SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FREQUENCY PROTECTION IN WIRELESS CHARGING

• US 20150270739A1
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Keeling, Nicholas Athol, Beaver, Jonathan, Kissin, Michael Le Gallais
• Granted Patent: US 9,680,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatuses for controlling wireless charging between a first entity and a second entity. For example, the apparatus may include a receiver communication circuit of the first entity configured to receive a current from a second entity via electromagnetic induction during the charging or alignment with the second entity. The apparatus may include a frequency measurement circuit configured to determine an operating frequency of the received current or a voltage induced by the electromagnetic induction. The apparatus may include a controller configured to compare the operating frequency to a threshold and adjust an operation of the charging or the alignment based on the comparison.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling wireless charging, comprising:

a receiver communication circuit of a first entity configured to receive a current wirelessly from a second entity via electromagnetic induction during the charging or alignment with the second entity;

a frequency measurement circuit configured to determine an operating frequency of the received current or a voltage induced by the electromagnetic induction; and

a controller configured to compare the operating frequency to a threshold and adjust an operation of the charging or the alignment based on the comparison, the controller configured to adjust the operation via continuing the charging or the alignment in response to a difference between the operating frequency and the threshold being less than or equal to a first tolerance level, and via stopping or refusing the charging or the alignment in response to the difference being greater than the first tolerance level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frequency measurement circuit configured to determine the operating frequency based on generating a measurement waveform from the received current or induced voltage, the measurement waveform indicative of the operating frequency.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

compare the operating frequency to the threshold via comparing the operating frequency to a nominal frequency to determine an error value between the operating frequency and the nominal frequency; and

determine whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first tolerance level comprises a 5% difference between the operating and nominal frequencies.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide a signal to the second entity regarding the adjustment to the operation of the charging or the alignment.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the signal indicates a fault condition associated with the operation of the charging or the alignment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver communication circuit is configured to receive the current via receiving a first current during the charging and a second current during the alignment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the frequency measurement circuit is configured to determine the operating frequency via:

generating a first measurement waveform from the first current, the first measurement waveform indicative of a first operating frequency of the first current; and

generating a second measurement waveform from the second current, the second measurement waveform indicative of a second operating frequency of the second current.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein controller is configured to:

compare the first and second operating frequencies to determine an error value between the first and second operating frequencies; and

determine whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein controller is configured to determine whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value via:

continuing the charging or the alignment in response to the error value being less than or equal to a second tolerance level for a difference between the first and second operating frequencies; and

stopping or refusing the charging or the alignment in response to the error value being greater than the second tolerance level.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first entity comprises an inductive power transfer (IPT) receiver and the second entity comprises an IPT transmitter.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first entity comprises an inductive power transfer (IPT) transmitter and the second entity comprises an IPT receiver.

13. A method operable by a first entity for controlling wireless charging, comprising:

receiving a current wirelessly from a second entity via electromagnetic induction during the charging or alignment with the second entity;

determining an operating frequency of the received current or a voltage induced by the electromagnetic induction;

comparing the frequency to a threshold; and

adjusting an operation of the charging or the alignment based on the comparison via continuing the charging or the alignment in response to a difference between the operating frequency and the threshold being less than or equal to a first tolerance level, and via stopping or refusing the charging or the alignment in response to the difference being greater than the first tolerance level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the operating frequency comprises generating a measurement waveform from the received current or the induced voltage, the measurement waveform indicative of the operating frequency.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

comparing the operating frequency to the threshold comprises comparing the operating frequency to a nominal frequency to determine an error value between the operating frequency and the nominal frequency; and

adjusting the operation comprises determining whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a signal to the second entity regarding the adjustment to the operation of the charging or the alignment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal indicates a fault condition associated with the operation of the charging or the alignment.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the current comprises receiving a first current during the charging and a second current during the alignment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the operating frequency comprises:

generating a first measurement waveform from the first current, the first measurement waveform indicative of a first operating frequency of the first current; and

generating a second measurement waveform from the received second current, the second measurement waveform indicative of a second operating frequency of the second current.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

comparing the first and second operating frequencies to determine an error value between the first and second operating frequencies; and

determining whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value comprises:

continuing the charging or the alignment in response to the error value being less than or equal to a second tolerance level for a difference between the first and second operating frequencies; and

stopping or refusing the charging or the alignment in response to the error value being greater than the second tolerance level.

22. An apparatus for controlling wireless charging between a first entity and a second entity, comprising:

means for receiving a current wirelessly from the second entity via electromagnetic induction during the charging or alignment with the second entity;

means for determining an operating frequency of the received current or a voltage induced by the electromagnetic induction;

means for comparing the frequency to a threshold; and

means for adjusting an operation of the charging or the alignment based on the comparison, the means for adjusting comprising means for continuing the charging or the alignment in response to a difference between the operating frequency and the threshold being less than or equal to a first tolerance level, the means for adjusting further comprising means for stopping or refusing the charging or the alignment in response to the difference being greater than the first tolerance level.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the operating frequency comprises means for generating a measurement waveform from the received current or the induced voltage, the measurement waveform indicative of the operating frequency.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the means for comparing the operating frequency to the threshold comprises means for comparing the operating frequency to a nominal frequency to determine an error value between the operating frequency and the nominal frequency; and

the means for adjusting the operation comprises means for determining whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for providing a signal to the second entity regarding the adjustment to the operation of the charging or the alignment.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the signal indicates a fault condition associated with the operation of the charging or the alignment.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for receiving the current comprises means for receiving a first current during the charging and means for receiving a second current during the alignment.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein means for determining the operation frequency comprises:

means for generating a first measurement waveform from the first current, the first measurement waveform indicative of a first operating frequency of the first current; and

means for generating a second measurement waveform from the second current, the second measurement waveform indicative of a second operating frequency of the second current.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for comparing the first and second operating frequencies to determine an error value between the first and second operating frequencies; and

means for determining whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for determining whether to continue the charging or the alignment based at least in part on the error value comprises:

means for continuing the charging or the alignment in response to the error value being less than or equal to a second tolerance level for a difference between the first and second operating frequencies; and

means for stopping or refusing the charging or the alignment in response to the error value being greater than the second tolerance level.