WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTER, WIRELESS POWER RECEIVER, AND CONTROL METHODS THEREOF

• US 20170366232A1
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Kyung-Woo, KWON, Sang-Wook, PARK, Sung-Kweon
• Granted Patent: US 11,206,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter, a wireless power receiver, and control methods thereof are provided. The wireless power transmitter includes a Near-Field Communication (NFC) antenna for NFC, a power supply, a NFC module, a resonator that wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power receiver, and a controller that controls the power supply to apply a beacon power for detecting an impedance change that is caused by placement of the wireless power receiver on the wireless power transmitter, to the resonator during a first time period, and controls the NFC module to apply NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna during a second time period.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter comprising:

a Near-Field Communication (NFC) antenna for NFC;

a power supply;

a NFC module;

a resonator that wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power receiver; and

a controller that;

controls the power supply to apply a beacon power for detecting an impedance change that is caused by placement of the wireless power receiver on the wireless power transmitter, to the resonator during a first time period, and

controls the NFC module to apply NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna during a second time period.

2. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller further:

controls the power supply to stop the application of the beacon power, and

controls the NFC module to apply the NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna in a preset cycle, when an external NFC tag is detected during the second time period.

3. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller further determines that the external NFC tag is placed around the wireless power transmitter, when a feedback radio wave is received from the external NFC tag during the second time period.

4. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller further controls the NFC module to apply the NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna in the preset cycle, until the external NFC tag is removed.

5. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller further determines that the external NFC tag is removed, when a feedback radio wave is not received from the external NFC tag.

6. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller further detects the wireless power receiver according to whether the impedance change caused by the placement of the wireless power receiver is detected during a time period for applying the beacon power, when an external NFC tag is not detected during the second time period.

7. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a communication module that receives an advertisement signal from the wireless power receiver.

8. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller further controls the power supply and the NFC module to alternately apply the beacon power for detecting the impedance change and the NFC tag detection power, when the advertisement signal includes information on detection of a second external NFC tag.

9. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller further controls the power supply to apply driving power to the resonator, when the advertisement signal does not include information on detection of a second external NFC tag or includes information indicating that the second external NFC tag is designed to be protected from wireless charging, wherein the driving power has a magnitude to wake up a communication module of the wireless power receiver.

10. The wireless power transmitter as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a communication module that receives a signal including information on detection of a second external NFC tag, wherein the controller further controls the power supply and the NFC module to alternately apply the beacon power for detecting the impedance change and the NFC tag detection power, when the signal is received.

11. A wireless power receiver comprising:

a communication module;

a Near-Field Communication (NFC) antenna for NFC; and

a controller that;

controls the NFC antenna to detect an external NFC tag, and

controls the communication module to transmit, to a wireless power transmitter, a signal including information on the detection of the external NFC tag or information on whether the external NFC tag is protected from wireless charging, when the external NFC tag is detected.

12. The wireless power receiver as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a resonator that wirelessly receives power from the wireless power transmitter, wherein the controller further controls the NFC antenna to detect the external NFC tag when power having a magnitude greater than or equal to a preset threshold is received from the resonator.

13. The wireless power receiver as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller further:

controls the NFC antenna to transmit a radio wave, and

determines that the external NFC tag is detected, when a feedback radio wave corresponding to the transmitted radio wave is received.

14. The wireless power receiver as claimed in claim 11, wherein the signal is included in at least one of an advertisement signal, a power receiving unit (PRU) static signal, a PRU dynamic signal, and a PRU alert signal.

15. A control method of a wireless power transmitter, the control method comprising:

applying a beacon power for detecting an impedance change that is caused by placement of the wireless power receiver on the wireless power transmitter, to a resonator of the wireless power transmitter during a first time period; and

applying NFC tag detection power to a Near-Field Communication (NFC) antenna for NFC during a second time period.

16. The control method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising stopping the application of the beacon power, and applying the NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna in a preset cycle, when an external NFC tag is detected during the second time period.

17. The control method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising determining that the external NFC tag is placed around the wireless power transmitter, when a feedback radio wave is received from the external NFC tag during the second time period.

18. The control method as claimed in claim 16, wherein applying the NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna in the preset cycle comprises controlling to apply the NFC tag detection power to the NFC antenna in the preset cycle, until the external NFC tag is removed.

19. The control method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising determining that the external NFC tag is removed, when a feedback radio wave is not received from the external NFC tag.

20. The control method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising detecting the wireless power receiver according to whether the impedance change caused by the placement of the wireless power receiver is detected during a time period for applying the beacon power, when an external NFC tag is not detected during the second time period.

21. The control method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising receiving an advertisement signal from the wireless power receiver.

22. The control method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising alternately applying the beacon power for detecting the impedance change and the NFC tag detection power, when the advertisement signal includes information on detection of a second external NFC tag or information indicating that the second external NFC tag is not protected from wireless charging.

23. The control method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising applying driving power to the resonator, when the advertisement signal includes information on detection of a second external NFC tag or includes information indicating that the second external NFC tag is protected from wireless charging, wherein the driving power has a magnitude to wake up a communication module of the wireless power receiver.

24. The control method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a signal including information on detection of a second external NFC tag or information indicating that the second external NFC tag is not protected from wireless charging; and

alternately applying the beacon power for detecting the impedance change and the NFC tag detection power when the signal is received.

25. A control method of a wireless power receiver, the control method comprising:

controlling a Near-Field Communication (NFC) antenna of the wireless power receiver to detect an external NFC tag; and

transmitting, to a wireless power transmitter, a signal including information on the detection of the external NFC tag, when the external NFC tag is detected.

26. The control method as claimed in claim 25, wherein controlling the NFC antenna of the wireless power receiver to detect the external NFC tag comprises controlling the NFC antenna to detect the external NFC tag when power having a magnitude greater than or equal to a preset threshold is received from a resonator of the wireless power receiver.

27. The control method as claimed in claim 25, wherein controlling the NFC antenna of the wireless power receiver to detect the external NFC tag comprises:

controlling the NFC antenna to transmit a radio wave; and

determining that the external NFC tag is detected, when a feedback radio wave corresponding to the transmitted radio wave is received.

28. The control method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the signal is included in at least one of an advertisement signal, a power receiving unit (PRU) static signal, a PRU dynamic signal, and a PRU alert signal.