WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTER

• US 20160344237A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wit Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: CHO, Sang Ho
• Granted Patent: US 10,541,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter includes a resonator including a variable resonator; an inverter configured to operate the resonator; and, a controller configured to adjust the variable resonator in response to a change in a level of power input to the inverter.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a resonator including a variable resonator;

an inverter configured to operate the resonator; and

,

a controller configured to adjust the variable resonator in response to a change in a level of power input to the inverter.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the variable resonator includes a variable capacitor, and

the controller is further configured to adjust capacitance of the variable capacitor in response to the change in the level of power input to the inverter.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor to decrease the level of power input to the inverter.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to compare a level of a first power input to the inverter before adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor and a level of a second power input to the inverter after adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor with each other, to determine whether to increase or decrease the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to compare a level of a first power input to the inverter before adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor and a level of a second power input to the inverter after adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor with each other to further decrease the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor when the level of the second input power is lower than the level of the first input power.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to compare a level of a first power input to the inverter before adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor and a level of a second power input to the inverter after adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor with each other to increase the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor when the level of the second input power is greater than the level of the first input power.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to detect an input voltage and an input current of the inverter, and to calculate the input power from the input voltage and the input current.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to adjust capacitance of the variable resonator so that the input power provided from the detector is decreased.

9. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a resonator including a variable capacitor;

a detector configured to calculate a level of power input to the wireless power transmitter; and

a controller configured to calculate power efficiency based on a level of power received by a wireless power receiver and the level of power input to the wireless power transmitter, and to adjust the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor so that the power efficiency is increased.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, further comprising:

a power supply configured to convert a voltage of the input power; and

an inverter configured to receive power from the power supply and to operate the resonator.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 10, wherein the detector is further configured to detect an input voltage and an input current of the power supply to detect the input power.

12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, further comprising a near field communication circuit configured to receive information on the level of power received by the wireless power receiver from the wireless power receiver.

13. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to compare first power efficiency before adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor and second power efficiency after adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor, to determine whether to increase or decrease the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor.

14. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to compare first power efficiency before adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor and second power efficiency after adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor with each other to further decrease the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor when the second power efficiency is higher than the first power efficiency.

15. The wireless power transmitter of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to compare first power efficiency before adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor and second power efficiency after adjusting the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor with each other to further increase the degree of capacitance of the variable capacitor when the second power efficiency is lower than the first power efficiency.

16. A method of controlling a wireless power transmission, comprising:

operating a power supply to provide power to a variable resonator;

actuating a detector to determine a power input to or output from the power supply; and

,

executing a controller to adaptively adjust a resonance characteristic of the variable resonator in response to the determining of the power input to or from the power supply.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a wireless power signal to a wireless power receiver;

operating a wireless communication circuit to receive an indicia about the received wireless power signal;

adaptively adjusting the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator in response to the received wireless power signal indicia and the determining of the power input to or from the power supply

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator is adaptively adjusted in response to changing power input to or from the power supply.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the resonance characteristic of the variable resonator is adaptively adjusted in response to a comparison of the power input to or from the power supply relative to the received wireless power signal indicia which includes a reception power.