WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20170288474A1
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SAKATA, TSUTOMU, KANNO, HIROSHI, TAKAHASHI, EIJI, KIKUCHI, SATORU
• Granted Patent: US 10,181,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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 5/48 Transceivers

Abstract

A relay apparatus in a wireless power transmission system includes a relay power reception antenna that receives power transmission alternating current power from a power transmission power transmission antenna, a relay rectifier that converts the power transmission alternating current power into relay direct current power, a relay inverter circuit that converts the relay direct current power into relay alternating current power, and a relay power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the relay alternating current power. When the relay apparatus has received binary relay received data, the relay apparatus reverses a sign of the binary relay received data and eliminates a difference between a first voltage of the relay direct current power and a second voltage of the relay direct current power on the basis of the reversed binary relay received data.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a power transmission apparatus;

a power reception apparatus; and

a relay apparatus arranged between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus,

wherein the power transmission apparatus includes

a power transmission inverter circuit that converts power transmission direct current power supplied from an external power supply into power transmission alternating current power, and

a power transmission power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the power transmission alternating current power,

wherein the relay apparatus includes

a relay power reception antenna that is electromagnetically coupled with the power transmission power transmission antenna and that receives the transmitted power transmission alternating current power,

a relay rectifier that converts the received power transmission alternating current power into relay direct current power,

a relay inverter circuit that converts the relay direct current power into relay alternating current power, and

a relay power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the obtained relay alternating current power,

wherein the power reception apparatus includes

a power reception power reception antenna that is electromagnetically coupled with the relay power transmission antenna and that receives the transmitted relay alternating current power,

a power reception rectifier that converts the relay alternating current power received by the power reception power reception antenna into power reception direct current power, and

a power reception amplitude modulator that transmits binary power reception transmission data to the relay apparatus through the electromagnetic coupling between the power reception power reception antenna and the relay power reception antenna by varying amplitude of voltage of the relay alternating current power received by the power reception power reception antenna between a first amplitude and a second amplitude, and

wherein the relay apparatus also includes

a relay demodulator that is connected to the relay power transmission antenna and that receives binary relay received data by demodulating the binary power reception transmission data on the basis of a change in the voltage of the relay alternating current power input to the relay power transmission antenna, and

a relay reverse control circuit that reverses a sign of the binary relay received data received by the relay demodulator and that causes the relay amplitude modulator to eliminate a difference between a first voltage of the relay direct current power, which corresponds to the first amplitude, and a second voltage of the relay direct current power, which corresponds to the second amplitude, on the basis of the reversed binary relay received data.

2. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the binary power reception transmission data is transmission data representing a power value of the power reception direct current power.

3. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a power transmission apparatus;

a power reception apparatus; and

N (N is an integer equal to or larger than

     2) relay apparatuses that are arranged between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus and that are sorted as first to N-th relay apparatuses in descending order of closeness to the power transmission apparatus,

wherein the power transmission apparatus includes

a power transmission inverter circuit that converts power transmission direct current power supplied from an external power supply into power transmission alternating current power, and

a power transmission power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the power transmission alternating current power,

wherein the first one of the N relay apparatuses includes

a first relay power reception antenna that is electromagnetically coupled with the power transmission power transmission antenna and that receives the transmitted power transmission alternating current power,

a first relay rectifier that converts the received power transmission alternating current power into first relay direct current power,

a first relay inverter circuit that converts the first relay direct current power into first relay alternating current power, and

a first relay power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the obtained first relay alternating current power,

wherein an i-th (i=2 to N) one of the N relay apparatuses includes

an i-th relay power reception antenna that is electromagnetically coupled with an (−

1)th relay power transmission antenna and that receives (−

1)th relay alternating current power,

an i-th relay rectifier that converts the received (−

1)th relay alternating current power into i-th relay direct current power,

an i-th relay inverter circuit that converts the i-th relay direct current power into i-th relay alternating current power, and

an i-th relay power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the obtained i-th relay alternating current power,

wherein the power reception apparatus includes

a power reception power reception antenna that is electromagnetically coupled with an N-th relay power transmission antenna and that receives N-th relay alternating current power, and

a power reception rectifier that converts the N-th relay alternating current power received by the power reception power reception antenna into power reception direct current power,

wherein the first relay apparatus also includes

a first relay amplitude modulator that transmits binary first relay transmission data to the power transmission apparatus through the electromagnetic coupling between the first relay power reception antenna and the power transmission power transmission antenna by varying amplitude of voltage of the power transmission alternating current power received by the first relay power reception antenna between a first first amplitude and a first second amplitude,

wherein the i-th (i=2 to N) relay apparatus also includes

an i-th relay amplitude modulator that transmits binary i-th relay transmission data to the (−

