METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMPEDANCE MATCHING WITH RESPECT TO MULTIPLE TARGETS IN WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, AND WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ADOPTING THE METHOD

• US 20150022017A1
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam Yun, Kwon, Sang Wook, Kwon, Hyuk Choon, Kim, Ki Young, Shim, Dal Hoi, Ahn, Chi Hyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,882,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• 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

Abstract

A method of operating a wireless power transmission apparatus includes receiving information on rectifier output voltages from at least one wireless power reception apparatus; determining whether the rectifier output voltages are within a predetermined operating range, and controlling an impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus based on a result of the determining.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless power transmission apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving information on rectifier output voltages from at least one wireless power reception apparatus;

determining whether the rectifier output voltages are within a predetermined operating range based on the information on the rectifier output voltages; and

controlling an impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus based on a result of the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the information on the rectifier output voltages into an impedance matching control circuit of the wireless power transmission apparatus;

and

the controlling comprises operating the impedance matching control circuit to control the impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus based on the result of the determining.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising inputting the information on the rectifier output voltages input into a driving voltage unit of the wireless power transmission apparatus;

and

the controlling further comprises operating the driving voltage unit to control the impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus by adjusting a driving voltage to be applied to the wireless power transmission apparatus based on the result of the determining.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the information on the rectifier output voltages into a driving voltage unit of the wireless power transmission apparatus;

and

the controlling comprises operating the driving voltage unit to control the impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus by adjusting a driving voltage to be applied to the wireless power transmission apparatus based on the result of the determining.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined operating range comprises one of:

an optimum voltage of each of the rectifier output voltages;

an allowable minimum value and an allowable maximum value of each of the rectifier output voltages;

an on-state range of each of the rectifier output voltages; and

a range calculated based on information on a wireless power transmission efficiency of a wireless power transmitted to the at least one wireless power reception apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the rectifier output voltages to one another; and

transmitting, to the at least one wireless power reception apparatus, a control command to compensate for mismatching among the rectifier output voltages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting, to the at least one wireless power reception apparatus, an impedance matching command for each of the at least one wireless power reception apparatus to perform impedance matching with the wireless power transmission apparatus.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting, to the at least one wireless power reception apparatus, a power control command to control an output power of a direct current-to-direct current (DC/DC) converter of each of the at least one wireless power reception apparatus.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting, to the at least one wireless power reception apparatus, a reduce power command for the at least one wireless power reception apparatus to use a reduced power of a predetermined level.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a high impedance region and a low impedance region based on the information on the rectifier output voltages; and

setting a reference impedance between the calculated high impedance region and the calculated low impedance region;

wherein the controlling comprises controlling the impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus based on the reference impedance.

11. A method of operating a wireless power reception apparatus, the method comprising:

transmitting information on a rectifier output voltage to a wireless power transmission apparatus;

receiving a control command from the wireless power transmission apparatus; and

controlling the rectifier output voltage based on the control command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises controlling an impedance of the wireless power reception apparatus based on the control command using an impedance matching control circuit of the wireless power reception apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises controlling an output power of a direct current-to-direct current (DC/DC) converter of the wireless power reception apparatus based on the control command.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the control command is generated by the wireless power transmission apparatus based on the information on the rectifier output voltage transmitted to the wireless power transmission apparatus.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a wireless power transmitted by the wireless power transmission apparatus;

wherein the transmitting of the wireless power by the wireless power transmission apparatus comprises the wireless power transmission apparatus determining whether the rectifier output voltage is within a predetermined operating range, and controlling an impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus based on a result of the determining.

16. A wireless power transmission apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive information on rectifier output voltages from at least one wireless power reception apparatus;

a processor configured to determine whether the rectifier output voltages are within a predetermined operating range; and

an impedance matching control circuit configured to control an impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus based on a result of the determining.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the communication unit is further configured to provide the information on the rectifier output voltages to the impedance matching control circuit;

and

the impedance matching control circuit is further configured to be operated to control the impedance based on the result of the determining.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a driving voltage unit configured to supply a driving voltage to the wireless power transmission apparatus;

wherein the communication unit is further configured to provide the information on the rectifier output voltages to the driving voltage unit; and

the driving voltage unit is further configured to be operated to control the impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus by adjusting the driving voltage based on the result of the determining.

19. A method of operating a wireless transmission apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving information on a rectifier output voltage from a wireless power reception apparatus;

determining whether an operating parameter of the wireless power transmission apparatus needs to be adjusted based on the information on the rectifier output voltage; and

adjusting the operating parameter of the wireless power transmission apparatus in response to a result of the determining being that the operating parameter of the wireless power transmission apparatus needs to be adjusted.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting a wireless power to the wireless power reception apparatus;

wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the operating parameter to maximize a wireless power transmission efficiency of the wireless power.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmitting comprises supplying a driving voltage to a resonator of the wireless power transmission apparatus to generate the wireless power transmitted to the wireless power reception apparatus;

and

the operating parameter comprises either one or both of an impedance of the wireless power transmission apparatus and the driving voltage supplied to the resonator of the wireless power transmission apparatus.