonant circuit; and

a second resonant converter including a second inverter executing a switching operation according to the second PWM signal, a second resonant circuit forming a resonance according to the switching operation of the second inverter, and a receiving coil receiving the wireless power by the resonance of the second resonant circuit.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second inverters comprises:

first and second switching elements connected in series to each other; and

third and fourth switching elements connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements, and connected in series to each other,

wherein the first resonant circuit and the transmitting coil are connected in series to a point between the first and second switching elements and a point between the third and fourth switching elements,

wherein the first and fourth switching elements are turned on and the second and third switching elements are turned off for a first cycle of the PWM signal,

wherein the first and fourth switching elements are turned on and the second and third switching elements are turned off for a second cycle of the PWM signal,

wherein the first and third switching elements are turned off and the second and fourth switching elements are turned on for a third cycle of the PWM signal,

wherein the first and third switching elements are turned off and the second and fourth switching elements are turned on for a fourth cycle of the PWM signal, and

wherein the first to fourth cycles correspond to a half cycle.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein the second resonant converter is applied to an electric vehicle or an electronic device.

11. A wireless power transfer method comprising:

receiving a voltage value of a battery of a wireless power receiver through a wireless network;

generating a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal based on the voltage value of the battery;

generating wireless power based on a driving signal, generated by an input voltage and the first PWM signal; and

transferring the wireless power to the wireless power receiver.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating of the first PWM signal comprises:

generating an input current reference value based on the voltage value of the battery, a reference current value for charging the battery, and the input voltage value;

generating a battery charging current value for compensating for a difference between the input current reference value and an input current value; and

generating the first PWM signal based on the battery charging current value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating of the first PWM signal is performed in a battery charging mode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating of the input current reference value includes calculating the input current reference value by multiplying the voltage value of the battery and the reference current value for charging the battery, and dividing the multiplied value by the input voltage value.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, via a wireless reception module, the voltage value of the battery, charged with the wireless power, in real time through the wireless network;

generating, via an input current reference value generator, the input current reference value based on the voltage value of the battery, the reference current value for charging the battery, and the input voltage value;

comparing, via a first current controller, the input current reference value with a currently-measured input current value, and deciding the battery charging current value for compensating for a difference according to the comparison result; and

generating, via a first PWM signal generator, the first PWM signal corresponding to the battery charging current value and applying the first PWM signal as the driving signal to the power conversion unit.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting, via a wireless transmission module, the voltage value of the battery to the wireless reception module;

comparing, via a second current controller, the reference current value of the battery with a currently-measured current value of the battery, and deciding a battery discharging current value for compensating for a difference according to the comparison result; and

generating, via a second PWM signal generator, a second PWM signal corresponding to the battery discharging current value, and applying the second PWM signal to a power conversion unit of the wireless power receiver.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating the second PWM signal in a battery discharging mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating the wireless power is performed using a bidirectional resonant converter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the bidirectional resonant converter comprises:

a first resonant converter including a first inverter executing a switching operation according to the first PWM signal, a first resonant circuit forming resonance according to the switching operation, and a transmitting coil transmitting the wireless power generated by the resonance of the first resonant circuit; and

a second resonant converter including a second inverter executing a switching operation according to the second PWM signal, a second resonant circuit forming a resonance according to the switching operation of the second inverter, and a receiving coil receiving the wireless power by the resonance of the second resonant circuit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second inverters comprises:

first and second switching elements connected in series to each other; and

third and fourth switching elements connected in parallel with the first and second switching elements, and connected in series to each other,

wherein the first resonant circuit and the transmitting coil are connected in series to a point between the first and second switching elements and a point between the third and fourth switching elements,

wherein the first and fourth switching elements are turned on and the second and third switching elements are turned off for a first cycle of the PWM signal,

wherein the first and fourth switching elements are turned on and the second and third switching elements are turned off for a second cycle of the PWM signal,

wherein the first and third switching elements are turned off and the second and fourth switching elements are turned on for a third cycle of the PWM signal,

wherein the first and third switching elements are turned off and the second and fourth switching elements are turned on for a fourth cycle of the PWM signal, and

wherein the first to fourth cycles correspond to a half cycle.