1)th relay apparatus through the electromagnetic coupling between the i-th relay power reception antenna and the (−

1)th relay power transmission antenna by varying amplitude of voltage of the (−

1)th relay alternating current power received by the i-th relay power reception antenna between an i-th first amplitude and an i-th second amplitude, and

wherein the (−

1)th (i=2 to N) relay apparatus also includes

an (−

1)th relay demodulator that is connected to the (−

1)th relay power transmission antenna and that receives binary (−

1)th relay received data by demodulating the binary i-th relay transmission data on the basis of a change in the voltage of the (−

1)th relay alternating current power input to the (−

1)th relay power transmission antenna, and

an (−

1)th relay reverse control circuit that reverses a sign of the binary (i−

1)th relay received data received by the (−

1)th relay demodulator and that causes the (−

1)th relay amplitude modulator to eliminate a difference between a first voltage of the (−

1)th relay direct current power, which corresponds to the i-th first amplitude, and a second voltage of the (−

1)th relay direct current power, which corresponds to the i-th second amplitude, on the basis of the reversed binary (i−

1)th relay received data.

4. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 3,

wherein the power reception apparatus includes

a power reception amplitude modulator that transmits binary power reception transmission data to the N-th relay apparatus through the electromagnetic coupling between the power reception power reception antenna and the N-th relay power transmission antenna by varying amplitude of voltage of the N-th relay alternating current power received by the power reception power reception antenna between a third amplitude and a fourth amplitude, and

wherein the N-th relay apparatus also includes

an N-th relay demodulator that is connected to the N-th relay power transmission antenna and that receives the binary power reception transmission data by demodulating the binary power reception transmission data on the basis of a change in voltage of the N-th relay alternating current power input to the N-th relay power transmission antenna, and

an N-th relay reverse control circuit that reverses a sign of the binary N-th relay received data received by the N-th relay demodulator and that performs, using the N-th relay amplitude modulator, control for eliminating a difference between a first voltage of the N-th relay direct current power, which corresponds to the third amplitude, and a second voltage of the N-th relay direct current power, which corresponds to the fourth amplitude, on the basis of the reversed binary N-th relay received data.

5. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 4,

wherein the binary power reception transmission data is transmission data representing a power value of the power reception direct current power.

6. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 3,

wherein the binary i-th (i=2 to N) relay transmission data is transmission data representing a power value of the i-th relay direct current power.

7. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 3,

wherein the i-th (i=2 to N) relay inverter circuit includes four switching elements,

wherein the four switching elements include a first switching element pair that, when conductive, outputs a voltage having the same polarity as voltage of the supplied i-th relay direct current power and a second switching element pair that, when conductive, outputs a voltage having an opposite polarity to the voltage of the supplied i-th relay direct current power, and

wherein the i-th relay control circuit

supplies a pulse signal for switching a conductive and nonconductive state to each of the four switching elements, and

adjusts amplitude of voltage of the i-th relay alternating current power output from the i-th relay inverter circuit by adjusting a phase difference between two pulse signals supplied to the first switching element pair and a phase difference between two pulse signals supplied to the second switching element pair.

8. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 3,

wherein the i-th (i=2 to N) relay control circuit adjusts amplitude of voltage of the i-th relay alternating current power output from the i-th relay inverter circuit by changing frequency of the i-th relay alternating current power output from the i-th relay inverter circuit.

9. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 3,

wherein the i-th (i=2 to N) relay inverter circuit includes a plurality of switching elements, and

wherein the i-th (i=2 to N) relay control circuit

supplies a pulse signal for switching a conductive and nonconductive state to each of the plurality of switching elements, and

adjusts amplitude of voltage of the i-th relay alternating current power output from the i-th relay inverter circuit by adjusting a duty ratio of the pulse signal.